Barcelona has an excellent range of apartments available on short or long lets. Fully furnished and self-catering facilities are sometimes ranked by suns instead of stars. Amenities, such as parking, 24-hour security, fitness centres and cleaning services vary widely and may cost extra. Stays can be daily (usually with a two or three-day minimum), weekly, monthly or longer, to accommodate studies or business assignments. For shorter stays, prices are comparable to hotels, and discounts are typically available on long-term contracts.

Often, agencies manage apartments and handle reservations, and there's plenty of competition. To get started, the Associació d'Apartaments Turístics de Barcelona (Barcelona Association of Tourist Apartments, www.apartur.com) and Turisme de Barcelona (www.barcelonaturisme.com) list companies, and the Barcelona Hotel Association (www.barcelonahotels.es) has an online reservation system.