Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Advance Tickets Segrada Familia - Barcelona

Advance Tickets Segrada Familia - Barcelona

Old Apr 14th, 2014, 07:08 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Advance Tickets Segrada Familia - Barcelona

What is the best way to purchase tickets in advance via print at home over internet? We will be in Barcelona in late September 2014. I do not need a fancy tour, just entry. How far in advance can you purchase? Thanks for any help/advice.
CaWino is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2014, 07:17 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Buy in advance from the SF web site. I would do the tour - it's not fancy at all but very informative. I booked the week before; I have no idea how long before you can book but you can check that out. Be aware that each person gets their own ticket; not 1 ticket for the group.
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2014, 07:26 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,124
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We also booked online and picked up there, only booking a couple weeks ahead.

They also have audio guides which we found very helpful.
annw is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2014, 08:12 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm not sure I answered clearly - I printed my tickets at home.
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2014, 08:58 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,934
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Buy online and print at home to avoid long lines and waits: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/?lang=0

I very much recommend the guided tour. I thought I knew a lot about the church and Gaudí before visiting, but the very knowledgeable English speaking guide made a huge difference and added immensely to a powerful experience. Important details there and then and comments that would never come out in an audio guide. Same price.
kimhe is offline  
Old Apr 16th, 2014, 03:18 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just booked a combo ticket for Sagrada Familia & Gaudí House Museum. 18.30 euro for both. I printed them at home and will take them next week. Can't wait!
We will not take a tour. We like to see things at our own pace with our guidebook.
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng...TarifesInd.php
MyriamC is offline  
Old Apr 16th, 2014, 04:52 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
MyriamC - are you also booking Parc Guell tickets in advance (for the Gaudi house)?

Sagrada Familia tour does not limit your time inside the church. You can explore on your own before and after the tour.
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 16th, 2014, 10:56 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@adrienne
Yes, I booked Park Guell tickets in advance (these do not include a visit to Gaudi House Museum).

About why we don't take tours: nowhere there are tours in Dutch. My command of English is okay but I feel I still miss a lot when listening to an English (or French or German) speaking guide.
MyriamC is offline  
Old Apr 17th, 2014, 04:05 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good rationale about the tours, especially in Spain where I found the command of English was not as good as in other European countries I've visited. I had trouble understand our guides at times.

Your written English is so good that I had no idea you were not a native speaker!
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 17th, 2014, 04:39 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,934
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you're Dutch, there is no better guide to almost all things Spanish than Cees Nooteboom and his fabulous and poetic "De omweg naar Santiago". Not about La Sagrada Familia, but in general "a kind of Michelin for the soul" when going to Spain: http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/0...06.6kagan.html
kimhe is offline  
Old Apr 17th, 2014, 11:46 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Aww. Thank you, Adrienne.
MyriamC is offline  
Old Apr 25th, 2014, 04:37 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We just got back from four full days in Barcelona.
A few tips: do buy all the tickets you need online in advance, and make sure you are well in time for your timeslot.

Another must see IMO: Palau de la Música Catalana. Better yet, try to book a concert! The theatre is of an extraordinary beauty, the acoustics are fabulous.

If you intend to buy tickets for the hop on hop off bus, buy them from Barcelona City Tour (red buses) and NOT from Barcelona Bus Turistic (blue buses). The tours are the same, the price is the same. We found that the capacity of buses from Barcelona Bus Turistic was not nearly enough for the amount of sold tickets. We sometimes had to wait half an hour for two places on the bus (inside because on the upper deck you really had to be very lucky to find a seat). We saw a lot more Barcelona City Tour buses with fewer people on board. Also note that a day pass is not valid 24 hrs. Buses start riding at 9 am and stop at 10 pm which means that the last evening bus goes at 8 pm (north tour is 2 hrs, south tour 1 hr 40 min.). We bought a two day pass thinking that it started when we first got on the bus and would be valid for 48 hours as from that moment. Which was not the case! A one day ticket is valid from 9 am till 10 pm ; a two day ticket is valid from 9 am till 10 pm on two consecutive days.
MyriamC is offline  
Old Apr 25th, 2014, 04:44 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Myriam - was there a line to get into Parc Guell? When I went it was free and you simply walked in. I've read that there are lines now that it's a paid sight.
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 25th, 2014, 07:56 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,124
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@ Adrienne, we were there second half of this past March. You get get into much of the greater park area but to get in to the mosaic benches area and the area below (where the mosaicked lizard and the pipeline are. etc.) you have to buy tickets and can only go in during your allotted time slot about every 20-30 minutes; once inside you stay as long as you want.
annw is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 12:38 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There were a lot of groups in the Park Guell when we were there last Thursday. We had tickets to get in at 4 (our visit of the Gaudi House Museum was at 5.30). People who stood after us at the entrance had no tickets for the park yet and the first ones available were at 7 pm!
I think September will even be worse re number of visitors than April. And certainly much busier than March.
MyriamC is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 01:21 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
That's very interesting. I just looked up buying tickets and see that they allow 400 people every half hour. I was there on a Sunday (mid morning arrival) last April and there couldn't have been thousands of people there which at 400/half hour there would have been if tickets had been sold out. I wonder if advanced ticket sales is creating more of a demand to see this park. Most people were on the bench and by the lizard which I could not get a photo of because of all the people.

It's also interesting that the on line ticket is E1 less than the walk up price.

There were very few people in Gaudi's house which I enjoyed, particularly for the furniture.
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 01:27 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I also see that you need some sort of permission to take photos in the Monumental Zone. Were people monitoring the photography?
adrienne is offline  
Old Apr 27th, 2014, 07:53 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As far as I know, you only need a permission if you want to take pictures for commercial reasons. I haven't seen anyone monitoring.

Last week there were a lot of school groups in the park. I think that was the reason the monumental zone was 'sold out', so to speak, until 7 pm.
MyriamC is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
NeoPatrick
Europe
25
Sep 15th, 2015 10:34 AM
BerniceS
Europe
7
Apr 6th, 2015 12:03 PM
Suzanna
Europe
10
Mar 27th, 2015 01:32 AM
kakiebell
Europe
30
Apr 30th, 2014 07:45 PM
Dougal
Europe
7
Aug 10th, 2005 12:28 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -