ccarlson

My spouse and I are in Barcelona Sept. 7 before we board our ship. We are trying to see if anyone is interested in sharing our private tour guide:

Here is the info:

A 4 hour Private City Tour, which will include:
* Airport, port or hotel pickup and drop-off at hotel, port, airport or city center.
* A luxury, new, private Mercedes sedan with air-con and bottled water provided
* An English speaking driver/guide
* A complete tour of Barcelona, including all of the major sites such as Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batlló, la Pedrera (Casa Mila), las Ramblas, the Columbus monument, the Olympic Ring and Stadium, Montjuic, the National Palace, Plaza Espanya, Plaza Catalunya, Passeo de Gracia, Ramblas, the Olympic port and village, the port area, the beach (and much more!) as noted on our website
* Free time to buy souvenirs, get out and take pictures at the sites and explore at a comfortable pace

Cost for 4 people total: 79 euros per person
Cost for 6 people total: 55 euros per person

adrienne

I haven't been to Barcelona but I'm doing research as I'm planning to go there for my next trip. After reading lots of information I do not see how you can visit all those sights in 4 hours unless it's a drive by. And have time to buy souvenirs and explore at a comfortable pace.

I hope Barcelona experts will let you know if it's possible.

ccarlson

This description and price is from the tour company.

adrienne

I figured that out but it doesn't mean that it's enough time to actually see everything. This is just my opinion.

ccarlson

Will you be there on the 7th?

TonyBishop

"I do not see how you can visit all those sights in 4 hours unless it's a drive by."
I agree 100%. That is a warning to anyone who reads this. However, is that what you want, a drive by?

suec1

now why in the world did they delete my post that TonyBishop quoted? REALLY! WHY?

TonyBishop

@suec1. I really do not know. It was quite sensible, I thought. There is no evidence of a moderator having deleted a post.

But...my quote was from a post by adrienne, not suec1. Maybe that has something to do with it.

adrienne

suec - was your post on another Barcelona thread? About the Olympics, perhaps?

The editors always put a note when they delete a post.

suec1

ooops, maybe there was a posting malfunction! As others have questioned, 4 hours for all these sites? I would be sure to ask what places are you really going to VISIT, not just drive by.

Also I suggested that the best place to find others to share this drive by was on the roll call for your cruise over on Cruise Critic. But again, it would be best to get some more specifics so there will not be disappointment over the content of the tour.

janisj

I don't think any post was deleted from this thread. When one is zapped there is an automatic blurb saying a post(s) was deleted.

ccarlson: It is physically impossible to 'visit' those places in 4 hours. It is <i>just</i> possible to drive past them and stop now and then to take a photo. Sounds like a terrible tour IMO.

dutyfree

I fly to Barcelona for work quite frequently and layover 24-48 hours at a time. There is no way that you can see and "do" these sights in 4 hours.You would be better off taking the on/off bus and just driving by to see these sights for alot less money-say around 24 euros a piece.
Park Guell and Sagrada Familia deserve walking around to see them.Las Ramblas and the entire walk down to the sea takes awhile to enjoy the statue people,shop,,etc.You aren't really seeing Barcelona if you are driving by in traffic..just saying! Personally,can you go a day earlier to get your cruise and actually see the city on your own? It is very easy to get around and enjoying the food,wine,people,history and culture would make your enjoy the city more.

TonyBishop

"ooops, maybe there was a posting malfunction!"
Yes, I agree that there must have been a malfunction, but not a posting malfunction.

Sassafrass

A lot of the places mentioned as being "on the tour" are just plazas or monuments that you really can just drive by, not too memorable, IMHO. For the real sights, that is not enough time.

Looking at only the three major Gaudi works: It takes 15-20 minutes just to drive to Park Guell, an hour or so to walk and explore a bit and 15-20 minutes back. Sagrada Familia took at least an hour+ just to walk through and see a bit of the info on construction and design. It took about half an hour to get tickets for la Pedrera and another hour to tour, go out on the roof, etc. That is over four hours already.

Twenty-thirty minutes for walk on the Ramblas.

The beach? No way!

ccarlson

Thank you everyone. It is a custom tour so we can do whatever we want. Perhaps that is why she listed EVERYTHING. I had listed the tour on Cruise Critic also. Sassafrass - thanks for the advice. If anyone wants to share what we should absolutely see in those 4 hours - I am all ears. The Casa batllo House of Bones sounds very interesting to me.

adrienne

Have you looked at photos on the internet? The Sagrada Familia is the thing to see. Check out Park Guell - it's so interesting. The Ramblas should also be seen. I can't wait to go to Barcelona and see all these things up close!

How much you see depends on your sightseeing speed. I sightsee at Sassafrass's speed and plan on at least an hour for Sagrada Familia and probably more for the Parc.

The tour specifics you listed mentioned driver/guide. I would make sure you get a guide and not just a driver. There's a distinction. You'll want someone to explain the sights and their significance to you.

Luv2travel15

ccarlson, you will love Barcelona, we were there for a one-day port stop many years back. There is absolutely no way that you would be able to see all those sights in one day. Are you going to fly into BCN the day b4 your cruise departs? As others have mentioned, you would want to visit Park Guell and other historical sights. We visited The Ramblas and spent quite a bit of time there browsing and shopping. The street performers were so interesting to watch.

You should really plan out your itinerary. Four hours is not enough time! You might also email a couple of other guides and ask them what is possible to see in 4 hr., w/ pickup at the port, etc. They will be honest w/ you. As noted, make sure it is a guide vs a driver as there is a huge difference. I have the name of a tour guide my friend has used several times in BCN.

Did you list on the CC boards Roll Call for your cruise or just in the general ship's thread? You would probably get a response if you did list it on Roll Call by date of your cruise. Private tours always fill very quickly. Could be that others saw what you listed for 4 hrs. and knew it was not possible to do all that in 4 hr. 8 hr. is not long enough in BCN. Rethink that tour.

lincasanova

I'm going to kind of disagree about "seeing" those things in 4 hours. Yes, it will mostly be a drive by, but you will get a feel of the city in all directions You will want to get out at the S. Familia, but not have time to go in unless there is NO LINE.

Parque Guell.. MAYBE you want to walk around there and take photos.

Everything else will be a drive by.

I would have no desire to walk down Las ramblas.. but it will probably be a traffic jam.

You could not do this in the tour bus in such a short time as this private tour would cover part of both loops.

Frankly, if you want to go IN anyplace, why not take a taxi from the port/hotel to THAT place. Then take another taxi to another place when you are done.. and taxi hop around the city?It will not cost you anywhere near the 320E private tour and you will have time to enjoy what you most like, stop at a café.. roam the gift shop at the museum or what have you.

Don't be afraid to do that..

Sassafrass

Last time we were in Barc, we did as Lincasanova suggested and took a taxi to the place we wanted to see the most, did that, then another taxi, etc. It was easy and much cheaper. Places that were close together, we walked. There is also a good bus service in Barc, but taxis were easier and quicker for us.

However, we had been before and did not want a drive by tour.

Is this tour including the cost of tickets into any of the major sights?

lincasanova

I doubt it Sassafrass.. I do these type tours for people in Valencia sometimes and sometimes it is all they really want. So, each to his own. But i doubt entrance fees are included due to the wording.