Barcelona to Dali Museum?

[Michellelhs]

Hi there. I am a pretty big fan of Salvador Dali's work so I really want to the museum in Figures.

I figure I have 3 options...

1) book a day tour

2) rent a car and drive

3) take the train

 

I thought about the tour groups but to be honest I do not want to be confined to a tourgroup timeline. Much of Dali's work should be reflected on, and I am also afraid that a group experience would take away from my enjoyment so I am pretty sure that I have decided against option 1.

Renting a car and driving a few hours away seems a terrifying option to me but it may be easy for all I know.

Taking the train is also a scary thought to me because I am from a city without even a subway and my train knowledge, especially in a foreign language, is not that great.

 

So what suggestions do you guys have? I would love some input. Am I overthinking the tour thing? Am I best off doing that? Or a car? Or a train? Or is there an option 4 that has not even occurred to me yet?

 

Thanks you in advance for any responses.

[TessM]

Hi there. I am a pretty big fan of Salvador Dali's work so I really want to the museum in Figures.

I figure I have 3 options...

1) book a day tour

2) rent a car and drive

3) take the train

 

I thought about the tour groups but to be honest I do not want to be confined to a tourgroup timeline. Much of Dali's work should be reflected on, and I am also afraid that a group experience would take away from my enjoyment so I am pretty sure that I have decided against option 1.

Renting a car and driving a few hours away seems a terrifying option to me but it may be easy for all I know.

Taking the train is also a scary thought to me because I am from a city without even a subway and my train knowledge, especially in a foreign language, is not that great.

 

So what suggestions do you guys have? I would love some input. Am I overthinking the tour thing? Am I best off doing that? Or a car? Or a train? Or is there an option 4 that has not even occurred to me yet?

 

Thanks you in advance for any responses.

 

Michelle - Here's my "brain dump" of what I remember of the tour I took.

 

First, the Dali Museum in Figueres is incredible. You will be impressed and your concern about being rushed thru with a group is valid.

My first trip to Barcelona I took a day trip to Figueres AND Cadaques.

 

It was a small group tour - 9 of us (4 couples and me -- I was travelling solo) with an English-speaking guide and a driver. We were picked up in front of the Hard Rock Café in Plaza Catalunya around 8am (I could be wrong on the meeting time). The driver took us straight to the museum in Figueres and the guide went and got everyone's museum ticket and the other ticket for the Dali Gem museum that next door (separate entrance). The guide didn't go with us in the museum but told us when we would have to gather back to head to Cadaques. We had to finish with enough time after leaving the museum to ensure we had time to go into the Gem museum.

 

It wasn't enough time and I did feel rushed. Some folks finished early, but I could have stayed for at least two more hours.

But, the trip to Cadaques was worth it, because I doubt I ever would have gone there if it weren't for this tour. Port Ilgat (sp?) is near Cadaques and so after lunch in Cadaques, we went to visit Dali's home. WOW! It is incredible - an amazing place that really made me wonder even more how his creative process worked.

 

The next trip to Barcelona (this summer), I'm headed back out to Figueres, but this time by train. I will also be travelling solo on this trip as well. Train travel is very easy in Spain and the train station is just down the hill from the Dali Museum. I'm looking forward to a long, leisurely visit at the museum -- and the Gem museum next door. Plus, this time I'll get to walk around Figueres which seems like a cute little town.

 

I usually travel solo and I've rented a car in other countries (even when I had to drive "on the wrong side of the street) but even with the rushed time in the Dali museum, I still think the day tour was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. I'm also glad I didn't have to worry about driving. --The train doesn't go to Cadaques.

 

If you just want to see the Dali Museum in Figueres, I say take the train.

 

I've still got some arrangements left to do for my June trip and I haven't booked my train tickets yet. ---Although, you don't need to have your train tickets in advance, I'll probably book them before I leave home.

 

If you decide on the train and need help, I can let you know what I've found. (As well, as get lots of good advice from all the other people on cruise critic.)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We're renting a car and staying overnight in Girona, so thanks Tess for getting me even more excited about this diversion from Barcelona. I've read that it's quite easy to take the train, but with the two of us, we wanted the freedom to wander.

 

My husband is a huge Dali fan, and we love the Dali Museum in St. Pete's in Florida. So we're doing the whole deal--we're actually spending two nights in Girona so we can spend some time in this city as well, and then planning a route to Figueras and Port Lligat, thanks for the tip about Cadaques--many of his early works were painted there, so it will probably look familiar.

 

A couple of questions--was it easy to find a nice place for lunch in Cadaques? Did you have any trouble buying tickets online for the house in Port Lligat--I understand it's a timed entry and you have to book in advance.

 

(Oh, and we're going in early November--I'm hoping the weather might still be decent, but you never know of course.)

[TessM]

A couple of questions--was it easy to find a nice place for lunch in Cadaques? Did you have any trouble buying tickets online for the house in Port Lligat--I understand it's a timed entry and you have to book in advance.

 

oh...Lucky you! I've been wanting to go to St. Pete to see the Dali museum as I hear it is wonderful. It sounds like you have a fun trip planned.

 

If you are going to be staying in Girona and you have a car, I'm sure you are also planning to go to Gala's home that Dali had built for her (Castell de Pubol). I've never seen it but I'm sure it's worth a visit. The information is on the Dali museum website.

 

I have a wonderful memory of lunch at Cadaques - very fond memories of a HUGE gin and tonic - yum. It is very easy to find somewhere to eat. I had lunch at one of the beachside restaurants. Great view and very peaceful.

