Learn Spanish in Barcelona: Accommodation
Barcelona is a wonderful city in which to learn Spanish, but it is a large city and so commuting is an inevitable part of every day life. The public transportation system is excellent and will enable you to move around the city quickly and at little cost.
Choose from one of the following accommodation options:
Spanish hosts
- Open to 16 yrs + age group
- Most families live near the school and are rarely more than 20 minutes away by public transport
- Occasionally, a family may be up to 35 minutes from the school as some of the most elegant districts of Barcelona are on the edge of the city
- All hosts live in apartments, as there are practically no individual houses in Barcelona
- Apartment buildings (both old and modern) are rarely more than 8 floors high
- Typically with 3 or 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room and living room
- Bathrooms are generally shared with the hosts (or private bathrooms, not necessarily en-suite on request)
- Some apartments have terraces; almost all of them have balconies
Stay with local hosts, in apartments in either single or shared rooms (if travelling as a couple or with a friend) on a half-board basis. Staying with hosts allows you to speak Spanish with local people out of class and they are generally no more than 35 minutes commute from the language school.
It is difficult to describe a typical Spanish host as there is such a variety; some are young couples, some have children still living at home, others – perhaps the majority – have grown-up children who no longer live at home, but who often appear for lunch on Sundays! Lunch is usually eaten quite late – around 2.30 p.m., and dinner is usually at about 9.00 p.m.
All hosts are carefully selected by the school accommodation officer and all agree to fulfil the following conditions:
to provide students with single rooms (unless friends/a couple request to share), which are comfortably furnished, have adequate heating and lighting facilities and a desk or table where students can work
to provide basic laundry facilities and to change bed linen and towels weekly
to make a daily bath or shower available
to provide an adequate continental breakfast and a substantial dinner at night
to provide students with a door key so that they can let themselves in and out
to treat students as family guests and generally behave in a friendly and hospitable manner
Shared apartments
- Open to 18 yrs + age group only
- Centrally located apartments for rent, to share with other students
- Up to 35 minutes commute from the college
- A deposit will be required in Euros, once in Spain
- The apartments consist of a communal kitchen and bathroom and bedrooms each
- Single rooms with shared or private bathroom
- Shared rooms (double – for friends only) with shared or private bathroom
- Bedding and towels provided
- Beach towels must be brought with you
- Wi-Fi included
In the shared apartments, you can choose to stay in a single or shared room. Each apartment also has a kitchen/living room and bathroom which you share. These apartments are fully furnished and facilities include a washing machine and TV. Each student is provided with a set of keys so that they can come and go when they please. You are provided with sheets, blankets and towels, but you should bring your own beach towels. The apartments are cleaned once a week and bed linen is also changed weekly.
Arrival: Students arriving on the Sunday before the course begins should make their own way to their apartment (unless a transfer has been requested). You must inform us of travel arrangements and your estimated time of arrival; this will avoid the person handing over the keys having to wait in the apartment unnecessarily, or you having to wait in the street.
Note: Please note that we try to place people of the same age and sex together in the same apartment, however, this isn’t always possible.
Summer student residences
- Available July and August ONLY
- Open to 18 yrs + age group only
- 10/30 mins commute to college
- A deposit will be required in Euros, once in Spain
- Bedroom with access to common areas (study room, cafeteria and laundry room)
- Cafeteria also caters for vegetarian and vegan meals
- Single rooms with shared or private bathroom
- Shared rooms (double – for friends only) with shared or private bathroom
- Bedding and towels provided
- Beach towels must be brought with you
- Wi-Fi included
There are several residences on offer each summer, and early bookings are recommended. The residences are open to international students (not just language students). They are modern university residences within easy reach of the Spanish language school in Barcelona, by public transport.
Travel
Arrive: Sunday PM
Depart: Saturday AM
We recommend students fly to Barcelona’s airport, 12 km south west of the city, and take the train/metro connection to their accommodation or a taxi (but as its quite a way out the train is generally a better option). Public transport in Barcelona is good value for money, efficient (allowing for traffic congestion) and easy to tackle even if this is your first visit to Spain. You are welcome to take the college transfer service at additional cost from Barcelona airport to your accommodation (one or two way service offered) if preferred. The transfer service is recommended for younger students.
