Top Barcelona Travel & Transportation Services - page 20

This was perfect. We wanted a transfer from our hotel to the Barcelona cruise terminal that provided sufficient space for two checked bags per person . We were assured at the time of booking the vehicle would be a van and so have sufficient space as it was just for us . The driver phoned the hotel just before arrival and the front desk staff let us know he was enroute and would be arriving shortly . He was on time , the vehicle was spotless and in excellent shape and the driver was courteous and friendly.

First I have to give credit to our driver Omar and our tour guide Niloufar, without them this tour would not have been nearly as successful. Omar was friendly, prompt, and navigated the streets of Barcelona with ease. Nilo was warm, inviting, and enthusiastic with a group dealing with jetlag. She got us in the spirit of the tour and really engaged. Nilo is a fountain of knowledge sharing tid bits with her own personal flare. The anecdotes she shares only enhance her tour and make you feel in great hands. Given how our group was spread throughout the city ahe ensured to provide extra time for exploring with recommendations while she finished gathering the group. Our group had wide variety of ages and cultures to which Nilo made everyone feel included and welcome. Even before the initial your started she was providing recommendations and stories to enhance the tour. Our tour started in the old town with an external view if the Barcelona Cathedral followed by a walk through old streets of the Gothic quarter. She shared stories from history, urban legends, and kept us laughing. She enhanced her tour with photos as well. The walking tour had built in breaks where we could grab a coffee and pastry, view small shops for souvenirs, and try a local sweet treat that the name escapes me but it was essentially toffee but softer. These were traditionally made with almonds. There was one modern sculpture I caught out of the corner of my eye as we viewed some of the local government buildings and while it was not part of the tour she knew exactly what it was and had time for me to go see it. From here we resumed our tour with lunch at Villa Caprice where the pallea was delicious as were the tapas. Sangria was avaliable by the liter! A recommended flavor was the guava sangria, while I didn't try this many in our group enjoyed a beverage. Great menu and reasonable pricing. The Sagrada familia was the highlight of this tour. This building is architecturally one of the most profound buildings I have been able to see. The uniqueness in its construction makes it feel alive. This building tells a story and does it beautifully. The stained glass lit up the Cathedral in the afternoon sun and was magical. The ceiling may have been the most beautiful part of this buildings interior. The gift shops really are nothing crazy, I would spend your time enjoying the architecture. What is not clear is how to leave! There is a 2nd gift shop near where group B enters that leads outside but it is not well signed. Lastly, we toured park guell which was a failed construction but still a beautiful site. I enjoyed that this park features the Gaudii tunnel that is inspired by waves and also featured in a season finale of America's next top model. That was a full circle moment to see that as a child on T.V. and as an adult now see the site is surreal. The park was beautiful with many sites to see and views to appreciate. Thank you to the team for making a great day!

It was great having a 3rd party tour group schedule the tickets, tour, and transportation at and between two of Barcelonas most visited attractions. The guide we had, Miguel, was also wonderful, well paced, and frankly a calming voice in these very busy attractions.