Barcelona Trip for a Solo Female?

I have been to Barcelona but not Madrid. Barcelona is as safe as any major European city where the usual precautions should be taken. Be vigilant along Las Ramblas which is crowded with tourists and meant to be haven for pick pockets etc. I am not sure when you are going but you will not experience a warm, sunny beach in Barcelona for a while yet. You should get sunny and relatively mid temps for early spring but not what would be considered beach weather - to me anyway.

I have gone to Barcelona many times (I am leaving next Thursday for a return visit) and have visited Madrid once. Both cities are safe for a single female. As in any large city you must be aware of your surroundings, especially in a crowded subway or street. Petty crime is a problem in both cities and you should protect your valuables accordingly. Neither city is one where you must be "scared" to walk around and enjoy their beauty. Common sense rules and should not keep you from visiting these cities. I am a 50+ single woman and feel very safe traveling alone in Spain. It's a funny thing I have friends in Barcelona and they have even been pickpocketed on the subway, so it goes to say that the thieves don't just target the tourists. Keep your sense about you and enjoy your travels! (If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.) The beaches will not be warm yet. The weather is moderate but it is still too early for basking in the sun.

both are relatively safe cities. you do want to watch out for pickpocketers on metro in madrid (gypsies women with babies). barcelona has plenty con artists. use common sense, walk with confidence, money belt, never leave valuables in hotel rooms, etc. the beach towns or any small towns in spain is much safer. you'll have a more relaxed time say in toledo, salamanca, segovia, etc, all of them are pretty close to madrid.

Sarah..head a little futher West...to the beaches in Southern Portugal. We were wading in the surf in December in the Algarve area. It was wonderful. Pick up Rick's book and do some reading. Check out flights into Lisbon, or Farro. We flew into one town and out of another. You could fly into Portugal, and out of Spain, or vice-versa. Or fly into BCN and catch one of the cheap EU airlines (check flights on skyscanner.com) into Farro or Lisbon, or? Portugal is much less expensive that Spain, and the people are wonderful. And the sun is out!

Thanks everyone! The flight deal was so good that I booked my ticket last night. The airlines seem to be taking full advantage of the higher gas prices. I'm flying in and out of Barcelona in May, so hopefully I will catch some sunshine. I would love to go to Lisbon but I'll have to see how it works into my budget - that RT ticket was a few hundred bucks more. It was quite the experience shopping for a ticket. I bought RS' Spain 2011 last night too, so I'm getting more excited about this unexpected jaunt to Espana! Thanks again!

I just got back from this exact trip and everything was safe. No problems. I am 43 and the only thing I booked in advance was my hotels. I stayed in 2 star places that were one step above a hostel and everything was fine.

Sarah - I have been to Barcelona and to Prague. I would take Prague over Barcelona any day. It is a breathtakingly beautiful city. Because they are not on the EURO (or were not - double check) it was very reasonable to stay and eat here. If you like beer - think great beer for about 60 cents!
Barcelona is nice as well, but only for a couple of days. I would not go back, but I would return to Prague (and hope to) anytime!

Oh, this brings up such the debate of "cheaper airfare yet more expensive city" v "more expensive airfare yet cheaper city." In this case, I opted for the cheaper airfare, and a desire for a warm beach. :) Prague is definitely still on the list of places to explore. This year just turned out to be a Barcelona year and, for someone who likes to plan out destinations a year in advance, I have to admit there's a certain thrill with such an impulse buy! So fun! And I love that the RS community is so quick to respond to the original post.

Sarah, there are all types of cheap round trip flights from Barcelona to Lisbon or Farro Portugal, or to other parts of Spain. I just checked and found $50EU R/T flights in May. (Skyscanner.com) You did not say what days in May you will be going to Spain. "I don't want to rain on your parade", but a lot of times it is much cooler and even raining during the first few weeks of May in BCN. (do some checking of average and daily temps, by month, in these cities.) The lo-cost inter EU airlines make it possible for you to jump anywhere, without spending many $$$$! So if your really want to spend some time on the beach, head South, and West.