mlmdaisy

I have tried to search this forum for the link to buy tickets to Sagrada Familia. I have found this one: https://sagradafamilia.org/en/ Can I assume that's the official one? Thanks to advice here we've switched our hotel to the Alexandra in the Gothic Quarter. That puts us close to a few other Gaudi buildings. Do we need to buy tickets in advance to these? We're visiting early May.

Thank you.

That is a useful thread and I thank you. I have scrolled quite a bit, though and see no reference to using a credit card. Can someone please confirm that I can pay for a taxi with a cc? I'd like to figure out how many euros to get.

Excellent! They take cc?

Thank you. This is looking good. This is a separate topic, but connecting this area from the airport and to the port, are we best off with taxis or is Uber a good option?

I didn't even know about Alexandra in Granada. I have two nights reserved at Palacio de Santa Ines.

It's just for one night and we have a limited budget. (Nothing is more reasonable than zero USD.) We are staying at a "genuine" hotel for two nights in Granada. Our time there is more of a priority for this trip. If everyone agrees that the Alexandra is a good option, I can probably make that work. I do appreciate the input.

It's just for one night and we have a limited budget. (Nothing is more reasonable than zero USD.) We are staying at a "genuine" hotel for two nights in Granada. Our time there is more of a priority for this trip. If everyone agrees that the Alexandra is a good option, I can probably make that work. I do appreciate the input.

I will think about it. I'm embarrassed to say that when we visit countries where everyone stays up late we are usually unable to join in. I do see the merit of being in the middle of things, but especially after our international flights, it's unlikely that we can stay up late. We are spending a few days in Granada after the cruise, and by then our internal clocks will have shifted. I'll still look into the finances of one of the Hiltons with a better location. Thank you.

Thank you for clarifying!

It's more important for us to be closer to the airport than anywhere else. We will be anxious to drop our luggage off. I'm unclear, which of these Hilton properties is closer to the airport?

I saw it, but it's very expensive. Is it closer to the airport or cruise terminal?

I currently have reservations for the Hampton Inn. This is for only one night before a cruise. We actually have a day and a half to see some sites, but proximity to the airport and cruise terminal is just as important. We fly in early morning and will want to immediately drop luggage off at hotel. I know that the Hampton's location isn't great for sightseeing, but apparently public transportation is nearby. It's less than 10 km to the airport. Is there another Hilton property that would be better situated for us? Two of them (very expensive) are closer to the Gothic Center, but further from the cruise terminal, I think? I'd really prefer a Hilton property because I have points.

You misunderstood me. I am taking the advice to tour independently and I appreciate the details. There is no way that I would pay that much for four hours.

Thank you for the additional help. I'm sure it's excellent, but a four hour tour amounting to more than 300 euros (with admissions) pp is way out of our budget.

Thanks for the above. The tour agency wants 200 euros pp for four hours, without entry fees. That's much more than I imagined. We may have to piece it together ourselves. We land early morning the first day, should be out of the airport before 10 AM. We may be exhausted, but we will use that day. Then we have the next morning, don't know yet when we board our ship, probably mid afternoon.

Yes, thank you, we usually do explore on our own an avoid group tours. We need to be very efficient with our time, which is limited. I can't walk for distances; we could depend upon taxis. At this point I'd be happy with a short list of the best sites to visit, so I can map them out. I will try searching for walking tours; sometimes adding a word to a search makes a huge difference. Very helpful, thanks again!

We generally explore on our own, but since Gaudi architecture is spread all over Barcelona, I'm thinking that a tour would be good. It would have to be small group and I'm looking for suggestions. I'd consider a private guide, but that may be beyond our budget. This is for mid-May. I would think that moving from one Gaudi site to another would also give us a glimpse of the city. We have another day to explore on our own. Does anyone have specific recommendations for tour companies or guides to check out? Thanks in advance.

Thanks! I'll have fun with what you just shared!

Yup, there are sometimes delays due to documentation. Coming from Peniscola the previous day, I cannot manage arriving to Barcelona late. Still, conventional wisdom is ruling out the 10:40 flight. The next Vueling flight gets us to Granada significantly later, so we're pretty set on the train now. We'll get to our hotel almost two hours earlier than if we fly then.

Actually the one thing I'm confidant about is getting of the ship quickly (one of a zillion reasons we now choose the small ones). With less than 200 passengers it's a very quick process. I'm worried about potential traffic delays on the way to the airport and especially security lines. If we choose the later flight we'd have no option but to hang around the airport for hours. Atlas is the first cruise line I've sailed with that offers no post cruise tours.

Also, thank you for clarifying the advantages of the train. Overall, we do much prefer it. I only wish that it got us to Granada before evening. (The flight would land at around noon.) Ironically, I had called a company that sells the train tickets. The agent said I needed to be at the train station 2-3 hours ahead. I knew that was wrong. One of my remaining train questions was about food. I would even spring for first class, but that is not available for the trip we need. It's good to know that we can get something to eat. I'd feel even better if someone suggests that the scenery between Barcelona and Granada is pretty, or at least interesting.

I'd also like to clarify that this is a domestic fight, to Granada.

I understand that BCN is a huge airport. This alone does not reveal how efficiently passengers are processed, which is why I’m asking here. i have moved quickly through airports in Seoul and Panama City, for example, but have spent longer in tiny airports, such as PIE. We only have one full day in Granada, so ideally we would have more time there the previous day. If we can’t get there until evening, I would sooner take the train. My question is possibly naive, but if I was taking a domestic flight from most airports in the US, arriving at the airport 90 minutes ahead would be fine, aside from holiday travel. I certainly do not assume that everything is the same everywhere. Again, this is why I asked and I appreciate all the comments.

Yes, that is how we’re leaning. I just need to be sure that there’s no way to make the flight option reasonable. I’m also hoping for a better description of the scenery between Barcelona and Granada on the train. At this time, the most luxurious train fare is not available and it looks like there’s no food available for purchase. However, this far in advance, there is no particular train type provided. I guess I can try to message using the link on the train website.