Barcelona Feature

Apartment Rentals

If you want a home base that's roomy enough for a family and comes with cooking facilities, consider a furnished rental. These can save you money, especially if you're traveling with a group. Apartment rentals are increasingly popular in Barcelona these days. Aparthotels rents apartments in residences subdivided into small living spaces at prices generally more economical than hotel rates. Rentals by the day or week can be arranged, though prices may rise for short stays. Prices range from €100 to €300 per day depending on the quality of the accommodations, but perfectly acceptable lodging for four can be found for around €150 per night. Apartment accommodations can be arranged through any of the agencies listed below.

Local Apartment Agencies

Aparthotel Bertran (Bertran 150, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08023. 93/212-7550. www.hotelbertran.com.)

Aparthotel Bonanova (Bisbe Sivilla 7, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08022. 93/253-1563. www.aparthotelbonanova.com.)

Aparthotel Nàpols (Napols 116, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08013. 93/246-4573. www.napols.net.)

Apartment Barcelona (Valencia 286, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08022. 93/215-7934. www.apartmentbarcelona.com.)

Apartments Ramblas (93/301-7678. www.apartmentsramblas.com.)

Barcelona for Rent (93/458-6340. www.barcelonaforrent.com.)

Barceloneta Suites (www.barcelonetasuites.com.)

Feel Barcelona (Balmes 28, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08007. 93/301-9341. www.feelbarcelona.com.)

Flats By Days (93/342-6481. www.flatsbydays.com.)

Friendly Rentals (Pasaje Sert 8 Bis, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08003. 93/268-8051. www.friendlyrentals.com.)

Goben Apartments (Selva de Mar 202, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08020. 93/278-1156. www.gobcn.com.)

Lofts & Apartments (València 284, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08007. 93/366-8800. www.lofts-apartments.com.)

Oh-Barcelona (Roger de Llúria 50, 1a, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08009. 93/467-3782. www.oh-barcelona.com.)

Rent a Flat in Barcelona (Fontanella 18, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08013. 93/342-7300. www.rentaflatinbarcelona.com.)

Barcelona Flats (La Rambla, No. 3, Barelona, 08002. 93/318-7598. info@barcelonaflats.net. www.barcelonaflats.net.)

Home Exchanges

If you would like to exchange your home for someone else's, join a home-exchange organization, which will send you its updated listings of available exchanges for a year and will include your own listing in at least one of them. It's up to you to make specific arrangements. Home-exchange directories sometimes list rentals as well as exchanges.

Hostels

No matter how old you are, you can save on lodging costs by staying at hostels (albergue juvenil, and not a hostal, a popular term for a modest hotel without major facilities, signaled by a small "s" next to the "H" on the hotel doorway's blue plaque).

In some 4,500 locations in more than 70 countries around the world, Hostelling International (HI), the umbrella group for a number of national youth-hostel associations, offers single-sex, dorm-style beds and, at many hostels, rooms for couples, and family accommodations. Membership in any HI national hostel association, open to travelers of all ages, allows you to stay in HI-affiliated hostels at member rates; one-year membership is about $28 for adults; hostels charge about $10-$30 per night. Members have priority if the hostel is full.

Turisme Juvenil Catalunya (TUJUCA-La XANASCAT) can help you locate any of 43 youth hostels in Barcelona. Many of these hostels happily take people of all ages, though you may have to pay an extra fee to become a card-carrying member. Many older youth-hostel fans find hostels—where people tend to exchange tips and chat freely—friendlier and more inclusive than hotels. Nearly all Barcelona hostels offer common rooms for television, card games, and general socializing, dining rooms for meals, and sleeping accommodations ranging from double bedrooms to dormitories, the latter arrangement more frequent.

Organizations

Hostelling International—USA (8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. 301/495-1240. www.hiusa.org.)

Turisme Juvenil Catalunya (Calàbria 147, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08015. 93/483-8363. www.tujuca.com or www.xanascat.cat.)

Hostels

Alberg Abba (Passeig de Colom 9, Barri Gòtic, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08002. 93/319-4545. www.abbayouthhostel.com.)

Alberg Kabul (Pl. Reial 17, Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08002. 93/318-5190. www.kabul.es.)

Alberg Palau (Palau 6, Barri Gòtic, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08002. 93/412-5080. www.bcnalberg.com.)

Alberg-Residencia La Ciutat (Ca l'Alegre de Dalt 66, Eixample, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08024. 93/213-0300. www.laciutat.com.)

Center Ramblas (Hospital 63, Raval, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08001. 93/412-4069. www.center-ramblas.com.)

Gothic Point (Vigatans 5, Born-Ribera, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08024. 93/268-7808. www.gothicpoint.com.)

Ideal Youth Hostel (Carrer Unió 12, Raval, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08024. 93/342-6177. www.idealhostel.com.)

Sea Point (Pl. del Mar 1-4, Barceloneta, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08024. 93/224-7075. www.seapointhostel.com.)

Alberg Estudio (Carrer Duquessa d'Orleans 56, Barri Gòtic, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08034. 93/205-0961. www.alberguestudio.com. Reina Elisenda.)