We stayed here for 3 weeks in Sept, 2017.
Beatriz’s villa is exactly as advertised – a charming house nestled in the hills of a conservation area, just 20 minutes by train to the centre of the Barcelona tourist area. There are so many outdoor spaces that each day we could choose a different view and whether we wanted sun or shade. At night the lights dotting the village hills make a lovely sight.
Ursula, the property manager, showed us around the villa and was there within minutes of a phone call for 2 minor issues. In 15 years of renting from various online sites, this is the best equipped kitchen I have found. It included coffee, tea, onions, spices, garlic, oils, vinegars, and sugar as well as lots of pots, pans, knives, dishes and cutlery. There were even espresso makers and an immersion blender. The variety of cleaning products for laundry and dishes meant that we did not have to buy products during our stay.
A possible challenge for some renters may be the barking of the village dogs. While we found them distracting, none of the other reviewers have mentioned them so it may be our “city folk” background.
We were able to get train tickets for travel to and from Barcelona city centre from a ticket machine inside the Les Planes train station. Most people find the t-10 card the most economical. We purchased the t-mes (unlimited travel for one person for 30 days) as we stayed for 21 days and were on and off various metro locations daily. For a t-mes you need to type in your ID. The airport tourist office told us to use 5 digits from our Canadian driver’s licence to carry this ID with us each day. Les Planes is in zone 1. The lines to take from Les Planes to Plaça de Catalunya is S1 or S2.
We travelled into the city daily and found it easiest to purchase our groceries at the Carrefour Market on La Rambla, 3 blocks down from the Plaça de Catalunya metro stop on the same side as La Boqueria market. Later in our stay, we discovered a wonderful health food store, Veritas Supermarket, at Via Laietana, 28. They had a greater selection of vegetarian and gluten-free options. When we didn’t feel like cooking, we enjoyed Flax and Kale, Arcano, and Ciudad Conda restaurants. The pastry shop, Escriba, on La Rambla, was our go-to spot for treats.