Solo Female Traveler
 

I will be traveling to Spain next month, visiting Barcelona and Madrid. I will be traveling by myself, and while the prospect of having all this time to myself is exciting, I want to be sure I'm safe.

I know to take the normal precautions, but my question is this. Is it okay for a woman to walk around alone at night, say as late as 11pm or later? I want to take full advantage of the Spanish lifestyle (eating dinner later in the evening as opposed to 6pm like I do at home), but I also don't want to be foolish. If it helps, I'm staying in the El Born section of Barcelona and near the Atocha train station in Madrid. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

In El Born there are people out and about all around later than eleven, and much later in the week-ends. Plenty of tapas bars, restaurants and bars will stay open until well after midningt (3-4am in the weekends), and in general a safe area. http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...s/el-born.html

Atocha is fine also, but not an area particularly known for a great nightlife, then you'll have to go a little up into the Huertas/Barrio de las Letras district, and take a 5-7€ cab drive home to the Atocha area.

Huertas/ Barrio de las Letras: http://www.madridtourist.info/nightlife.html
http://www.barrioletras.com/
Atocha: http://www.10best.com/destinations/spain/madrid/atocha/

you'll see little kids out at 11pm, the issue will more be dangers of spiked drinks (do not leave yours unattended) or walking down alleys late at night (don't). Machismo does still exist however.

Machismo in Spain ? How surprising...
Interesting comment of the archbishop of Toledo, 5 days ago.

Too bad he didn't post on Fodors, we'd have had great fun.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progres...stic-violence/

I can't help with Madrid, but went to Barcelona with a friend two years ago and also stayed in El Born. On the main thoroughfares, there will be people out that late for certain, as kimhe said - in general you'll be totally fine, watching out for pickpockets and that sort of thing.

I will say that our apartment was on a narrow pedestrian residential street (in the US I'd call it an alley!), and the only time I felt slightly in danger was walking back "home" at night and being forced to walk through an argument two men were having right outside the door to our building. Of course that could happen anywhere, and I am not typically a fraidy-cat - but in that part of El Born, once we turned the corner and saw what was happening, the narrow street meant we had very few options. They'd already seen us so it would be obvious if we turned around, and there was no other way to get into our apartment. We don't speak Catalan so had no idea what the fight was about or whether they might see two young-ish female tourists as an opportunity or not. It ended up fine (they basically ignored us), and I'd absolutely stay in that area again, but I might pick somewhere on a busier, wider street if I could.

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. I'm a married mom of 3 teenagers and in my mid-40s, so I'm old enough to know what dangers lurk and have also left (most) of my foolishness behind. I will be careful, but it's nice to know that I can experience Spanish culture pretty safely and won't need to be back in my hotel room by 7pm :)

I've been to both cities as a solo female and had no problems, even though I was often out and about alone even later than 11 p.m. Just take reasonable precautions, particularly on Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

Enjoy!

I haven't been to Barcelona, but I love being in Madrid by myself. I've never felt at all out of place or at risk at any time of day or night. It's a great city.

"Machismo in Spain ? How surprising... "

not everyone knows where the word comes from :-) so I'd rather inform than assume.

This can give rise to the odd groping on public transport, since the OP is worldly wise I'm sure she can handle it, if the OP had been say 17 she might need explaining that a sharp rake of the boot down the ankle resolves these things :-)

Next month will be cold and maybe rainy,not as many people out and about as in the summer.If in doubt,have the restaurants get you a cab back to your hotel.I don't know where exactly you will be in Madrid but Atocha can be ? but during the day you should be fine.