Sagrada Familia Questions
 

We will be on a Gaudi exteriors walking tour that ends at the Sagrada Familia between 1:30 and 1:45 on a Friday in early May. We want to buy tickets in advance to go in the interior and visit a tower. But, after the 3 hour walking tour thought about getting something to eat. A quick snack. We checked out La Pardeta online and it looked perfect.

So, how much time should we allot after our walking tour ends to get a snack at La Pardeta, plus walk back to Sagrada Famila and have enough time to enter the building without running back? What time slot to enter the building would you suggest? And, which tower would you suggest and at what time should we reserve an entry?

I have read a zillion articles, but I thought, why not ask Fodorites. You always have great insight and are really helpful. Thank you!!!

I would think that only you can decide how long you would want to spend over lunch; you can then use googlemaps to estimate how long it will take you to get from place to place. (I typically need longer than googlemaps estimates, so you might want to add 1/4 or 1/3 of the estimate.) FWIW, I can't find a "La Pardeta" on line. I do find a La Par<b>a</b>data, that -- according to Google Maps -- is nearly an hour away from the Sagrada Familia by foot and about 15 minutes away by taxi.

As for the towers, here's one consideration: On the Nativity side, one takes an elevator up and walks down, with a small segment very near the top where people try to walk in both directions. I thought that section a bit tight for two people to pass (though it was manageable), so if you visit that tower, you might want to "just" go down. Or you might want to consider the tower on the Passion side -- I believe you can take an elevator up AND down on that side. I don't know for sure, though.

Thank you. I had it wrong. It's La Paradeta. There are several apparently and one is quite close to S.F. And looks really good.

The excellent value, very special and very popular Marisqueria La Paradeta is one block away from Sagrada Familia.
http://www.laparadeta.com/marisqueri...barcelona.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Two mins walking.

Thanks Kimhe! Mid-day in May might be crowded. Is 45 minutes enough time to order something and walk back for a timed entry? Thanks again!

How late is Sagrada Familia open on your date? We spent time before our tour inside, then did the tour, then The Nativity tower and then time again walking though to inside to revisit everything. We were there for 2 - 3 hours. If you have a meal, will you have enough time to see all that you want??

And there are no elevators down, you must walk, on either Tower.

Thanks!! The answer to your question is 8pm. However, after a walking tour and more walking in S.F. after that, I may not spend as much dedicated time there as I would if it were a dedicated trip there.

In a perfect world....our walking tour of Gaudi exteriors ends at 1:45...then lunch for 45 minutes (not planning on a leisurely lunch). So, I was hoping for a 2:30-3:00 entrance in S.F. Walk around and be in awe for an hour, go up the Nativity tower (picked it from a few reviews) at around 4pm. And back down for a little more walking around. Or.....?

One more thing...Our walking tour includes the exterior of La Sagrada Familia. So I am just thinking of my timing on the interior. Thanks again!

For a quick bite, you could go to Els Porxos just across the street, perfectly ok for a bite of traditional tapas/raciones, and you can be out in 30 minutes, no stress. http://www.restaurantelsporxos.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...Catalonia.html

La Paradeta could be very crowded, a special ordering system etc. etc,, could easily take some time.

Thank you :)

I'm glad you got answers to your lunch question AND to my question about taking an elevator down from a tower (not an option).

IIRC, the Sagrada Familia booking system will limit your access to tower tickets to times that are tied to your entrance to the interior. If you aren't trying to also book a tour with a live guide (and it doesn't sound like you are), then you might want to take the first tower option available. You can spend as much or as little time in the interior itself (and the museum, etc.) once you walk down. Just something to consider....

Thanks kja! Good idea.

DebitNM wrote: "And there are no elevators down, you must walk, on either Tower."

Did they change that recently? I went to Sagrada Familia in December 2012. I took the lift both up and down. There was a small part where I had to walk, yes, but that was after the lift ended at the top. Of course, that was three and a half years ago, so maybe it's different now. I took a quick look at the website and they now say you have to walk down.

I also checked the sagrada familia website earlier this evening to confirm that they NOW say one must walk down from either side. If it matters, email the official sagrada familia website. I found them very responsive to a question I had about my visit. Try:
[email protected]

Thanks for all your help! It all worked out really well. I took one hour after the tour to eat, and before I entered the Sagrada Familia. La Paradeta was packed....predictably...so we ate across the street. Darn, I can't remember the name. I'll look it up and get back with it. The food was great. So glad we booked a tower entry. Took about 1 1/2 hours in the Sagrada Familia all together. Thanks again!

Glad to hear you had a great Sagrada Familia experience, takes some time to take it all in, the buiding itself, Gaudi's ideas, the historical significance etc. etc.: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/20...hurch-religion

Nice article, thanks! Now I'm in rainy Seville, but had a great day. Saw some great jazz (Jorge Pardo), Flamenco museum and the super sized Cathedral. Ate tapas...drank wine...drank wine...ate tapas :) Trying to find a guide in Cordoba for a day. Maybe a guide to check out the patios....Patio Festival is now. Been checking online and sending emails out. But, no luck yet. Any ideas?