Is Barcelona Safe for Women?

The worse experience i’ve had so far is getting my phone pick-pocketed (although the police gave it back to me almost immediately). I know there’s violent crime here, but in general, if you are aware if your surroundings you will be fine.

I feel safe in Barcelona, I walk the streets alone and have taken trains to other towns. I haven't wandered alone at night for the moment, there are dark places and I didn't see many police officers but I wouldn't be afraid to go out, I'm from Argentina.

I think Barcelona is a pretty safe city. In general the highest risk you run are pickpockets and scams, being + looking like a tourist makes you seem like an easy target. I would say use common sense, be aware of your surroundings and be wary of people that approach you. At night I’ve felt apprehensive coming back home by myself, but I’ve never felt really in danger, even when I was partying a lot and would pass out on the metro home. One thing to note is that in the club, men here don’t respect your personal space and may try to take advantage of you being drunk. I was used to men grabbing me randomly to dance or touching me (you can be rude and even a little aggressive and they leave you alone, but yeah, many countries don’t have this kind of “culture”). Now it doesn’t happen as much but I also don’t drink as much and am older, so I don’t know if the crowds are changing or it’s just that I don’t find myself in those situations anymore. Overall though, I find Barcelona a safe city.

Barcelona is a safe country for women. The only problem is pickpockets. So be very very careful, not only in closed spaces (specifically the underground), but also when you walk around . Also try to avoid some neighborhoods like la Mina after sunset or in general ( it's not Barcelona but next to it). Barcelona is a very open-minded city so you can wear as you want ( just can't be nude walking around the city - unfortunately it was because some kind of tourist had sex or walked without t-shirts or bikinis around the city, even churches or museums). You can find nudist beaches and also you can take your top off in all the beaches. If you're from LGBTQ community, feel free. No one is going to look at you, it's a gay /lesbian friendly city.

Barcelona is a Spanish city therefore is overall really safe. It’s also very touristy and crowded at all times, including night time, which means that there are always someone nearby to what you out and to whom you can reach out for help. I’m originally from Madrid and I feel safe in Barcelona, and even less catcalled than in Madrid.

Main risk in Barcelona is pit pocketing, but other than that it's quite a safe city. I wouldn't recommend being alone in Raval in the middle of the night, but other areas are totally fine, always keep an eye out like you would do anywhere.

Overall, I have always felt safe. basic common sense applies but it s one of the places where I feel more safe in the public transport and taking into account I mostly move in safe residential neighbourhoods.

As everyone already knows, Barcelona is not the safest place, but avoiding dangerous neiborhoods and situations, having some good intuition can simply keep you out of trouble. Try not to show too much if you're drunk and don't behave like the most idiot tourist and you'll be fine ;)

Group travel experience

I really felt safe. We did accomadation by hostels and we were 4 people so we used bolt as a transportation a lot. And we love walking so almost to everywhere we walked. We ate paella which is really good. Park güel was amazing, I think you should do it with guide for sure and also for Sagrada Familia, defineteley buy the tickets like 14 days before you go to see inside because we couldnot see.

Solo travel experience

I stayed in an AirBnb in Barcelona for about 6 weeks in January/February of 2023. I signed up for a Spanish course at UB to learn a little bit more Spanish and make some friends. Overall, Barcelona is a great city for travel. As a solo female traveler I was not going out too late and far, however I felt very safe walking near Placa de Catalunya even around 10pm. The city is very walkable and there are many things to experience. I would highly recommended going inside the Sagrada Familia during sunset, the stained glass windows were absolutely beautiful. The weather during this time was chilly and windy however it wasn’t too cold. Comparing to NY prices, I would say Barcelona is a pretty affordable city.

Solo travel experience

My accommodation was in Sants - at first I didn't feel very comfortable in the area but after two days I realized that it was very familiar! I got more and more comfortable every day. The Spanish food was very tasty but in normal restaurants you also pay 10-15€ for food and drink for one person. But the tap water is free, which was great! Riding the METRO with the HolaBarcelona ticket was also super easy! You can buy the ticket online via the app and print it out at the machine on site. This is available for several days. 5 days were €36. The transport network is well developed and very uncomplicated. I recommend booking tours etc. in advance via Getyourguide as you can save a lot and there are no long queues. Barcelona is great for beginning solo travelers!

Solo travel experience

Stayed in The Gothic Quarter which is beautiful. Feels very familiar. Definitely check out the free museums. The science museum was my favourite with the sunken forest - I couldn’t believe it was free. Barcelona wasn’t too expensive, I particularly loved the area of Gracia.