"Barcelona offers a lot of diversity when it comes to flats, depending on the district you choose. It is probably good that you have an idea of what you are looking for and then look for that in a specific district. What we did was decide on a budget (good flats rented by students here range from 900 to 1600 euro more or less) and on some musts (for us, for example, being close to metro station with lift, having a terrace and having a washing machine were important).
You can then search in different webpages... we reccomend SHBarcelona or Elix, they facilitate the process a lot since you don't need a spanish co-signer when you show your letter of acceptance from IESE. Also, there is lots of flexibility on the lenght of the contract. Ours, for example was in months instead of years, since we were planning on doing the internship outside BCN.
Also, it's a good idea that you pin the different options you like on a map and look for the metro or bus you would take to IESE and how well connected the flat is. This becomes even more important for those who come with wife and kids. You can check the bus, metro and train lines that pass nearby at www.tmb.cat by clicking on "Where am I" under Move around, then typing the address and clicking on "Find the appropriate transport" and then again on "Find which means of transport you have". You will see a map with all the options. If you click on the metro lines and pick the station you would use the most, you can check if it has a lift too (important for families with strollers!).
You can also click on "plan a trip" on the main page and type the flat's address and then IESE's address (avenida pearson, 21, 08034) to see how long it would take to get there and how much you would have to walk (in case you don't get a moto or car... many of us don't have those and it's not a problem).
About the zones...
What I've seen is that it depends on your budget (since you are not splitting the rent with other MBAs), culture and also personal preferences. For example, Gracia is a popular zone for young people and it can get noisy at night. Sant Gervasi and Sarria are very popular among IESE students but some zones are up hill and it can get unconfortable for families with strollers, specially since you walk everywhere! They are usually more expensive. Also, L'Eixample is really nice! And stroller friendly too. But (since it's so big) you have to make sure you don't go too far away - or close to a good metro station - if you won't be buying a moto, otherwise traffic will make every day's ride a long one. I would recomend La esquerra or La nova esquerra de L'Eixample, which means the left half of L'Eixample (in spanish refered to as Ensanche).
What I've seen is that it depends on your budget (since you are not splitting the rent with other MBAs), culture and also personal preferences. For example, Gracia is a popular zone for young people and it can get noisy at night. Sant Gervasi and Sarria are very popular among IESE students but some zones are up hill and it can get unconfortable for families with strollers, specially since you walk everywhere! They are usually more expensive. Also, L'Eixample is really nice! And stroller friendly too. But (since it's so big) you have to make sure you don't go too far away - or close to a good metro station - if you won't be buying a moto, otherwise traffic will make every day's ride a long one. I would recomend La esquerra or La nova esquerra de L'Eixample, which means the left half of L'Eixample (in spanish refered to as Ensanche).
The truth is Barcelona is a great city, and it changes a lot from zone to zone but they have all their special traits that win your love."
Thank you Fer for sharing your experience with us!
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