Don't be afraid to try things on your own!

[iricht]

Good News - I got a confirmation form Avis for a rental in Civitavecchia. I put in a request for the return as the next day (the office closes at noon) and I am assuming they have a drop box for the keys. Hurray!! Their office is right down the street from the port entrance.

 

You're right about the short time for the excursion to St. Paul but it actually works out for me. My son (who is 15) would like to go to the beach in the morning (heard there might be some topless french women) while I go to St. Paul. We can then meet later for lunch. I don't know why he would prefer the beach to touring St. Paul with his mother :rolleyes:.

 

I have been planning my driving trip in Scotland (post cruise) and have found Google Maps to be quite good. I can even send my picks for restaurants, hotels, etc. right to the GPS unit. It is truly amazing how technology has changed things.

 

Irene

[Hlitner]

Irene, I do congratulate your son for having his priorities in proper order :)

 

Hank

[lisherm]

Hi Hank

 

I just started reading through your posts and I am cruising this summer to the following ports - Genoa, Nice, Barcelona, Sardinia and Palma de Mallorca and maybe you have been to them? I agree that most of the time I like to be on my own. I have cruised before and sometimes with little time and one day, the tours are more efficient. I have done a lot of reading lately about these ports but I have not been there before and some of the essential details are missing to help me make my decision. For instance, i have decided to do Barcelona on my own since I have learned that transport from the ship is easy and economical and once in town there are plenty of sights to see as you wander. However, I have been to ports where there is little to do and should have taken a tour because the transportation is too expensive. This is what i am wondering about in Sardinia? Not much seems to jump out at me.

 

I am really wondering about Nice - I would love to at least see Monte Carlo and Eze. The ship offers a tour of all 3 which sounds pretty good and although not much time in each, maybe the trade-off is that I get there? I have been posting to see if anyone knows if it is do-able on your own in one day? I cannot figure out the best strategy such as taking a taxi to all 3 might be less expensive than paying for 2 tours? If this is not a do-able trio, I would like to know.

 

Do you know the best way to Portofino from Genoa, I am meeting a friend there. I assume taxi?

 

Any info on Palma de Mallorca?

 

Thanks.

 

Lisa

[HMSDingy]

Hank, if I can be so informal, after reading many and I mean many posts about the crime and condition of Naples, we have decided to visit Capri once we dock in Naples. I've googled the Mollo Bevederllo using Google maps and got a great street view. The veiw shows the distance for the docking area to the ferrry pier. I hope not to get mugged or approached getting there:rolleyes:. I've also checked our prices for the hydrofoil trip to Capri and back and, with the help of seasoned CC travelers, found many sites with tourist information. We plan to do the same in Civitavecchia by taking the train to Rome and do our own sightseeing. BTW, DW and I are both fluent in Italian, so I guess that would help:D

[Hlitner]

Lisa, Darn good questions. Personally, we have a major dislike of cruise tours which is one of the reasons we started this thread a few years ago (hard to believe it just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny). If you feel comfortable with the cruise line tours and enjoy being in a large group (50 plus) than make your tour choices and book. However, you are going to discover that the cost of tours for your cruise can actually cost nearly as much (or even more) than the cruise. For us, we really hate the feeling of being cattle on a cattle drive (large tours)..but this is just our opinion (many disagree). Regarding your ports we are familiar with them all and have done them all on our own with the exception of Sardinia. You did not mention which port in Sardinia, but a few years ago we were at Olbia and decided to take a boat tour to the Emerald Coast. As to Majorca, although it is possible to find things to do and see, keep in mind that what makes this a popular island among Europeans is the excellent weather and very nice sandy beaches (good sandy beaches are rare on the European mainland). When we are in Palma we usually just take the local bus from port to Palma and than change buses to another bus that heads out along the road that is near the airport. The particular route parallels an excellent beach area (loaded with resorts and hotels) and we simply turn our day into a beach day. It is also possible to leave enough time to explore the main town of Palma where we are content to simply walk the streets, look at a few churches and browse the shops. Majorca is a major European tourist destination and you will find English widely spoken, English menus in nearly every cafe and restaurant, and all the usual tourist junk in the shops.

