I have been traveling extensively last 10 years through Asia and South America. Now I’m planning to travel first time with my small child. I decided to visit Spain by car.
I read some messages about safety and am a little bit confused. It seems it’s pretty sure that somebody is going to break into my car. How can I avoid it? Most people advice not to leave anything in car, but it is not always possible. I can put everything to car trunk except child car seat. Here are my questions.
Are paid parking places safe? What about parking in front of hotels?
Is it safe to leave car in camping places and visit cities by bus?
Is it dangerous to stop car even in small towns and villages or only in big cities?
Are child car seats also targets of thieves?
Is there also possibility of car stilling not only breaking into?
Thanks a lot for advice!
Kemo

[ 04-09-2001: Message edited by: kemo ]

Don't worry, kemo. It is most unlikely that someone will break into your car. Pay car parks are generally safe, as are camp sites.

It is NOT dangerous to stop in big cities or towns. Occasionally you hear of somebody who has left a bag on the seat with the door unlocked and a thief has snatched it while the car is at traffic lights, but just be sensible and hide it away, making sure the back doors and trunk are locked.

Again, being sensible, I would not leave anything locked in the trunk that you would really miss ie tickets, valuable items etc. just in case I'm proved wrong! I wouldn't bother with hiding the child's car seat either. Radios are stolen, yes, but I haven't heard of a car seat going before.

Cars also get stolen, but I assume this is true in Slovenia too? If yours is a hire car and looks empty I am certain you won't have a problem. Enjoy your trip and don't worry!

Whoa! This isn't the 'Wild West' here, you know. What are they publishing in the news in these places?

Don't worry - just treat your car like you do everywhere else.

I agree with Asterault--I have rented cars in Spain twice, and have not had problems or felt nervous driving/stopping in towns of any size (well, the traffic in Madrid can make you nervous, but that's another story entirely).

As you would do anywhere, lock your doors when you're driving or when you leave your car, and don't invite trouble by leaving important things in sight or in your trunk (we always leave our dirty laundry in the trunk...what a good joke on the thief if someone takes that!). I also don't leave maps out on the seats or dashboard when the car's parked, just in case someone would think that a tourist car would have good stuff (not just dirty socks and underwear) in the trunk.

Really, as with most travel issues, common sense and a bit of care will keep you and your stuff safe. The bad stories may or may not be true, but we don't often hear the "went to Spain (or wherever) and nothing got stolen" types of tales.

Has anybody else had any experiences with gypsies in Sevilla (especially near the Juderia) who offer to "watch" your car for a price? They give the impression that if you don't pay them to "watch" it, they might just find a way to break into it! I've seen this in Mexico too. Usually I've given them a few hundred pesetas and have found them sitting patiently near the car when we've returned.

We are a large family (2 adults 4 kids) and have rented a minivan (no trunk) for month of July. We'll be heading from Valencia to Madrid and want to stop in Toledo on the way. We want to find out if our luggage would be safe in the minivan if we wanted to spend the day in Toledo. We'd be happy to pay to park but so far, all the parking searches I found returned only results for private parking at hotels. Any advice?

I have just returned from Spain. I spent there 3 wonderful weeks. I didn’t have any problems and people were very kind and helpful, much more then any other European mediterranean nation. I mostly visited smaller cities and avoided tourist places like Costa del Sol or Barcelona. I only spent some time in Sevilla. There I slept in camp, which is close to airport, and go to city by bus. This is good idea also for other big cities. Camps are usually well kept and safe.
One more advice for the end. Learn some Spanish language. Yes, it’s possible to survive without, but it’s much easier and people would accept you in a different way.
Have a great time in Spain and happy traveling!
Kemo

Hey Kemo, do you know the address / phone / web site of that camp site in Sevilla? We stayed at one in Madrid a couple of years ago and you are right, it is a cheap and cheerful means of accomodation. The one I've visited near Sevilla had closed down, but I didn't know about this one. Let me know?

I don’t know address but it’s easy to find it. As I said it’s very close to the airport. You have to go from the city center on the highway which goes to Cordoba and leave highway one exit before airport. After a few 100 meters there is a camp, which is nice with a pool, restaurant, shop... It’s only a little bit noisy because of airport. If you miss, just go through the airport, and return back to highway direction Sevilla and leave highway on next exit.
There is a bus from camp 3 times a day to city center (to Av. Portugal). On the bus you can book city tour, which goes immediately from the same bus station. I didn’t take one, so I can’t recommend it.
Keep well! Kemo