Barcelona

[miaandmum]

hi i am just trying to figure out what to do when we dock in barcelona in august.  Does anyone known if RC provide a shuttle bus into the centre as i have no idea how far the centre is from the port.  

Thanks.

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, miaandmum said:

hi i am just trying to figure out what to do when we dock in barcelona in august.  Does anyone known if RC provide a shuttle bus into the centre as i have no idea how far the centre is from the port.  

Thanks.

 

There is a shuttle that will take you outside the cruise port to the Columbus monument.  From there, you can access metro.

 

You may also want to post this in the Spain forum:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/465-spain-ports/

[yoj13]

When you come out of the terminal building, you need to go to the left hand side for the Port Authority Shuttle.  It is something like Euro5 return.Follow the crew, they all use it.  It stops and picks up at sea side, just across the road from Columbus monument.  Cross over the extremely busy road (traffic signal operated) and you are at the bottom of Las Ramblas where you can stroll to your hearts content!

Royal Carribean will also provide a shuttle but it will be circa $15 for the very short ride.  If you are feeling fit, you can walk it in circa 30 minutes. 

[mjldvlks]

Not really sure what your objective is, but RCI has an airport shuttle plus they typically have a city tour that will show you city highlights and end up at the air port [plus keeping your luggage].  If your staying in Barcelona a day or two, then the shuttle to the Columbus monument then public tranportation may be your best option.

[Seville2Cabo]

A cab may be a good option if there are two or more of you.  Our cab from the hotel to ship was 15E for 4.  I guess as stated above, depends on what you are doing - to hotel, to airport, just seeing the city.

[miaandmum]

thanks everyone. ship stops in barcelona for one day only and we didnt really want to do any of the itineries for barcelona - we just want to wander around for afew hours and do our own thing.

[taglovestocruise]

3 hours ago, miaandmum said:

thanks everyone. ship stops in barcelona for one day only and we didnt really want to do any of the itineries for barcelona - we just want to wander around for afew hours and do our own thing.

Take the free shuttle to the Columbus Statue and you are where you need to be. Just walk across the street and you are on La Rambla,  about a mile walk up and back with lots to see.  Plenty of cafe's, shops and kiosks line both sides of the street. A little tip, if you need to use the restrooms stop at Hotel 1898, super clean and a great luxury  hotel.  Happy wandering. 

[suzk2275a]

If you have time tour la sagrada familia.

 

 

[mjldvlks]

There are many great private tour guides who can show you around for much less than the ships excursions.  I would encourage you to consider this.  Since you only have 8 hours, a good guide can help you make the most of it.  Look at reviews to find a good one.

[little britain]

6 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Take the free shuttle to the Columbus Statue and you are where you need to be. Just walk across the street and you are on La Rambla,  about a mile walk up and back with lots to see.  Plenty of cafe's, shops and kiosks line both sides of the street. A little tip, if you need to use the restrooms stop at Hotel 1898, super clean and a great luxury  hotel.  Happy wandering. 

There is no “free” shuttle in Barcelona. You take the blue port bus for €5pp return fare. 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by little britain

[steven3367]

take the port shuttlebus drops u off next to coloumbus statue then i went on hop on hop off bus free fountian show at night if you are stopping over if you are heading to airport there is a place that transfer your luggage giving you the day to look round you can get a all day metro ticket that also drops you off at airport where you then pick luggage up also beware of pickpockets

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I can not tell you if RCL has a free bus to the port entrance or not. 

 

When I have been there it was always on embarkation. There was a port bus that had a fee. 5 euro RT when we were there.  Maybe be more now--but, not much.  It would go to each terminal and then to the port entrance on a continuous loop all day. 

 

Once you get back to the port entrance you have a very walkable area with lots to see.  The Columbus statue will be in front of you and Las Ramblas [a pedestrian walkway] will be uphill beyond that. 

 

There are many squares if you choose to enter the Gothic Quarter on your right side.  This old section of the city has lots of restaurants and little shops.  If you can walk around 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from the port entrance you can reach the cathedral.  [must be dressed appropriately]  It is in the Gothic Quarter, too.

 

Or walk straight up Las Ramblas. Many of the restaurants are touristy--but, fun.  We stopped at a nice bakery right on the street.

 

The St Joseph's market is 3/4 of the way up Las Ramblas from the port.  It is on the left  down a little side alley way. I think it is near the Dunkin Doughnuts.  We had an excellent lunch at the market by buying items from several booths.  There was GREAT fruit and fruit juices. [not open on Sundays]

 

At the top of Las Ramblas is Placa Catalunya  [Small park with fountain] . There is a department store on the Placa.  El Corte Ingles--It is a Spanish institution. 

 

Here is a link to a description. 

https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/shopping/el-corte-ingles-barcelona.html

 

There is so much to do within a short distance to the port entrance.

 

When we stayed a few days we took the HOHO bus.  It was a good way to get an overview--but, ate up a lot of time.

 

The most iconic site in Barcelona is the Segrada Familia.  If you want to go there buy your timed ticket online. [line for tickets is crazy long] . . . take a taxi directly from the ship to the Segrada Familia.  then taxi to the Placa and walk downhill. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by DragonOfTheSeas

[back-at-it]

We stayed on La Rambla in a Hotel before the cruise.  There are Double Decker buses that you can hop on and off.  Also we used this company for a private tour and it was great.  https://www.spaindaytours.com/  You can arrange for them to pick you up and drop off at the cruise port.  It is a Great City to see.  

[Sancho_proudfoot]

On 7/2/2019 at 2:09 AM, suzk2275a said:

If you have time tour la sagrada familia.

 

 

 

If you want to do this, pre-booking is a must. Last time l was there, the line at the ticket booth was huge, and they had (helpfully) put out signs saying things like "wait time 4 hours from here" - and that was just to buy the ticket which carries a stated entry time - which could be 3 hours later. You could spend your entire day in Barcelona waiting in lines.

[mjldvlks]

8 hours ago, Sancho_proudfoot said:

 

If you want to do this, pre-booking is a must. Last time l was there, the line at the ticket booth was huge, and they had (helpfully) put out signs saying things like "wait time 4 hours from here" - and that was just to buy the ticket which carries a stated entry time - which could be 3 hours later. You could spend your entire day in Barcelona waiting in lines.

And make sure you get the "skip the line" or "fast pass" tickets to maximize your time. 
 

[Notts1964]

Check out free walking tours of the Gothic Quarter, the area close to where the port shuttle drops you off. Several companies do the free tours in Barcelona, we have done 2 different ones and they were excellent.