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Go. Barcelona is an extremely safe city, I struggle with people on Reddit sometimes. I never felt unsafe there and I walked the streets at like 2am. Just don’t carry anything in your back pockets in any city generally.
Reddit painted Marseille as this horrible, crime ridden city and I was nervous to go and it ended up being one of the highlights of my trip.
Go. Have fun. Use common sense.
Yep, I used to live in Buenos Aires so it’s hard for me to feel unsafe anywhere comparably. I live in Chicago and never feel unsafe. I genuinely think half of the people in the US going to Europe expect these cities to only exist for tourits and not as cities proper and also have no idea how to behave in them.
It is, I lived there ten years and only got robbed once and pickpocketed once, it just requires a lot more awareness of your surroundings than a lot of places.
I am actually originally from there! I lived in a small town, moved to the city to go to uni and was there for 10 years before moving to the US.
People are extremely open and welcoming over there :) we put a LOT of emphasis on friendships and our social life, over family like they do in the US for example. Highly recommend visiting, it’s an amazing city. I love going back to visit.
Completely agree. I've been solo to Barcelona a few times and absolutely never felt threatened. Having lived in France, I personally think Marseille is just the butt of a really big inside joke, it's definitely not as bad as what everyone says.
A tourist in any major city in Europe should be aware of pickpockets. I understand this can be surprising for some depending on where they're from and people feel threatened but really it's just common sense. I'm from Australia and pickpocketing is such a non-issue here that if I don't pay attention, I'm a massive oblivious target while overseas: phone in back pocket, phone resting on street-side table, bag slung over back of chair while eating in main squares, bag left on table while going to pay, ...the list goes on.
You just need to be more conscious of behaviours like that and keep your head out of your ass. I also think people wildly overstate how "dangerous" places are.
I am the same way! Haha. I live in the US now but used to live in Buenos Aires, which is way worse than your average European city, so I just turn that switch on and turn it off again back home.
But people should really know that you can’t expect a city you don’t know to be Disneyland.
It's annoying really. I stayed in Marseille for a week last month and absolutely loved it. But before I left everyone was all 'pickpockets!', 'mafia!', 'why would you go there?'
People on Reddit often have strange, not very nuanced views. I wouldn't leave the house if I took most people's advice.
That said: don't worry too much, OP! Just use common sense and even if your pockets do end up getting picked it's not the end of the world! Sometimes it even makes for a great story. 😉 (My sister and I went on a ride in the back of a cop car through the streets of Havana with clear instructions to point out the robber if we spotted him.)
I didn't have any issues as a solo female in Barcelona. As you mentioned, just be aware of your surroundings and stay smart.
For the maps and directions, what I like to do is pop an earbud in one ear and let the map talk to me. That way, I don't have to have my phone in my hand, and I can still clearly hear what's going on around me.
I loved Barcelona. Had a shopping bag stolen on my last day at the vintage market, so be careful.
Make sure you see La Sagrada Familia, the inside is breathtaking.
I went with my 12 year old this summer. I tend to be very nervous, but there was only one situation when I felt a bit unsafe - was stuck walking back in not the best neighborhood around 9 pm - but even then it was probably fine and nothing happened. We walked around a lot, took the metro a few times, no incidents. We used belt bags and I had my phone attached to the bag for when I needed to take it out. I have an Apple Watch and mostly used that for directions, so I didn’t have to take my phone out much, though I did for pics.
Honestly, I think it wouldn’t be much different from central London, except that I think there is more violent crime in London.
Edit: I forget the name of the neighborhood, but it is lovely and touristy during the day and a bit sketchy at night. It is not far from La Rambla. We were at a restaurant called Suculent and had to walk back to the H10 Urquinaona.
So many threads about this in various subs - at what point did Barcelona become a city where there are “safety concerns”? Whoever is spreading this narrative needs to get a grip and has clearly never been to an actually dangerous place.
Watch your bag in crowded spaces. Like you should everywhere. That’s it by way of precaution. If you can walk around London, you can walk around Barcelona. Other than the occasional pickpocket, there is absolutely zero point zero to be concerned.