 

As to Nice (we just returned from a trip where we spent 2 weeks in France) and you can certainly do things on your own (there are many posts here about options) or take various tours. This area (I assume you will tender into Villefranche) is served by good rail and bus lines that are very usable for cruise ships passengers. Monte Carlo is easy to get to by train or bus, but Eze does require using a train/bus combination or a bus direct from either Nice or MC. If I were trying to design a do it yourself strategy I would probably take the train into MC, and than use the direct bus from MC to Eze Village. From Eze village you could than take the local bus down to the train station at Eze/Bord sur Mer (a 10 min ride) where you can catch the train back to your port. Personally, we prefer to simply rent a car whenever we are in the south of France which gives us maximum flexibility without spending time waiting for buses and trains.

 

 

As to Genoa to Portofino, keep in mind that its about 30 miles each way. Using taxis will probably cost you several hundred dollars. Your best option would be to have your friend come pick you up :). Another option would be to take the train from Genoa to Santa Margarita Ligure..(about 40 min) which is the closest train station to Portofino and than have your friend meet you or take the local bus or taxi from Santa Margarita into Portofino. You might also want to check to see if there is any ferry service between Genoa and Portofino, but we are not aware of any regulartly scheduled service. Of course your other option is to simply rent a car for the day (that will cost you around $100) and drive it yourself, but I hesitate to recommend driving in Italy to first-time visitors.

 

Hank

Edited June 3, 2009 by Hlitner

[HMSDingy]

I tend to agree with your point about ship excursions and their cost. On our Med cruise onboard the Brilliance, the cost per person of an excursion called "On Your Own" which in fact is a non-guided train ride to Rome from Civitavecchia is listed at $114 CAD, roughly $100 US and a similar non-guided coach also at $114 CAD. Again a coach ride from Livorono to Pisa is also $114 CAD. :eek:

 

The BERG ticket costs les than $10 euros.

[CathyCruises]

Hank, I am fantasizing about spending this winter somewhere in Europe, probably using VRBO--obviously, I assume, the farther south the better?Do you have personal experience with the weather in Southern Italy from December-March? I want to go somewhere where there's no snow and at least the possibility of some sunny days--small towns are great (the one we currently live in is 242 souls). Any recommendations/ideas come to mind?

 

Thanks,

Cathy

[IrishBear]

Hank,

 

You seem to be very knowledgable on the port of Livorno and we are trying to do an excursion on our own there.

 

Our plan was to rent a car and explore the area (visiting both Lucca and Pisa). Unfortunately, we dock there on Aug 15th, which is a major holiday in Italy. We are having major difficulty finding an agency to rent cars.

 

Any suggestions for a family of 4 (kids 12 and 10)? Best options for us?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom and Alisa

[Hlitner]

Hank, I am fantasizing about spending this winter somewhere in Europe, probably using VRBO--obviously, I assume, the farther south the better?Do you have personal experience with the weather in Southern Italy from December-March? I want to go somewhere where there's no snow and at least the possibility of some sunny days--small towns are great (the one we currently live in is 242 souls). Any recommendations/ideas come to mind?

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

Well I guess the CC mods will let us have some discussion on rentals since cruise passengers sometimes like to rent before or after a cruise (we do this). VRBO is a fine site but you might also want to look at HomeAway...who actually guarantees rentals listed on their site. We have never rented in Southern Italy in the winter, but we have been there in Dec. Unfortunately, the weather is not always good. They even get ocassional snow storms in Rome, and a lot of the Amalfi coast even shuts down in the winter. We actually spent months looking for a winter haven in Europe and finally threw up or hands and decided to spend winters in Puerto Vallarta (the best weather on earth in Jan - Mar). Since you are looking for sun and a smallish place, you might want to consider some of the Greek Islands. Since it is the off season, prices might be reasonable. The larger islands like Rhodes and Crete would give you beaches and enough places to keep you from getting bored. Of course the smaller islands such as Santorini are more romantic, but they might be too quiet that time of year.

 

If your research comes-up with some good options please post them here so we can all learn.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Hank,

 

You seem to be very knowledgable on the port of Livorno and we are trying to do an excursion on our own there.

 

Our plan was to rent a car and explore the area (visiting both Lucca and Pisa). Unfortunately, we dock there on Aug 15th, which is a major holiday in Italy. We are having major difficulty finding an agency to rent cars.

 

Any suggestions for a family of 4 (kids 12 and 10)? Best options for us?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom and Alisa

 

We faced the same issue on May 1, 2008 (May Day) when we wanted a car to drive to Cinque Terre (from Livorno). We found that all the rental car dealers were closed (most of them also close on Sundays) but we did find a solution. A local rental car company called Targarent-Maxirent was willing to open on the holiday, but we had to pay a premium for our car (is cost about $120) since their manager opened-up for us (and one other passenger). This company has an office in the main terminal building of the port (which is still pretty far from the cruise ships). Their manager was a really nice man named Francesco (he speaks English). You can try to e-mail him at livorno@maxirent.com

One other possibility is Hertz. Although they were supposed to be closed on that day, they also opened and had a representative at the port. The best way to find out about Hertz would be to call their toll-free USA number and ask for their international rental desk. Than ask them to directly contact their Livorno office to ask if they will open that day (although their official site may show the office as closed this is not always accurate).

 

Good luck

 

Hank

[jebl]

I am so glad this thread has gone on for this long. I just found it and it is a wealth of great information.

 

Hank, you are awesome. So are all of the others who have posted such wonderful information.

 

My girlfriend and I are cruising in Oct from Civitavecchia to Naples, Venice, Dubrovnik, Messina, Barcelona, Monaco, and Livorno, then spending 2 days in Rome. We did book a private shuttle from FCO to the port since we are sr. citizens and were afraid of getting on and off the trains with luggage.

 

However we do want to take the train to Pompeii and the info here confirmed that plan. Glad to find out that we can see all we want to in Rome on foot or on the 110 HOHO.

 

We may even think about renting a car for some areas. If I could drive 678 miles in Ireland on the 'wrong' side of the road, I could probably do ok in Italy.

 

Hank, what is your best advise for Monaco? We will be there from 9am til 8pm.

 

Again, many many thanks.

[CathyCruises]

Well I guess the CC mods will let us have some discussion on rentals since cruise passengers sometimes like to rent before or after a cruise (we do this). VRBO is a fine site but you might also want to look at HomeAway...who actually guarantees rentals listed on their site. We have never rented in Southern Italy in the winter, but we have been there in Dec. Unfortunately, the weather is not always good. They even get ocassional snow storms in Rome, and a lot of the Amalfi coast even shuts down in the winter. We actually spent months looking for a winter haven in Europe and finally threw up or hands and decided to spend winters in Puerto Vallarta (the best weather on earth in Jan - Mar). Since you are looking for sun and a smallish place, you might want to consider some of the Greek Islands. Since it is the off season, prices might be reasonable. The larger islands like Rhodes and Crete would give you beaches and enough places to keep you from getting bored. Of course the smaller islands such as Santorini are more romantic, but they might be too quiet that time of year.

 

If your research comes-up with some good options please post them here so we can all learn.

 

Hank

 

Thanks for the tips. I have access to a place in Sicily--I wonder how that would be? I thought about the Greek Islands but we really want to be somewhere where we can take the train to lots of other interesting places. I don't mind an occasional snow storm, just (after 5 winters here) want the kind that comes and then goes! I wonder about some of the towns in Provence, or nearby--I need to do some research and see what their weather is like as well. But there is nothing like someone telling you, "I was there then and this is how it was!" Thanks Hank.

Edited June 5, 2009 by CathyCruises

[Hlitner]

The average temperature in Sicily during the winter months is in the low 50s. They also get most of their rain during the winter months, so you need a bit of luck with the weather. There is also something good about going to a place off-season when you can usually get terrific prices on accomodations. On the other hand, there is a good reason why many Europeans flock to Florida in the winter :)

 

Hank

[chuckc54]

I was stationed in Germany twice when I was in the Army and took a lot of tours arranged by the base I was stationed at (mainly through American Express). Never really felt "herded". For those who have been on a med cruise and have done the same thing I have, are the tours arranged through the ship sort of like that?

[cristine]

The average temperature in Sicily during the winter months is in the low 50s. They also get most of their rain during the winter months, so you need a bit of luck with the weather. There is also something good about going to a place off-season when you can usually get terrific prices on accomodations. On the other hand, there is a good reason why many Europeans flock to Florida in the winter :)

 

Hank

 

Hank

Any advise for doing Barcelona on our on. Also Azores...Ponta delgada

We will be on Ruby Princess in Oct.

