My situation: Spending 3 nights in Madrid in August - traveling solo, and would like to experience the GREAT nightlife that everyone seems to rave about!!!
My question: How safe is it for a female solo traveler to go out at night, say to bars and clubs? Also, if anyone knows of a great place to meet people, I would appreciate your comments!

Moitas Graciñas!!!!

SusiLaGallega

Sorry, MadridMan!!! This topic may belong in your security and safety issues forum... but what I am most interested in is the nightlife and finding a great place to party, even if I find myself all by my lonely self!

SusiLaGallega

Rather than give you a full paragraph on night life, which in august is somehow different,I can suggest to go out one of the nights and you see the places by yourself.

But August is very very far away.

Thank-you for responding, Nativo, but I have already decided that I will go out by myself to check out the atmosphere... I was looking for some personal experiences from solo travelers and where they hung out while in Madrid. Again, I'm not looking for SPECIFIC places, just experiences.
And a paragraph on nightlife would be great, that's what I would like.

As for August being too far away, Hostal Lopez and Hostal Rivera are already full, so that goes to show you that some plan ahead way earlier than I do!!!

SusiLaGallega

Hi SusiLaGallega!! (great name!) If you go to (and stay in one of the hostels in) Huertas you'll be a short walk from OH-SO-MANY bustling clubs, bars, etcetera and danger, more than likely, will never present itself. "There's safety in numbers" and even though you'll be walking alone (unless you meet some other welcome travelers and/or Spaniards) you....ummm.. WON'T be alone with the thousands of other "gatos" in Madrid on a hot summer evening. You might want to stay away from Lavapies, Malasana, and the area far north of the Gran Vía at night/alone though.

Have a GREAT time! I KNOW you will.

Saludos, MadridMan

Thank-you, MadridMan! You gave me the info I was looking for exactly!!! By the way, I am addicted to your message board! I haven't been to Spain in three years and this will be the first time I actually stay overnight in Madrid, among other cities (Salamanca, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Santiago de Compostela). I am very excited, to say the least!!!

Saludos desde Canada!
SusiLaGallega

I was a sole female traveller in Spain. I found it fairly safe. But I would be very careful that you don't go down dark alleyways. Also make sure you know where you are going. My friends and I nearly got lost, and ended up in some really strange place. So just have your wits about you and you should be fine. cheers

Hi (I don't understand these icons, so I don't know if this is the right one...) I have not been to Madrid in a l o n g time (actually 15 yrs since I was there) but I lived there for 3 yrs. Nightlife was remarkably easy for a woman alone...but it really depends on your own personality and savvy. For awhile I had a German roommate who who go over to Calle Orense alone (strings of clubs, aka discotheques, there), to the astonishment of the SPANISH girls in our rooming house. I went alone myself a couple of times. Mostly what I did alone was go to public outdoor concerts, day or night; during the summer, including August, the city sponsored many outdoor events, including rock concerts. It was always safe getting home, but I must admit that I was usually NOT living in the very center.
MadridMan's advice is excellent. There are definitely streets where you would feel uncomfortable. But I never had a real problem. As I said, that was 15 yrs ago. I'll be in Madrid Easter week--soon--and see how things may have changed.

I think all depends on which neighborhoods
you visit. Huertas is very safe because of the huge amounts of people everywhere although I find La Latina North(down the Royal Palace) more safe and pretty. If you come in August don´t forget that at the middle of it there is and earthquake like party
in the neighborhood called "El Madrid de los Austrias" also quite a safe one.

Regards,
Andres (party addict)

Huertas is rather safe but has a very high percentage of buitres (sleazy guys) who will be very much attracted by a woman alone. I found that much stronger in Huertas than in other places like for example in the outdoor places on the Castellana. There is a certain class of guys who hang out in the Huertas bars in order to pick up a supposedly liberal foreign girl. It can be pretty annoying, but you normally get rid of them if you tell them clearly enough that you are not interested. They are usually not dangerous, they just have the obsession that they have to hook up with someone during the night and if you tell them clearly that it won't be you, they won't spend more effort on you and try it with another one.\
Huertas is a good place to get a taste of Madrid nightlife, nevertheless, and there are SO many places!