Barcelona Included tour question

[OneSixtyToOne]

8 minutes ago, Kountess said:

On our tour in December, our Viking guide gave us a short tour inside using our QuietVox system before letting us wander on our own.  She said she had to speak very quietly, so I don't know if she was supposed to give us a tour or not.  The LSG app sounds like a great idea.

The app is excellent. For example it explains that the different colored columns are different density stone with the densest being used for the main tower, which has not been constructed yet. 
 

Other tours we have had guides tell us they were not allowed to do guided tours inside and instead they did it on the QT.

 

BTW be sure to visit the basement area and the schoolhouse built by Gaudi to teach the children of the workers.

Edited March 15 by OneSixtyToOne

[ddeprez]

5 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The app is excellent. For example it explains that the different colored columns are different density stone with the densest being used for the main tower, which has not been constructed yet. 
 

Other tours we have had guides tell us they were not allowed to do guided tours inside and instead they did it on the QT.

 

BTW be sure to visit the basement area and the schoolhouse built by Gaudi to teach the children of the workers.

Thanks! As always, you’re a wealth of info! Any opinion as to whether a guided tour would be much better than the self-guided? Not much more in cost for the guided, but less flexibility in times available… 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, ddeprez said:

Any opinion as to whether a guided tour would be much better than the self-guided?

 

Here's my take.

 

Do a guided tour if you want to see more Gaudi architecture than La Sagrada Familia. The tour will handle all of the logistics of getting you from place to place (and with much less time wasted), getting you into any of the sites that are available for tour, etc. Downside: you are on their schedule.

 

If all you are interested in is LSF, do it on your own. A cab from the ship to LSF and back plus your entrance fee will be much less than the cost of a tour, where the paid guide can't even give a tour.  On your own, you will have time to take the elevator up into the towers (unless you have bad knees) and you will have time to explore every nook and cranny of the building, including the basement, without feeling rushed.  

 

This is what LSF looked like in 2004:

 

Here is is 15 or so years later:

 

 

Changes on the interior were even more drastic but I hadn't taken any photos in 2004 to show the changes.

[millybess]

14 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Do a guided tour if you want to see more Gaudi architecture than La Sagrada Familia.

Absolutely agree with this.  Gaudi's architecture is so unique and includes so many different crafts and techniques.  I could spend weeks in Barcelona just taking in all of Gaudi's work.  It's very interesting, amusing and entertaining.

[ddeprez]

24 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Here's my take.

 

Do a guided tour if you want to see more Gaudi architecture than La Sagrada Familia. The tour will handle all of the logistics of getting you from place to place (and with much less time wasted), getting you into any of the sites that are available for tour, etc. Downside: you are on their schedule.

 

If all you are interested in is LSF, do it on your own. A cab from the ship to LSF and back plus your entrance fee will be much less than the cost of a tour, where the paid guide can't even give a tour.  On your own, you will have time to take the elevator up into the towers (unless you have bad knees) and you will have time to explore every nook and cranny of the building, including the basement, without feeling rushed.  

 

This is what LSF looked like in 2004:

 

Here is is 15 or so years later:

 

 

Changes on the interior were even more drastic but I hadn't taken any photos in 2004 to show the changes.

Thank you! Yes, at this point we are planning to do it on our own as Vikings is sold out and I haven’t been able to find an independent that seems to work within our schedule. Your previous info provided has convinced me we can do this on our own, plus visit additional areas and sites.  My question at this point is between purchasing the ticket for the guided tour at LSF, or purchasing the ticket for the self-guided tour.  I was curious as to if the guided tour is much better than the self guided, keeping in mind that there’s less ticket times available for the guided tour?

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, ddeprez said:

Thank you! Yes, at this point we are planning to do it on our own as Vikings is sold out and I haven’t been able to find an independent that seems to work within our schedule. Your previous info provided has convinced me we can do this on our own, plus visit additional areas and sites.  My question at this point is between purchasing the ticket for the guided tour at LSF, or purchasing the ticket for the self-guided tour.  I was curious as to if the guided tour is much better than the self guided, keeping in mind that there’s less ticket times available for the guided tour?

