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