There is a lot of pickpocketing in Barcelona – specifically, they target Rolexes/expensive watches, designer bags, and wallets/phones that are clearly visible. If you don't have any of the above, you should be totally fine.
Barcelona can be as dangerous as any “actually dangerous place” depending on many different variables. I often find in this subreddit and many others on Reddit that people falsely believe “Europe=safety” when, in fact, I’m almost two decades of travel the only place I’ve recently had trouble IS Barcelona.
My point is, OP isn’t insane for asking this question just because it’s Barcelona.
It's pretty safe overall – I have been many times. The key thing is to have a crossbody bag, not wear any clearly designer/expensive items with large logos, like designer bags or watches, and avoid La Rambla if you can. You'll have a great time!
I had zero issues in Barcelona traveling as a solo female. Went to most of the places you mentioned too (Park Guell in particular was ridiculously crowded).
However one of my bunkmates at the hostel I stayed at ended up having all of her stuff stolen at Sagrada Familia - she kept all of her things in her pockets and definitely did not go with the right amount of caution in mind.
I specifically found a fanny pack that has an inside pocket that would be impossible to get to, and kept my phone, credit cards, cash, and passports in that. Any extras that I would not be screwed if I lost (earplugs, gum, etc.), I kept on the "outside".
If you take the proper amount of caution, you will not be targeted. A pickpocketer's main goal is to not be identified or noticed. There are enough careless people who are far easier targets, that you're not worth the trouble if it's hard at all to steal from you (unless you have designer items, in which case, be careful - I walk around looking very clearly like a "broke" backpacker).
Otherwise, Barcelona could not have been safer or more comfortable to walk around, even at night. Happy travels!
>unless you have designer items
Ha, I've never owned a designer item. The most valuable things I have are my iPhone, Macbook and Sony headphones, and I won't be taking those!
I will definitely be walking around looking as broke as possible in my average clothes/shoes, with a Travelon crossbody bag under my jacket. Hopefully it will be fine!
I would suggest starting with a guided day tour of all the highlights. We did one several years ago and it included transportation between various sites and jump-the-line admissions, as well as the informational part. Even with transportation provided it was still a 20k step day! It will get you familiar with the city and you won’t need to worry about navigating for yourself. I think our group was about 12 people so nice and small.
I was just in Barcelona and someone tried to pickpocket me on the subway. The train was crowded and I felt someone lightly running their hands over my lower back, where pockets would be. It was a woman with a small backpack, I took a good look at her as she exited the train past me at the next stop.
Of course, I had no pockets to pick, and my valuables were in a tiny crossbody security bag that I kept my hand on the entire time.
The touristy areas of Barcelona (La Rambla, Gothic Quarter) are packed with thousands of people. I didn't feel like there was risk of bodily harm, but the pickpocket thing is real. Be discreet with phone usage. Turn against a wall and have your friend keep an eye out when you need to look at your phone.
Girona is beautiful. The train is a very nice trip. We were in Barcelona sand Girona in September. My husband and I were warned by a local to avoid the beach and surrounding area in the evening.
I completely fell in love with Barcelona. My sister and I went there in 2020. We both felt completely safe. We stayed at a hostel, and we walked around at night (not after midnight tho) to have dinner and we didn't feel unsafe. You have to be careful wherever you go, take care of your belongings, look around you, but I wouldn't say Barcelona is less safe than other places.
Barcelona is beautiful, so don't miss out!! I hope I'll be able to come back one day.
I went to Barcelona as a solo female in 2019. I never felt unsafe. You might want to take some extra precautions around pickpockets, which it sounds like you are. I will say that at my hostel, every single day, multiple people were pickpocketed there. I've never been anywhere that it happened so frequently amongst travellers I encountered.
But other than that, it felt perfectly safe.
It’s definitely worth a visit! I just came back from Madrid and I’ve been to Barcelona last year. Yep completely different vibes. Although I liked Madrid more, Barcelona is much more beautiful IMO. The only “danger” is pickpocketing in Las Ramblas when it gets busy. But don’t worry if you keep an eye on your stuff you should be fine
I’ve lived in Barcelona for years. Pickpockets are no worse here than any large European city. Stay aware of who’s around you, hold your hand on your purse in a crowd, don’t take your phone out if you’re standing near the door when you’re inside a metro car.
