Monday, July 20, 2015

Tibidabo the less touristy way

Like any European city, Barcelona has tourist traps…the kind where you find yourself paying a lot of money for something that the locals get for much less (or free). Getting to Tibadabo, Barcelona’s famed mountain with a theme park and cathedral, is no exception. If you want to get to Tibidabo for the price of one metro trip (1-2 Euro), this “less touristy way” (as one of the locals called it), is just as nice as the overpriced blue tram that leaves from Avenida Tibidabo.

The best way to get to Tibidabo is to take the regional trains S1 (Terrassa) or S2 (Sabadell). The easiest place to meet up with them is to take them from Placa Catalunya (where they originate) or at Provenca. Just follow the FGC/Regional train signs. Trains come around every 10 minutes. S1 or S2 will take you to Peu del Funicular, where you’ll exit the train, go up the stairs (without exiting the station) and take the Funicular (or cable car) up the mountain to Vallvidrera Superior.  Exit the station and find the bus stop for Bus 111 that will take you up the hill to Tibidabo. You can use your same metro pass on the bus (it won’t charge you), though most don’t even put their metro pass into the machines on the bus. The bus will take you all the way to the top where the views are amazing.
 

The bus stop
 
The theme park may be 2nd rate in Catalunya, but it’s also not a bad deal if you have a family. A Tibiclub pass covers your family (or at least it did ours, 4 kids and 2 adults) for around 160 Euro, which is only about 5 euro more than taking the family for only one day. Two visits to the park, and you’ve already made up the cost of the pass (and then some). What’s more, the park is rarely crowded, and most rides have little to no lines. Sometimes we rode a ride by ourselves. The roller coast (Muntanya Russa) has the best view of Barcelona in the city.
The view from the Muntanya Russa
 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment