Woman traveling alone in Spain...

Try Airbnb.com

I stayed in a b & b just near Las Ramblas. I think I found it on a hostel website and looked for single person accommodation. Usually you get linked to smaller hotels. It was a small basic room with a TV and shared bath. Location was FABULOUS! Keep your wits about you when in crowded places. I travelled as a solo woman and had a good time. The best tip someone gave me was to take the hop on and off tour bus. Barcelona is HUGE!! It will help you get acquainted with the city. Enjoy!!

Hi Tamela - I have traveled to Spain several times. Sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. I stayed in a place at the top of Las Ramblas on Placa Catalunya (forgive typos...doing from memory!). I don't remember cost but it was a 2 star, budget kind of place. Location unbeatable. I think it was called Hotel Monegal. Would stay again. Agree with the other poster about doing hop on/hop off bus to get oriented. other end of las ramblas (toward port) gets a bit seedier so i would avoid. i also really liked the el born neighborhood and thought i may stay there if i go back. more than anywhere i have been, pickpocketing seems to be huge threat here. i saw it happen twice to women sitting in restaurant with purse next to them. outdoor cafe...guy literally ran by, grabbed purse, kept running. other stories abound from travelers i met. if carrying purse or day bag, ALWAYS keep strapped across you messenger style and in front. this includes when dining at restaurants if you want to be safe. Don't put on floor or chair next to you. i loved BCN. one of my top 5 fave places but felt compelled to mention the bag snatchers! TONS of good restaurants but one i really liked was small, casual and had super fresh food. 99.9%origens. YUMMY! sites: las ramblas, mercado boqueiria for great fresh food and juices, parc guell, barceloneta for strolling, restuarants, beach, sagrada famlia, gaudi houses, picasso museum, cathedral. nightlife rocks!! we enjoyed danzatoria (taxi home is big issue though), catwalk, pacha, gimlet and cdlc.
have fun!

I am 47 and planning a solo trip to France and Spain for June 2012. I like what I've read about a small B&B called Bonic in Barcelona. A single is 55 euro and it's in the Gothic area at the end of the Ramblas. Gets great reviews on Trip Advisor. There are only 8 rooms with 3 shared bathrooms. People say the owners are very friendly (greet you with a drink) and the bathrooms are kept spotless. Enjoy your trip!

Hello all, Thank you so much for your posts! I am getting more excited as I read. I am still researching all of your suggestions for lodging. I am also considering renting an apartment near the beach through http://www.barcelonaforrent.com/. A small apartment for 1-2 people is almost the same as the price as most hotels and hostles, or even less. And includes cooking facilities. I will let you know how it goes when I return the first week of October. Thank you again for all of your input. Tamela

I spent two days in BCN on my own before joining a RS tour group. I stayed at Hotel Continental due to last minute plan change because of erupting volcano (was going to stay at Hostal Goya, better rated on TripAdvisor). Ended up being happy about Continental - it's right on Las Ramblas, excellent staff and free food buffet all day long (covered breakfast for sure, plus supplemented lunch/dinner). Interior rooms cheaper than exterior (and frankly, much quieter). Easy to get to, even jet lagged, as the Aerobus drops you about 4 blocks away. As other posters said, keep your purse and wits about you. Then have fun watching the chaos - it's all around you. La Boqueria was my favorite place, went three times. Picasso museum should not be missed. I loved the cathedral too, went in the very early a.m. and and the place to myself - the cloisters (with the geese) is really amazing and peaceful. I loved Sagardi tapas bar - easy peasy - pick up a plate, pick your tapas off the immense bar, they count the toothpicks at the end. Their house cider was excellent. Also ate a nice veggie Indian meal at Juicy Jones (there's a lot of ham in BCN).