Is Barcelona Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Barcelona is generally safe for solo female travelers. The crime rates are relatively low, however pickpocketing and bag snatching are common in crowded places and on public transportation. Basic precautions like avoiding deserted areas, not flaunting wealth or valuable possessions, and being vigilant on the street and in the metro, especially after dark, should ensure a safe stay.

Safety rating

4.4 /5

Based on 63 experiences

4.3 /5

Based on research and crime data

Safety overview

Safety at night:Moderate

Barcelona, generally holds a decent level of safety. However, during the night time, especially if you're alone, it is advisable to stick to well-lit, populated areas. Unwanted attentions or pickpocketing incidences can happen, particularly in tourist-centric locations. Public transportation is reliable and often preferred. Overall, maintain awareness of your surroundings and take general precautions as you would in any other city.

Public transportation: Safe

Public transportation in Barcelona is safe, reliable, and well-maintained. It includes a comprehensive network of metro lines, buses, trams, and trains. Furthermore, they run frequently and even late at night. However, caution needs to be exercised, as in any crowded place, against pickpockets and minor thefts. Special attention should be placed on your belongings. Despite this, it still remains a secure and efficient way to move around the city.

Street harassment: Low

Barcelona is generally considered safe for solo female travelers, with locals respectful of personal boundaries. Street harassment is not a rampant issue, with most of the concerns revolving around pickpocketing. That said, it's always important to stay vigilant, especially in crowded tourist areas. However, women should feel relatively comfortable moving around the city, at day or night, without facing significant harassment or discomfort.

Petty crimes:High

Barcelona, despite being a fantastic city with vibrant culture and breathtaking architecture, unfortunately has a comparatively high rate of petty crimes. Tourists often face thefts, pickpocketing, and scams, particularly in crowded areas such as popular tourist sites, beaches, and public transport. Often these crimes are non-violent; however, the frequency can be disconcerting. It's crucial to be cautious, stay vigilant about your belongings, and be aware of your surroundings when exploring the city.

Tap water:Very safe

Tap water in Barcelona, is generally safe to drink. Barcelona's water undergoes rigorous treatment and testing processes to meet European Union water quality standards. However, due to its high mineral content, some travelers find the taste to be a bit off-putting, but it's perfectly safe for consumption.

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Travel experiences

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 63 experiences

Rating summary

Things to do

4.7/5

Safety

4.4/5

Food

4.5/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5

Solo travel experience

I'm on my first trip abroad and I'm in Barcelona. I'm going to see Italy, which is my childhood dream and I want to travel all over Italy. I see Italy in my dreams and I feel like a part of my heart beats here. I visited Barcelona one day and the first building I saw was the Sagra De Familia. I was mesmerized, terrified, hypnotized. I thought it doesn't get any better than this, so I came to Barcelona Marina. Seeing the ocean was also very fascinating. I rode the cable car. I can say it was my most unforgettable experience because I felt like a bird flying over the sea. When I got off the cable car, I was greeted by a very romantic story. So I was very lucky 😍😍

Posted: December 2, 2023Experienced: November, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
Author:Instagram
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Maaike

Maaike

Netherlands

Solo travel experience

Barcelona is amazing, I stayed in an hostel and met really nice people. I got lucky to find a place where they rent bicycles for a good price. It’s really save to travel alone even at night. The food is amazing and you can also go for drinks everywhere in the city

Posted: November 23, 2023
Things to do: 4/5Food: 3/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

I highly recommend visiting Barcelona. I walked most of the time alone and used the subway and trains. I also walked in the evenings and didn't encounter any unpleasant situations. No one bothered me. People were helpful and kind, but they didn't really want to speak English.

Posted: November 6, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

I was in Barcelona solo and I highly recommend it. It's a beautiful city with plenty to see. As for safety on the streets, I didn't feel unsafe. The only thing to watch out for is your wallet in the metro.

Posted: November 4, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

I went to Barcelona in late October last year for my first solo trip and absolutely loved it. So walkable so many things to do. It was awesome.

Posted: October 11, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

I just went to Barcelona alone and loved it. For sights, I loved the Palau de Musica de Catalan, the Sagrada Família (get tickets far in advance), seeing live flamenco, and the Gaudì buildings. The beaches were nice too.

Posted: October 1, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

As a solo female, this city felt very safe to me. I never came across any problems. There was so much to do, was very busy all the time! The transport is excellent and also very safe. I would go back there again for another solo trip.

Posted: September 24, 2023Experienced: August, 2022
Things to do: 5/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5
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Bonnie

Bonnie

Australia

Solo travel experience

Barcelona it’s self was a very vibrant city with lots of nightlife, great Spanish food and seafood, sangria and music. The beach was beautiful and warm and the weather was hot and sunny. I did find the city to smell though, bad. The public transport was easy to navigate so there was never an option where I had to walk too far! However, as a solo female traveler I felt unsafe. I felt unsafe walking around during the day and I felt unsafe walking around during the evening even with my friends I met. I’m naturally light blonde and I have blue eyes and I got harassed something chronic and I got assaulted by someone who crossed the street to grab my 🍑. I was with a friend, in an area with lots of people and in the early evening. The men freaked me the fuck out and I am not going back. Let’s hope Valencia is better 🙏

Posted: August 22, 2023
Things to do: 3/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 1/5
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Solo travel experience

I went in November and saw all the Gaudí architecture and even went up into the towers of Sagrada Familia which I highly recommend. The Gothic quarter was beautiful to walk around as well. The crowd was very chill and I ended up meeting some other solo traveling girls.

