Hi all,
I'm new here. I am soooo amazed and happy to discover this message board. Maridman you are great!
well am planning to travel to Spain end Sept. for about 13 days (my 1st time) My initial route is Barcelone,Seville (Santa Cruz & Granada), then Madrid. Do you think it's safe for a lone Chinese girl? esp. in Seville which i think it's more quite.
i've just read the old edition of Lonely Planete that it only takes 2 & a half hr by train fm Granada to Madrid is that right?

after reading the info from here, i think i will keep a small zipped pouch wearing around my lower waist and keep it in front (lower ab). However, i will have to put my camera in my backpack or shoulder bag...do you think it's ok?

Thirdly, could anyone confirm me that with the ATM, PLUS network, the pin number is only 4 digits all over Spain? Because in Hong Kong (my origin) we use 6 digits. I do not have any credit cards so i am planning to take 2 ATM cards.

any advice are much appreciated!!

gracias!

Safe:

You'll inmediately be pointed as a foreigner, being asiatic, which may attract more pickpockets,

A girl, chinese or not, is pretty safe (personal safety) in any regular district, only some neighbourhoods may be problematic and you won't go there, being a tourist.

Seville is not specially safe (or unsafe), as far as I know, but the bad areas are real bad.

There are zones in central Madrid that are crowded day and part of the night, but that are old and badly lightened, where there are assaults, but you should be safe in daylight or if there is people around (not that they'll help, but somebody could phone the police...).

In all, you are pretty safe except for this. And it's not more dangerous than other places, just read the "safety" thereads at MM and come back home with company if possible.

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There are several trains to Seville, taht could get you there in 2 or 2.30 hours (high-speed), but I couldn't talk about the links to Granada, but I just made a query and found only two, taking 6 and 8 hours to get there. Maybe you want to look it for yourself:

Renfe, the monopolistic (for certain areas) train firm

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I don't know the ATM PLUS network, although spanish ATM are compatible with any network. But I can assure you that we use only four digits at our ATMs. Maybe that they require six digits if the card is form Asia, but that, I can't tell. For spanish and I think for all the west, we use four.

Hey there,

On my first trip to spain I traveled alone and had a magnificent time. My route was Barcelona-Madrid-Seville-Granada-Barcelona. It was great. Like every city...danger is just around the corner so just keep an eye out there. I also wore a pouch. It was a thin pouch that I wore by my belly under my shirt. It worked out great. Be careful in Barcelona, once I came back with the rear pockets of my backpack opened. I had nothing relevant of course, so it was no big deal. So, don't keep anything too important there. I would try to keep my camera on me and pin the strap to your shirt if you need to.

Overall my trip was safe considering it was during the first days of the war with Irak. The spanish were very curious that I was traveling by myself and they admired that and were extremely helpful. Once this older woman I met on the train made sure I got to my next destination safely by escorting me through the ticket booth. She was sooo sweet I wish I would have gotten her name so I could write her a thank you card. But also I am sure there are scam artists so don't confide too much!!
Have a great trip!!!

Hi

I have also travelled alone in Spain, and I have had no problems. As Mar said, people can be very helpful, but you have to use your head and be aware of scam artists at all times. I suggest that, if you bring a bookbag, you wear it on your front (as if you are pregnant with a bookbag) in order to keep a better eye over it. Many of the Spanish girls do this, so you will not seem strange. Also, if you use a bag with a long strap, make sure the bag does not fall behind you when you are walking, and especially in the Metro. (The Metro, especially in Madrid, is a very easy place to get pickpocketed.) During my two years in Madrid, I used a purse that hung on my shoulder and the pocket was in my armpit, so if someone had wanted to open the zipper, they would have had to put their hand in my armpit. This method must have worked, because I was never pickepocketed, even when I let my guard down. Also, keep in mind that Casa de Campo, a park in Madrid, is not a place for a lady at night. I have seen the park listed as a family site in tour guides, but I would not recommend it to you if you are travelling alone. You should be fine if you stick to the main tourist sites and use common sense. Hope you trip is wonderful!

lau

Dear all,

Thank you so very much for all your replies and advices.

Now i am thinking of skipping Seville and just go fm Barcelona to Granada then to Madrid. After checking the RENFE website, i found that it is even quicker (about 1 hr.) to take a bus from Granada to Madrid than the train.

one question: for Barcelona to Granada, it seems that it is the best way to take the train (trenhotel)as it costs the same and the journey time is the same as taking a bus. Is that right?

Should i book the ticket ahead? I do not have credit card but just debit card, does it work in Spain?

thank you very much for all your help!

As for the trip Barcelona-Granada I couldn't tell.

The debit cards are commonly accepted personally, but through the net or telephone I have had problems sometimes. Recently, with the same travel net operator (e-dreams spain) i tried to buy a trip with my debit card and I couldn't, then another one, with another person answering the phone, and after some problems, I could.

But maybe that I am lucky because my debit card besides of being so, has got the Master Card anagram, that makes it better accepted with some credit card caracteristics. Maybe yours too?

I am not at all fond of buying tickets ahead since my trips always seem to change from the original previsions and buying in advance limits me a lot, but in this case, being a long trip, I think I would because if you don't you could find it full, at least several days previously.

But if you don't really mind going by bus (sleeping in bus -if necessary to go by night- is uncomfortable, but...), I'd wait till the 2 or 1 previous days, not to tie my timetable.

Hi, long time reader first time poster here. I went to Spain with my wife back in 2000, and booked our hostal after reading the recommendations on this board. It's truly a fantastic resource.

I am originally from Shanghai but lives in the States now. My wife was born in Taiwan but spent 17 years in Madrid when her family operated a Chinese restaurant there.

Anyways, we will be going back to Spain for a visit from Sept 21. through Oct. 5. We will be spending the first seven days in Madrid and the rest in Galicia. I don't know exactly when you will be in Madrid, but if you happened to be in town the same time we will be, and are interested in meeting up just send me an email. I don't speak Cantonese though. My wife knows Madrid pretty well. I just know where to get the best nata icecream

Cheers
MC