Things to remember while travelling in Barcelona
When you think of Barcelona… what does usually come to your mind? Beautiful city of Modernism and Design located between the mountain and the sea, mild nice weather, easy way of living, sun, tapas, sangria and last but not least, an atmosphere of ongoing fiesta in a buzzling cosmopolitan city…? Well yes… indeed, this is Barcelona.However and regardless this idealistic vision, visitors are nowadays more and more aware of a growing problem which nobody should leave aside or ignore as it is really affecting Catalonia capital’s reputation. We are talking about URBAN INSECURITY.
This terrible problem has become an issue of public concern and it is mainly affecting tourist spots. Pickpockets and thieves are becoming more experienced by the day and people are getting mugged for their mobile phones or their bags snatched. They are even getting robbed just some minutes after arriving at Barcelona’s airport or train stations.
Some good news is that local authorities are conscious about this problem and are taking the necessary measures to re-establish confidence amongst locals and tourists.
However and even though something is being done to stop this obstruction to people’s right for peaceful strolling, there are some important measures you may follow in order to avoid loosing your precious time by spending hours filing a complaint at one of Barcelona’s police station… better have all the time you need to explore it and of course, enjoy it!
Here are some useful tips:
- Try not to carry large amounts of money when you leave your apartment or hotel.
- Don’t let anyone invade your “personal space” while walking down the street (whether seeming suspicious or not).
- Try to wear your bag “diagonally” across your chest and avoid wearing it on your shoulder. If possible, hold a hand on it at all times. If you have a “backpack” carry it on the front and not on the back as it should normally be!
- Even though it is important that you have a valid ID with you, in case you decide to go shopping and you need to pay with your credit card, we do not recommend that you carry your passport with you. You may always take a photocopy of it and keep it somewhere safe in your bag.
- If you still want to take your passport or other ID documents with you, remember to photocopy them and leave the photocopy in your apartment or hotel.
- Whenever you leave a bus, the metro or a taxi cab please remember to take all your belongings. If you are carrying a laptop always place it close to you and never leave your luggage or any other valuable things unattended.
Remember… thieves are so experienced that it takes them seconds to act without anybody noticing.
- Never rely on a single way of payment. Try to use a combination of cash, traveller cheques and credit cards to pay during your trip. The safest way to travel is by carrying travellers cheques. In case you didn’t know this… you are insured in case they are stolen.
These are important aspects to remember nowadays while travelling but not only in Barcelona … everywhere.
Beautiful city of Modernism, mountain, sea, nice weather, sun, tapas and sangria… This is Barcelona ….just remember our advice!
Barcelona apartments
Labels: advice, apartments, barcelona, security
posted by Dave Griffiths @ 4:11 AM
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