Where We Stayed: Barcelona

Our strategy for this trip was to stay in apartments given that every stop was for at least 3 nights. Doing this gave us more room to move and the opportunity to have meals in if we wished, particularly for breakfast and snacks. Financially, we broke even or did better in the apartments because many hotels charge a lot for breakfast, and some would have required us to get two rooms because they can't accommodate a family of four in one room.

The apartment we rented in Barcelona had 3 bedrooms, 1 bath (shower, no tub), and a washer with a place to hang clothes from the window. There was an AC unit in the main living area, which did a good job in that room but only trickled into the bedrooms. We found ourselves cranking it up and feeling cold in the living room in the hopes that it would cool down the bedrooms; I'm sure it helped somewhat, but sometimes I wondered just how much it was doing. We did all manage to sleep in the bedrooms without anyone trying to call dibs on the living room futon to be near the AC.

Our host was reliable and was kind enough to let us check in early, while we were very jet lagged, which was much appreciated. He also offered us chips and beer.

The apartment was about a 7-minute walk from the Collblanc metro station (previous reviewers on HomeAway said it was shorter--they probably weren't walking with young kids). It's a ride into pretty much every attraction except Camp Nou, but that was OK for us. Although the Barcelona metro system can be hit or miss with regard to accessibility for strollers and wheelchairs, this stop has an elevator and escalator.

There is a park with some play equipment on the walk from the Metro to the apartment. We never stopped there because it hosted a firecracker (petardo) stand where people were testing out their purchases. The noise and potential safety risks gave us pause. However, I think that this is just a seasonal thing, as the city celebrated the feast of San Joan while we were there with plenty of firecrackers. It might be a good place for kids to play at other times of the year.

This neighborhood is technically outside of Barcelona--the address is L'Hospitalet de Llobregat--but it still has a city feel. There are plenty of stores and restaurants, so you don't have to go far for necessities. There was a Día supermarket about 2 minutes away from out apartment, which was really convenient.

Overall, this was a good place to stay. There were a couple of aspects that could be improved, like more space to hang wet towels in the bathroom and a more comfortable futon. That said, we used the futon only as a couch; maybe it is pretty good as a bed. Some fans for the bedrooms might help, too.

The listing can be found here.