handbags in spain

We highly recommend keeping most cash, credit cards, passport, and maybe rail pass in a money belt under your clothes. Any cross-body handbag or day bag has the advantage that your hand can easily rest on it at all times, so that's where I keep my wallet. The wallet has 50 euros cash supply for the day or half-day, and I'm not too worried about losing that amount. See also: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams/outsmarting-pickpockets

I don't have a specific suggestion, but any small crossbody bag that zips or buckles closed will work fine. Small, so you can keep your hand on it and aren't tempted to set it down. Crossbody so a thief can't grab it as easily, because it's towards your front. Zip or buckle
closure so it's harder for them to get a hand inside. Open tops or magnet closures aren't as secure, I don't think.

A bag meeting these requirements can be found pretty much anywhere that sells a variety of purses. You also will have a wide selection of styles.

Keep only the money you need for a day, a credit card, and whatever other purse items you want in it. Keep cash beyond that, other cards, your passport somewhere safe. This is a huge debate, I use the safe in my hotel room, or if I'm in transit and don't have a hotel room, then I use a money belt under my clothes. Some people wear money belts 100% of the time, not trusting hotel safes.

... you're going to Barcelona, not to a war zone, providing you come from a big city (any big city!) you don't need to "suit up" in any special manner, simply be aware of your surroundings, as you would in your home city. And if you don't come from a big city, well, take the same precautions you would if you were going to any big city.

It is bad enough already that some bloggers and tourists guide insist on prolonging this distorted image of the city which, attending to statistics, is far from reality. Barcelona has no more nor less of a pickpocket problem than Rome, Paris and even more recently London.

Girl up, Ozonegurl and wear a money belt. A money belt is NOT a fanny pack. It is this thing, or something very similar to it, available here online and in most stores that sell travel products. Fanny packs are very vulnerable to pickpockets, especially in crowded situations because they are worn outside your clothes and stick out inches beyond your body.

I am one of those "wear it all the time" folks. I put it between my shapewear and my panties (shapewear is supposed to go under your panties). Skin-out the sequence is shapewear, money belt, panties, pants, bottom of the shirt I wear which is never tucked in. I wear pants that I can easily pull away from my body to get the money belt out when I need it. I have had no concerns whatsoever at doing that in the places I usually use an ATM -- the cash machines inside a bank lobby while the bank is open. If I feel like I need to, I will find a toilet to fiddle around with my cards and money, but it is much easier to find an ATM than it is to find a toilet.

All I have in it is my passport, my AZ driver license, 1 credit card and 2 debit cards, emergency information and cash that I am not using for the day. Sometimes I leave part of that back in our room or apartment. With that small amount of stuff, it remains very thin. Some women are worried that it will make them look fat. Puleez! The thing is less than 3/8 of an inch thick if I have everything in it. No one is looking at my stomach.

Beyond that, I use a smallish crossbody purse with a strap that goes through rings, not the kind with the clasps that link to rings, for the reasons already stated. I don't take it off at dinner, but rather leave it on my body. I keep my mobile phone, day money, tissues and other similar things in the purse. I do this no matter where we are.

It may have been going on, but we saw no pickpocketing in Barcelona and we were out on the Ramblas every day because that's where our hotel was. I have seen it on the Paris Metro (way back in the early 80's), at train stations in Germany (also in the early 80's with the little kids surrounding people) and in the pedestrian zone in Lisbon much more recently.

My husband wears his money belt and carries nothing. He puts his mobile phone in his front pocket. Yeah someone could take that, but neither of us has phones that look like they are worth anything, i.e. they are not iPhones. I use mine to take pictures but we rarely make calls outside our room, so we are not exceptionally obvious with them. That's not from being paranoid. It's just the way we operate, both here and abroad.

Neither of us carries a wallet. That's just a bulky and obvious target. The event we saw in Lisbon was a pickpocket handing off a man's thick folding leather wallet to the boss pickpocket right in front of us as we were walking down the street. Actually, we don't carry real wallets at home either, so this isn't a big sacrifice.

You will get lots of suggestions. These are my Baggallini favorites right now: Highrise, Town Bagg and Highway Bagg. I have them in navy, maroon and black (2 purses), and gray respectively. I got all but the Highrise at TJ Maxx.

Choose your favorite from all the bags people suggest, wear it wisely all the time, be aware of your surroundings and you will be fine.

Here's my expert opinion: use a shoulder bag (purse) that can be clutched between her arm and body when over her shoulder. She should hold it tight between her body and arm when in crowded places like the metro to a tourist area (even a religious site like a church). I have used this method in all major cities and all attempted pickpocketings were avoided (has only happened a couple of times and I've traveled a lot)- someone even tried to grab my bag in notre dame! Never had a chance!
Pickpockets look for money belts and after wearing something for a while close to your body like a money belt or earrings, your body will not be able to tell it is gone if it falls off (and pickpockets are really good at touching you in a way you won't notice). Cross body bags are easy to steal as well as they sometimes cut the straps and run (easy to cut up top and grab the bag at the waist).
While going through airports/transferring to accommodation, I have my passport in a money necklace belt and wear a cami under my clothes that's tight (like the ones from express) and put it under that, so if a thief tries to cut the strap, it's caught in my shirt (I've never had it happen, but I have heard of it happening).

