I am travelling in Spain by myself in August. I would appreciate any safety tips for me and my belongings that anyone could offer. Gracias.

There isn't any shootings, stabbings and so forth in Spain, Spain is generally a safe country, BUT the one things that flourishes there is mugging and stealing. Keep a GOOD eye on your belongings at all times and don't carry anything with you that you don't need to carry. If they try to steal something on you, they either pick-pocket you with out you knowing, cut the strap off your backpack or purse and run with it, or ask for your belongings (mug you) don't trust anybody, and really WATCH your stuff and your wallet and bags at all times. anytime of the day, any city, especially in the south of Spain, be very careful. I have visited Spain 4 times, and I have been robbed once. They broke into my rental car at 11:00 in the afternoon, and I was away from the car only 15 minutes. BE CAREFUL. They even took the tape out of the tape deck. they take everything. so that is the only danger to really worry about is mugging and stealing, just really keep an eye on your stuff, don't leave anything around un attended. Barcelona and Sevilla are the capital for mugging and stealing.

Hi alejandro,

I will traveling alone on the second part of my trip which will include about 6 days in Barcelona. Many of my friends who have traveled in Spain have suggested that I buy a pouch to wear around my neck under my clothing to hold cash, credit card, passport, etc. It may not keep muggers away, but at least you won't have to worry about pickpockets. Also you probably know this already, but do what you can to not look like a tourist. I remember reading somewhere on this cite that the number one thing a tourist can do to blend in to wear leather shoes. Apparently wearing sneakers for casual wear isn't big in Spain. This might be a bunch of baloney though.

[This message has been edited by Twentysomething (edited 06-29-2000).]

Gracias Twentysomething! I had been wondering about wearing tennis shoes. As for the neck pouch, I have seen many posts recommend a money belt over a neck pouch. Both go under your clothes, but a money belt is less conspicuous and you won't have to worry about somebody jerking your neck around.



[This message has been edited by alejandro (edited 06-29-2000).]

If your intention is to "blend in" then I tend to agree with the not-wearing-tennis-shoes theory unless you think you could pass for a Spaniard. If you have black hair then fine. Otherwise, I believe that if you wear tennis shoes AND there's not way in the world you could pass for a Spaniard then you'll be seen as a tourist. I'm not saying that looking like a tourist is a bad thing because Madrid is full of them - - including myself when I'm there! I just beg you NOT to wear BERMUDA SHORTS! Not for the sake of avoiding the tourist look, but for ALL our sakes. hehehe..

As for the neck bag idea, this is what I do when I'm travelling by train or plane, but I usually only take enough cash for the day and leave the rest at home -- although I leave the rest of my cash in a REAL home and not in a hotel/hostel so mine is a bit safer.

Saludos, MadridMan

So much for all those tropical shirts I bought!

I don't look Spanish, so I will have to dress the part to avoid standing out too much.

MadridMan, when you stay in hotels/hostals do you leave belongings other than money in your room?

Gracias

Hehehee.. yes, PLEASE don't wear a tropical shirt.

I've only stayed in Hostal Lopez, but that was only for one night. The rest of the time I stay with friends in their home so my money and other belongings are always safe (as far as I know!).

Some suggest putting valuables in the hotel safe, but I'm not at all sure the safe IS safe! I suppose it's safer than putting $$ under the mattress for house-cleaning to find.

Since few people have this possibility, carrying around your cash in a neck bag or other conceiled pouch might be the way to go. Some hotels even REQUIRE you to hand over your passports and they return them when you check out. I'm not so sure I like this practice, but sometimes you don't have a choice. Some say to make a copy of the inside cover of your passport and carry that around with you always, in your shoe or someplace.

Saludos, MadridMan

yes,it is true that shoes are a dead give away in regards to pointing out that you're an american. in all my travels around europe i never have seen many cases where natives were tromping around in tennis shoes. hey, even i easily europeans in crowds here in the united states just by their shoes. my best suggestion would be to purchase good quality leather walking shoes.(either black or brown)
as always, excellent and very funny advice from madridman...LEAVE THE BERMUDA SHORTS AND FLOWERED SHIRT AT HOME. please, be a good ambassador. don't go over there and cater to what are stereotypes of american tourists.
missmadrid gave you excellent advice as well. your worst problem will be with pick pockets and petty thieves. in madrid i would cling tightly to any belongings if you end up wandering around el rastro. also in the some of the areas around gran via can be warning zones. as she mentioned barcelona is the proverbial capital of pick pockets. hope all this helps!

I just want to echo the ideas expressed in this and other threads in this section. Don’t look like a tourist and keep your valuables out of reach. I recently returned from Spain. I am blue-eyed and fair-haired, but I wore leather shoes and what might almost be called semi-business casual clothes (no jeans or T-shirts). I was surprised that on three or four occasions Spaniards came up to me and asked me (in Spanish) for directions or questions about parking, etc. While they probably didn’t mistake me for a native, they apparently didn’t think I was some gawking tourist who was only in the country for a week.

I keep my valuables in a shoulder-holster wallet, which is worn under a shirt. I also carry two conventional wallets, one with money for my day’s activities, and the other is empty. If confronted by a mugger, I have the option of throwing the empty wallet in his face and running away. (This may not be advisable in all situations). Both wallets are kept in separate back pockets, which are buttoned closed, though front pockets might be better. A potential pickpocket has only a 50% chance of getting the right wallet, assuming he can unbutton the pocket first.

I felt safe and comfortable in Madrid and Toledo, even though I was traveling alone. But in Pamplona, during the Fiesta de San Fermin, I nearly got picked. I was walking along a moderately crowded street at 1:30 in the morning (Pamplona is full of celebrants 24 hours a day during the Fiesta), when I noticed a guy reaching down for my ankles. This was an intuitive move on his part, because in the past, I often carried my wallet in my sock to avoid pickpockets. But this guy was a pick-sock-et! Then two of his friends came up behind me, boxed me in, and began reaching into my back pockets. But both pockets were buttoned, and I had maps and other junk folded on top of the wallet that had my money. I gave a shout and a push, and they melted away into the crowd without having gotten anything. They were wearing white and red, just like 90% of the other people at the Fiesta, so they instantly blended into the crowd and it would have been impossible to catch them if they had taken something.

I want to emphasize that I don’t think I was targeted because I don’t look Spanish. (By the way, I wore white and red in Pamplona just like everyone else). The fact that I was walking alone was probably the prime factor. It would have been harder for three guys to box me in if I were in a group, and that was an important part of their strategy.

I love my bermuda shorts and my aloha shirts in Spain. I think they let me get away with it because I'm half mexican...or maybe because I'm six foot 5 and weigh 249 pounds! ha ha