kwren

We leave for Barcelona Feb 6 and will be there until Feb 14. Unlike previous trips, I haven't had much time to research and just have limited information gathered. I was wondering if anyone had some good tips for me?

Here is what I know we would like to see:

Segrada Familia - buy tickets online in advance?
Santa Eulalia Cathedral (is this also known as Barcelona Cathedral?)
Casa Batilo
Casa Mila
Parc Guell
Hospital de Sant Pau - tour
El Palau de la Musica Catalana- is there a tour? or just performances?
Montjuic Hill/Magic Fountains light show
La Boqueria
Mercat de la Concepcion
La Rambla of course
Carrer del Bisbe for pictures

What big ticket sites have I missed?

We love food tours - any recommendations?

Flamenco - I know Barcelona isn't the first place thought of for this, but we'd love to see a show. Recommendations?

Is Feb a bad time of year for a day trip to Montserrat (although I think we have enough to take up the whole week.)

This list is just about the extent of my research to date so if anyone has any tips, pointers for me I would be most appreciative.

Are there city passes you recommend? What should we buy in advance?

Thanks!

thursdaysd

Buy tickets for the Gaudi sites and the Palace of Catalan Music ahead of time on line.

The Ramblas is now a tourist zoo.

There are several museums at Montjuic - pick what interests you.

For my recent visit start here (links at the top of the page):

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...s-the-ramblas/

kja

Absolutely get tickets for the Sagrada Familia and other Gaudi sites ahead of time! I didn’t attend a performance at the Palau do la Musica, and was very glad to have pre-arranged a tour. I was also glad that I took a tour of the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (the now closed hospital), but I didn’t arrange that one in advance – I’m not sure if one can. You can see flamenco at the Tablao de Carmen or Tablao Cordobes; I preferred the venue of the Tablao de Carmen. I was very glad that I spent a day at the Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. For my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment
Barcelona was at the end of the trip; you can use the search feature to find it.

lindygirl

I went on a few free walking tours in Barcelona - totally worth it. Also bought tickets online ahead of time for La Sagrada Familia.

My trip report to Barcelona and a few other cities in Spain:
http://fanofblank.blogspot.com/2014/...-in-spain.html

Enjoy trip planning!

Smeagol

I used runnerbeans for the free walking tours- they were fantastic!
Definitely get tickets on line ( you can also get at La Caxia atms!)

elberko

I did this food tour last March. Probably the best food of any food tour I've done--really terrific.
http://foodlovertour.com/barcelona/tapas-lover-tour

DebitNM

+1 runnerbeans

di2315

We really enjoyed our guided tour of Palau de la Musica Catalana. We just booked a day ahead from the ticket office.
At the end of the tour we were offered a discount card for any performance; unfortunately we were leaving the next morning so unable to make use of it.

Learning the history of the palau and seeing the fantastic wall & ceiling decorations up close really made the building come alive - would thoroughly recommend it! Di

TPAYT

Bookmarking

Christina

Santa Eulalia Cathedral (is this also known as Barcelona Cathedral?)>>

Yes, all cathedrals have to have a religious name, so "Barcelona Cathedral" would never be the actual official name of a Catholic church. I think it is called the cathedral of Barcelona more than "Barcelona Cathedral".

IO didn't buy a tour ticket of Palau de la Musica in advance, just got one on-site, but it was in Spanish. If you can't understand Spanish, I think there are many fewer tours in English.

I didn't buy any tickets in advance, but the lines at the Gaudi buildings have gotten long, particular in peak times (which I tend to avoid). For example, the line around 6 pm isn't bad and they are open late. Sagrada Familia is another story, that was a long line, and having one in advance would really be good there.

kwren

This has been very helpful - thanks everyone!

joannyc

Have a wonderful trip! Relax and decompress as you certainly deserve it!

kimhe

Close to the cathedral and the Palau de la Música, you also have the medieval and vibrant Born disitrict, a cradle of Catalan culture and identity. https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide....s/el-born.html
http://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/born

Here you'll find the fabulous 14th century Gothic Santa María del Mar church: http://www.santamariadelmarbarcelona.org/home/

Narrow Carrer Montcada with all the small palaces, the most important street in the city from the 12th century: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...-montcada.html

The Fossar de les Moreres memorial to those who died in the 1714 defence of Barcelona when the city and the region lost its independence to Spain.
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...s-moreres.html

Some of the finest cafés and tapas bars in town: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sp...orn-barcelona/
http://www.inpursuitofadventure.org/...orn-barcelona/

Cal Pep and Tapeo are my favourites in El Born after many trips here the past eleven years.
Cal Pep: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/b.../374875/360761
Tapeo: http://www.tapeoborn.cat/tapeo-del-born.html

And flamenco is big in Barcelona, much thanks to immigration from Andalucía. Many of the greatest flamenco artists on the current scene are from Barcelona and the region, and the greatest flamenco artists in the world tour the city all the time. Here's the trailer to a recent documentary about the flamenco culture in Barcelona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BibV3tYo0U

kimhe

Here is Farru in Tablao Flamenco Cordobés a couple of days ago, and this show is going on through your week. He performs together with fabulous Pastora Galván who was voted best female flamenco dancer 2010 by Spanish critics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEKDX0AcexE

Tablao Cordobés is one of the oldest and most prestigious tablaos in the country, and right on Las Ramblas: http://www.tablaocordobes.es/en

If you go to the late night performance, I would perhaps recommend dinner first in Barcelona classic Can Culleretes from 1786, the oldest restaurant in town, and in a small alley almost just across the street from Tablao Cordobés. Traditional food and the best no fuss atmosphere. Use to have lunch or dinner here every time in Barcelona, last time a hearty escudella soup and wild boar lunch in November: http://www.culleretes.com/en/
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/b.../374919/360761

And 20 meters to the left from Tablao Cordobés you have the fine, fun and large cocktail and tapas bar Ultramarinos Santa Monica. Could be the perfect place after the show. Was here a couple of months ago, and gets excellent reviews: http://www.ultramarinosbarcelona.com/eng/index.html
https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restauran...Catalonia.html

kja

I was very glad that I had a meal (on kimhe's recommendation) at Can Culleretes, but I'm not sure I agree that it is a good idea to do so before visiting Tablao Cordobes: The best seats at that venue are reserved for those who dine there. I chose to dine elsewhere that night, and was seated far from the stage and in a place from which I couldn't see the dancers' feet.

kwren

What are the best times to visit the more popular sites, especially the Segrada Familia and Gaudi buildings? First thing in the morning? End of the day?

Are the best places to buy advance tickets on each place's website?

Thinking about packing but haven't started yet. Looking forward to the +/- 60 degree weather!

thursdaysd

Yes, buy on the websites. I went early, since I was sleeping in the Eixample area, but late might work too.

elberko

Have you noticed the "Peak Time" chart on Google? For instance, here's Sagrada Familia:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sagr...=silk&ie=UTF-8

You can change to different week days, too.

kwren

Thanks elberko. I had never paid attention to that chart.

kja

IMO, the stained glass of the Sagrada Familia is particularly stunning in the late afternoon.

I was glad to visit Parc Guell in the early evening, when it was cooler and less crowded than during the day.