Familia Site
Favio Cassidy
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I have tried numerous times on several days to purchase tickets online for the Sagrada Familia. Each time it is rejected. I have had no other problems purchasing tickets for venues in Europe. I have emailed the site several times and have received no response. Is anyone else aware of this issue and what may be the problem?
I get all the way through the process and it says "Sorry, there was a problem in the purchase process. Your reservation has not been confirmed. Your locator is 46119949. Contact customer service or try again."
Thank you Sasha. I read the article and I am using a Capital One credit card. Each time I try to purchase the tickets I must request that a code be sent text to my phone. I put that in and try to complete the purchase but it won't go through. I have not had this problem except with this venue. Every other purchase with the same card has been smooth.
There may be a website problem at the moment. When I clicked on "Pay" (before getting to the screen where I would need to enter my credit card number), I receved an error message, "Error. Retry again." It sounds as if you are getting farther than I did. I tried with both Chrome and Edge browsers.
Many American credit cards don't have two-factor authentication, or at least it is not defaulted On. Sometimes you can turn it on, which I think means you may receive a text message (or email), asking you to verify the transaction before it is approved. So I'd start with the credit card; call again, and ask about turning on two-factor authentication. You might be able to do that online as well.
If you have other credit cards, it's worth trying them--assuming your error message is showing up after you've entered a credit card number. Normally I'd suggest using PayPal, but I don't see that shown as an option on the website.
I'm confident there will be a solution, because many folks have posted about planning trips to Barcelona, and most of them want to see La Sagrada Familia. We haven't had a slew of posts about problems like yours, so I don't think it's insoluble.
Edited to add: It sounds as if your credit card is set up correctly, so I'd try switching browsers and devices. It wouldn't hurt to try other cards. If still no luck, wait awhile; maybe they're doing maintenance on the website.
Thank you acraven. I have 2 factor authentication. I have tried other cards, other devices, and other browsers. The last effort I made a few minutes ago I got the error message you mentioned. So the situation is getting worse! LOL. I will call them tomorrow. They have not responded to several emails, so perhaps there is a problem with the website.
I had no problem buying my tickets from home on the website but was directed after purchase to download the app, link my ticket and download the audioguide. Error message after error message when trying to download. Deleting tried again, etc. Emailed SF support and they suggested trying data not wifi (this was all still at home). It worked! It makes no sense! Good news is that support did respond to emails.
My Visa would not work although it has on every other Spanish website (many) that I have used recently. I, personally, had no problem with my MasterCard, although I have read reports of MC's not working for others. Depends on the issuing bank, perhaps.
In my recent readings about problems with various Spanish websites, some have mentioned getting US American Express cards to work - odd since AE is often not accepted in person. I also remember reading that sometimes "gmail.com" emails were accepted, but not "yahoo.com" on some of the Spanish websites.
Sagrada Familia's site serves +4 million visitors yearly, most of which pre-book on the website. While it indeed might malfunction from time to time, it is well known, not only with this site but also with others from several European popular attractions, that some US-issued cards have problems going through them. The reasons might vary but they all revolve around certain US banks not fully adhering to international banking security standards, which are the norm in Europe AND whether the site in question uses a high level of protection against fraud or not. The more popular the site, the higher the chances they are more strict with these standards.
In the case of Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Tourism Office shop offers three types of tickets to choose from. If anything, note they're more expensive than buying directly from Sagrada Familia's website.
(1) Due to banking restrictions not everybody can apply, it'll depend on the banking license of the bank. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with which of these online banks will issue cards to US citizens/non-EU residents. I am told Wise, operating with a Belgian license (an EU country), might be a candidate but you'll have to investigate yourselves :)
One suggestion not included in the email from LSF is to try different credit cards. Try everything you've got. I wonder whether a debit card might work; that's something I almost never think to try, but the security protocols might be different.
Thanks everyone for the assistance. Despite using different cards and alternating using WiFi and cellular, I was unable to order tickets on SF site. Bought tickets through Get Your Guide for $13.00 extra.
On 19 March 1882, construction of Sagrada Famlia began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,[4] Gaud took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaud devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church's crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.[8]
Describing Sagrada Famlia, art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art",[14] and Paul Goldberger describes it as "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages".[15] The basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, as that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).
Sagrada Famlia was inspired by a bookseller, Jos Mara Bocabella [es], founder of Asociacin Espiritual de Devotos de San Jos (Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph). After a visit to the Vatican in 1872, Bocabella returned from Italy with the intention of building a church inspired by the basilica at Loreto. The apse crypt of the church, funded by donations, was begun 19 March 1882, on the festival of St. Joseph, to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, whose plan was for a Gothic revival church of a standard form. The apse crypt was completed before Villar's resignation on 18 March 1883, when Antoni Gaud assumed responsibility for its design, which he changed radically.[16] Gaudi began work on the church in 1883 but was not appointed Architect Director until 1884.[citation needed]
On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaud is said to have remarked: "My client is not in a hurry."[17] When Gaud died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete.[8][18] After Gaud's death, work continued under the direction of his main disciple Domnec Sugraes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished basilica and Gaud's models and workshop were destroyed during the war. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the plans that were burned in a fire as well as on modern adaptations.[13] Since 1940, the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Llus Bonet i Gar and Francesc Cardoner have carried on the work. The illumination was designed by Carles Bugas. The director until 2012 was the son of Llus Bonet, Jordi Bonet i Armengol. Armengol began introducing computers into the design and construction process in the 1980s.[citation needed]
The central nave vaulting was completed in 2000 and the main tasks since then have been the construction of the transept vaults and apse. In 2002, the Sagrada Famlia Schools building was relocated from the eastern corner of the site to the southern corner, and began housing an exhibition. The school was originally designed by Gaud in 1909 for the children of the construction workers.[citation needed]
As of 2006[update], work concentrated on the crossing and supporting structure for the main steeple of Jesus Christ as well as the southern enclosure of the central nave, which will become the Glory faade. Computer-aided design technology has allowed stone to be shaped off-site by a CNC milling machine, whereas in the 20th century the stone was carved by hand.[19] In 2008, some renowned Catalan architects advocated halting construction[20] to respect Gaud's original designs, which, although they were not exhaustive and were partially destroyed, have been partially reconstructed in recent years.[21]
Since 2013, AVE high-speed trains have passed near Sagrada Famlia through a tunnel that runs beneath the centre of Barcelona. The tunnel's construction, which began on 26 March 2010, was controversial. The Ministry of Public Works of Spain (Ministerio de Fomento) claimed the project posed no risk to the church.[22][23] Sagrada Famlia engineers and architects disagreed, saying there was no guarantee that the tunnel would not affect the stability of the building. The Board of the Sagrada Famlia (Patronat de la Sagrada Famlia) and the neighborhood association AVE pel Litoral (AVE by the Coast) led a campaign against this route for the AVE, without success.[citation needed] In October 2010, the tunnel boring machine reached the church underground under the location of the building's principal faade.[22] Service through the tunnel was inaugurated on 8 January 2013.[24] Track in the tunnel makes use of a system by Edilon Sedra in which the rails are embedded in an elastic material to dampen vibrations.[25]
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