Travel Smart – Travel Safe

Barcelona is certainly an exciting place to be, but together with that buzz come a few more unsavoury angles, including the problem of pickpockets.

Tourists in all parts of the world are continually advised to take precautions when travelling, not only about shopping around for a travel insurance quote before they leave home but also about taking care where they go whilst abroad and the need to keep a close watch on their possessions.

Already the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail newspapers in the UK have published stories about the problem of pickpockets operating in Barcelona, with two of them alarmingly calling the city the pickpocket capital of the world. Many of Europe’s big tourist cities like Rome, Madrid, Prague and Amsterdam also have issues with pickpockets and it’s a problem that is difficult to solve without the combined action of the police together with tourists taking adequate precautions themselves.

There is plenty of advice out there on how people should protect themselves from the would-be thieves, many of whom are children, but still people don’t follow the guidelines or allow their holiday mood to lower their guard.

Even with the best of precautions, you could still fall prey to a thief, with bags being stolen or interfered with in restaurants, on busy trains and buses and particularly in busy shopping areas.

The Las Ramblas area is one favourite with the crooks, as are the numerous narrow streets and alleyways that make up the centre of the city. Busy queues for buses are also vulnerable spots and the subway is another at-risk area for tourists. The thieves tend to operate in groups or gangs and often use distraction techniques.

Even if you have proper travel insurance you will still need to report any incident to the police straight away. This can be a time-consuming exercise in Barcelona but one that is necessary if your subsequent claim stands any chance of being accepted.

Related posts:

1. Affordable travel to Budapest