Where to stay in Las Ramblas

Barcelona is Spain's most stylish, cosmopolitan and vibrant city – and nowhere is this more evident than in Las Ramblas.

Although originally named after a seasonal stream that once flowed here, Las Ramblas has become such an iconic feature of Barcelona that many other Spanish towns and cities have adopted the name for their own pedestrian walkways.

Las Ramblas is, in fact, five connected 'ramblas' that cover the 1.2 kilometre distance between Plaça Catalunya, in the north, and the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell in the south. This broad, café-lined boulevard, although crowded every day until well after midnight, is the location of choice for many travellers arriving in the city. With Metro stations at Plaça Catalunya, Liceu and Drassanes, you're always close to links with other parts of the city.

You will find plenty of accommodation all the way along Las Ramblas and on many of the small streets branching off. This varies from hotels to hostels to individual apartments. Before talking of some of these in more detail, though, a few general considerations.

Firstly, if you're looking for a peaceful location then Las Ramblas might not be the best place. Especially if you have a front room, near street level, even double glazing isn't going to keep the noise out at night; and then the delivery men come early the next morning. Las Ramblas is a location best suited for those who can cope with this aspect! Similarly, some of the hostels, especially, are known for having very thin walls which, again, can cause disturbance.

Because Las Ramblas is situated between the old areas of the Barri Gòtic and El Raval, don't expect much parking, if you have a car. Car parking is not easy in many parts of Barcelona; around here it's pretty nigh impossible.

Part of the charm of Las Ramblas is the way that it is divided into different sections – you'll find, for instance, one part with many flower sellers, another with lots of caged birds. However, although the southern section of the area, more or less coinciding with La Rambla Santa Monica, has been 'cleaned up' somewhat in recent years, it still adopts a very different atmosphere at night. This part of Las Ramblas remains a red light area, and you are quite probably going to be approached about buying sex and drugs. If you've got a young family, you might not want to bring them back to your accommodation near here at night.

Because Las Ramblas is right in the heart of Barcelona, some of the hostels are popular with stag and hen parties or groups of friends just having a weekend away – not always the quietest of neighbours!

One solution to your Barcelona accommodation problems, then, might well be to consider renting a Barcelona apartment for your stay along Las Ramblas. Not only do they give you a high degree of independence compared with hotels and hostels, they are also generally better equipped and much better insulated. There are a good number of Barcelona holiday rentals to be found in the area, ranging from those suitable for people on a limited budget to those for providing luxury accommodation. Especially if you are in a group, renting an apartment could even work out cheaper than a corresponding hotel as well as giving you the freedom of your own front door key.