Like many travellers, I visited Barcelona last spring dreaming of seeing Antoni Gaud铆鈥檚 breathtaking Sagrada Fam铆lia church. When I got there, the ticket office was closed, with a posted sign: 鈥淣o more tickets today. Buy your ticket for another day online.鈥� Thankfully, I鈥檇 known to book tickets in advance.
Along with Sagrada Fam铆lia, Spain鈥檚 sights to book ahead include Barcelona鈥檚 Picasso Museum, La Pedrera, Casa Batll贸 and Park G眉ell; the Palacios Nazar铆es at the Alhambra in Granada; and the Royal Alcazar Moorish palace, Church of the Savior and cathedral in Sevilla.
Barcelona鈥檚 Casa Amatller and Palace of Catalan Music, and Salvador Dal铆鈥檚 house in Cadaqu茅s all require a guided tour, which also must be booked ahead. Advance tickets for the Dal铆 Theatre-Museum in nearby Figueres are also a good idea. While it might be technically possible to buy tickets on-site, in my guidebooks I simply say you must reserve in advance. It鈥檚 much smarter.
Barcelona continues to evolve. After a long renovation, the Maritime Museum has reopened, displaying 13th- to 18th-century ships (restoration continues on the later-century ships). The El Raval neighbourhood is rising up as the new bohemian zone. While this area has rough edges, its recently reopened Sant Antoni market hall, new Museum of Contemporary Art and pedestrian-friendly streets contribute to its boom of creative shops, bars and restaurants.
In Spain鈥檚 northern Basque country, San Sebasti谩n鈥檚 old tobacco factory has been converted into the free Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture, hosting films and art exhibits 鈥� and knockout views from its roof terrace. In Pamplona, a new exhibit gives a behind-the-scenes look at the town鈥檚 famous bullring.
In the south of Spain, the cathedral in Sevilla now runs rooftop tours, providing a better view 鈥� and experience 鈥� than its bell-tower climb. In nearby C贸rdoba, you can now climb the bell tower at the Mezquita, the massive mosque-turned-cathedral. But C贸rdoba鈥檚 14th-century synagogue is closed for renovation.
Spain鈥檚 transportation is also improving: Uber is now available in both Barcelona and Madrid. Madrid鈥檚 Metro has a new rechargeable card system: A red Multi Card (tarjeta) is required to buy either a single-ride Metro ticket or 10-ride transit ticket. Spain鈥檚 high-speed Alvia train now runs between Segovia and Salamanca in about 75 minutes, making it faster than driving.
Portugal has fewer blockbuster sights than Spain and nowhere near the crowds. The only sight where you might have a crowd problem is the Monastery of J茅ronimos at Bel茅m, just outside Lisbon proper (buy a combo-ticket at Bel茅m鈥檚 Archeology Museum to avoid the ticket line at the monastery).
Riding in most of Lisbon鈥檚 classic trolley cars 鈥� a quintessential Portuguese experience 鈥� can also be frustratingly crowded (and plagued by pickpockets targeting tourists). A less-crowded option is trolley line #24E 鈥� which is back in service after a decades-long hiatus. Although this route doesn鈥檛 pass many top sights, you can see a slice of workaday Lisbon. (Or, better yet, get your trolley experience in Porto, which has almost no crowds.)
On my last visit, I realized that Lisbon鈥檚 beloved Alfama quarter 鈥� its Visigothic birthplace and once-salty sailors鈥� quarter 鈥� is salty no more (except with the sweat of cruise groups hiking its now-lifeless lanes). The new colourful zone to explore is the nearby Mouraria, the historic tangled quarter on the back side of the castle. This is where the Moors lived after the Reconquista (when Christian forces retook the city from the Muslims). To this day, it鈥檚 a gritty and colourful district of immigrants 鈥� but don鈥檛 delay your visit, as it鈥檚 starting to gentrify just like the Alfama has.
In other Lisbon news, the Museum of Ancient Art finished its top-floor renovation, and plans to renovate its second floor in 2020. One of the city鈥檚 leading restaurants, Pap鈥橝莽么rda, has moved to the first floor in the Ribeira market hall (a.k.a. the Time Out Market). It鈥檚 still recommended and still serving traditional Portuguese cuisine.
In the pilgrimage town of F谩tima, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in 1917, the new F谩tima Light and Peace Exhibition run by the Roman Catholic Church complements a visit to the basilica, and offers a more pleasing experience than its more commercial competitors.
In Coimbra, ticket options for the University of Coimbra sights, including the beautiful Baroque King Jo茫o library, now cover the nearby and impressive Science Museum 鈥� go there first to buy your university tickets and book your required timed entry for the library.
In Porto, the Bolh茫o Market is closed for a much needed renovation until mid-2020. In the meantime, vendors are in the basement of a nearby department store 鈥� carrying on the warm shopper relationships that go back generations.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
