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

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How safe is Barcelona?

Safety at night:

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:

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:

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:

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.

Is Barcelona worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 121 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.3/5

Solo travel

There's a lot of possibilities for public transportation (train, car, metro, bus, tram). also nice, on the weekends there are no cars allowed in the streets. Felt unsafe walking around at night and in some clubs (even with friends)

Posted: February 17, 2025
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Olympia

Olympia

Sweden

Group travel

First time traveling to barcelona with a friend🫶🏽 Overall I felt safe, heard a lot about there being a lot of pickpockets which made me less safe. but nothing happened to us. We were there for 3 days and we managed to see everything we wanted to see - arc de triumph, sagrada familia, ciutadella park, las ramblas, barcelona beach and harbor. and it was really (!!!) worth seeing. The food was great, and the waiters and staff were so nice which made it an even better experience. but, it was more expensive than other cities, like madrid or alicante, although it could be because of the restaurants own prices and locations. we didn't really have a budget but in my opinion 3 days in barcelona wasn't that expensive. I spent around 3500 (300 euros) INCLUDING THE HOTEL which was 1300 (110 euros) for 2 nights, so the total price WITHOUT the hotel was 2200 SEK (190 euros) which went mainly to food and drinks, but also metro, taxi. We stayed at Sant Agusti Hotel which was a 2 minute walk (200 meters) to las ramblas. Our room was amazing and the breakfast as well. there was a small square just outside with a few bars and restaurants but if you want more, you just go past the square and is at las ramblas. We mainly walked, but to get to the airport and train station we took the metro or taxi (we could have walked to the train station but since we had bags we thought it would be easier to take a taxi) Overall my first Barcelona experience was great, we loved the food, the people and the places we visited. we will definitely travel to barcelona again.

Posted: February 15, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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Solo travel

I was in Barcelona for 4 days in a solo trip. The city is not too expensive, and I felt much safer than I though I would. There are so many activities to do (during the day and the night as well). It’s also perfect for trekking!!

Posted: February 6, 2025
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Eva

Eva

Norway

Family travel

I was in Barcelona with my sister. I felt safe during night and I liked food there. Prices are cheap (10€ for 1 kg of shrimps) it’s cheap for me 😅 because I’m living in Norway 🇳🇴. But I didn’t like that people don’t know English,the biggest income in Barcelona is tourists and people (old generation,millennials) could learn some basic words and sentences. A lot of tourists traps where they can charge more then in normal shop so be aware. I understand that Barcelona had enough tourists all this years but still,5 words in English not so hard to learn. 7/10

Posted: February 4, 2025
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Tracey

Tracey

South Africa

Solo travel

The anti-tourism sentiment was really strong. It made for a really tense atmosphere in general. It's a beautiful city but I didn't really feel welcome, though I wouldn't say that I felt unsafe either. Not a place I'd necessarily go back to though.

Posted: January 30, 2025
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Solo travel

A lot of people were concerned about me because I was going to solo trip to Barcelona. I felt safe. The city was safe. Still everyone should be careful ofc. Because I am not a fan of the things that I can see online (attractions 😅), I was mainly walking around the streets and visited only a few attractions. So I definitely would recommend the park near Sagrada Familia and also Barceloneta Beach. I spent around 150€ for 3 days (for food and drinks), keep in mind I was not budgeting. You could definitely spend less.

Posted: January 26, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Charlotte

Charlotte

France

Solo travel

Had a wonderful time in Barcelona! Art, food, people... everything was amazing. My artsy heart was fulfilled with all museums and such cool places. + : near Barcelona, try to go to Montserrat, it's is such an incredible place, clearly a must-see!

Posted: December 30, 2024Experienced: April, 2024
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Solo travel

I felt safe, surprisingly, I heard a lot about the pickpocketing. I stayed for 2 nights in Hostel Grau which was located near the famous street. I liked the homey feel of this hotel. February was a surprisingly good time to visit, I had blue skies and nice temperatures.