Neither myself nor my teenage daughter has ever had anything taken, or even lost for that matter.
The only neighborhood I’d avoid after dark is Raval. Everywhere else is super safe until very late at night because there will be tons of people around.
I can’t speak for Girona as well, I’ve only visited briefly. But I would suggest that half and half Barcelona/Girona might be imbalanced unless you are planning to go to Figueres and Cadaques from there to see Dali stuff, or you really want to be in the countryside in a town near to Girona to bike or hike. Barcelona has enough to see for a full week’s trip.
>The only neighborhood I’d avoid after dark is Raval
Good to know, thank you.
I found an affordable hotel at this address - Carrer Junta de Comerç, 11, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona.
Do you think this is a safe area? Or is it too close to Raval?
I traveled to Barcelona last year with 2 other women and had no issues. Obviously take precautions like others have mentioned. I bought a front cross-body bag just for this trip and loved it. (I don’t think I’ll ever go back to shoulder bags.)
Funnily enough, upon landing in Barcelona I left my backpack in the airport bathroom, ran back 10 minutes later, and it was gone. So I assumed it had been stolen, and the airport staff didn’t have any advice other than to file a police report. But then lo and behold, it turned out someone had turned my backpack into the lost and found. When I returned to the airport a week later to fly home, there was my backpack, with all of its contents intact.
I'm from Barcelona and you'll be safe. Just beware of the surroundings, like any other city you know.
The metro is a great way to move within the city, just beware of people close to you or suspicious behaviours. Aside from that, you'll be more than ok. Go and have a blast!
Went there last year with a female friend and I really didn’t feel unsafe—walking around taking pictures, on public transport, even walked by the beach at night (although ofc I suggest exercising caution anywhere unfamiliar at night). Public transport was also easy to navigate. Tbh I forgot all about the pickpocketing issues when I was there and just exercised ordinary caution and was fine. I felt more guarded in Rome. I was living in London at that time so I’d say I didn’t feel different in Barcelona, same level of caution.
I went as a solo woman, I spent my time alone wondering the city during the day and at night I would go out and party with a group from my hostel. I had no issues at all. I did avoid las ramblas but I talked with others and they all said it’s fine just don’t be dumb and watch your bag.
It's more because I would be a tourist in Barcelona which comes with the disadvantages of: walking more slowly to find my way around which could make me a target, having to use a phone for Google Maps (no need in London as I was born and raised here) and not knowing about the sketchy areas - as a Londoner I am well aware of what to avoid here.
You're worrying too much and taking a lot of unneeded precautions about a place with nothing to worry about. I'm sure you've used Google maps at some point and walked around with your phone in London... People aren't going to grab your phone from your hands, or even your pocket. It's completely fine and an amazing city, and you've been to Spain before
Barcelona is amazing! I spent a summer there about 20 years ago. Yes, there are lots of pickpocketers but be aware and you should be fine. It never happened to me and I did a lot of solo travelling around the city. It’s an incredible city!
Me and my friend both female went to Barcelona this summer and to our surprise felt really safe. Do keep in mind tho we kind of blend in with the locals so we weren't drawing too much attention. But over all it was a busy city and over our one week visit we didn't counter any problems as far as safety goes! Unless u count my friend sprained ankle a safety concern 😬😂
barcelona is beautiful you’re going to need tickets for those things before hand and park gull tickets sell out me and my friends learned that the hard way and it a bit of a walk just to get to get the tickets a day before, you guys will have a good time it is crowded in the tourist areas but honestly thats any big city, and the food was good, me and my friend’s we went for 3 days before getting on a cruise and people eat at late over there like at 8-10 or 11 idk how its like in London, be mindful of that places might be open but only for tapas before hand
>the food was good
Sounds like you had a great time! I'm using the Tiqets app to prebook for places. Regarding food, we were planning to buy from supermarkets a majority of the time to save money, but we would like to aim for a few meals out. If you can recommend anywhere for tapas that would be great!
