Barcelona Solo Female Travel Mini Guide

Two Days In Barcelona:

I thought writing my London Solo Female Travel Guide was hard but it didn’t come close to the struggle of writing this one. My time in Barcelona was not enjoyable in any way. It was bad enough that Barcelona made my Incident List detailing my negative experiences traveling as a black woman in various countries. Then, I had to make a whole separate post just for Barcelona sharing all the other things that went wrong while I was in the city as a warning for other solo female travelers.

Honestly, I don’t plan on ever going back to Barcelona and I hesitated to recommend it to other solo travelers but, in the end, your experiences won’t be mine. You may have the best time and meet the kindest people, and I hope that you do. So if you decide you want to make up your own mind about the city, use this guide to figure out where to go and what to do. So, grudgingly, I present to you my Barcelona Solo Female Travel Guide.

When To Go

Late Spring/ Early Summer: May – June 

Daytime Temps: 77F – 69F (24C-21C)

Nighttime Temps: 60F– 54F (16C-12C)

**Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon Affiliate/other affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you! **

What To Wear

The weather is ideal during the May-June shoulder season with temperatures hovering in the 60s and 70s. I suggest packing long-sleeves, sweaters, and jeans for when temperatures drop during the night and whatever you’re comfortable in for exploring during the day. You won’t have to worry too much about rain or humidity so you can get away with packing the cute (but comfortable) clothes and shoes.

Accommodations

Hostels: Prices range from 20 Euro to 32 Euro per night.

**Note: These are the prices for hostels with a rating of 8.0 or higher on Hostelworld.com.**

Hotels: Prices for budget hotels run about 69 Euro to 90 Euro per night.

What To Spend

Daily Budget:

50 USD/ 65 AUD/ 65 CAD/ 40 EUR/ 35 GBP

*Assuming you’re on a backpacker’s budget. Making use of public transportation, staying in hostels or other budget accommodations and eating out about once a day. For the daily budgets of other destinations check out Round The World Trip Budget next.*

How To Get Around Barcelona

By Metro and FGC

Barcelona has eight metro lines that get to almost every corner of the city and are marked by their number and color. The L1 is the red line. L2 is lilac. L3 is green.  L4 is yellow. L5 is blue. L9 is orange. L10 is light blue. L11 is light green.

There is also the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, or the FGC, that operates three more urban rail lines. These lines are L6, L7, and L8. Passengers riding the metro and then transferring to other modes of transport can do so for free as long as it’s within 1 hour and 15 mins.

The cost of a single ticket is 2.20€.  If you opt for a T-10 Card, you will be covered for up to 10 rides on any mode of Barcelona public transport (metro, tram, bus, etc). The prices of a T-10 Card is 10.20€.

The Barcelona Metro and the FGC run Monday to Thursday, Sunday and on public holidays from 5 am to midnight. On Fridays and the days before public holidays, the metro runs from 5 am to 2 am. On Saturdays, the metro runs 24hrs.

By Tram

There are 2 Tram networks in Barcelona. The Trambaix and The Trambesòs. The Trambaix includes the T1, T2, and T3 tram lines. The Trambesòs includes the T4, T5, and T6 tram lines. The cost of a single tram ride is the same as the metro at 2.20€. The trams run Monday to Thursday, Sunday and public holidays from 5 am to midnight. On Friday, Saturday and the day before public holidays, they run from 5 am to 2 am.

By Bus

The bus system has over 80 routes that connect all the districts and areas of Barcelona. What times the buses run depend on the route. Most routes begin picking up passengers at 4:25 am and stop running at 11 pm. To be sure of the pick-up/drop-off times, you can check bus stops or you can visit the TMB Barcelona Bus website. The cost of a single bus ticket is also 2.20€.

By Night Bus

Solo female travelers out late at night will be happy to know that Barcelona has a night bus service called the NitBus. The night bus routes begin and end at different times but most routes begin between 10:40 pm and 11: 40 pm and end between 5 am and 6 am. There are 17 routes and all except one go through Plaça de Catalunya.