 

I just checked out the website. https://sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets-individuals

 

The guided tour cost 4€ extra (30 people  max per guide and you still can use the audioguide)). The tower costs 10€ extra.  There is a senior discount on the entrance ticket.

 

For an extra 4€, sign up for the guided tour. If you don't like the tour, you can walk away at any time. At worst, you have just made a $10 donation to the restoration effort. At best, you get an informative tour of the basilica.

 

Doing the towers is a more complicated decision. It is elevator up and walk down --and, oh my, did my leg muscles have something to say to me the next day. Still I love going up the towers. I love the view. I love seeing the spires and their tile work up-close and personal.  However, I have probably been up the towers for the last time.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16 by Peregrina651

[lackcreativity]

32 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

 

 

Peregrina,

We have been to Sagrada Familia three times and I never knew there are colorful tiles at the top of the spires. Given Gaudi's other work, I guess I should have thought to look harder!

[Peregrina651]

3 minutes ago, lackcreativity said:

Peregrina,

We have been to Sagrada Familia three times and I never knew there are colorful tiles at the top of the spires. Given Gaudi's other work, I guess I should have thought to look harder!

 

LOL. That's because you didn't go up the towers and take pictures with a telephoto lens. 😁You can't see all of the detail from the ground. Next time!

 

I just noticed that there are words on the spire. I can make out Hosana and Excelsis in the picture. There is just so much going on in Gaudi's work, words, mosaic tiles, bas relief, shapes inspired by nature, light and color, transparency. You could spend hours just concentrating on one element.

[ddeprez]

14 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I just checked out the website. https://sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets-individuals

 

The guided tour cost 4€ extra (30 people  max per guide and you still can use the audioguide)). The tower costs 10€ extra.  There is a senior discount on the entrance ticket.

 

For an extra 4€, sign up for the guided tour. If you don't like the tour, you can walk away at any time. At worst, you have just made a $10 donation to the restoration effort. At best, you get an informative tour of the basilica.

 

Doing the towers is a more complicated decision. It is elevator up and walk down --and, oh my, did my leg muscles have something to say to me the next day. Still I love going up the towers. I love the view. I love seeing the spires and their tile work up-close and personal.  However, I have probably been up the towers for the last time.

 

 

 

 

 

In looking at available tickets, is it reasonable to think we could get there for a 10:45 tour with the ship scheduled to dock at 8:00, or better to take a later time? Barcelona Day tours will no longer accept Viking passengers for their semi private tours due to “unreliable docking times”, so should I be concerned with this?

[Pacogran]

On 3/4/2024 at 3:44 PM, tobique33040 said:

We just did the Athens to Barcelona cruise. We did not go inside La Sagrada Familia, but we walked over there. This was our included tour, so while they apparently cannot stop in front, the bus dropped us a few blocks away and we walked over, had commentary from the guide and then walked and did more sightseeing. It was a really great included tour IMO. Obviously the guides vary, but the tour description includes La Sagrada Familia stop. My bestie is Spanish, from Castilla though, so had never seen inside La Sagrada Familia. She thought it was unbelievable. Well worth a visit so great you will go inside. 

We are on Mars and in Barcelona. We just returned to the ship from the included tour. Our guide was excellent and we thought the tour was wonderful! Do be aware, though, that there was quite a bit of walking. A few pax on our coach weren’t in shape for the walking. I don’t know how the tour of the neighborhoods could have been done minus the walking. We loved every minute of it and learned more about Barcelona than we imagined possible.

[ddeprez]

20 minutes ago, Pacogran said:

We are on Mars and in Barcelona. We just returned to the ship from the included tour. Our guide was excellent and we thought the tour was wonderful! Do be aware, though, that there was quite a bit of walking. A few pax on our coach weren’t in shape for the walking. I don’t know how the tour of the neighborhoods could have been done minus the walking. We loved every minute of it and learned more about Barcelona than we imagined possible.

Did this tour take you near La Sagrada Familia? 

[Opinica]

1 hour ago, ddeprez said:

 is it reasonable to think we could get there for a 10:45 tour with the ship scheduled to dock at 8:00, or better to take a later time?

