Trip to Spain

Cool! We are planning a similar trip next May and I've been reading alot about the pickpocket thing as well. what precautions did you take exactly? I'm not sure I want to wear a money belt so have been looking into travel purses that advertise they are "theft proof". exactly what that means, I am not sure. something like the straps can't be cut or the material is such that it can't be cut as well. that kind of thing. but would be interested to know what you did to be safe.

thanks much!

Hey there...

I just returned from Barcelona

The only thing remotely close to a theft I ever even sensed was the crime of encountering U.S. customs.

Hi Toby,

I hate to sound like an endorsement but I bought a Pacsafe daypack for my husband for his camera equipment and a Pacsafe purse for myself which I wore across my body. Both were always locked. My husband wore a money pocket for credit cards and most of the cash, only kept about 50 euros in his front pants pocket and kept his hand in that pocket most of the time. I had read up on all the known scams ahead of time so I was aware and alert. As my husband was carrying fairly expensive camera equipment I watched his back in the Metro and in crowded situations. I also kept my back to the ATM machine while my husband made withdrawals from the same. As I said I never felt unsafe or threatened and the one pickpocketing attempt was merely amusing and a good story. I wasn't paranoid just cautious. We have travelled in Europe more than a dozen times and have had only one other pickpocketing attempt in a very crowded London Tube siutation. I had read all the scary stories about Spain and was nervous about travelling there but it wasn't any worse than any other country in Europe. Obviously if you go into a dark alley late at night anywhere you are asking for it. Use good common sense.

Toby, here is a link for PacSafe products. Their bags are slashproof, snatchproof and tamperproof.

I have the StashSafe (fanny pack) 100 & 200. The 200 will carry my video cam and digital camera. It also has room for many more everyday use items.

There are videos of how these work.

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=12

Thank you for the update Mary. We are planning a trip to Spain next year and still trying to decide which towns to visit. At this stage, I believe we will have 10 days each in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Which were you favorite and in what order?

Hi Toby,

My favorites in Spain? Gosh, that's difficult as each place that we visited was unique and special in its own way. I could not choose one over the others. If you only have 10 days in Spain obviously you will need to eliminate one of the places that we visited as we were there for 14 days. Plus it depends on what you like. Do you like big cities or quiet, quaint villages, great art, cathedrals, gardens, cultural experiences? We try to combine all of these in our trips. As far as Italy goes, we went to Venice, Florence, Siena (Tuscany), Rome, Naples and Amalfi. (We're still raving over Ravello on the Amalfi Coast and the spectacular views of the Mediterranean. It's probably the prettiest place on earth so far for us but others will have their own opinions. Google it for pictures.) Again we had 14 days and tried for a mix of experience. You will have to determine your own travel priorities. You can't and shouldn't see it all. When you plan your trip, give yourselves a little breathing room with time to fully enjoy what you are seeing and to interact with the locals. Meeting people is one of the best parts of travel and we have met with incredible kindness from the people in the countries in which we have travelled. Europeans can be a bit reserved but will step into the breach to help you out if they see that you are a foreigner and are lost or confused, don't understand the language, etc. Enjoy the planning and anticipation of your trip. If you need more help, let me know.

thanks everyone for the great tips, and the link to PacSafe products. I think I was looking at some of those, so good to know they are recommended here.

I was a student in Madrid in college and I never, ever felt unsafe there. Well, truth be told, the terrorists bombs scared me more than theft! The day after I was in the student travel office it was bombed. I do hope that stuff has simmered down. However, I recall being out late at night a few times and never feeling like anything was going to happen to me. and only once was I alone getting back to my apt. around midnight. I was only nervous because I was alone, but that is the only time I recall. Really, only Barcelona scares me as I never got to visit that city while living in Madrid.

sorry to ramble! I appreciate the advice and tips greatly!

oh...to JB...here is our itinerary:

fly into Barcelona, stay 3 nights
AVE train to Madrid, stay 5 nights (you may not want to stay as long there. I only am because I know the city and also want to do two day trips from there. one to Toledo (my favorite city in Spain!) and the other to Segovia)
AVE train to Sevilla, stay two nights
rent a car and drive the scenic byway through Ronda (not sure of exact route as of yet) and on to Malaga where we'll spend 2 nights
drive rental car to Granada, drop it at the train station and stay two nights.
train back to Madrid to spend our last night there and home the next day.

One note, I really wanted to visit Valencia too as hubby wants to see the coast. but I was finding it hard to fit in because the trains didn't seem very convenient. We could have done Barcelona then onto Valencia, rent a car then onto Andalucia for 4-5 days then back to Madrid. However, I MUST be in Madrid for my 50th birthday and the itinerary above accomplishes that. All that said, Valencia is a very nice town and well worth visiting.

I hope that helps!

oh yea...I was just rereading what I wrote. I of course recall the bombing at Atocha station in Madrid several years ago :( (and was there in spirit with the madrileños when they took to the streets afterwards...what a sad time) so...I guess it hasn't simmered down, heavy sigh. but I'm not going to let it worry me either. just had to mention that.

TY. The information gleened from this board is priceless!!

Hey Toby,
Your trip sounds fantastic. We're heading to Spain in May of 2010 and I'm having trouble locating info on trains from Valencia to Granada. Do you have any info to share or directions to steer me in? Thanks for anything you can come up with.

Hi Steve. Unfortunately I don't have much info on trains from Valencia to Granada. alas, that was our main issue with my original itnerary. but here's the link to renfe, maybe you can find some answers there?

http://www.renfe.es/horarios/index.html

I think you can switch it to English (I read Spanish so that's the link I saved...) if you go to home?

hope that helps!

Steve,

For Valencia to Granada... the train may not be your best option. Spain's highspeed trains run on routes through Madrid for the most part - you may want to check your bus options. This is the website:

http://www.movelia.es/

Granada is not as well served by trains (there are no high speed), and you might encounter a transfer or two. I've used the bus system almost as much as trains in Spain, and have always had a good, on-time experience.

Regarding safety in Spain... I just spent a few days there - Madrid, Sevilla, Ronda. I never felt unsafe. I'm traveling with my husband and we were out well past midnight in Madrid and Sevilla. What made me feel safe, aside from being with hubby :), was that there were still people strolling the pedestrian streets around Plaza Pta. del Sol and the Plaza Mayor (there's a great upscale food/wine/dessert market open very late just outside Plaza Mayor in Madrid - worth checking out). The Barrio Santa Cruz in Sevilla also felt very safe and it was packed with people well into the night, particularly the main street if your back is to the Giralda. We had a blast; of course, we were aware of our surroundings at all times, and did not carry cameras or big bags at night, so as not to attract unwanted attention. Ronda turns in earlier than Madrid and Sevilla, although we walked back to our hotel (Royal) from the restaurant after 11:00 and it was fine.