IA_Cruiser Posted August 22, 2009 #1 Share Posted August 22, 2009 We are considering using Barcelona Day Tours for a half-day tour in Barcelona prior to boarding the ship. We are interested in peoples experiences. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyanne Posted August 23, 2009 #2 Share Posted August 23, 2009 We used this company for a half-day tour in May. Our determining factor was that they will pick you up at your hotel. Our tour was on our first morning in BCN - before we had a chance to get our bearings - so this was a huge bonus. Our tour took us to all the highlights - all over the city. It included an hour stop at Park Guell - and we went to all the other places mentioned on the website. Our guide was Donald - he was fabulous. He drove a late-model Mercedes mini-van with great air conditioning! It was hot in May so this was greatly appreciated. Our tour had the 3 from my family and just one other couple. It was nice to be in such a small group. Stops take less time and you actually get a chance to converse with your guide. Our tour ended up being 5 hours and we were dropped back at our hotel at the end. We had a fabulous time and learned so much about BCN. I would not hesitate to refer this company to anyone.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted September 19, 2009 #3 Share Posted September 19, 2009 We are considering using Barcelona Day Tours for a half-day tour in Barcelona prior to boarding the ship. We are interested in peoples experiences. Thanks in advance! Have you used them yet? We have a tour booked with them Oct. 10. If you used them how were they? If not I can let you know when we return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA_Cruiser Posted September 20, 2009 Author #4 Share Posted September 20, 2009 We decided to take a chance and booked them for late Nov 2009. I'd appreciate your input upon your return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted September 20, 2009 #5 Share Posted September 20, 2009 We decided to take a chance and booked them for late Nov 2009. I'd appreciate your input upon your return Will do! They are picking us up right from the airport. I requested we stop for breakfast somewhere. We decided until we paid the transfer to the hotel, then the Hop-on-Hop off bus the price would be comparable. This way we can see all the highlights before checking in the hotel. After a short nap we know the layout of the city for later in the day/evening. Hope they are good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGuy25 Posted September 20, 2009 #6 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I'm not suggesting that you not take a tour ... just adding my two cents that we found it really easy to get around the city on our own when we were there in July. If you're staying near Las Ramblas, it's easy to walk to many places and the subway is cheap, clean, bright, and easy to use. I just bought a "pocket" map of Barcelona from Border's before we left to have a bit of a sense of the directions before we left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA_Cruiser Posted September 21, 2009 Author #7 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks for the advice. I agree that it is easy to get around. With only a few hours in Barcelona, luggage, and jet lag, we chose a tour option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted September 23, 2009 #8 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Thanks for the advice. I agree that it is easy to get around. With only a few hours in Barcelona, luggage, and jet lag, we chose a tour option That's exactly why we chose it! Let someone do the driving and get us to what we want to see instead of the cabs, subway and hop-on-hop off bus. It's worth the couple extra dollars to us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boneshaker Posted September 28, 2009 #9 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Have you used them yet? We have a tour booked with them Oct. 10. If you used them how were they? If not I can let you know when we return. Did they give your an itinerary or did you make up your own? Marty and I booked them for Saturday, 10/10 in the afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted September 28, 2009 #10 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Did they give your an itinerary or did you make up your own? Marty and I booked them for Saturday, 10/10 in the afternoon. I'm just going by what's on their website. It covers everything we want to see, plus more. We will sit back and let them do the driving! Not to far away now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted October 19, 2009 #11 Share Posted October 19, 2009 We decided to take a chance and booked them for late Nov 2009. I'd appreciate your input upon your return Barcelona Day Tours was excellent. Albert was waiting at the airport with our name on a sign. We were tired and glad not to hassle with a taxi. The tour was excellent and covered all the highlights we wanted to see. He would drop us off at a point of interest, stay with our luggage, and picked the time and place to meet us. I would certainly use them again. Enjoy your trip, I know we did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boneshaker Posted October 19, 2009 #12 Share Posted October 19, 2009 We used Barcelona Day Tours on 10/10 and they were great! Paco was our guide and was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and prompt. Couldn't have asked for a better guide! