I want to go to Barcelona using Interval Intertational - Tips & advice

[kenczr]

Hi All,

My exchange company is International Interval and I want to go to Barcelona next year. Any tips and advice on the following:

1) Best season/months to go?

2) It will be my first time to use exchange for travel. Any general tips & advice on using II exchange service will be much appreciated so that I can avoid any unwanted surprises.

Please note that I've already deposited my weeks to II.

Thank you all!

 

[GrayFal]

Hi All,

My exchange company is International Interval and I want to go to Barcelona next year. Any tips and advice on the following:

1) Best season/months to go?

2) It will be my first time to use exchange for travel. Any general tips & advice on using II exchange service will be much appreciated so that I can avoid any unwanted surprises.

Please note that I've already deposited my weeks to II.

Thank you all!

Good morning

First thing to do is to check the Resort Directory on the Interval Internatiinal website and see if there are any timeshares in Barcelona, I believe the answer is no. RCI also does not have any timeshares in Barcelona.

Next, look at the map view of Spain and see which timeshare resorts would be the closest to Barcelona and decide if any of these would work for you.

Sometimes II has getaway weeks in city locations that you would pay cash for.

Also suggest renting an apartment thru AirBNB or Himeaway or whatever they call it in Europe.

HTH

 

[Passepartout]

Agree with the above about checking II's inventory. I don't use them, so can't tell you about what's there. We had to choose a TS in Cambrils, about a 40 minute train ride from Barca.

In Europe, most people live in cities, so want to vacation in more rural areas. Hence few timeshares are located in the cities where Americans want to visit. More lodging choice in cities are available in hotels or private rentals like www.vrbo.com/

For general Barca info, here's a good guide: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/

Happy travels.

Jim

 

[jlp879]

Currently II has three properties showing in Barcelona. However, it says they are only available for purchase in the Getaway program.

I guess you could try requesting them and find out, but as you can see, there's not a lot of choice available.

The Getaway prices aren't low enough that I would want to choose them. I'd probably find the location and size of unit I want through VRBO.com.

 

[rhonda]

Adding detail to the post above, the three properties shown on II's site include:

• Citadines Barcelona Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain
  II CODE: BRA
  
• Ona Living Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
  II CODE: ONA
  
• Pierre & Vacances Residence Barcelona Sants, Barcelona, Spain
  II CODE: BNA

All three are GETAWAY (rental) properties, not offered for exchange. The exact working for each: "NOTE: The accommodations listed under this resort code are available for purchase through the Getaway program and generally will not be available for exchange."

There are several threads, here on TUG, that discuss Barcelona sights, accommodations, travel tips, etc. I believe there are at least a few hotel options discussed in those threads.

EDITED to add a story ...
In 2007 we attended a timeshare presentation for a property that traded exclusively with II. Concurrently, we were planning a cruise departing from Barcelona for the following year -- traveling with 2 or 3 other couples. In the sales process "get to know you" dialog we indicated that we preferred cruising and told them of our plans for a transatlantic departing Barcelona. The sales folks leapt on the chance to sell us timeshare as a travel tool -- hinting it could create a big savings in the Barcelona trip.

Heh, heh. I already knew that Barcelona had no timeshare options through II, having done that research related to our cruise prep, and allowed myself to play along with the timeshare presentation folks. I told them we'd be more than delighted to buy their timeshare if they could secure two 2BR units (or equivalent) for our traveling party as part of the sale process. Unfortunately, my husband had not participated in the cruise planning up to that point and immediately delivered a swift to my feet under the table. I figured, "Cool, the sales folks will simply read that as normal dialog between a couple at the buying table ... "

The sales folks tried their darnedest and I enjoyed watching. Having told me that their product was a top trader (of course), they had to start down the avenue of checking on exchange accommodations. Failing that, they had to weasel an excuse as to why their top trader was unable to do so at that moment -- but wouldn't I like to make the purchase and continue the needed reservations on my own? No, my condition of sale is firm, thank you. (My husband alternated rolling his eyes or glaring at me -- trying to convey his disapproval to buying a timeshare from the developer without having to say something out loud with staff nearby.)

Eventually the sales folks gave up and we walked away w/out having been "verbally abused" for our lack of commitment or for wasting their time. We had committed -- but they couldn't deliver. I'm not sure they'd ever run that play before??

Eventually my husband forgave me for not filling him in on my secret knowledge before we went through the presentation.

 

[bizaro86]

Adding detail to the post above, the three properties shown on II's site include:

• Citadines Barcelona Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain
  II CODE: BRA

• 
  
  I have stayed here. I booked it on Hotwire, which I will never use in Spain again after this experience. The lobby was gorgeous, but the room was terrible. I'm not sure if we had part of a lockoff or something, but we didn't have a bed in the room, just a pull out couch. It was agony for all 3 nights of our pre-cruise stay. If I pulled in there now, I would have left and stayed elsewhere, but this was a few years ago and our vacation budget wouldn't stretch.

 

[alexadeparis]

It has been my experience that resorts that say "generally not available for exchange" can't even be added to the ongoing searches.

 

[HudsHut]

Ken:
you need to choose another location to exchange into. As many others noted, Barcelona is not a timeshare city.

I'm not discouraging you from going to Barcelona. Find a hotel and enjoy yourself.

If you decide to also go to the Canary Islands, or the south of Spain, now you've got a chance at an exchange.