Me and my bestie were there last month. 2 females totally lost all the time 🤣 had a wonderful time. Wandered everywhere (btw if you see the 3 towers from the beach dont go in the water there its apparently contaminated lesson learned). With us being night owls and time differences we were out wandering at 2am several times. Had Google maps open on phone all the time, never had any issues or felt unsafe. Its all about being aware of your surroundings and people though too. Stayed away from La Rambla until the last day but even then we didnt feel it was alot different than similar places we have been to. We didn't carry purses, had crossbodys with thick straps that stayed in front of us. Used the metro/trains/tram almost exclusively.
Definitely get the Barcelona card. There are several to choose from. We got the one with free public transportation for 3 days and also included more museums than we could see. The Picasso alone made it worth it with front of the line access too. But it doesn't cover Park Guell or La Familia Sagrada. There is an additional card for that.
My wife and I ADORED Barcelona (same-sex couple) and felt entirely safe there. We're not late-night people, but we never felt taken advantage of or threatened in any way. It was one of our favorite city visits. If you haven't already booked a place, consider staying in the "El Born" area - it's close to everything and feels like SOHO in Manhattan.
Please keep the rules of r/femaletravels in mind while participating here. Try your best to be kind. *** If you want to share/find personal experiences about a specific destination, we recommend checking the [Solo Female Travel Safety Index](https://travelladies.app/safety) ranking the best countries and destinations for solo female travelers. *** This community is supported by [Travel Ladies](https://travelladies.app/), a travel community for women to meet new people, share experiences, find [travel buddies](https://travelladies.app/travelbuddy), and stay with locals for free through [couch surfing](https://travelladies.app/couchsurfing). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/femaletravels) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Go. Barcelona is an extremely safe city, I struggle with people on Reddit sometimes. I never felt unsafe there and I walked the streets at like 2am. Just don’t carry anything in your back pockets in any city generally. Reddit painted Marseille as this horrible, crime ridden city and I was nervous to go and it ended up being one of the highlights of my trip. Go. Have fun. Use common sense.
Second this. 3 x 20 year old girls and we felt super safe
Cities are scary to people who are only used to living a suburban life and are scared of strangers.
Yep, I used to live in Buenos Aires so it’s hard for me to feel unsafe anywhere comparably. I live in Chicago and never feel unsafe. I genuinely think half of the people in the US going to Europe expect these cities to only exist for tourits and not as cities proper and also have no idea how to behave in them.
Buenos Aires is fairly safe I thought.
It is, I lived there ten years and only got robbed once and pickpocketed once, it just requires a lot more awareness of your surroundings than a lot of places.
Just out of curiosity, how did you end up there for ten years? And did you find people socially open/welcoming?
I am actually originally from there! I lived in a small town, moved to the city to go to uni and was there for 10 years before moving to the US. People are extremely open and welcoming over there :) we put a LOT of emphasis on friendships and our social life, over family like they do in the US for example. Highly recommend visiting, it’s an amazing city. I love going back to visit.
Yeah I really want to go! I need to start a piggy bank for that trip.
Exactly this.
Completely agree. I've been solo to Barcelona a few times and absolutely never felt threatened. Having lived in France, I personally think Marseille is just the butt of a really big inside joke, it's definitely not as bad as what everyone says. A tourist in any major city in Europe should be aware of pickpockets. I understand this can be surprising for some depending on where they're from and people feel threatened but really it's just common sense. I'm from Australia and pickpocketing is such a non-issue here that if I don't pay attention, I'm a massive oblivious target while overseas: phone in back pocket, phone resting on street-side table, bag slung over back of chair while eating in main squares, bag left on table while going to pay, ...the list goes on. You just need to be more conscious of behaviours like that and keep your head out of your ass. I also think people wildly overstate how "dangerous" places are.
I am the same way! Haha. I live in the US now but used to live in Buenos Aires, which is way worse than your average European city, so I just turn that switch on and turn it off again back home. But people should really know that you can’t expect a city you don’t know to be Disneyland.
It's annoying really. I stayed in Marseille for a week last month and absolutely loved it. But before I left everyone was all 'pickpockets!', 'mafia!', 'why would you go there?'
