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Lodging & Arrivals - Barcelona, Spain
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The school can arrange accommodation to suit the needs of all students, either with Spanish families, in University Residences, in apartments or in hotels. In each case the accommodation is normally reserved from the Sunday before the beginning of a course until the Saturday morning after the course ends. Costs include 13 nights of lodging, however, extra nights can usually be arranged on request at an additional charge.
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Homestays
Family accommodation is available throughout the year. Most families live near the school and are rarely more than 20 minutes away by public transport. Very occasionally, a family may be up to 30 minutes from the school as some of the most elegant districts of Barcelona are on the edge of the city.
All host families are carefully selected by the school's accommodation department and all agree to fulfill the following conditions:
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To provide students with single rooms (unless a couple both attending courses or individuals request to share), which are comfortably furnished, have adequate heating and lighting facilities and a desk or table where students can work
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Not to accommodate persons of the same nationality or speaking the same language unless specifically requested by the students concerned
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To provide basic laundry facilities and to change bed linen and towels weekly
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To make a daily bath or shower available
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To provide an adequate continental breakfast and for those students who are being accommodated on a half-board basis a substantial dinner at night
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To provide students with a door key so that they can let themselves in and out
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To treat students as family guests and generally behave in a friendly and hospitable manner
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All host families live in flats, as there are practically no individual houses in Barcelona. Apartment buildings are rarely more than 8 floors high. A typical flat will have 3 or 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room and living room. Some flats have terraces, almost all of them have balconies.
It is difficult to describe a typical family as there is such a variety; some are young couples, some have children still living at home, other - perhaps the majority - have grown-up children who no longer live at home, but who often appear for lunch on Sundays. Lunch is usually eaten quite late - around 2.30 p.m., and dinner is usually at about 9.00 p.m.
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Student Residences - Available July, August and September Only
This option is available upon request and at additional cost. During the summer months, accommodation is also available in one of two student residences, normally in double, although a limited number of single rooms are also available upon request. Students are provided with breakfast or 2 meals at additional cost.. Student residences can be relatively noisy places to stay. For this reason the school recommends that more mature students (aged 30 and above) consider how important peace and quiet is to them before reserving a place in a residence which they will be sharing with a large number of younger people.
Students may choose from the following 2 residences:
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Colegio Mayor San Jorge Residence - This large University residence, which has recently been extensively redecorated and refurbished, is located about 20 minutes from the school by bus. The residence has the capacity to take around 140 students. Most rooms contain 2 beds, although there are some single rooms available. Bathrooms are shared and are on each floor. The residence has a recreation lounge with bar and TV and there is a small gymnasium available for guests free of charge. A receptionist is on duty 24 hours per day so students are free to come and go as they please. Students have access to washing machines and irons and most rooms have telephones for incoming calls. There are also several telephones available in the residence from which the students can make outgoing calls. The residence also has a number of safe-deposit boxes which students can rent to store their passport and other valuables securely. Students can have either bed and breakfast or half board (which includes supper). The standard of catering is very reasonable for this kind of accommodation. The menus are varied and balanced and both the quality and quantity of food provided is good. Water is provided with meals while other drinks are available from a vending machine. Breakfast is from 07.30 to 09.00 (08.00 to 10.00 on Sundays) and dinner from 20.30 to 21.30.
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Ciudad de Balaguer Residence - The residence occupies the whole of the first floor and part of the ground floor of a large, smart apartment building. There are 15 bedrooms in total, including single rooms, double rooms and some triple rooms and the capacity of the residence is 26-34. All of the bedrooms have wardrobe space and tables and 2 of the bedrooms also have their own private bathrooms. There are 9 bathrooms in total. The residence also has a large, comfortable TV lounge, a large dining room, a kitchen, a laundry room and a very large terrace/garden. The residence, which is normally used to accommodate female university students is extremely well maintained and kept very clean. Students have access to a washing machine, iron, etc. The washing machine functions with tokens which cost 300 ptas. each. Bed linen is changed every week and towels are changed twice a week. Students are not permitted to use the kitchen to cook in, but they are allowed to keep food in the refrigerator. Each student is given a key and is free to come and go as s/he pleases. There are 2 public telephones in the residence for students' use and incoming calls. Students are normally accommodated on a bed and breakfast basis, although half board can also be arranged. The menus are varied and balanced and the quality and quantity of food provided is very good. Water is provided with meals and other drinks are available from a vending machine. Breakfast is from 08.00 to 10.00 and dinner from 20.30 to 22.00.
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Hotels
Spanish hotels are classified from 1-5 stars. There are very few one star hotels so the most economic category is usually a 2-star hotel. Prices vary, but a single room in a standard 2-star hotel with private bathroom and breakfast included, currently costs around 40 Euros per night. 3-star hotels with private bathroom and breakfast cost around 50 - 65 Euros per night, while 4-star hotels start at around 85 Euros per night for a single room.
Due to slight variations in prices, even for hotels of the same category, NRCSA prefers quoting prices on request in all cases.
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Studio Apartments
The school offers students who are staying in Barcelona for 4 weeks or more the possibility of renting a fully furnished, self-catering apartment. Most of these are located within 15-20 minutes of the school by public transport. The small studio-type apartments are suitable for one individual student or a couple. These studio apartments will normally have one living space that also serves as the bedroom, with an American-style kitchen, and a separate bathroom. Apartments are entirely self-catering, which means that no meals are provided and students are also responsible for cleaning.
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Two or Three Bedroom Apartments
Large two or three bedroom apartments which are suitable for individuals seeking larger private accomodation, or for families or groups registering and seeking accomodation together. Apartments are fully furnished, self-catering, and located within 15-20 minutes of the school by public transport.
NOTE: Students may be asked to pay the equivalent of four weeks' rent as a deposit when they collect the keys to the apartment on arrival. This deposit is refunded when the keys are returned and after the apartment has been checked for loss or damage. Any loss or damage which is attributed to the student will be deducted from the deposit before the balance is returned. The student must inform NRCSA of travel arrangements and the estimated time of arrival as this will avoid the person handing over the keys having to wait in the apartment unnecessarily, or the student having to wait in the street.
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Arrival transfer from the Barcelona International Airport is available upon request and at additional cost. Lodging information is sent 7-14 days prior to departure. Information of where to go and how to get there will be sent to students prior to departure.
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