I went to Alhambra palace in Granada last week and I had a very bad experience! I was told that there is too much crowd waiting for a ticket and so it would be better if I went there early. It opens at 8. I went at 7.30. There already were almost 100 people waiting! I got in the line and was waiting...
When it opened they made an ancouncement for those who had a credid card that they could buy their tickets with their credid card if they knew the pin. So i left my friend waiting in the first line and i went to the machines that sell tickets. It wouldn't accept my credid card!! I tried again and again in case i had typed the pin wrongly. It didn't work. I left. after a while i came back with my card and tha card of my friend. After waiting in line for almost 2 hours i reached the machines again. I tried with my card again many times but nothing! It just didn't accept it! I tried with my friend's card but... nothing again! The machine didn't accept our cards. However, it wasn't only my problem. I noticed that many people had the same problem too. But all the staff had to say was "your card has a problem"!! However, what i noticed while waiting was that although there where 6 or 7 machines that seld tickets, the staff promoted those who had made a booking by letting them use all the machines axcept 1 or 2 that was used for those who had credit card. The result was that those who had booked their tickets didn't wait at all. However, the booking is only avaible at least 3 months before the day you want to visit the place!!!
Anyway, after being frozen at the morning due to low temperature and then STANDING under the hot sun for 6 HOURS i finally got my ticket at 13.30!!!!!!!!!!!
But when i approched the cash desk (the one out of 2 that were working!!!) the woman who should give the tickets was chating and laughing with another woman form the staff who was filing her nails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, moreover, the ticket price is 12 euros, while at Prado and Reina Sofia is 6!
Well, there is a "rule" in Alhambra: there are 3 main places that you have to visit inside the palace and in one of them you have to be in a specific hour that is written on your ticket. Not before, not after. Our time was 18.30! So we asked if we could change it for 20.00 in order to go back in town and see something else and then return to see the palace. She answered: "no we can't do that, actually you are lucky you have even got a ticket" !!!!!!!!!!! And all that after 6 HOURS WAITING, STANDING UNDER THE SUN!!!
So we went back to Granada, ate something and walk around for a while and then took the bus to go back to Alhambra. We got in, walked around, saw the 2 other places and went to the third at 18.30. There, we had to wait another half hour to get in!
Personaly i couldn't enjoy anything in there or admire their beauty because of all the tiredness and the bad mood i had, although i beleive that nothing in there was so extraordinary that deserved all that tyranny.
On the other hand, next day i went to Seville and visited The Alcazar Palace (los Reales Alcazares): much more beautiful than Alhambra, zero waiting time and lower ticket price (free for students). I recommend it for sure!
I have to say that -apart from Alhambra- Granada is a very beautifull city and i liked very much my staying there.