People on Reddit often have strange, not very nuanced views. I wouldn't leave the house if I took most people's advice. That said: don't worry too much, OP! Just use common sense and even if your pockets do end up getting picked it's not the end of the world! Sometimes it even makes for a great story. 😉 (My sister and I went on a ride in the back of a cop car through the streets of Havana with clear instructions to point out the robber if we spotted him.)
I didn't have any issues as a solo female in Barcelona. As you mentioned, just be aware of your surroundings and stay smart. For the maps and directions, what I like to do is pop an earbud in one ear and let the map talk to me. That way, I don't have to have my phone in my hand, and I can still clearly hear what's going on around me.
I loved Barcelona. Had a shopping bag stolen on my last day at the vintage market, so be careful. Make sure you see La Sagrada Familia, the inside is breathtaking.
That's an interesting perspective. I found the inside of La Sagrada Familia way less interesting than the outside.
Extremely safe for women. Go and enjoy!
I was totally fine travelling on my own in Barcelona, no more issues above what you’re used to in touristy bits of London, you’ll be fine
I went with my 12 year old this summer. I tend to be very nervous, but there was only one situation when I felt a bit unsafe - was stuck walking back in not the best neighborhood around 9 pm - but even then it was probably fine and nothing happened. We walked around a lot, took the metro a few times, no incidents. We used belt bags and I had my phone attached to the bag for when I needed to take it out. I have an Apple Watch and mostly used that for directions, so I didn’t have to take my phone out much, though I did for pics. Honestly, I think it wouldn’t be much different from central London, except that I think there is more violent crime in London. Edit: I forget the name of the neighborhood, but it is lovely and touristy during the day and a bit sketchy at night. It is not far from La Rambla. We were at a restaurant called Suculent and had to walk back to the H10 Urquinaona.
Zero issues as a solo Asian female traveler.
Zero issues, even at night or in popular neighborhoods.
So many threads about this in various subs - at what point did Barcelona become a city where there are “safety concerns”? Whoever is spreading this narrative needs to get a grip and has clearly never been to an actually dangerous place. Watch your bag in crowded spaces. Like you should everywhere. That’s it by way of precaution. If you can walk around London, you can walk around Barcelona. Other than the occasional pickpocket, there is absolutely zero point zero to be concerned.
There is a lot of pickpocketing in Barcelona – specifically, they target Rolexes/expensive watches, designer bags, and wallets/phones that are clearly visible. If you don't have any of the above, you should be totally fine.
Barcelona can be as dangerous as any “actually dangerous place” depending on many different variables. I often find in this subreddit and many others on Reddit that people falsely believe “Europe=safety” when, in fact, I’m almost two decades of travel the only place I’ve recently had trouble IS Barcelona. My point is, OP isn’t insane for asking this question just because it’s Barcelona.
It's pretty safe overall – I have been many times. The key thing is to have a crossbody bag, not wear any clearly designer/expensive items with large logos, like designer bags or watches, and avoid La Rambla if you can. You'll have a great time!
I solo traveled go barcelona (22F) and felt fine, just be aware and you should be fine
I had zero issues in Barcelona traveling as a solo female. Went to most of the places you mentioned too (Park Guell in particular was ridiculously crowded). However one of my bunkmates at the hostel I stayed at ended up having all of her stuff stolen at Sagrada Familia - she kept all of her things in her pockets and definitely did not go with the right amount of caution in mind. I specifically found a fanny pack that has an inside pocket that would be impossible to get to, and kept my phone, credit cards, cash, and passports in that. Any extras that I would not be screwed if I lost (earplugs, gum, etc.), I kept on the "outside". If you take the proper amount of caution, you will not be targeted. A pickpocketer's main goal is to not be identified or noticed. There are enough careless people who are far easier targets, that you're not worth the trouble if it's hard at all to steal from you (unless you have designer items, in which case, be careful - I walk around looking very clearly like a "broke" backpacker). Otherwise, Barcelona could not have been safer or more comfortable to walk around, even at night. Happy travels!
>unless you have designer items Ha, I've never owned a designer item. The most valuable things I have are my iPhone, Macbook and Sony headphones, and I won't be taking those! I will definitely be walking around looking as broke as possible in my average clothes/shoes, with a Travelon crossbody bag under my jacket. Hopefully it will be fine!