Thanks

Cris

[Hlitner]

Barcelona is a very tourist friendly city that can easily be done on your own. Depending on your docking positon it is possible to walk into town (about 20 min) or you can use the shuttle buses, local buses, or even a taxi. The cost is generally about $5 - $7 per person and you get dropped at the base of the Ramblas. We enjoy just walking up the Ramblas in the morning, browsing the local market (its on the left side of the Ramblas about half-way) and also just walking around the nearby Gothic Quarter (a few blocks to the left of the Ramblas as you face away from the water). Every first time visitor should go see the Gaudi designed cathedral (Sagrada Familia) which is also the worlds longest running construction project. If you have time, buy tickets and walk inside to see how they build a huge Cathedral in the 21st century. (Many of the tours do not take you inside). There is a lot of info available on Barcelona here and all over the internet.

 

Ponta Degada - We have only been there once and made the mistake of just walking around town (it is not worth the walk). Others told us that we should have taken a tour around the island (you can hire a taxi, rental car, etc) and if we ever return that will be our agenda.

 

We are also taking a good look at doing a cruise on the Ruby Princess in December, so take good care of the ship. :)

 

Hank

[Charlestongirl]

I was stationed in Germany twice when I was in the Army and took a lot of tours arranged by the base I was stationed at (mainly through American Express). Never really felt "herded". For those who have been on a med cruise and have done the same thing I have, are the tours arranged through the ship sort of like that?

 

Hey Chuck, my DH and I are stationed in the UK and we have done tours with the base, never felt all that herded to be honest. I've done tours with companies like Viator too and I didn't mind them. I've done shore excursions on a Bahamas cruise and they weren't too different. I do prefer the excursions with the cruise ship over the tours with the base.

 

I too want to do more independent stuff, and I feel comfortable having lived in Europe and gone to other countries on my own. However, I have that syndrome of missing the ship too. Then there's getting from the ship to meet the tour, which taxis and all seem to be costly. When I stay somewhere for a few days I get the hang of public transport, but as I first get off the ship, I don't want to spend time trying to navigate.

 

I did a day-trip to Belgium a few weeks ago, and a few us of ended up wasting time in a train station while they found an ATM that worked and while we tried to find transport. With only a day at ports I don't want to waste that time trying to find stuff. DH doesn't like to be lost; he gets grumpy.

 

Yeah I want to go on my own though... gonna try for Athens but the point of my cruise is to NOT have to do a lot navigating, etc. I want to just show up and be catered to for once, you know?

[English_in_Spain]

Hank, I am fantasizing about spending this winter somewhere in Europe, probably using VRBO--obviously, I assume, the farther south the better?Do you have personal experience with the weather in Southern Italy from December-March? I want to go somewhere where there's no snow and at least the possibility of some sunny days--small towns are great (the one we currently live in is 242 souls). Any recommendations/ideas come to mind?

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

I live in South East Spain about on a line with Southern Italy/Sicily and our climate is very similar.

 

The weather here in the winter is cool to mild (average 10-14C = low 50s). It very rarely gets to freezing but it does get quite cold at night.

 

I would say that most days are clear and sunny but other times we can get a lot of wind and rain.

 

If you want better winter weather might I suggest the Canary Islands. They have a very pleasant all year climate.

[Susan-M]

For those who have been on a med cruise and have done the same thing I have, are the tours arranged through the ship sort of like that?

 

I haven't been on a base tour, but this has been our experience on cruise ship tours, and will hopefully give you something to compare to:

 

- Everyone on your tour meets in a central location on the ship at a designated time, e.g. the theatre. You sign in and pick up your sticker for the bus number that you'll be on (the sticker goes on your shirt). Extra time is allowed for late arrivals, and approx. 15-20 minutes after the time that everyone was supposed to meet, you head to the buses. Getting settled on the bus and taking a head count ... another 15 minutes. Buses hold approx. 40-45 people.

 

- On the way to the destination, the guide will provide info about the surrounding area.

 

- Arrive at destination, where some people will want to head to the restrooms before getting started, another 15 minutes of waiting.

 

- The tour commences and usually proceeds at a slow enough pace to allow all in the group to keep up.

 

- After the tour (or during it, depending on how long the tour lasts) another group washroom break.

 

- If free time is included after the tour, a designated time is given to be back at the bus ... an extra 15-20 minutes is usually needed to allow for late arrivals and head count.

 

- Sometimes a 'shopping stop' is included on the return trip (it will usually indicate this in your tour description.)

[blue lady]

we are looking to take the train from Cadiz to Seville, is this ok and is the station far out of Seville?

[CathyCruises]

I live in South East Spain about on a line with Southern Italy/Sicily and our climate is very similar.

 

The weather here in the winter is cool to mild (average 10-14C = low 50s). It very rarely gets to freezing but it does get quite cold at night.

 

I would say that most days are clear and sunny but other times we can get a lot of wind and rain.

 

If you want better winter weather might I suggest the Canary Islands. They have a very pleasant all year climate.

 

Your winter weather would be perfect! We're not looking for beach weather, just the ability to get around easily without the weather being a huge factor. Where we live, the ski resort about 15 minutes from our house had 625 inches of snow last winter--when you do the math, that's 52 FEET! We didn't have quite as much, but we had a lot and it impacts everything you do. If you don't ski, you are pretty much house bound. We live in a town of 242 people so there is no movie theater, 1 restaurant, etc. It's great in the summer when the roads are clear, but after 5 winters I am looking for a change! I sell real estate and summer is definitely our busy season--I haven't had one sale in the last 3 winters, so why stay? If I have to live off savings, it may as well be somewhere I'd love to be. Now, I haven't brought this up with my boss yet. . .so it's a pipe dream at this point, but you have to have a dream!!!

 

Cathy

[lisherm]

Hi Hank

 

I want to thank you for the excellent information you gave me. In Palma, I will be following your lead and go the beach, do you have the details of the bus and the name of the beach. I assume you did the walking around the town in the afternoon?

 

If I decided to see either Eze or Monte Carlo rather than both, what would you choose?

 

In Sardinia, we are stopping in Cagliari, any suggestions.

 

I have been researching tripadvisor as some mentioned and yes it has been helpful, but I always find that people like you have the best advice to maximize the one short day we have. Thanks.

 

Lisa

[Hlitner]

Hi Hank

 

I want to thank you for the excellent information you gave me. In Palma, I will be following your lead and go the beach, do you have the details of the bus and the name of the beach. I assume you did the walking around the town in the afternoon?

 

If I decided to see either Eze or Monte Carlo rather than both, what would you choose?

 

In Sardinia, we are stopping in Cagliari, any suggestions.

 

I have been researching tripadvisor as some mentioned and yes it has been helpful, but I always find that people like you have the best advice to maximize the one short day we have. Thanks.

 

Lisa

 

Lisa, It has been about 5 years since we were last in Palma so my bus info is out-of-date. But, there was a local bus that stopped right in front of the port that took us into Palma. We than ask for some help and eventually took another local bus that went out past the airport. The bus ran parallel to the sea but had to drive 2 blocks inland since the road along the beach was one-way heading the other direction. The beach in this area (its called Playa de Palma) is several miles long and we just hopped off the bus a few minutes after we passed the airport (we could see the water two blocks off to our right) and walked down to the beach. It really didnt seem to matter where on this beach we stopped as it was all pretty nice with plenty of cafes across the street. But, Majorca has many different beaches so you might want to do some internet homework and also ask for advice from the local tourist folks when you arrive. Transportation on the island was pretty expensive which is why we took the buses.

 

As to Eze vs MC we do have a bias in that my DW and I do not like MC. So, of course we would say Eze. On the other hand we would always choose St Paul de Vence over Eze (of just about anywhere else in the area) Keep in mind that Eze is a pretty small village although its very charming and has some interesting artsy shops.

 

We have never been to the port of Cagliari, but if we ever get to the place we would love to explore the city and perhaps go to one of the nearby beaches.

 

Hank

Edited June 7, 2009 by Hlitner

[go brydges]

I enjoy monitoring this board and reading everyone's advice. A few years ago I used to contribute lots of help here for those who wanted advice on how to do any of the European ports on their own (we have been to most of these places multiple times). I stopped most of my help because I got tired of being flamed by others who insisted that the only way to do anything is on an organized tour (this is true for some folks). However, given the very high price of tours (the low value dollar does not help) I am surprised to see almost everyone resigned to tours. Western Europe is pretty easy to navigate on your own although it helps to do some homework. The advantage of being on your own is you avoid the "cattle like" mentality of some tours, get to do what you want when you want with who you want, and usually you will save money. In fact, on a 12 day Med cruise you can easily save over $1000 (or more) by doing things independent of tours. The down side of independent travel is that you do need to do your pre-trip homework,, but to some of us that is part of the fun. My main problem with most tours is that they try to crowd too much "touring" into a short period of time without giving you a chance to see the real Europe. A lot of the joy of visiting some cities (Rome, Paris, etc) is spending time at an outdoor cafe enjoying local cuisine, wine and people watching (this is how many Europeans enjoy themselves). Personally, when in Rome I would quickly give-up seeing some site in order to have time for lunch or a snack at one of the cafes in the Piazza Navona. But, I guess this is where the "different strokes for different folks" saying reigns surpreme.

