As a Solo Woman Traveler touring Barcelona I most say I felt safe and secure because of my pre-trip research about the city. Barcelona is the answer for women traveling alone when they have concerns about being safe and a desire to travel to a destination that has everything they have been looking for.
This beautiful city of Catalonia is full of what European cities are known for (outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums and churches) and is fantastic for walking with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations. The core centre of town, focused around the Ciutat Vella (“Old City”) provides days of enjoyment for those looking to experience the life of Barcelona while the beaches the city was built upon provide sun and relaxation.
I traveled alone for the first time on this trip and take my personal safety very seriously as a solo woman traveler in Barcelona. So for this trip I research ahead of time, where to stay, public transportation options and safety, location/method for obtaining police or US embassy assistance. I also look for which areas to avoid at which times of day.My pre-post cruise destination stay before and after my Mediterranean Coast cruise was in Barcelona and it was wonderful. My pre stay hotel in Barcelona was Pullman Barcelona Skipper Hotel. I walked a good portion around the area where I stayed while in the city. The Barcelona beach is within walking distance of the hotel.
In addition, I learned doing my research:
Barcelona dines late. Lunch is served 2-4 and dinner 9-11. If you arrive a half-hour early, you may score a table but miss the life and fun of the place. Barcelona is slowly adapting, to the imported eating timetables of tourists, and some restaurants now offer all-day and late -night hours.
Barcelona is no longer a bargain when it comes to low-end fixed price lunch menus. Most good restaurants cost around (euro)40-50 for a full meal, ordering a la carte.
“I’m not a shopper only for things to take back as gifts but I enjoyed looking while in Barcelona”.
The best shopping areas in central Barcelona are Passeig de Gracia, Barri Gothic streets, Career de Ferran, and around Placa de Sant Josep Oriol.
“Be aware city does have its problems with pick pockets” even though I have no incidents to report”
I was looking for the best way to tour the city and get a good feel of what I wanted to see doing my stay. I like the hop on/hop off bus tourist buses which was very convenient to my hotel. The pickup and drop off was in front of my post hotel (Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel). I use them to orient myself and do some ‘people’ watching. I look for the trouble spots: crowded tourist areas, locals ‘hanging’ around, number of police in sight.
This helped me decide which areas I wanted to return to and which areas I should avoid. You can do a similar tour by taxi. When I was there the city had a major protest going on, many of the protesters had setup camp sites in the city near Plaza Catalunya protesting lock of work and the economy this was in 2011.
The city is beautiful, clean and with excellent public transportation. Food is reasonable and delicious. Locals are friendly and most speak english (make sure you down load a translator on your cell phone before going). Taxi’s are abundant and most areas can be reached within a $10-15 fare. This is a safer travel option by taxi at night for women traveling alone.
Make sure you inform your hotel of your plans when taking taxi. You can call for a cab by phone 24 hours a day. Drivers do not expect a tip, but rounding up the fare is standard.
I arranged for a private car service to take me to the Barcelona port for my cruise, the driver picked me up early and offered a mini tour of the city. I did get to see the Sagrada Familia, it was swamped by many of other tourists, so the driver so graciously drove me around the structure stopping at each angle for me to photograph and video while he gave me the history of the temple before continuing on our tour. The Sagrada Familia-five generations have already witnessed the temple’s rise in Barcelona. Construction continues today and could be finished in the first third of the 21st century.
I consider Barcelona a safe city for a solo woman traveler and would recommend it. My hope very soon is to one day to return for an extended vacation. I just love the Sant Pere and La Ribera areas the textile and waterfront neighborhoods the city’s most iconic buildings.
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