I hear that visitors to the Alhambra wait in line for hours. We plan to visit Granada in December. Should we buy tickets in advance? Can I buy them a day in advance? Thanks for the info.

Tomi-- We visited the Alhambra in June, 1997. At that time, when we bought the ticket for the whole Alhambra-Generalife complex, we were assigned a half-hour-long "window" in which we could enter the palace itself. (That's the part with the Court of Lions and Myrtle Court.) We spent the time before our appointment exploring the fort and the gardens, and arrived at the door of the palace about ten minutes after the start of our half-hour "window." There was essentially no waiting in line. Once inside, we could spend as much time as we wanted going through the palace. (Photos are permitted, but make sure your flash is off.) If they still use the same system, I wouldn't think you'd have too much trouble in December-- although I'd try to arrive early in the day. Even if the roses won't be blooming in the gardens, the views from the terraces are worth lingering over. Martha

I don't know if you can buy tickets in advance, but I can tell you that even in December it's crowded. We were there several years ago on Dec. 28 or 29 andwhen we left the grounds around 2 in the afternoon the tickets for the day were all gone. I would highly recommend going as early as possible in the morning and you're likely to get a ticket that will let you in close to the time you arrive. The later you get there, the later your ticket will let you in and then you're stuck up on the hill with not much else to do. When I was there several years ago, I had memories from being there in the 1970s and having the place almost to myself. My friend and I picked figs from a tree and spent the day wandering the gardens. Not anymore! The crowds are a steady stream and it's impossible to sit and enjoy it. And lots of the grounds are now off limits that used to be open. But it's still worth the trip. Make sure you climb up to the hill in the city that gives you a great view of the austere outside (path goes up from near the moorish baths in downtown). <BR>

Thanks, Martha and Davey. I will go there at the opening time. It's great that you hear personal experiences in this forum. I read somewhere that a line continued a couple hours... <BR>

My wife and I visited the Alhambra this past summer. It was a beautiful place to see. You will need a combined ticket to see the Palacios Nazaries, Charles the V's palace, and the Alcazaba. The Generalife is free. Only the Palacio Nazaries requires a window of 30 minutes in which to enter, and this is the most crowded. You cannot purchase tickets the day before or even a week before. However, you can fax ahead at least two weeks in advance to arrange for reservations. Just tell them how many people and the day you will be there. You can make requests for time approximations and they probably will arrange for it. You will have to pay a nominal fee for advanced tickets, and you pay for everything when you get there. We are glad we did this because we went to a very small line for tickets while everyone else waited about 45 minutes. <BR>The fax number is 011-34-958-210584. <BR>Have fun! <BR>Rick