Spain 2010 - Barcelona apartment

March 27, 2011

I have never rented a flat when I travel. I've always stayed in hotels, hostels, resorts, or I stay with family or friends. When I started planning my Barcelona trip, I searched for a lot of hotels but it was too expensive. I decided to read up on Barcelona and I went on NY Times. Thankfully, they had an article about renting flats when you travel. I searched for different websites and finally found a nice apartment with a great view for a good price.

I e-mailed the landlord a million times; peppering her with questions. I was worried about giving up 100 Euros for deposit but I went ahead anyways. I wanted to take a chance.

Fast forward a couple weeks later, two days before arriving to Barcelona, I texted and e-mailed the landlord letting her know my time of arrival and I got no reply. I started panicking. I was so worried that it was a scam.

The day I left for Barcelona, I could not sit still on the train.

When I got out of the station, I called the number for the landlord and someone answered. We sorted out the details of the meeting time and place. It was pretty easy after that. We met outside a restaurant along the Ramblas and headed to the apartment together. He gave me information on how to get around Barcelona and how everything works inside the apartment. I inspected everything before handing him over the rest of my payment. 

I really love that small apartment. It made me feel like a "local" even for a short period of time.

2 comments

  1. That's such a good idea to stay in a flat instead of a hotel or hostel. I've always wanted to rent a beach house, or a little cottage, somewhere warm, instead of staying at an all-inclusive. It would be great to feel like a local and cook food in your kitchen from the nearby markets. I've never been to Barcelona, but always wanted to..I'll be living vicariously through your posts!

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  2. I was really apprehensive at first but I'm glad I didn't get scammed. I heard bad stories about rentals.

    It was definitely a good choice in Barcelona where I stayed for 1 week. It felt like home. Definitely a better experience than staying at a hotel.

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