We're traveling to Barcelona in March for 5 days. I have two options for lodging and I was wondering if someone can help me whether each of these locations is more preferrable than the other from your point of view. One location is 500m north of La Sagrada Familia close to Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. The other one is on Gran Via a few blocks away from Plaça d'Espanya towards the old city (approximately Rocafort metro station). Safety and access to attractions are my two main concerns but other opinions are welcomed as well.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
1439 posts
For being more centrally located and closer to more of Barcelona’s top attractions and having quicker access to the transit hubs of Placa Catalunya and Barcelona Sants, I would choose the Gran Via location. The Sant Pau location is an outlier and is much more isolated with respect to being close to most of Barcelona’s top attractions . You would find yourself spending a lot more time on the Metro or buses to get to attractions and returning to your accommodation.
Posted by
Barcelona
109 posts
Hi, being a resident and if I had to re-locate and was offered the choice of close to Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau or Gran Via - then I would most certainly opt for close to Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Much quieter, within walking distance of both L4 (Yellow) and L5 (Blue) metro lines, with excellent bus services — you wouldn't be so very far from the crowded city centre and its attractions and you'd be within strolling distance of the old Sant Pau hospital* and La Sagrada Familia, and not so very far from the bus stop for Park Güell. *https://santpaubarcelona.org/en/
The distance from around Hospital Sant Pau to La Sagrada Familia is around 1KM whereas the distance from Rocafort is nearly 4KM.
The distance from around Hospital Sant Pau to La Pedrera is around 3.5 KM; the distance between Rocafort and La Pedrera is around 2.5KM.
Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is my local hospital and over the past year, after having been admitted for five nights, have visited it innumerable times for check-ups and tests, so I've come to know the area quite well. Walking up to the hospital can be a bit tough, but it's good exercise. As I say, transport connections are generally excellent — for example there are three or four busses which you can jump on to get you up the steep final stretch of Carrer Cartegena.
And, just to add, if you enjoy football (the soccer variety) then if staying near Hospital Sant Pau then you'd be near to Nou Sardenya stadium— home of CE Europa — currently leaders of Division 2.
Whether Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau or Gran Via — enjoy your visit