1. La Sagrada Familia isn't much more than a 10-12 minute taxi ride, about 5 euro,  from the pier.  Buy your entrances for 10:45am and plan to get there 20-30 minutes early so you can walk around and see the facades from across the street.  One of my favorite things to do there is simply sit in the basilica and watch the light change.

 

You can buy your tickets on the La Sagrada Familia app available on the app store.  It also includes an audio tour in various languages.  An elevator ride up to the top of one of the towers is an extra expense.  You have to walk down to return to street level.

 

Taxis may be available right at dockside or you may need to take the shuttle a short distance.  You'll have no trouble hailing a taxi near La Sagrada Familia or anywhere else in Barcelona.

 

Anyone who feels up for an hour or so of walking could return to the ship on foot.  If you returned via the Paseo de Gracia you would see two more noteworthy Gaudi buildings.  Tickets for those are often available on a last minute basis.  Lots of nice lunch opportunities around there too.

[Peregrina651]

Our cab fare was a lot more than 5 euro when we made the trip 6 years ago.  It was closer to 15.

[ddeprez]

2 hours ago, Opinica said:

1. La Sagrada Familia isn't much more than a 10-12 minute taxi ride, about 5 euro,  from the pier.  Buy your entrances for 10:45am and plan to get there 20-30 minutes early so you can walk around and see the facades from across the street.  One of my favorite things to do there is simply sit in the basilica and watch the light change.

 

You can buy your tickets on the La Sagrada Familia app available on the app store.  It also includes an audio tour in various languages.  An elevator ride up to the top of one of the towers is an extra expense.  You have to walk down to return to street level.

 

Taxis may be available right at dockside or you may need to take the shuttle a short distance.  You'll have no trouble hailing a taxi near La Sagrada Familia or anywhere else in Barcelona.

 

Anyone who feels up for an hour or so of walking could return to the ship on foot.  If you returned via the Paseo de Gracia you would see two more noteworthy Gaudi buildings.  Tickets for those are often available on a last minute basis.  Lots of nice lunch opportunities around there too.

 

19 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Our cab fare was a lot more than 5 euro when we made the trip 6 years ago.  It was closer to 15.

Thanks to you both for the info!  I think you’re correct about the cab fare, Peregrina, but I’m not really concerned with that- more concerned with the amount of time to get there from the ship. I would like to do the earlier tour so we have more time to explore after, just want to be sure we’re not cutting it too close not having any previous experience with Viking’s efficiency in getting passengers off the ship.  I’m so used to the craziness of the mass market ships that I think I’m just having a hard time wrapping my brain around the smaller ship experience.

[FetaCheese]

44 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Our cab fare was a lot more than 5 euro when we made the trip 6 years ago.  It was closer to 15.

In December 2022, cab fare from hotel in Eixample district, Passeg de Garcia, to port was more than it should have been, Uber as yellow cab -- €12 -- but no Uber would pick up -- driver could not be found, so hailed regular yellow cab in front of hotel. Het took us "tourists" the long way around, €20

Edited March 16 by FetaCheese

[Pacogran]

17 hours ago, ddeprez said:

Did this tour take you near La Sagrada Familia? 

Yes. We walked all around it but not inside. Doesn’t sound like much but it really was a lot to take in.

[Traveler1977]

On 3/15/2024 at 5:26 PM, OneSixtyToOne said:

Inside is self guided via the LSG phone app. Since COVID the church no longer hands out headphones or listening devices so be sure to bring something compatible to listen with your phone.
 

BTW you can download the LSG app anytime and listen to the tour. It may be better to do that ahead of time to be aware of what you are seeing.

The LSG app sounds like a great suggestion, but I can’t seem to find it in my phone’s App Store. Can you provide a little more information on the name of the app?

[Peregrina651]

 

 

Look for "Sagrada Familia" in the Play Store if you use an Android phone or in the Apple Store for iPhones.  When I tried it came right up.

Edited March 17 by Peregrina651

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

The LSG app sounds like a great suggestion, but I can’t seem to find it in my phone’s App Store. Can you provide a little more information on the name of the app?

Search for Sagrada Familia Official

 

[Traveler1977]

 

OneSixtyToOne & Peregrina651, 

 

Thank you for your responses.