Need Barcelona Gaudi Ticket Help

Old Jul 24th, 2016, 09:01 AM
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Need Barcelona Gaudi Ticket Help

We will be in Barcelona in mid September, planned for over a year, then they announce that the weekend we will be there will be the Le Merce holiday. So want to get our Gaudi tickets in advance. Have no idea if mid September will be crowded but the holiday could impact it. Have been over the websites several times and these questions still remain:

1. For Sagrada Familia tickets for the senior rate, does it only apply to Catalan residents or any senior over 65?

2. Also for Sagrada Familia, the website states you must walk down from both towers. However, the Rick Steves book and some posters have mentioned that one of the elevators does go both up and down. Which is right the website or Rick?

3. Casa Batllo has also the Senior problem. They do state on a lead page that the discount for seniors is for Barcelona province residents. Yet when you actually go to the ticket page, they have price for "Seniors over 65" OR a price for catalan residents, which is lower than the senior price!
Does anyone have experience with purchasing senior tickets at Casa Batllo?

Planning has become so complicated, the Picasso is now a "Free Day" and do not know how crowds will be, the Catalan Art Museum has yet to decide what hours they will be open! So had hoped we could at least resolve these issues.

Thanks for any help. Regards, Mary Ann
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Old Jul 24th, 2016, 09:11 AM
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I definitely bought a senior ticket for Casa Battlo. I think I bought a senior ticket for Sagrada Familia. I am not a Catalan resident. I wasn't interested in going up the towers.
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Old Jul 24th, 2016, 02:00 PM
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The Casa Battlo site is not confusing to me, they have one rate for seniors and another for Catalan residents, but that one doesn't have anything to do with being a senior. I don't see anything on the lead page that claims the senior ticket is only for residents. If you go to the rates page "Precios" it doesn't say that, either. It just says discounts are for > Those are four types.

Maybe there is some error in the translation to the English website, which I didn't use, I only use the Spanish site.

As for Sagrada Familia, their website states the discount is for age 65+ and that foreign ID is accepted, so obviously you don't have to be a local resident. >

Are you not going to go to a place if you can't get a senior discount? If not, you would find out anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Haven't been to the towers so can't answer that one. The art museum has regular posted hours by month so I don't know where you got the info they had not decided on hours. It's 10 to 8 pm most days, but 10 to 3 pm on Sundays, closed Mondays. It's until 6 pm in winter, not 8, so doesn't change that much anyway. It doesn't close for La Merce holiday, which is pretty much always about the same time. The holiday itself is Sept 24th, that doesn't change as it is a saint's day. The date is starts can vary depending on day of the week, I think, but it usually a week before, too bad you didn't know that. You are lucky you got a hotel well in advance as they really get booked up and expensive at that time.
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Old Jul 24th, 2016, 02:18 PM
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Bookmarking.
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Old Jul 24th, 2016, 03:21 PM
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Re: the towers. When I was there (May 2015), one had to walk down on the Navitiy side; I didn't go up the Passion side. I would trust the Sagrada Familia website, but if it makes a difference to your planning, then I suggest that you e-mail them. They responded very promptly and informatively to a question I had.
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Old Jul 24th, 2016, 04:48 PM
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Personally, we thought the tower at Sagrada Familia was a waste of time (the dreaded "Elevator List").

For Casa Batlló, we purchased “Fast Pass” tickets online before leaving for Spain. The Fast Pass price of €5 extra per ticket allows one to visit anytime while also circumventing the line (worth €5 to us).

Here is our day (with photos) visiting both sites.

http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-two-modernist-marvels/

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Old Jul 25th, 2016, 05:07 AM
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Thanks for all the rapid responses. We would still go even if senior rates did not apply. I think because I took on the task of buying the tickets before we leave home for 3 couples I was over thinking and trying to get it the most economical and getting it right. If it was just the two of us I would not have been as greatly concerned. Also of course 4 are 66+ and 2 will have just turned 65.

Christina I know the Art museum has posted times, along with several other sites. However, with the holiday I decided to email them. The Art Museum emailed back that they are still reviewing holiday times and will make a decision in early September to email them back then. A couple others have made changes and emailed me back what they would be.

As someone mentioned, the websites are not always updated right away. Picasso was one that did.

I have my reservations about the towers too. Only half of the 6 are considering doing it.

Maitaitom - Your pictures are fantastic. I actually had found them earlier when I was doing research on issues with going to Toledo from Madrid. In fact, we had the Barcelona Palau Musica on our maybe list and moved it to the definite list after seeing your pictures. Will book them before we leave and they have not as of yet changed their times for tours.

I really appreciate your responses, we are doing 4 nights in Barcelona before a cruise, then 4 days in Lisbon and ending with 4 nights in Madrid. Between booking independent tours from the cruise and day planning in the cities, it has really taken a lot of time. But Barcelona has been the trickiest with all the timed entries in the sites we wanted to visit.

Thanks, Mary Ann
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Old Jul 25th, 2016, 07:59 AM
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Hi Mary Ann,

reagrding the elevators, last year I went to the Nativity Tower and my friend that has a health problem, could use it to go down.
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Old Jul 25th, 2016, 08:08 AM
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If you pay extra some of the Barcelona sites have "enter any time". I did that for Casa Battlo and Casa Milo, and arrived right at opening time since I was staying so close and got in ahead of the crowds. However, you could do that and check the line before deciding when to go in. For more pictures start here (links at the top of the page):

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...a-lleo-morera/
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Old Jul 26th, 2016, 01:29 AM
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I was glad I went to the top of a tower at the Sagrada Familia -- I learned a LOT about how Gaudi managed to bring so much light into the main part of the church by looking at how the tower was constructed, and I also liked the views out over the city. To each his/her own!
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Old Jul 26th, 2016, 05:01 AM
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We have tickets for the Sagrada Familia
Will purchase a Fast Pass for Casa Batlló, and tickets to Casa Mila which I think we have to have a "timed" ticket.

What are the dates of La Merce? We leave Barcelona on Sept.21.
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Old Jul 26th, 2016, 06:56 AM
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The sates fir La Merce are Sept. 22 to 25 with the main day Sept. 24. Bummer you will miss it dro, there will be some fun stuff going on.
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Old Jul 26th, 2016, 12:02 PM
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There are "visit any time" tickets for Casa Mila, but they cost 27 euro.
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