How to choose the right location for your holiday flat in Barcelona

This page will help you choose the right area for your holiday flat in Barcelona. 

Barcelona neighborhoods vary significantly. It is therefore highly recommended to do a little research first to ensure that your apartment is in a good area and that it will offer you transport links to all the sites in Barcelona.

To help you select the right area for you holiday flat in Barcelona we have produced a photo guide of some of the more important and popular areas in the city. To see detailed photos and descriptions of each area simply click on the links you will find below to be taken to the photo gallery for that area.

An Apartment in the Gothic Quarter - Old town Barcelona?

The Barri Gotic quarter (otherwise known as Gothic quarter) area is the "old town" Barcelona and is characterized by ancient streets and buildings that go back almost 1000 years. The Gothic Quarter is mainly pedestrianized and any roads are very small and do not have a lot of traffic. However because this area is very popular it will have a lot of tourists passing through it. Choosing your holiday flat in Barcelona in this area will mean you will be in the centre of all the activity and will be in a very atmospheric neighbourhood.

Click here for the photo gallery of Barri Gotic

Barcelona Cathedral is also in the Barri Gotic area
Click here to go to photo gallery of Barcelona Cathedral

A Holiday Apartment on Las Ramblas?

The Ramblas is the main boulevard that cuts through the heart of Barcelona city centre. The Ramblas is in the centre of all the activity in the city. If you choose your holiday flat in Barcelona to be on the Ramblas then you couldn't have chosen a more central point. Be aware though your accommodation may be affected by the street noise.

Click here for our photo gallery of Las Ramblas

Choosing your holiday flat in Barcelona by the beach

Barcelona has four beaches all within a 10 minute ride on the metro system from the city centre. The beach area that is closest to the city is called Barceloneta and is a very popular beach.

To see our photo gallery around Barceloneta click here

A holiday apartment in Eixample?

Eixample is a large neighbourhood just slightly north of the Ramblas. This area is characterized by trendy shops and restaurants and big busy roads. If you choose to stay in the Eixample be prepared for a little noise.

Try to choose your holiday apartment in Barcelona that is not on a major road.

The main major roads that are very busy and therefore noisy are:

Gran via Cortes Catalanes - (one of the busiest roads in Barcelona)
Passeig de Gracia,
Calle Aragó
Calle Aribau
Calle Mallorca, Provincia, Rosello, and Valencia,
Avinguda Paral -lel
Avinguda Diagonal

The above list is not exclusive but only provides a rough guide. If you are going to be staying on one of the above roads try to choose an apartment that is as high above ground level as possible and is fitted with double glazing. Remember that many buildings in Barcelona do not have lifts and you may have to go up several flights of steps to reach your apartment.

As a general rule of thumb, if you are particularly bothered by street noise, try to avoid staying in the Eixample area which has many large and busy roads (all of the above roads are in Eixample). Instead choose your apartment in the old town Barri Gotic area (Gothic Quarter) where there are smaller streets and significantly less traffic.

Barcelona map

If you go to our Interactive Barcelona map page you'll find all the important neighbourhoods (Barrios) in Barcelona which we have linked to a city map so you can see exactly what the areas are like. Click here to see our Interactive Barcelona Map.

This page has giving you a brief overview of some of the most popular neighbourhoods in Barcelona city centre. Often many tourists choose to have their holiday flats in Barcelona in one of these areas . However there are many other Barrios that have not been covered in this brief overview.

Related Pages

1) Advantages of renting a holiday flat in Barcelona

2) Interview with an apartment rental specialist

3) The Barcelona Neighbourhoods Guide - Descriptions, photos and overview of each major area in Barcelona with hotels listed in each location.

4) Purchasing Real Estate in Spain - Article on how to find a mortgage.

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