 

Our guide handled the tickets so I don't know anything about how to get those. But yes, your ticket will have an entrance time. They only take small groups - 6 or less? - at a time. A guide escorts you through the home and explains everything and answers questions. They don't allow you to wander through the home alone.

 

Info on those tickets are also on the Dali Museum website. It's listed under "Museums."

 

There's a really cool church that is easy to miss in Cadaques if you don't know to look for it. There's a small church up on the hill with a beautiful gold altar that is so exquisite it took my breath away. The church was dark and there was an entire wall of glass doors that keep you from getting very far in to the church. It was dark inside but there is a box on the opposite wall and for 1 euro you can turn the lights on. It's an amazing site. -- Plus, I thought it was a smart way to save energy and also get the tourists to pay for the power. Look up "Esglesia de Santa Maria" in trip advisor and you should find it.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for the tip of sights in Cadaques. I'll have to work out an itinerary at some point. I had thought about Gala's house, but had not reached a conclusion--worried about being "Dali'd out" I guess. But it looks like it would be an easy stop on our way back to Girona.

 

I guess our rough itinerary will be to spend our first day in Girona, then drive up to Figueras to the Museum, drive to Cadaques and have lunch, then go to the Dali home, then drive back to Girona, stopping at Gala's house if we feel like it. Then spend the night in Girona again, then a leisurely coastal drive down to Barcelona, stopping somewhere nice for lunch--I want to stop at a couple of the coastal towns on the way back, just to see how the Costa Blanca is doing since I visited about 45 years ago as a backpacker.

 

Yes, the Dali in St. Petersburg is terrific, really worth a good long visit. It's very nicely done. We live nearby in Dunedin in the winter, although I admit we didn't make the trek down this year, not sure why--sometimes in Florida you wait and wait for a rainy day to do something, and it never comes!

[calliopecruiser]

I took the train from Barcelona and did a day trip to see the museum - it was an easy, inexpensive train trip, and the museum was very much worth the trip.

[Michellelhs]

Ty guys for the input... I really still don't know what to do lol. I have a feeling we will end up on the metro ourselves as the ultimate Dali tour you mentioned is only Tuesday (day we arrive), Friday (day I already have tickets to sagrada familia and stuff) and Sunday (day we sail away). The only other Dali tour I am seeing is the one that goes to the teatro then to Girona. I'm sure Girona is nice but it is not what I am looking for really.

Anyway... thank you guys so much for the info! You have been really helpful!

Oh BTW... the St. Pete Dali museum is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

I go there any time we are anywhere near there in Florida!

If you are in the area ever go there and plan on spending lots of time!

 

[QuattroRomeo]

Just came across this thread and it brought back wonderful memories.. I think we did the same tour as TessM, just last October. The weather was great and the crowds not too bad. We booked through Viator, but I think you could book directly with explorecatalunya.com

Their office and meeting point has moved from Hard Rock to just directly across from the main entrance to Palau de la Musica ( which we took a tour of as well-wonderful place).

The Dali tour met at 8:15 a.m. and lasted til I think 7. Depends on traffic. We loved it.

 

Although it is a full day,we saw so much. The museum in Figueres was fantastic. I would suggest if you want to maximize your time, simply ask about the meet back time and explore the museum on your own instead of following the guide. My favourite work there was the portrait done in octopus ink..incredible..we then went on to Port Lligat for lunch, a charming little town that is apparently jam packed in the summer but absolutely no problem in October, we ate at a cafe and had the best desserts and coffee and sandwiches of our trip there..then on to Cadaques for the house tour. This part is optional and extra, but entirely worth it. The tour guide already had the tickets booked so saves time. Very interesting house to go through. Loved looking at Dali and Gala's photos from all over, stuck on the walls near his studio..I saw a photo of him working on the Santiago el Grande in that very studio, and since I have actually seen this huge painting, in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, I was absolutely thrilled.

 

Would love to hear about your upcoming trip and spending a whole day in Figueres sounds great to me, would do it in a heartbeat next time!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Our cruise payment is approaching, we'll be in Barcelona and Girona the first week of November. I'm wondering what the weather might be like in Cadaques.

 

Husband is suggesting we stick just to the Dali museum in Figueres. I'd like to do the House Museum too, but since we have to book that one in advance, we can't decide at the last minute.

 

Reminder, we're in Girona for two nights. Don't want to drive up that way twice however, so would do Figueres and Cadaques/Lligat in one day.

 

If the weather were decent (and I know it very well could be pleasant), I could imagine lunch in Cadaques before the House, but I suspect we could easily spend most of the day in Figueres at the museum. So on the horns of a dilemma.

 

(We may do the castle the next day, on our way back to Barcelona by car.

[QuattroRomeo]

Our cruise payment is approaching, we'll be in Barcelona and Girona the first week of November. I'm wondering what the weather might be like in Cadaques.

 

Husband is suggesting we stick just to the Dali museum in Figueres. I'd like to do the House Museum too, but since we have to book that one in advance, we can't decide at the last minute.

 

Reminder, we're in Girona for two nights. Don't want to drive up that way twice however, so would do Figueres and Cadaques/Lligat in one day.

 

If the weather were decent (and I know it very well could be pleasant), I could imagine lunch in Cadaques before the House, but I suspect we could easily spend most of the day in Figueres at the museum. So on the horns of a dilemma.

 

(We may do the castle the next day, on our way back to Barcelona by car.

 

We did the Port Lligat, Cadaques and Figueres tour the last week of October last year, and it was beautiful out. Plus Port Lligat was not crowded at all, apparently the tourist season ended before that!