I finally stopped booking hostels in Barcelona last spring

I was in Barcelona for 4 days and figured a cheap hostel near Las Ramblas would save me money (like everyone says), but the noise from street parties kept me up until 4am every night. I ended up spending an extra $60 on a tiny pension 3 blocks away and actually slept, which made my days way more enjoyable. Has anyone else found that paying a little more for quiet beats the budget hostel hype?

2 comments

2 Comments

lewis.troy15h ago

The three hostels I stayed at in Barcelona all had earplugs at the front desk for free, so I just grabbed a handful each time and slept fine. I think a lot of people forget that travel is about the whole experience, not just sleeping in a quiet room. You pay for location, atmosphere, and meeting people when you book a hostel near Las Ramblas, and that street energy is part of the appeal for many of us. If you go to a pension three blocks away, you might get sleep, but you lose the chance to step out at 2am and grab churros with strangers you met that afternoon. The whole point of a budget hostel is to roll with the chaos, not hide from it. Honestly, I found the noise part of the charm there, even when it kept me up a bit.

kevin_harris786h agoMost Upvoted

Wait-@lewis.troy, is it crazy I never saw it that way before? You just changed my mind.