I was interested in understanding why this seems so popular. It seems most of the attractions in Barcelona are around the Gothic quarter and in the eixample, which appear to be walkable from P. Catalunya (we'll be staying nearby). The discounts offered on most of the sights we're interested in don't seem to add up to more than about 6-7 EUR per person. I understand that Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia are further afield, but easily reachable by the cheap public transportation system. Am I right in thinking this is a good deal only if I'm also interested in seeing other places like Tibidabo, Palau Reiel and Thyssen etc?

Just my personal opinion but I didn't think it was worth it for what I wanted to see . . . I found it was much easier and faster to take the metro and more interesting.

If you sit downstairs on the buses, it's hard to see out, as the windows have (sorta transparent) logos on them and if you're going at a peak time, the upstairs will be full.

Just my two 2¢ worth . . . Barcelona is very walkable and much more interesting from ground level.

Buen viaje,
Sandy (in Denton)

I seem to be in the minority on this question, but my wife and I did not enjoy the bus and recommend against it. At times in the afternoon we found ourselves waiting with an expanding crowd, and by the time a bus came, it was too crowded to get on and we had to wait further.

Also, as you suggest, most of the sites you will probably want to see are easily reachable by other means.

Lastly, what I recall as the northern loop of the bus route was pretty long, with a lot of distance between sites, and the sites were not on our priority list anyway. Overall, we felt we wasted a lot of time fooling with the bus.

we used the bus for our first day in Barca and found it was a good way to relax, get off our feet, and get our bearings. We did use the coupons and found them useful - especially for the soccer game. beyond the first day, we used the subway, walked and took a cab once.

Some people want a tour and others plan it themselves.

Other than a first day over view, that's the difference.

We used in just last week, and guess I have mixed opinions about it. Barcelona's attractions are further apart than you realize (Just going from Park Guell to Sagrada Familia on foot is a solid 25 minutes, and we walk fairly fast.) And we had limited time in the city, so by riding most of the southern loop first thing, we got to see some things we would not have bothered with otherwise (Montjuic, Olmpic area, port area); and later in the day using it to get up to Park Guell. We did not have any problems with lines, and in the morning the commentary was quite good, but in the afternoon the guide often forgot to restate the info in English.
So, it really is one of those things that's value is based on your own needs.
HTH.

I think jonesie described it well. Overall, I thought the Bus Turistic was good value, and found it a good way to take it easy while still seeing most of the sights. I think you would be missing out if you limited yourself to the Gothic Quarter and the Eixample. The sights are more spread out than you realize, and, if you want to see them, the Bus Turistic is a great way to get to the out of the way places. We were there for 4 days, and we used the bus turistic for two of the days. We probably could've done without the second day, but we were tired at this point in our trip, and found it relaxing.

We did find that there were waits during the later part of the day. My big frustration was that the circuit only goes one way; you can't backtrack, so you have to know which sights you want to see or go all the way around the circuit again. Like jonesie, I found the guides on the bus really wide-ranging in their skills and attitudes; some were good and others couldn't care less.

Still, we were at the end of an almost 3-week trip last July, and by the time we got to Barcelona, it was HOT. I appreciated the bus ride, allowing us to relax while sightseeing.

To clarify, it is NOT a tour; it is a hop-on, hop-off bus; you do your own touring at the sights. The guides are on the bus only. So you still are on your own as far as setting your itinerary.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Bus Turistic. Barcelona is quite a large city, and it was not only very easy to get an overview of what to see, it was also easy to just hop off and enjoy it. I think for the Euros it is a good deal! We loved Barcelona...what an alive place!

Hi Progol, I remember you went to many of the same places we did last summer...are you planning anything this summer?

Hi, Wren,
I wish! At 50+, I've returned to grad school and am living a poor student lifestyle with middle-aged commitments! So, no travel plans in sight!

How about you? Where should I dream about next?!

Hey Progol,

We are going to Amsterdam, Bruges, Normandy, Eastern Brittany, and then to see friends in the Loire-Atlantique.
That said, I am impressed that you are in grad school! We are about the same age it seems, and I am considering taking the GRE to get my Master's. That alone makes my brain hurt. Especially the MATH!!! It's been more than 35 years since I took a math class!!!

Here's to you and your enriched education!!!

Back to the original question, my wife and I found the Bus Turistic to be a good value, especially if you got the 2-day ticket. There is stuff all over town to see, it runs almost all day and night, and you can get off and on as you please. I wish we had done the same in Madrid.

I was in Barcelona last week and was also puzzled at the popularity of the bus. We too stayed near P. Catalunya, and it was a pleasant, easy walk to the Gothic Quarter and the Eixample. We also walked to Sagrada Familia, stopping for lunch along the way, and while I suppose we could have gotten there more quickly by other means, it certainly wasn't an overwhelming walk, and indeed we decided not to bother taking the Metro back and walked again. Parc Guell, Montjuic, and other locations are further afield, and we didn't make it everywhere on this short trip, as we chose to spend a day out of town at Montserrat and preferred the leisurely stroll and lunch approach on the days we were in town. If I had gone, though, I would have opted for the (quite cheap) Metro. (And when I have gone before, that is what I did.) Seeing the massive crowds of tourists lined up to board the bus at the P. Catalunya did not make me want to climb on board.

Much of it, however, depends on your own expectations and tastes. I am young and healthy. I live in New York City, and am used to walking a lot. My daily commute to work involves a 20 minute walk. Perhaps relatedly, I find walking in a city a big part of experiencing it. Also, living in New York, I am used to and comfortable with subways, and find them an easy, nonintimidating way to get around. Finally, while part of visiting the beautiful parts of a European city is hanging out with a lot of tourists, I don't especially want to travel in a pack of them. Thus, overall, I agree with your take on the bus.

Hi!

After reading this thread one might expect that the map of the Bus Touristic routes might help one to decide if it would be worthwhile or not...any idea how to get one? Thanks, we're Barcelona bound!

gwolf

For the map of the Bus Turistic try this site:

http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/eng/...istic_mapa.htm

Good touring

We spent two weeks in Barcelona last September (we were there for the Carrefoc!). We rented a wonderful flat on Calle Princesa, and found that we could take the regular city buses from Placa Jaume along Via Laiatana to areas of interest which were further out. Public transport in Barcelon is truly wonderful. Of course, as we were in El Born, we enjoyed strolling to many interesting places,