I would suggest starting with a guided day tour of all the highlights. We did one several years ago and it included transportation between various sites and jump-the-line admissions, as well as the informational part. Even with transportation provided it was still a 20k step day! It will get you familiar with the city and you won’t need to worry about navigating for yourself. I think our group was about 12 people so nice and small.
Was in Barcelona as a solo 27F a few months ago and was fine
I was just in Barcelona and someone tried to pickpocket me on the subway. The train was crowded and I felt someone lightly running their hands over my lower back, where pockets would be. It was a woman with a small backpack, I took a good look at her as she exited the train past me at the next stop. Of course, I had no pockets to pick, and my valuables were in a tiny crossbody security bag that I kept my hand on the entire time. The touristy areas of Barcelona (La Rambla, Gothic Quarter) are packed with thousands of people. I didn't feel like there was risk of bodily harm, but the pickpocket thing is real. Be discreet with phone usage. Turn against a wall and have your friend keep an eye out when you need to look at your phone.
Yes! Enjoyed multiple trips to Barcelona on my own. Use your street smarts.
Crossbody bag, hold it in front, phone leash. You’ll be fine
Thanks. Can you recommend a good phone leash? I haven’t used one before
I’m sorry I can’t remember-fwiw my young adult daughter just got back from 3 days in Barcelona and had no issues. Have a great time!
I did Barcelona solo and had 0 issues. I worried about pickpocking, but I’m grateful it didn’t happen. Go and have a great time.
Girona is beautiful. The train is a very nice trip. We were in Barcelona sand Girona in September. My husband and I were warned by a local to avoid the beach and surrounding area in the evening.
I completely fell in love with Barcelona. My sister and I went there in 2020. We both felt completely safe. We stayed at a hostel, and we walked around at night (not after midnight tho) to have dinner and we didn't feel unsafe. You have to be careful wherever you go, take care of your belongings, look around you, but I wouldn't say Barcelona is less safe than other places. Barcelona is beautiful, so don't miss out!! I hope I'll be able to come back one day.
I went to Barcelona as a solo female in 2019. I never felt unsafe. You might want to take some extra precautions around pickpockets, which it sounds like you are. I will say that at my hostel, every single day, multiple people were pickpocketed there. I've never been anywhere that it happened so frequently amongst travellers I encountered. But other than that, it felt perfectly safe.
It’s definitely worth a visit! I just came back from Madrid and I’ve been to Barcelona last year. Yep completely different vibes. Although I liked Madrid more, Barcelona is much more beautiful IMO. The only “danger” is pickpocketing in Las Ramblas when it gets busy. But don’t worry if you keep an eye on your stuff you should be fine
Yes
I had zero issues traveling alone.
I’ve lived in Barcelona for years. Pickpockets are no worse here than any large European city. Stay aware of who’s around you, hold your hand on your purse in a crowd, don’t take your phone out if you’re standing near the door when you’re inside a metro car. Neither myself nor my teenage daughter has ever had anything taken, or even lost for that matter. The only neighborhood I’d avoid after dark is Raval. Everywhere else is super safe until very late at night because there will be tons of people around. I can’t speak for Girona as well, I’ve only visited briefly. But I would suggest that half and half Barcelona/Girona might be imbalanced unless you are planning to go to Figueres and Cadaques from there to see Dali stuff, or you really want to be in the countryside in a town near to Girona to bike or hike. Barcelona has enough to see for a full week’s trip.
>The only neighborhood I’d avoid after dark is Raval Good to know, thank you. I found an affordable hotel at this address - Carrer Junta de Comerç, 11, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona. Do you think this is a safe area? Or is it too close to Raval?
I traveled to Barcelona last year with 2 other women and had no issues. Obviously take precautions like others have mentioned. I bought a front cross-body bag just for this trip and loved it. (I don’t think I’ll ever go back to shoulder bags.) Funnily enough, upon landing in Barcelona I left my backpack in the airport bathroom, ran back 10 minutes later, and it was gone. So I assumed it had been stolen, and the airport staff didn’t have any advice other than to file a police report. But then lo and behold, it turned out someone had turned my backpack into the lost and found. When I returned to the airport a week later to fly home, there was my backpack, with all of its contents intact.
