Living in Barcelona
Lodging
If you are planning to find accommodation upon your arrival in Barcelona, especially if you arrive before the start of your study period, you will need to reserve a room in a hotel or hostel well in advance. It can be very difficult to find a hotel or hostel room in Barcelona without prior reservation, even though there is a great offer, so book early in advance to guarantee an affordable and well-located stay.
For your stay during the academic year, there are two options that we mainly recommend: student housing/dorms (public or private) or shared apartments with other students.
ESIHMar has agreements with a number of student dorms, so if you are an exchange or international student of our school, you will receive discounts or benefits. If needed, your international coordinator in Barcelona will provide you with a document, so that the place you choose will apply that discount.
Partner dorms:
Center |
Advantages |
Contact | |
Unihabit Ciutat Vella | 50% off on the annual tuition | info@unihabit.com | |
Resa | Discount rate for daily and weekly stays in all the dorms of the group in Spain. Offer applicable to national, international and exchange students registered at ESIHMar-UPF through the resource www.resainn.com using the promotional code ESIMAR23 | resa@resa.es |
Or maybe you prefer to share a flat with other students. In that case, there are several options that can help you. Here are some suggestions for agencies that we work with:
Center | Advantages | Contact | |
Altiro | 50% off on management fees per flat/room | info@altirobarcelona.com | |
Barna Student Place | 10% de descuento para estudiantes de la ESIHMar | bsp@barnastudentsplace.com |
On these websites you can find rooms in shared flats with other students:
Transportation
Barcelona has an excellent public transportation network, with which you can travel throughout the city and other nearby towns. You can use the subway, bus, train and tram, with one single transportation card. To get to Campus del Mar, you have many public transportation options: bus, subway, or tram. By downloading the TMB app, you can find the best route to get to campus from your lodging.
Like many other European cities, Barcelona works with a zone system, depending on the proximity to the city center. On this map you will be able to find the cities that belong to each zone. The city of Barcelona is in zone 1, so you can easily move around the entire city and nearby towns, such as Castelldefels, for the same price. If you want to go a little further, such as Sitges, you will need a ticket from a more distant area, which you can buy at any train or bus station. To move outside of Barcelona, the easiest and cheapest way is usually the train. You can find information about Rodalies trains here.
In Barcelona, there are different types of public transport cards that you can use. Some are unlimited, and others have a certain number of trips. Depending on your needs, we recommend choosing one or the other. You have all the information on the TMB website.