Where to sleep in Barcelona, the guide to the districts of the city to sleep well and without problems, in a low cost place and close to means of transport to the airport and the city center, read the post.
When organizing a low-cost trip, choosing and booking a place to sleep is always one of the thorniest issues to solve. Barcelona is a very lively European city full of solutions for all tastes and budgets, but you need to know how to choose wisely and pay attention to the budget!
First of all, keep in mind that during your trip to Barcelona, overnight accommodation will be one of the most significant items of expenditure. You may have even managed to seize an offer from an airline to reach your destination, but you still have to decide where to sleep without spending a fortune, so you will have to be careful.
Furthermore, it is also strategically important to understand in which area to stop: in some European cities such as Barcelona sleeping in the most central districts can be comfortable because all the main attractions are close at hand, but it can be expensive, and sometimes the quality / price ratio leaves a little too much to be desired. The choice of accommodation for a trip to Barcelona so it depends both on the time you have available and what you are looking for in the specific trip.
If you have little time to visit the city, it is clearly worth looking for accommodation as central as possible; this is true, but be careful to choose wisely. Barcelona is not a huge city and public transport works very well even until late. So getting away from the "hot" areas could be very convenient in terms of money without sacrificing too much time available for travel.
In addition, an essential factor in order not to ruin your stay is to understand what you are looking for from the trip e what kind of experience do you intend to have. If you are not very interested in the nightlife until the first light of dawn, you may find it annoying to sleep in the key districts of entertainment and the "casino". If, for example, you prefer to go back to your hotel or apartment and find some tranquility to rest the night, be careful not to choose a shared room or a hostel in the heart of the Gothic Quarter!
If, on the other hand, it is the nightlife that interests you but you want to keep the budget low, the Barrio Gotico will be your little paradise. In summary, here you will find a brief overview of the main districts of Barcelona, which can help you in choosing the area on which to focus your search for your accommodation.
La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter
The vibrant heart of Barcelona, packed with clubs and life both day and night. Very touristy. Perfect if you like being in the center of the nightlife.
The Raval
On the other side of the Rambla from the Barrio Gotico. Quite an infamous neighborhood, today it has become a rather popular area full of clubs, and extremely lively. It is an intriguing neighborhood and definitely worth exploring by day. However, some areas are to be avoided at night: you may have unpleasant encounters.
The Ribera
Divided in the south, called El Born, and north area. El born is a nice area full of bars. There are many art galleries, and you can meet interesting characters. It is also a very safe area. The northern area, on the other hand, is mainly inhabited by immigrants.
La Barcelonetae the seafront
Beautiful area of Barcelona, charming, characteristic and full of restaurants and bars of all kinds. A whole nice area to sleep in, quiet enough without being boring, and not too far from the center.
Montjuc and Poble Sec
They are highly strategic neighborhoods, close to the sea and close to the center; in addition they are very calm. Great for families, for example.
La Sagrada Familia and the Eixample
Elegant and trendy neighborhood. It is very busy and full of hotels and businesses. There are several night clubs, even for students. It is quite quiet at night and is considered a safe neighborhood.
Grace
This neighborhood is a little out of the way from the center, but easily accessible. It is dotted with many narrow streets where an interesting bohemian atmosphere reigns; it is full of artists and craftsmen. At night it gets quite lively, but you will never find the chaos that reigns in the Barrio Gotico. I see it suitable for a young couple.
Camp Nou, Pedralbes and the upper area
In these areas we actually move away from the center. But they are certainly very quiet areas.
Now that you have an idea of the area in which to concentrate your research, it remains to decide between two types of accommodation: hotels and B & Bs on one side / apartments on the other.
My personal advice is always to Rent an apartment, even if you stay in the city for a few days. The reasons for my preference are many:
- You save. A night in a good, clean and equipped apartment usually costs as much as a night in a 3 star hotel - if you're lucky.
- By renting the apartment you have the undeniable advantage of not being forced to eat all meals outside, and this will lower your meal budget considerably.
- By doing the shopping the supermarket you can prepare excellent sandwiches or cold dishes for a packed lunch, and in the evening you can cook something pleasant (in Barcelona you can buy excellent fish for a reasonable price!) and then maybe dive into the nightlife after having rested and abundantly refreshed.
- La freedom of schedules that gives an apartment alone is a good reason to prefer it to the hotel: no constraints of any kind ... You can also have delicious snacks at two in the morning !!!
- By renting an apartment you usually know the owner, and you have the precious opportunity to have a chat with the locals who, believe me, will be happy to recommend you a good place or a nice place to visit that tourists usually don't know.
- Finally, living in the house of a Spaniard, going shopping at the supermarket and even throwing out the garbage it will make you feel even more a part of city life, and you will live a more real and less "fake" travel experience.