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA_Cruiser Posted October 20, 2009 Author #13 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Thanks so much for the update! How many were in your party? Did they have any trouble stowing the luggage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boneshaker Posted October 20, 2009 #14 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Thanks so much for the update! How many were in your party? Did they have any trouble stowing the luggage? We used them pre-cruise, so we didn't have luggage. We were picked up in a Mercedes sedan. If you let Oscar know when you book that you need a larger vehicle, I'm sure you'll have no problem. There were only 2 of us for the tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandBinPA Posted October 23, 2009 #15 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Thanks so much for the update! How many were in your party? Did they have any trouble stowing the luggage? We had 6 in our party right from the airport. We had 9 pieces of large luggage, plus carry-ons. No problems and Alberto stayed with the van when he dropped us off to tour. Excellent service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA_Cruiser Posted October 24, 2009 Author #16 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Thank-you so much for the update! We will also have lots of luggage so it is nice to know that it can be accomodated. We plan on e-mailing them just before the trip to confirm our luggage and preferred itinerary. We would appreciate feedback on the things you visited or feel you missed during your tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teach2345 Posted October 24, 2009 #17 Share Posted October 24, 2009 We used them for a four hour tour of Barcelona for 300 euros. Our guide was Nancy. She was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I would recommend them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFaithful Posted October 25, 2009 #18 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Did Barcelona Day Tours allow you to spend any time in Sagrada Familia? We were told by them that there was a lot of construction and we might not want to go inside, but we are interested in seeing it (considering booking the half day city tour pre cruise). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TLCOhio Posted October 25, 2009 #19 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Agree with BOTH SIDES! You can do Barcelona mostly on your own. BUT, an opening, introductory tour can offer a good "overview" for the wide variety of options in this charming city on the water. The main point is to see and experience Barcelona. It bubbles with special vibrancy in its narrow Gothic Quarter alleys and along the grand boulevards. Barcelona has had an illustrious past as a Roman colony, Visigothic capital and 14th-century maritime power. Stroll down the main street, the RAMBLAS. This grand boulevard, more than a Champs-Elysees, takes you from the elegant Placa de Catalunya to the rough port, a 20-minute walk. You'll find the grand opera house, ornate churches, plain prostitutes, pickpockets, flower stalls, artists, street mimes, an outdoor bird market, classy cafes, great shopping, and never boring. The Ramblas, which means "stream" in Arabic, is an endless current of people and action. Wander deep in the Gothic Quarter, a tangled grab-bag of undiscovered and grand squares, schoolyard plazas, art nouveau storefronts, baby flea markets, musty and classy antique shops and balconies with jungles behind wrought iron bars. The centerpiece of the Gothic Quarter is its colossal CATHEDRAL, a fine example of Catalan Gothic, started in about 1300 and completed 600 years later. Rather than stretching toward heaven, it makes a point to be simply massive. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boneshaker Posted October 28, 2009 #20 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Did Barcelona Day Tours allow you to spend any time in Sagrada Familia? We were told by them that there was a lot of construction and we might not want to go inside, but we are interested in seeing it (considering booking the half day city tour pre cruise). Thanks! We didn't go it - way too crowded by the time we got going because of our flight schedule. My daughter's on the ship and has been inside, and told us the outside is way more interesting than the inside and to see more of the other sites instead and that's what we did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFaithful Posted October 29, 2009 #21 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Thanks for the info, very helpful! Based on all the good reviews and our limited time of one full day, we decided to book the half day city tour with Barcelona Day Tours. We'll try to walk Las Ramblas in the afternoon, then do a walking tour of the Cathedral/Gothic area Sunday morning before the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mparis184 Posted November 7, 2009 #22 Share Posted November 7, 2009 We didn't go it - way too crowded by the time we got going because of our flight schedule. My daughter's on the ship and has been inside, and told us the outside is way more interesting than the inside and to see more of the other sites instead and that's what we did. Hi Boneshaker - I'm your neighbor from Williamsville. We are leaving for Barcelona this Thursday and doing a TA back to Miami on Oceania's Regatta. I will be alone when I arrive in Barcelona, my cabinmate will arrive at 4:00PM from Denver. I plan on taking the Aerobus from the terminal to Placa Catalunya and walk to the hotel from there, about 11 minute walk according to Google Maps. Do you have any other suggestions for my visit to Barcelona? I will have Friday and part of Saturday to roam around because we sail at 8:00PM. Thanks! Marion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jujuju2 Posted November 16, 2009 #23 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Loved your post, TLCOhio, and have copied it out to return to later. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethaniesmom Posted December 4, 2009 #24 Share Posted December 4, 2009 so i am wondering about crime rates and personal safety in Las Ramblas area...i am guessing we will be as safe as in any other tourist area in the daytime, but what about evenings? Beverly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted December 4, 2009 #25 Share Posted December 4, 2009 so i am wondering about crime rates and personal safety in Las Ramblas area...i am guessing we will be as safe as in any other tourist area in the daytime, but what about evenings? Beverly Pickpocketing is an issue at any time of day in Barcelona, but I am not aware of other personal safety issues in such a busy area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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