Thankyou for those detailed responses everyone. Most helpful. I particualrly appreciate the links that were posted in your responses. Happy trails!

I bought a bag from QVC or HSN don't remember. It was nylon material. It could fold over. Under the fold was the zipper to open it. It was a cross shoulder bag. I could fit a travel guide book, mini umbrella, tons of stuff and yet it wasn't big. Inside the bag was a zipper section. I kept my passbooks and money/credit cards for the day in there.I kept the bag in front of me and I held on to the bag by the strap. To pickpocket me someone would have to unfold the bag, unzip it, get to the middle section inside, unzip that. too much work. When we traveled on the train I bought an Eagle Creek Bra Stash. I put our credit and debit cards in it and some money. It snaps on to your bra and then i placed it in my bra just in case it came unsnapped. Just be aware of your surroundings. and enjoy

Please keep in mind pickpockets seek the weakest to make their prey. So be attentive and ask your travel partners to help keep an eye out for each other. Be wise in congested places, but do not be paranoid. We travel w a minimum of cash, less than 100 euros, and max the use of out credit cards for purchases. Are you familiar with the term Dynamic Conversion Rate? Now that is where the real thieves exist! carry a copy of your passport, but leave the real one back in your lodgings.
I stress, do not be paranoid about this issue.

At the risk of being jumped on my Norma and others. Ditch the handbag. I know, I know, separating a female from her handbag is impossible. I should have my wife post her experience. She now feels very liberated from not having to worry about a handbag. BUT it took ten, twelves years to move from that big, leather, heavy handbag, to a fanny pack (which looked terrible), to a small on the hip bag, to nothing. And now says, why did I ever need that big bag? What few personal items she needs to carry we throw in a day bag which is nothing more than old middle school book bag our younger son used. But it was a major transition for her. Even the bag she carries locally is much smaller than years ago.

It is a slow Saturday morning so some of the above is a little flippant but really do you need the handbag? Think about reducing size and can somethings be shared with your travel partner?

PS We have been to Barcelona four times and have yet to see a pickpocket or the pigeon drop scam.

Frank, she may not need the handbag...but even you admit you carry a day bag. Many female travelers don't carry a day bag, JUST the handbag. Mine is smaller than an old backpack, and an cross body handbag is safer than a backpack IMO. In it I carry my phone, day money and cards, kindle (for guidebooks, can be accessed on the phone if space is even tighter), sunscreen, sunglasses, mini camera, and a small bag of random items that come in handy (bandaids, hair ties, tums, etc). I am also a hobby photographer, so often I carry a tote bag with a DSLR and lens - but if you're not a photographer, a small camera or even phone will fit in the handbag easily.

So basically ditching the handbag would require a day bag. Or extreme minimalism to carry nothing at all.

On the subway near the Bari Gotic last summer, my husband caught the thief's hand in his pocket- happened to be the wrong pocket holding the RayBan hard case. LUCKY! He was a nice looking , middle aged, salt and pepper haired professional looking man with round glasses- looked like a college prof. Conditions are crowded and luckily the doors opened- my husband started shouting THIEF and everyone looked down as the man blended into the crowd quickly. Another man we met in BCN had been hit 3 times one day, lost his "day money" the third time. Have been cautious all other times, think it was just a matter of percentages. However, I don't want to lose anything- so I use a bra safe& hidden pockets & leave the wallet at home. Carry your smallish purse if you want, but wear it crossbody with a minimum of stuff so you can see what's in it.

This all reminds me of an old Rodney Dangerfield line: "If it weren't for pickpockets I'd have no sex at all".

We have never had a problem with cutpurses or pickpockets, but then we hardly have ever been where they hang out. My wife uses a cross body bag and my travel pants have pockets inside the front pockets that zip. My wallet and passport are inside one of them. My wife's money and passport are inside her opera wallet inside her bag. I suppose my reading classes could be lifted but that's about it.

Hi ozonegurl, try pacsafe. Its what we used in our last Euro Trip. Its slash proof, light, water resistant, and has zipper locks. You can check-out their site for different bag options.

Pay safe is good. Even Target sells purses in their travel section that are anti-theft. Cross body with reinforced straps as some thieves will cut the shoulder strap to get the bag. We've traveled through these pick pocket cities and have seen the thieves at work. Moms sending their little kids in, bumping you while another works your bag on the other side, and yes the hands in the pockets. On the metro my family sits or stands in a way where we are grouped with backpacks in the middle of us. ( for instance, if standing we are in a circle around a pole facing out with our packs inside the circle by the pole. Agree with the posts above, wear a money belt for important cards, passport and the majority of cash. My son puts small travel locks on his backpack as they are too easily unzipped when crowded. Or twist tie them closed. Placing a rubber band and around a wallet makes it harder to lift from a pocket. Also, keep wallets in the front pockets and NEVER place your handbag on the back of your chair while dining or out and about.
And be aware. If there is a distraction in front of you, the thief is behind you most likely.

I just watched a YouTube video on Las Ramblas and pick pocketing the other day. The common themes were crossbody with a hand on top, backpacks in front and shoulder bags tucked under an arm. Otherwise, it was business as usual. We're a money belt/ neck wallet couple for anything we really hate to lose.