Pre buying Prado/museum tickets
 

Is it possible (and worthwhile) pre buying tickets in Spain for Museums etc. I did it last year in Florence and it was great, basically just walked in !

I didn't, in Madrid, and just walked in the Prado as well :-)

for the Prado I know on sunday and at siesta time the entrance is free

Mark,<BR>There's not yet a way (as far as I know) to pre buy Prado tickets or to make a reservation on their web site as you can for the Uffizi in Florence, but you won't have to wait too long if you get to the north door, called the Puerta de Goya (the one that faces the Ritz Hotel), early. The Prado opens at 9 (closed Mon.) If you plan on visiting the other two "biggies", the Thyssen Bornemisza (closed Mon) and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (closed Tues) as well, you can buy a 3 museum pass, called the "Abono Paseo del Arte", for 7.66 euros, which constitutes almost a 30% savings (good for 1 visit per museum and valid for 1 yr). The Prado and Reina Sofia are free after 2:30 p.m. Sat. and all day Sun. but that's also when you'll find them the most crowded. I usually buy my pass at the Reina Sofia, where I start my museum triangle tour; lines are rarely long there, and that way I avoid the longer ticket lines for the Prado.<BR>see<BR>www.gomadrid.com/museums/madrid-museums.html<BR>Hope this helps.

Thanks for the great advice, any similar advice for Seville and Barcelona?

Hi Mark,<BR>You might be interested in checking out the "Barcelona Card" at:<BR>www.barcelonaturisme.com/turisme/exp/ing/ap01-73.htm<BR><BR>It is sold for 1-2-3 days and includes free public transportation and discounts of up to 50% at 30 museums plus other stuff.<BR><BR>The Picasso Museum in the Gothic Quarter on Carrer Montecada in Barcelona is an absolute must-really delightful (features his rose and blue periods), and if you have any interest in Romanesque art, the <BR>Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in the Palau Nacional has a truly impressive collection-one of the very best. And there's the stunning Modernist architecture of Antonio Gaudi and others in the Eixample district, in particular on the west side of the Passeig de Gracia, called the Manzana de la Discordia.<BR><BR>If you like 17th century Baroque painting, Seville's Museo de Bellas Artes is an unsung gem and never crowded (has great paintings by Zurbaran, Velazquez and native Murillo). And the stunning Moorish mosaic tiles that cover the downstairs rooms of the Casa de Pilatos, with its tranquil patios, on the northern edge of the Santa Cruz quarter, are another "off the beaten path", relaxing delight with no tourist hordes whatsoever.

Once again great advice thank you !<BR>