***
What week(s) and what size unit do you have deposited?

 

[Rene McDaniel]

Hi All,

My exchange company is International Interval and I want to go to Barcelona next year. Any tips and advice on the following:
1) Best season/months to go?
2) It will be my first time to use exchange for travel. Any general tips & advice on using II exchange service will be much appreciated so that I can avoid any unwanted surprises.
Please note that I've already deposited my weeks to II.
Thank you all!

Kenczr,
Unfortunately Interval International does not make exchanges into Barcelona, but RCI (the other big exchange company) does. To get the Barcelona trade in RCI requires the higher membership fee level called "RCI Platinum". A regular RCI membership will only allow members to puchase rental weeks in Barcelona, but with the RCI Platinum membership (additional $79/year?) you can exchange weeks into Ona Living Barcelona. The timeshare is near the FIRA Barcelona Convention Center, in suburban Barcelona, but right on the Metro line. We have an exchange for 2 weeks there this summer through RCI.

Since you have already deposited your week with Interval International, do you have any friends or family members who belong to RCI and could put in an ongoing search for you for 2017? Maybe they could get the trade YOU want through RCI, and you could get them a trade THEY want through Interval International. If you did this, you would both need to pay for guest certificates with your exchange company to change the reservation name into the other's name. This is the only work-around I know of, but the challenge is that it is only safe to do this with someone you know & trust. What happens if you are able to get them their trade, but you are not able to yours? or vice versa. Sticky business, indeed.

It sounds like you are new to timesharing, and I regret to inform you -- but the trading your timeshare to exotic destinations throughout the world is not as easy as the timeshare sales people told you. It would be smart to read as much as you can about the ins & outs of exchanging here on the TUG BBS. Unfortunately, some timeshares are only with Interval International and others are ONLY with RCI, so it complicates things, although a few are with both.

Hopefully the week you own in Mexico is a prime season week (Jan/Feb/March), as that will have higher trading power with the exchange companies. Since most timeshares are NOT located in metropolitan cities, timeshare owners often need to rent their week, then use THAT money to rent accommodations. It is a pain, but there are TUG ads and rental sites that can help you do this. On the positive side, you can then rent exactly the time & place you want, which is not always so easy with timeshare exchanges.

Your easiest option would be to simply get a full week exchange into a timeshare resort in Southern Spain's "Costa del Sol" area (near Malaga). There is a large selection of timeshares and there is usually very good availability, especially if you put in an ongoing search for 2017 soon. Once you have a satisfactory exchange confirmed, then you could book 4 or 5 nights in Barcelona (Booking.com or AirBnB are good for units with kitchens) for either immediately before or immediately after your confirmed timeshare week. That would give you a little bit longer vacation, as well, because you don't want to travel all the way to Europe for a 1-week trip. It's way too short, because you lose a day to travel going, as well as a day returning. As for the best times to go -- I read that you want to avoid July & August when Spain is extremely hot and crowded.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

--- Rene

 

[GrayFal]

Kenczr,
Unfortunately Interval International does not make exchanges into Barcelona, but RCI (the other big exchange company) does. To get the Barcelona trade in RCI requires the higher membership fee level called "RCI Platinum". A regular RCI membership will only allow members to puchase rental weeks in Barcelona, but with the RCI Platinum membership (additional $79/year?) you can exchange weeks into Ona Living Barcelona. The timeshare is near the FIRA Barcelona Convention Center, in suburban Barcelona, but right on the Metro line. We have an exchange for 2 weeks there this summer through RCI.

Since you have already deposited your week with Interval International, do you have any friends or family members who belong to RCI and could put in an ongoing search for you for 2017? Maybe they could get the trade YOU want through RCI, and you could get them a trade THEY want through Interval International. If you did this, you would both need to pay for guest certificates with your exchange company to change the reservation name into the other's name. This is the only work-around I know of, but the challenge is that it is only safe to do this with someone you know & trust. What happens if you are able to get them their trade, but you are not able to yours? or vice versa. Sticky business, indeed.

It sounds like you are new to timesharing, and I regret to inform you -- but the trading your timeshare to exotic destinations throughout the world is not as easy as the timeshare sales people told you. It would be smart to read as much as you can about the ins & outs of exchanging here on the TUG BBS. Unfortunately, some timeshares are only with Interval International and others are ONLY with RCI, so it complicates things, although a few are with both.

Hopefully the week you own in Mexico is a prime season week (Jan/Feb/March), as that will have higher trading power with the exchange companies. Since most timeshares are NOT located in metropolitan cities, timeshare owners often need to rent their week, then use THAT money to rent accommodations. It is a pain, but there are TUG ads and rental sites that can help you do this. On the positive side, you can then rent exactly the time & place you want, which is not always so easy with timeshare exchanges.

Your easiest option would be to simply get a full week exchange into a timeshare resort in Southern Spain's "Costa del Sol" area (near Malaga). There is a large selection of timeshares and there is usually very good availability, especially if you put in an ongoing search for 2017 soon. Once you have a satisfactory exchange confirmed, then you could book 4 or 5 nights in Barcelona (Booking.com or AirBnB are good for units with kitchens) for either immediately before or immediately after your confirmed timeshare week. That would give you a little bit longer vacation, as well, because you don't want to travel all the way to Europe for a 1-week trip. It's way too short, because you lose a day to travel going, as well as a day returning. As for the best times to go -- I read that you want to avoid July & August when Spain is extremely hot and crowded.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

--- Rene

I will be interested in hearing about your stay at Una Living...and the travel into the city each day. Website makes it look very nice. Checking trip advisor now.