Posted: November 15, 2024Experienced: January, 2023
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Prisha

Prisha

United Kingdom

Group travel

It was such a fun experience. We mostly did touristy areas and walked around a lot. To travel, I would definitely recommend using the metro, it was super easy to navigate and pretty cheap, definitely buy the 10 round trip ticket if you're planning to stay for more than 3 or 4 days ( saves money ) Must visit places are: - Sagrada familia: literally the most famous place in Barcelona and really impressive to look at, especially if you're a bit of an architecture and history nerd like me. I wouldn't recommend visiting at night, the lighting coupled with the gothic architecture makes it look more like a haunted place. I went in both the morning and night and my morning pics turned out MUCH better - Las Ramblas: a really busy and crowded street but it's like a major shopping street. There were so many cute little stalls and shops and it was a pretty fun experience walking down it and window shopping. - Boqueria market: it's in las ramblas and was one of my favourite parts of my trip. The whole vibe and different colours and foods was really nice. I didn't buy anything because everything was ridiculously overpriced ( like the exact same things were being sold like 10 steps outside the market section for less than half the price. But if you do want to buy from inside it, go further down, don't just buy it from the entrance because most stalls sold the same things but at cheaper prices at the back than at the front. - Barcelona Cathedral: really pretty and grand. Just don't get scammed by the people who are wearing white/ clown like face paint outside. They come up to you, don't leave you alone until you take a picture and then demand for money. It may not be all of them but definitely be aware. One lady chased my friend around for like 5 minutes. - there are so many more places like Gaudi's house, casa batillo, the art museum, a palace, the gothic quarters ( I didn't go into much detail about this but a definite, just be aware that it's quite crowded so don't expect pics like the ones on Google), park guell etc. ( Don't remember all of their exact names)

Posted: November 6, 2024
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Solo travel

Barcelona is a beautiful city, but I never felt safe there. I was always on the fence of being mugged, but that is because of stories i ve heard from both friends and locals. The scariest was to walk at night.

Posted: October 1, 2024Experienced: October, 2024
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Is Barcelona safe for women?

Safety index

3.5 /5

Based on 69 local experiences

Crime index

2.7 /5

Based on 69 local experiences

Barcelona City is actually not very safe. It's really important to be careful with your belongings and also not to walk alone in the center during the night. Overall, i wouldn't say it is super unsafe, but precaution is really needed. At the end, there is a lot of sexual arrasment reports.

Posted: February 20, 2025
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maria

maria

Depending on the neighborhood you walk into but if you stay in the cool zones nothing is going to happen. Don’t go to “El Raval”. There are shootings and robberies every day. Stay in Gràcia, Clot or Corts.

Posted: February 16, 2025
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Meet locals in Barcelona

Necool

Necool

About Me

I’m at that moment in my life that I want to see and feel all the versions of myself. im about to travel to Europe for a few months! starting in spain Barcelona from feb 1st :) ill be there we ev I’m social and love to meet people and chat it up. as the world changes as I change and how life is a journey filled with self growth, and you’ll never stop learning about yourself or figuring stuff out so just told myself to “Let it Be” & keep going cause life is always beginning another chapter. It’s never too late to try new things and go on adventures and it’s never a bad thing to take time for stability when you need it. Don’t worry so much. Asi la es vida

Speaking

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maria

maria

About Me

Hellooo! I'm Maria, currently a uni student in Barcelona, diving deep into the realms of law and labor relations, but when I'm not buried in textbooks, you'll find me hanging out with friends, hitting the mountains for a hike, or chasing down the most spectacular sunsets you've ever seen. Oh, and did I mention I'm a sports enthusiast? Volleyball has been my game for as long as I can remember. There's just something about the thrill of the game that gets my adrenaline pumping! But wait, there's more, I'm also a bit of a foodie. I love experimenting in the kitchen and trying out new dishes from around the world. If I had to pick favorites, though, you can't go wrong with a classic carbonara pasta or a plate of delicious sushi. I have a few other hobbies that keep me busy. For one, I'm a language enthusiast! Learning new languages opens up a whole new world of opportunities, and during this school year, I've had the incredible experience of working as an English teacher for kids in Barcelona. It's been both challenging and incredibly rewarding to help young learners unlock the magic of language. When I'm not busy teaching or hitting the volleyball court, you'll often find me with my nose buried in a book. Reading is my escape, my chance to explore new worlds and immerse myself in captivating stories. Although I don't always have as much time for it as I'd like, it's a hobby that brings me immense joy whenever I can indulge in it.

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Barcelona

Gabriela

Gabriela

Barcelona

Can host 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.

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Barcelona

Mel

Mel

About Me

Coffee, culture and design enthusiast. Travelling till mid March, looking for like minded souls to hang out while I’m in Lisbon and Barcelona.

Speaking

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Safety in Spain