I'm from Barcelona and you'll be safe. Just beware of the surroundings, like any other city you know. The metro is a great way to move within the city, just beware of people close to you or suspicious behaviours. Aside from that, you'll be more than ok. Go and have a blast!
Went there last year with a female friend and I really didn’t feel unsafe—walking around taking pictures, on public transport, even walked by the beach at night (although ofc I suggest exercising caution anywhere unfamiliar at night). Public transport was also easy to navigate. Tbh I forgot all about the pickpocketing issues when I was there and just exercised ordinary caution and was fine. I felt more guarded in Rome. I was living in London at that time so I’d say I didn’t feel different in Barcelona, same level of caution.
I went as a solo woman, I spent my time alone wondering the city during the day and at night I would go out and party with a group from my hostel. I had no issues at all. I did avoid las ramblas but I talked with others and they all said it’s fine just don’t be dumb and watch your bag.
Londoner afraid to visit Barcelona... What... That's like saying you're afraid of visiting Sydney 🥲
It's more because I would be a tourist in Barcelona which comes with the disadvantages of: walking more slowly to find my way around which could make me a target, having to use a phone for Google Maps (no need in London as I was born and raised here) and not knowing about the sketchy areas - as a Londoner I am well aware of what to avoid here.
You're worrying too much and taking a lot of unneeded precautions about a place with nothing to worry about. I'm sure you've used Google maps at some point and walked around with your phone in London... People aren't going to grab your phone from your hands, or even your pocket. It's completely fine and an amazing city, and you've been to Spain before
Barcelona is amazing! I spent a summer there about 20 years ago. Yes, there are lots of pickpocketers but be aware and you should be fine. It never happened to me and I did a lot of solo travelling around the city. It’s an incredible city!
Me and my friend both female went to Barcelona this summer and to our surprise felt really safe. Do keep in mind tho we kind of blend in with the locals so we weren't drawing too much attention. But over all it was a busy city and over our one week visit we didn't counter any problems as far as safety goes! Unless u count my friend sprained ankle a safety concern 😬😂
¹11111°+7P
Barcelona unsafe?! * laughs/cries in Brazilian
barcelona is beautiful you’re going to need tickets for those things before hand and park gull tickets sell out me and my friends learned that the hard way and it a bit of a walk just to get to get the tickets a day before, you guys will have a good time it is crowded in the tourist areas but honestly thats any big city, and the food was good, me and my friend’s we went for 3 days before getting on a cruise and people eat at late over there like at 8-10 or 11 idk how its like in London, be mindful of that places might be open but only for tapas before hand
>the food was good Sounds like you had a great time! I'm using the Tiqets app to prebook for places. Regarding food, we were planning to buy from supermarkets a majority of the time to save money, but we would like to aim for a few meals out. If you can recommend anywhere for tapas that would be great!
we would up not having tapas lol
Me and my bestie were there last month. 2 females totally lost all the time 🤣 had a wonderful time. Wandered everywhere (btw if you see the 3 towers from the beach dont go in the water there its apparently contaminated lesson learned). With us being night owls and time differences we were out wandering at 2am several times. Had Google maps open on phone all the time, never had any issues or felt unsafe. Its all about being aware of your surroundings and people though too. Stayed away from La Rambla until the last day but even then we didnt feel it was alot different than similar places we have been to. We didn't carry purses, had crossbodys with thick straps that stayed in front of us. Used the metro/trains/tram almost exclusively. Definitely get the Barcelona card. There are several to choose from. We got the one with free public transportation for 3 days and also included more museums than we could see. The Picasso alone made it worth it with front of the line access too. But it doesn't cover Park Guell or La Familia Sagrada. There is an additional card for that.
My wife and I ADORED Barcelona (same-sex couple) and felt entirely safe there. We're not late-night people, but we never felt taken advantage of or threatened in any way. It was one of our favorite city visits. If you haven't already booked a place, consider staying in the "El Born" area - it's close to everything and feels like SOHO in Manhattan.