Solo Backpacking Through Spain

There are few things in life that I love dearly- football, food, books and sleep. I think most of us more or less like the same things, just the genre of food changes, or the kind of book that you may like can be different, but on the surface we all are similar people.

The very same way when my flight landed in Madrid in March 2019, I did not really feel out of place. While in Paris, I usually get lost. Madrid has that charm, it felt like I belonged. Neither do I know Spanish, nor have I been there before but it wasn’t difficult at all to navigate through Spain over the next 15 days.

Day Trip from Madrid-Segovia and Avila

What if I told you I took taxi only once during my entire trip in Spain? It was that easy and comforting to my pocket and yes, the people are warm and friendly. 

I usually use the app Rome2Rio (it is my go to app even in Bombay) which gives you multiple options with exact route maps, timing, Bus numbers, stations. It is the most convenient and handy app you can ever use and it must be on your phone if you are traveling solo. 

I had saved screen shots for more or less all my destinations, so I left Madrid airport and bought a bus ticket and I was off to Gran Via ( pronounced Veea). While I spent the evening hopping up and down the street and window shopping, I decided to take the Avila and Segovia castle tour the next day. If you love history and castles you should visit this or you can choose from multiple other things to do.  

In Barcelona I more or less hiked to the top most point of the city, went on a lazy tour of La Sagrada, Park Guell, Camp Nou and a lot of malls and a lot of parks where I sat and read books dozed off on the beaches. While in Malaga I hopped every stairs of every historical monument and saw sunsets by the beach. One thing that I did in all these cities was to shop at Ale Hop and Primark (Spain ka Dmart).  

Spain exudes warmth, it makes you feel safe and even if you are lost you will find someone who will give you directions. I was sitting in a small road side café waiting for my breakfast, the lady forgot to serve my coffee and the moment she realised she was so apologetic that she gave me free coffee for two days. They warmly ask where you are from and if you pique their interest you can very well end up eating a lot of food over a long discussion. If you have a question then they will atleast try to help you with an answer. 

I am listing down the places or things or tools that helped me through the trip, I hope in a post pandemic world, someday when we can fly again, you will take a trip to Espana and be able to love the country as much as I do. Barcelona is one of my favourite places to be and I hope to see it again someday.  

Sunset in Malaga

Stay: 

I always book backpacking hostels- because they are cheaper, sometimes they can cost as much as a hotel. I stay in hostels because they are usually located in the heart of the city or may be next to the monument you want to see. Hostels also give you that space to mingle with people from other countries and there have been so many times I have either gone for a dinner or day tour with hostel mates. I usually book through booking.com, in some rare occasions with hostelworld.com. 

 I stayed in Generator at Madrid which is exactly 2 minutes walk from the Gran Via metro station, anyone will tell you that Gran Via is the fashion hub of Madrid and the absolute vibrant road to walk around. 

In Barcelona I stayed at Rodamon Hostel which is very close to Diagonal Metro Station and near La-Rambla. While I am very bad with directions and I got lost every single time, I never felt unsafe even if I was returning late from a match at CampNou or after a lovely dinner from Quimet-a- Quiment (late Anothony Bourdain recommends it too).

Alcazaba, Malaga

At Malaga, I stayed at Alcazaba Premium Hostel which is bang opposite the amphitheatre and at the entrance of the Malaga historic centre. One tip- cars are not allowed inside the historic centre so it makes sense to say in properties which are in the periphery (like this) so that you don’t have to drag your luggage to your property. If you are staying near the beach, it is just 15 minutes walk.

If you are a girl who is traveling solo, I will always recommend the 4 women sharing room for women with a bathroom inside the room not the common shared one at the end of the hallway or take the single occupancy room (expensive).  

All the hostels were extremely neat and clean and I don’t have a single reason to complain. They also help you with your daily tours and can offer you more discount than you can find online for same tours. It is always helpful if you contact the hostel and ask them for some of the bookings like football matches in Camp Nou or other stadiums, you might end up with a better deal. 

I had booked all my tours from India before I left. 

Food: 

Spain is all about gastronomy. I ate and ate and ate and drank gallons of Sangria. 

Quimet-a-Quimet (absolute must when in Barcelona), a small outpost but some of the best wine and Tapas.

Eat Paella (While I tried Paella in every city, I felt it is more or like Khichdi meets non veg meets light curry) But then it is the traditional dish of Spain, so ready to shell out nearly 10-15 euro for this. 

Quimet & Quimet

But my absolute favourite is 100 Montaditos.  It is happiness in each bite. 

Traveling In The City: 

You can take city metro card when in Barcelona. It is cheaper to buy passes than individual tickets if you are staying more than 4 days in any city. There is free wifi in buses, which I used to my heart’s content incase I abruptly changed plans. 

Finally, I know a lot of friends who were robbed during their tour and it left a very bad taste. It happened to me in Paris in 2015, so there are a few things that I always do- 

Never carry too much money. Don’t carry your passport while roaming around the city. A lot of Indians have the habit of carrying their passport around (absolute NO NO), take locks and lock your suitcase at all times, lock your luggage cabinets underneath your bed or if you have a locker all the better. Be more careful than you would be while traveling with friends, do not get sloshed, ever. A glass of Sangria is good. Remember, at the end of the day you are traveling alone in a city you have never been to and you probably don’t have friends either, be safe than sorry. And hopefully soon, you should be ready to fly off!

Note: I don’t get paid to write on travel, this is my personal blog. Any apps or places I recommend are my personal choices.

Somewhere outside Madrid