We spent 3 days in Barcelona in advance of our Disney cruise. Here are my tips and recommendations from that leg of our trip.
Location Location Location
We stayed at the Petit Palace Boquería Garden in the Gothic Quarter and right off Las Ramblas. This hotel was excellent. We stayed in a family apartment unit which had a separate living space with sofa and kitchen table. It had stove burners and fridge. We had no intention of cooking but the fridge did come in handy. There was a queen size bed and two bunk beds for the kids. It had a powder room (toilet and sink) and a full bath. A very large room - especially for Europe. It was a bit noisy at night due to activities in the alleyways but other than that - a fabulous find. The room was perfect for a family of 4.
The staff were fabulous. Outside, as the name suggests, there is a lovely courtyard garden which we enjoyed on many occasions. Sitting in the garden and taking a break from the heat and frantic pace of seeing sites in a short period of time was a refreshing and tranquil time.
The hotel offered a breakfast but we opted for picking up quick bits on our way to the sites. The great thing about this area is that there is no shortage of food places, and coffee shops.The hotel even offered bicycles for use by guests (sadly, none with training wheels.)
Being in the Gothic Quarter means that many sights are a short walk away including the Cathedral, the Picasso Museum, shops and the famous Boqueria Market.
My tips for Barcelona:
1. Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Church. This is a must see on your itinerary. The church is not finished - it is still under construction with a completion date of 2026. Antonio Gaudi worked for 43 years on the temple until 1926. He tragically died as a result of a tram accident in June 1926, His funeral cortege, which went through much of Barcelona and finished in the Sagrada Familia, was a grand event in the city in recognition of his status as the greatest architect Barcelona has ever seen. Gaudí is buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. By all means, the most important tip for Barcelona is to purchase your tickets for Sagrada Familia on-line IN ADVANCE. The tickets allow for a timed entrance. We spent about an hour at the Church. Everyone, even the littlest and the teenager loved it.
2. Picasso Museum is another site where you will want to purchase tickets in advance. Tip- you can even purchase timed tickets on your smart phone the day before. Which in fact I did at dinner. Kids are free! The Museum focuses on Picasso's earlier works. It is nonetheless a worthwhile sight. A funny story. In fact, I had purchased a 10 am entry into the Museum the night before. Sadly, jet lag got the better of all of us and somehow we all slept in til noon. Yikes. We had timed tickets to get into the Sagrada Familia at 2 pm so we had to head straight there. It is a very quick cab ride. After the Sagrada Familia we headed back to the Gothic Quarter and the Picasso Museum. No one said anything about the timed entry and we walked in with those tickets. Yeah!
We opted to have dinner near the museum. Because we had not fully adjusted to the time zone difference, and because we have kids, eating at the Barcelonian supper hour was not going to work for us. We did find some restaurants that could accommodate our timing. We feasted on Paella, Spanish meatballs, yummy potatoes and terrific cheese.
3. Cabs are cheap and easy to use in Barcelona.
4. If time permits, you really must go to Dalí's Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain. I have to admit - we took the easy way out here.
Using the Barcelona Guide Bureau (www.barecelonaguidebureau.com) we took a half day excursion to Figueres.
It could not have been easier. The group picked us up at our Hotel and brought us to the main trainstation. Put us on the AVE (the high-speed train) that is enroute to France. It only took 50 min to cover 140 Km! Upon arrival in Figueres Train Station, they brought us directly to the Dali Theatre-Museum and our guide took us on a tour of the museum. She was absolutely fabulous and had an incredible and rich understanding of the art and of the artist. The museum was actually designed by Dali himself - so you know it is going to be odd and eclectic. It contains the broadest range of works spanning the artistic career of Salvador Dali (1904-1989), from his earliest artistic experiences and his surrealist creations to the works of the last years of his life.
After the visit, the tour group brought us back to the station and with the high-speed train we were back in Barcelona by lunch.
