Tibidabo Apartments

The owner greeted us on arrival and was very helpful in explaining all about the apartment and how to get to the various sights that Barcelona had to offer. She made good use of Google Translate to communicate as our Catalan/Spanish is non-existent. The owner also responded quickly when we communicated with her. The apartment was very clean and had sufficient equipment for a holiday apartment. Washing up liquid, soap and towels were provided and the bed/pillows were very comfortable. There is air conditioning in each apartment and shared washing machine/tumble driers plus ironing facilities in the basement . During the day, the road outside was quite noisy with traffic climbing the hill but traffic at night was very light. There is a small bar and foodstore at the bottom of the hill and a Lidl store and market about a 10 minute walk away. There is also a small Trattoria a similar distance from the apartment. There are two nearby Metro stations - Penitents on the L3 line is reached by walking downhill all the way to the station but walking back up from here after a day's sightseeing is not recommended. The second station is called Vall d'Hebron and is served by two lines - L3 and L5. This is much easier to access and is near to Lidl. To get from the airport, the easiest way is to take the L9 Sud line accessed from T2 and T1 to Collblanc and change there on to the L5 line to Vall d'Hebron. Avoid main line stations as they are full of pickpockets and as a newly arrived visitor, it is easy to get drawn into their trap e.g. a crowded lift where one goes in first, inviting you to join them, and then the second enters quickly behind you, just as the doors are shutting.

Tibidabo apartments are up a hill and maybe challenging for thos with limited mobility however it was not an issue to us and you can always get a taxi in Barcelona if the is your choice (this costs €20 from the seafront). The big bonus of this premises is the fact that the metro is a mere five minute walk down hill and this gives access to the whole of Barcelona (the Rambla is fifteen minutes away). We had a two bedroom apartment which was very larte and had two balconies (one small and one very large), and two bathrooms (both with showers). The aprtment itself was very quiet with verý little noise. Nearest restaurant is ten minutes walk but there is a bar at the foot of the hill if you want a quick drink to race yourself for the 250 step climb up the hill to the apartment. The only negative I would raise is that the flat doesnt have aircon and if the noise of fans is going to bother you you may wish to go elsewhere. We were met by Valentina who gave an excellant tour of the apartment and explained the locations of all the local amenities leaving us with a map of Barcelona. All in all we loved these apartments and had a great week there. The gardens make you feel that you are not in an urban area and I spent most evenings on the terrace sipping beer and reading. Would definately recommend. The owners

After having booked an apartment out of town and discovering that it was not a non smoking dwelling, we had to rapidly find and book another apartment for our next two days in Barcelona. I was very fortunate to find this place available for our dates and more importantly, for a VERY last minute booking. We entered the City at rush hour in the pouring rain which was a little harrowing even with a navigation system. I got on the phone with the Manager, David, and for the most part of a half an hour, he stayed on the phone with me to guide us in even though it was quite late and pouring rain. He was waiting for us with an umbrella to assist us with our luggage and then escort us to our parking space. He showed us around and made some suggestions on where to eat as we were starving. He also very generously loaned us his umbrella asking us very nicely to return it as it belonged to his father who had passed away. The apartment was cosy, charming and spacious. The next morning in the glorious sunshine, we discovered the lovely garden that was accessible only from our dwelling. The subway station was close by and on the main lines to all of attractions in the City. The best part of this whole experience was the fabulous Manager, David. He went out of his way to make us feel welcome and secure despite our late arrival and last minute booking. I would definitely return to this great apartment, especially if David is still the Manager!