By Taxi

If you’re thinking of catching one of the many black and yellow taxis cruising around Barcelona then you only have to look for the green light, stick out your hand and go. Taxi fares depend on the time of day and the zone. For Zone 1, where most of the action is, the fare starts at 2.10€ and then goes up 1.10€ for each kilometer you travel. If you’re riding at night, the rates go up. From between, 8 pm to 8 am the base fare starts at 3.10€.

Hola Barcelona Transport Pass

If you’re going to be using public transport to get everywhere while you’re in Barcelona then you’ll probably want to look into a Transport Pass. The Hola Barcelona Transport Pass will grant you unlimited travel for 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours. You can use the pass on the tram, bus (NightBus not included), metro, FGC and the RENFE trains that operate in the suburbs. You can pick-up or purchase your Hola Transport Pass at the tourist info offices in the Barcelona Airport. Hola Barcelona Transport Pass Prices:

48 Hours	72 Hours	96 Hours	120 Hours
14.25€	20.90€	27.07€	33.25€

What To Do In Barcelona

Park Guell

Park Guell is one of Antoni Gaudi’s masterpieces. It was built in 1900 with the intention of it being a complex for the wealthy and influential but after several years all hope of that was abandoned and instead it was turned into the beautiful park we all know and love. The creativity, imagination, and talent that when into creating this modern, architectural wonder is truly inspiring. If I had to say one good thing about Barcelona, it’s that Park Guell is gorgeous and I can see why people come from all over to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

General Admission: 8.50€ 

Online Price: 7.50€ 

Basilica of the Sagrada Familia

Now, we arrive at La Sagrada Familia. The place where a negative interaction with the staff earned it a spot on my Incidents list. All I can say is that I hope that particular woman isn’t working the day you visit. But, all that aside:

In 1883, Antoni Gaudí took over the design of La Sagrada Familia and he worked on it until his death in 1926. There aren’t words to describe La Sagrada Familia. It’s…it’s just…it’s…wow. Just wow. The church is simply breath-taking. So alive with color and light, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Gaudi wanted La Sagrada Familia to communicate through the beauty of the architecture and I got the message loud and clear.

General Admission: 15€ 

Ticket + Audioguide: 22€ 

Ticket + Guided Tour: 24€ 

Ticket + Audioguide + Access to the Towers: 29€ 

Travel & Safety Tips

Barcelona seems to be Pickpocket Headquarters. There are so many scams and tricks that tourists need to be on the lookout for and this should be taken seriously. Nobody wants to have their things stolen. It puts a real damper on a vacation. So, here are a few tips to keep your things with you where they belong.

Keep It In Your Lap

Don’t hang your bag on your chair or put your phone or camera on the table while you’re in a restaurant. Keep your things in your bag and keep your bag on your lap.

Don’t Make It Easy

Don’t read guidebooks or check tourist maps in full view of everyone because of course you’ll get pegged as a tourist right away. You don’t want a pickpocket to make you their target.

Careful At The Beach

Don’t leave your things unattended when you hit the beach. This is difficult when you travel solo but hopefully, you’ll make some trustworthy friends who’ll watch your things while you go for a dip.

Money Everywhere 

Have some cash and cards in your bags to get you through the day but leave the bulk of your money and your backup credit cards in the locker or safe in your accommodations.

Watch Those Straps 

Because we live in a crazy world, you need to be careful of thieves who are willing to cut the straps of your bag to get at your things. To protect against this the best thing to do is carry an anti-theft bag.

Anti-Theft Bag

So nobody has time for Swiper to be making off with their things when they’re out getting their travel on. That’s why I bought an anti-theft bag and take it everywhere I go. These bags will lock your zippers so that they can’t be slid open while you’re not paying attention and they have a steel cable in the straps so they can’t be slashed. There’s nothing like having peace of mind when you’re traveling solo.

Solo Female Travel Safety

For more safety tips read, Solo Travel Safety Tips and Solo Travel Safety Items next.

There It Is!

I had made up my mind not to write this guide but, in the end, I figured that solo female travel in Barcelona can’t be as bad for all of us as it was for me…right? As always ladies, I wish you good luck and happy travels!