Posted: August 9, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

Barcelona has everything: art galleries, museums, shops, great food (a lot of places to choose from for vegans too), beach, sun, nightlife, and happy people. And I felt safe all the time. Recommended it.

Posted: August 8, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Local experiences

Pickpockets usually operate in the metro, La Rambla, Gothic Quarter, and Raval. Don’t go alone at night in those neighborhoods. Keep your belongings in front of you and be careful with your phone, don’t leave it on tables, etc. Just the normal precautions of any big city. In Barcelona, the taxi app is called Cabify.

Posted: October 10, 2023
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I spent 5 weeks in Barcelona, living in different parts of the city, walking home in the middle of the night, and walking around with my whole camera set before sunrise, no issue at all, never felt unsafe.

Posted: July 26, 2023
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Barcelona is a city filled with sunshine and bliss, and everywhere you look is a cultural sight to be adored! The food’s never disappointing and you can find many different cuisines in the city. Definitely take the time to visit the museums as well, they add a lot to the experience. However, beware of catcalling and pickpockets. It unfortunately is very common and police is most likely to do nothing about it.

Posted: June 24, 2023
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In El Born my favourite spots are: santa maría del mar, passeig del born, plaça Sant agusti, carrer del portal nou, and rooftop of Barcelona Edition In el gótico: carrer de Joaquim Pou, catedral, the kiss murales at plaça Isidre nonell, carrer del Bisbe, plaça Sant Felipe Neri, plaça reial Other favorire spots: rooftop of the hotel ayre rosellon for an amazing view on Sagrada familia, rooftop hotel 360 in Raval, rooftop of yurban hotel in calle Trafalgar. The arc De trionf area with ciutadella park, playa bogatell, el búnker Carmel Places to eat : El xampanyet, bar jaica, llamber, can fisher, el nacional (to grab a glass of wine but NO food), Hoffman for the best mascarpone croissant of the city

Posted: November 23, 2022
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Meet locals in Barcelona

Gaia

Gaia

Speaking

About Me

Hi i’m Gaia And An 21 years old. Im doing a spanish lesson course alone and am really social so looking for people to hang out with !! Love

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Judit

Judit

Speaking

About Me

Hey :-) I'm open, easy-going and curious. I like old things in general, nature, good food, being in the sun, walking around. Here to connect with people!

Countries I’ve Visited

🇦🇩 Andorra, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇷 Brazil, 🇨🇳 China, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇵🇪 Peru, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States

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Angela

Angela

Speaking

About Me

Hahaha I don't mind introduce myself. Hai I'm Angela, I'm just a young lady who loves traveling and adventures, and making memories from the simples things to crazy things and ofc silly stuff too, because its good to feel free and stay open minded and learn different culture and presepctives. We're human after all (wow why am I like this) Yolo and be kind :)

Countries I’ve Visited

🇨🇳 China, 🇫🇯 Fiji, 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇪🇸 Spain

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Stay with locals in Barcelona

Judit

Judit

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Hey :-) I'm open, easy-going and curious. I like old things in general, nature, good food, being in the sun, walking around. Here to connect with people!

Countries I’ve Visited

🇦🇩 Andorra, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇷 Brazil, 🇨🇳 China, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇵🇪 Peru, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States

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karoline

karoline

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Brasileira. Mestranda em estudos literários no Brasil. Tradutora da língua portuguesa e francesa. Morando temporariamente em Barcelona (Esp). Ofereço tour em Barcelona, e futuramente no Brasil.

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Gabriela

Gabriela

Speaking

You can stay for:

4 days

About me

Hi! I’m an international student staying in Montreal. I’m looking for an acommodation in vancouver to visit the city.

Countries I’ve Visited

🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇫🇷 France, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇻🇦 Vatican City, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇲🇪 Montenegro, 🇲🇨 Monaco, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇦🇩 Andorra

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Upcoming visitors to Barcelona

Haley

Haley

About Me

Hi! My name is Haley. I’m 20 from Pittsburgh. I love getting to know people and would be interested in hanging out:) I love traveling and learning new things!

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Gabija

Gabija

About Me

Hi, I am Gabija and I am open to meeting new people. Here are a few things about me, I love traveling as probably most people in this group. I am also into spirituality, yoga, meditation, psycholgy, nature, art!! and all that stuff so if you think we have something in common pr not :D let met know it would be nice to meet you ;)

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Local discussions

Solo travelIs the hop on and off bus worth it to see Barcelona sites? Is Sagrada Familia worth paying extra for towers?

In Barcelona Is the hop on and off bus worth it to see the sites? Also, the Sagrada Familia is it worth paying extra for the towers ?

Posted: June 22, 2023
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TravelWhat are some cool and inexpensive accommodation options in Barcelona?

Hey Ladies, I'm travelling to Barcelona next month and wondered if anyone could recommend some cool and inexpensive airbnb's, hostels or other accommodation?

Posted: November 11, 2022
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Travel"Any recommendations or ideas for Barcelona? How to get from airport to city? Must-sees and food places?"

Does anyone have any recommendations or ideas for Barcelona? is there a way to get from the airport to the city? buses/trains? any recommendations for must sees and food places please!

Posted: November 8, 2022
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Solo travelWhat are your recommendations for a youth hostel in Barcelona?

I am going to Barcelona next month for a couple days. I am looking at staying in a youth hostel, anyone got any recommendations of any particular to stay in as there’s so many. Also if you’ve got any recommendations on places to visit, restaurants etc please drop a message

Posted: October 14, 2022
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Travelin Barcelona?

I’m heading to Barcelona next weekend and would love some recommendations!! Where to stay, where to eat, what to see and where to go out

Posted: October 13, 2022
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Safety in Spain