The Sagrada Família is a breathtaking Barcelona basilica that construction began back in 1882. It has been under construction for so long that it’s often called the most expensive and longest-running project. It’s also one of the city’s major tourist destinations.
The Sagrada Família is the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona. And the most popular time to visit this beautiful building is during the peak season, which falls in July and August (according to TripAdvisor data). However, when visiting the city, there’s one thing that every traveler should get prepared for—the queues.
Evening queues of people form on the Sagrada Família’s doorstep.
Before you begin queuing up, ensure you understand how to maximize your chances of getting in. In other words, how to beat the queue.
Let’s take a look at the most effective methods.Getting to the Sagrada Família
First things first—you have to get to Barcelona. Once you’ve made it to Catalonia, you have three options: flying, driving, or taking a train or bus. You should know that most people who choose Barcelona over other European cities do so because of the proximity and convenience of the available transportation options.
If you’re taking a flight, whether it be to Barcelona or somewhere else in Europe, make sure to book your flight well in advance. In the case of Barcelona, it’s worth mentioning that two significant airports serve the city: El Prat International Airport and Girona–Costa Brava Airport. These two handle most passenger traffic in and out of the city.
Second, there’s the choice of staying in Barcelona and driving to the basilica. So how long does this take? Depending on your itinerary, it could be anywhere from 40 minutes to 3 hours. In fact, according to Wikivoyage’s article on Barcelona, the average travel time between the Sagrada Família and Girona-Costa Brava Airport is 2.5 hours. You should also know that there’s a direct route from the airport to the Sagrada Família, which takes about an hour.
Then there’s the choice of taking a train or bus, which is quite popular considering the number of travel destinations it covers. Barcelona’s central railway station (called El Prat de Llobregat) is only four kilometers away from Girona-Costa Brava Airport. If you choose this method, you should know that there are trains from El Prat de Llobregat to Barcelona-Sants, Barcelona’s central railway station.
Book your Tour & Tickets in Advance
Suppose you want to avoid the queues at the Sagrada Família. In that case, you should try to make an advance Sagrada Familia Tour booking that allows you to skip the long queues.
The best thing about booking your Louvre Museum Tour—besides skipping the queue—is that it allows for ultimate flexibility when visiting the structure. This is because you have complete control of when and where you’d like to visit the Sagrada Família. Whatever your plan is, be it an afternoon or a full day, one thing is for sure: these tickets are pretty affordable.
Once you’ve made it to one of the mentioned stations, you should be able to walk to the Sagrada Família (or any other place in Barcelona) within 20 minutes.What to see at the basilica?
You should see only two things at the Sagrada Família: the exterior and interior. Once you’ve seen these two, there’s no point in seeing anything else. This is because of how much detail and effort has gone into designing them. So don’t waste time trying to see things you won’t be interested in.
Sagrada Família exterior
The best time to visit the basilica is during the summer. However, right now, it would be a good idea to visit it in February or March (depending on the time of year) as this is when there’s no chance of it being crowded or experiencing bad weather.
Also, if you want to see the exterior of the building, it’s best to arrive between 12 pm and 1 pm. The reason is that you’re likely to get a good view of the Sagrada Família if you arrive early or late at night. This is because it gets dark at 5:30 pm, and fewer people are around. However, if you don’t mind them looking at old photos of your family, then by all means, take one at any time.
Now that you know what to expect let’s look at how to get there. First, you should know that you can only access the basilica through the entrance facing Carrer de Sardenya. But if you want to take photos of the building from other angles, then, in this case, make sure that you’re also ready to queue.
On your way there, make sure to stop by Plaça de Francesc Macià, which is a popular tourist attraction in Barcelona. This park has two famous statues: one of Francesc Macià and the other of Joan Miró (a Catalan painter).
Sagrada Família interior
Once you’ve arrived, do not miss out on visiting the gorgeous basilica’s interior. It spans from Sixt Apostol to Navet Pasolat. One of the highlights of the interior is the Glory Façade, a spectacularly decorated part of the basilica.
Also, if you have time, check out the shops near the basilica entrance as you may find some interesting souvenirs for your friends back home.
Eating at the Sagrada Família
If you are hungry, there are quite a few places where you can eat at and around The Sagrada Família. The most popular among these is called La Creu. It has branches in Barcelona and other European cities, including an outlet in Paris, which you can visit. If you’re lucky enough to get a reservation here, try the lomo amb cebolleta (boiled pork belly) or the cod fish, some of the best dishes on their menu. Price-wise, the restaurant is set in the medium range. So you can expect to pay somewhere around €40 per person.
If you don’t have a reservation at Hotel España, you should consider dining at its sister restaurant, Creu. It also serves some delicious dishes from the Mediterranean region. Price-wise, it’s a little more affordable, so it could be worth checking out.
If you want to buy souvenirs in Barcelona, check out this bar at La Rambla (Carrer de la Boqueria) and purchase any available items, such as T-shirts depicting Joan Miró. The prices are pretty reasonable, and you can also find other valuable souvenirs here.
Also, if you go on a Sunday, then make sure to visit the Mercat de Sant Josep (Carrer d’Aribau). This place has been around for hundreds of years and, as a result, there’s a lot of exciting stuff to see.
Source: https://www.newsplana.com/how-to-beat-the-queue-at-the-sagrada-familia/
