Best areas to stay in these cities

[Barb]

We will be visiting the following cities May 2018 and I am now in the process of looking for lodging except for Madrid where I will be using points for Marriott.. I am looking at airbnbs as we like having an apartment. What I need help with in all these cities is what area is the best for us to stay in.. we are an older couple who like to walk so not afraid to walk with luggage if need be 15 mins though not too much more.. we do not plan to drive if we can help it.. will be training it where we can and flying when distance is to far so sometimes coming from the train station and sometimes airport.
We are not into nightlife and need quiet place at night to sleep so if an area will be noisy at night that will not be good for us. I have done some research but its getting complicated so any help would be appreciated, an area in each city that is a good base to see the top sights from. We will do day tours if there are places we should see away from where we stay. Also not adverse to taking public transit if there is a good reliable system. Thanks!!

Barcelona fly to Majorca (poss Plaça Espanya Not sure how noisy or safe but see an apt there we like)
Majorca fly to Madrid (poss Palma in Majorca as it is central and I have read in May it should not be noisy at night)
Madrid train to Granada (AC Hotel Carlton Madrid-Mariott points near the Retiro Park, the Botanic Garden)
Grenada train to Cordoba ( Grenada not sure)
Cordoba train to Seville (Cordoba not sure)
Seville fly to Porto (Seville not sure)
Porto train to Lisbon (Porto not sure maybe Trina?)
Lisbon (not sure)

 

[veronicafrance]

Nearly all Spanish cities are noisy at night! Best option is to go for a high floor and/or a room overlooking an inner courtyard. In Seville we stayed in an AirBnB very close to the Alameda, a big spot for nightlife, but the apartment was on the third floor in a side street and actually pretty quiet. This time we're going to that area again (different apartment) because we found it so convenient for getting everywhere we wanted on foot. A lot of people seem to rate Triana, but it's over the river from most sights. Santa Cruz is popular and central, but we found it too touristy; the area where we were was less crowded and had lots of modest bars and restaurants.

 

[Barb]

thank you veronica.. can you tell me which airbnb apt you had close to Alameda that was quiet.. that woudl be a big help what area where you in in Lisbon that was less crowded or were you in Santa Cruz but in a less crowded area? thanks!

 

[Sidney]

I can recommend the BCNGOTIC apartments in Barcelona. I have stayed there several times in a forth floor apartment. Great central location near a metro and within walking distance of almost everything. Nice people who are on site for at least part of everyday. English spoken. Very responsive. Elevator. Legal apartments so no worries about that. On a pedestrian street. Probably as quiet at night as you are likely to find and in the charming older part of the city.

 

[veronicafrance]

thank you veronica.. can you tell me which airbnb apt you had close to Alameda that was quiet.. that woudl be a big help what area where you in in Lisbon that was less crowded or were you in Santa Cruz but in a less crowded area? thanks!

I didn't mention Lisbon at all in my reply. When we were there we stayed in the Barrio Alto, close to Principe Real. Again a quiet area but you have to not mind walking uphill at the end of every day

The room we had in Seville doesn't seem to be listed on AirBnB any more -- I guess she's stopped letting it. In Lisbon we stayed here:
http://www.rentals-lisbon.com/apartments/royal-jasmin/

Full disclosure: we've known Glenn for many years and he is a great host. He has a number of apartments in this area of Lisbon, so if that doesn't suit there are others.

 

[Barb]

Great thank you both checking on all !!

 

[veronicafrance]

Back from Seville and I can very warmly recommend the AirBnB we chose. Our host Aldara is a tour guide and gave us some great tips. Including a list of recommended tapas bars -- we tried several of them and they were all excellent. She and her mum both speak very good English. The apartment is on the second floor (with elevator) in a newish block in central Seville, but courtyard side rather than street side, so very quiet. The room is not huge, but it's comfortable and has an en suite bathroom. You also have use of the two lovely terraces. A few minutes' walk from the Alameda and maybe 10-15 mins from the Alcazar. We walked everywhere.

 

[Barb]

HI Veronica
Thank you so much I really appreciate you getting back to me. We decided on a place. Its pretty central. We like having our own place so this is where we are staying https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1783776. I think the area is ok --its so hard to know..

 

[veronicafrance]

Ah, that's Madrid, not Seville. I don't know Madrid well enough to comment on the neighbourhood. If I'm staying somewhere for a week or more I prefer an apartment, but with all the problems being caused in places like Paris and Barcelona with professional AirBnB hosts, I've made a conscious decision for short stays to use AirBnB as it was originally designed: a spare room in someone's home. With the bonus that you get to meet locals.

 

[borgodellastella]

Hi Barb, I was in Mallorca/Majorca this year, and would indeed recommend staying in Palma while in Mallorca if you do not rent a car, for public transport access. I enjoyed the historic city center (where I stayed at the absolutely lovely Posada Terra Santa https://www.posadaterrasanta.com/en/ ). A quick Airbnb search pulled up these listings, which look pretty close to the train station: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/20631502?location=palma mallorca near train station&tier_override=0&s=SefF2TKR and https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/270667...near train station&tier_override=0&s=TiuND4ww. Regarding public transport - you can catch buses IN the train station (lower level) as well, and there are regular routes throughout the island. There is also a historic train you can take that runs about hourly to the town of Soller with a few stops in between which you can enjoy.. It is a slow ride through countryside, where you can see almond trees, citrus groves, and lush interior of the island.. If I return to Mallorca, I would definitely rent a car next time, however, as there seemed to be some lovely coastal coves and villages that could not easily be reached by public transport. That said, I truly enjoyed my time there and what I was able to see while using public transport (especially Port de Soller and Valdemossa). Have a wonderful trip!