 

Hank

My husband & I have done a fair bit of travelling ,both on cruises and orgaized bus tours as well as organizing a couple of trips on our own to Italy and France/Belgium.

We too don't enjoy being herded with 40 other tourists,especially annoying are the shopping stops at pre arranged stores[with a % of sales going to the tour agent I'm sure!

We would welcome your advice on a cruise we're taking with 2 other couples this fall.

Stops include Florence,Rome, Portofino,Split,Ravenna, Koper and Venice.

The other 2 couples haven't travelled as much as us and are a little nervous re setting out on their own. My biggist concern are the ports that are a significant distance from the cities like Rome and Florence. We have 12 hrs @ port which is good, but how difficult is it to get your own transportation.[i've read that the train station in Civitavechia is within walking distance. What sation in Rome would get us closest to "the vatican"?

How about Livorno? Is a Van-taxi an option?

One there, we have been to many of the attractions and could help our friens navagate the sites they want to see.

Do you book tickets for sites such as the Doge's Palace,and the Uffizi? We've not been able to see either of these in the past,as they are already booked.

We have used the DK books with success in the past. What guides do you find most helpful?

Also we're spending 3 days in Barcelona before the cruise starts. Any suggestions there?:)

[Hlitner]

After helping folks for over 20 years who want to do their own thing, I have learned not to try and persuade those who have lots of concerns. Most of the time they are miserable all day and just worry about everything (especially getting back to the ship). The funny thing is that they are usually the same folks who we hear complaining on-board how much they hate group tours and how expensive these tours can be (tours can actually cost more than the cruise).

 

Regarding Civitavecchia, you can take the free port shuttle bus from the ship to the port entrance where you than have a 4 block walk to the train station. If you buy a BIRG ticket (it must be validated like any other ticket) it will only cost you 9 Euros and that includes round trip (regional trains) to Rome plus all days use of the Metro and buses. The station closes to the Vatican is the St Pietro Station which is actually 20 min closer to Civitavecchia than the main Rome Termini station.

 

There are always taxis on the pier in Livorno and they are looking for full day hires (at least 300 Euros). Keep in mind that many of the taxi drivers do not speak much English so they can get you where you want to go, but they are not professional guides. Finding a van/taxi is iffy. You might want to reserve a private car/driver before your trip (this can be expensive) and there are others here on CC that can give you recommendations on who is good.

 

As to museums, when it comes to very popular places like the Uffizi it is a good idea to pre-book your tickets on-line. In the case of the Ufizzi this can save you an hour (or more) in line. We have not been to the Doges Palace in many years, but I have read that they have an excellent private tour that can be booked in advance. As to books, we personally do not use a lot of books anymore, but if I did, Rick Steves would be very high on my list (except for his restaurant recommendations). As to Rome, Frommer has an excellent small book called "Rome day by day" that I find useful (and it fits in my wife's purse).

For anyone wondering why I do not like Rick Steve's restaurant recommendations, here is the problem. Those books find nice eating places (many of them are small) and than they publish the info in books (and on the internet) read by millions. So, when you go to one of those "wonderful little cafes" there are a thousand patrons...all with their Rick Steves book. Of course by that time the locals have fled to other places, the prices have increased, and often the quality has been degraded. :)

 

As to Barcelona, it is a very easy city to do on your own. Make sure you not only go to the Sagrada Familia, but pay the money and go inside (even if there is a long line). You can see them actually building a Cathedral in the 21st Century. By the way, Sagrada Familia is now the worlds longest construction project having been started in 1882. We also enjoy browsing in the local market (mornings only) that is located right along the Ramblas (on the left side when walking from the water about half way). The nearby Gothic Quarter is also a nice place to walk and the Picasso Museum is interesting if you like Picasso. There is much to do in this town (Montjuic has plenty of stuff) and there are also some interesting day trips if you get bored with the city. We like to take the train to Sitges which is a popular sea resort about 40 min from town (a beach day). Many also love to take the trip to Montserrat (you can do this on the train or rent a car).

 

Hank