Concerns about crime in Madrid, Spain and Barcelona, Spain

Do not cancel your trip! I would have absolutely no compunctions about going back to Madrid or Barcelona (if I had any money)--and I am a white-haired 70-something female.

My recommendation would be to keep your money and credit cards in a money belt, don't go down dark streets, and in general, just be vigilant.

Have I missed something? I haven't heard of violence in Spain. Some pickpocketing, of course, but not violence.

there have been a number of threads re: the same subject.
A recent poster's purse was stolen
in Barcelona. Some people have been pickpocketed in Madrid.
We have been to both cities more than once and had no problems.
As a matter of fact, my friend and I are heading for Barcelona in 4 weeks.
Love it!

If you want security without taking any defensive steps, then yes, neither is a good city for you to visit.

Then again, so are many other cities.

I would neither say that it is safe or that I did not have any incidents. I expected pickpocket attempts and took defensive steps so I could relax and not to be paranoid about environment. Yes, someone got into my daypack in the subway in Barcelona. But so what? I expected that, so all it contained were maps, a water bottles, a sweater, and a guide book. The camera was under my jacket, money and credit cards and most cash were in my neck pouch or in my money belt.

There has been a lot of pickpocket activity on the Barcelona Metro FOR YEARS...if you are careful with your personal belongings you should have little if any problem.

Barcelona and Madrid are BIG cities..any "increase in violent crime" probably wouldn't have any direct affects on you anyway so i think cancelling a trip because of that would be shortsighhted.

These places are pretty safe if you practice common sense. One word of advice - watch your stuff very closely at La Boqueria market in Barcelona.

Regards and have a nice trip,
Oleg C.
www.Olegis.com

Madrid and Barcelona are safe cities - much safer than most U.S. cities. You won't encounter street crime. The only risk is pickpocketing - but with the usual precautions you will be on the safe side. Enjoy your trip!

..."These places are pretty safe if you practice common sense. One word of advice - watch your stuff very closely at La Boqueria market in Barcelona."

make that "everywhere".

You should be AWARE of the petty crime, but perhaps not too CONCERNED about it.

Do not cancel your trip but DO take seriously all these suggestions and advice to keep yourself and your property safe from these delinquents we have here that seem to be waiting for their prey to get distracted.

It isn't going to go away anywhere in the world so travellers must learn how to be smarter than the thieves.

A lot of travellers have learned that.. others have not learned it but been lucky, and some have learned it but let their own savvy guard down for a moment and gotten stung.

You can only do so much, but DO IT!Enjoy your trips and your efforts should be rewarded.

One safety tip (for your belongings), and this applies everywhere -- Do not hang your purse or backpack on the back of a chair or lay it by your feet and, in fact, don't put it on a table at a cafe ---- it's very easy for thieves in tourist areas to run by, grab the item and be gone.

FWIW, I was in Madrid last summer with my daughter. We took "normal" precautions, such as above, and had no problems or incidents.

I go to Madrid and Barcelona a few times a year and have never been robbed, but then again I do not take the Madrid metro from the airport, but the bus.

I have been witness to the thievery groups working other metro lines and buses I have been on, and starting to follow people on the street.. whom I have notified and warned.

I came back from Spain last week - spent three days each in Madrid and Barcelona. I didn't have any problems with crime. I did leave my passport and money in the hotel - in my Madrid hostal there was no safe and the owner said there had never been any thefts there so I just hid my passport and extra money in my suitcase - in Barcelona the room did have a safe. I rode the Metro from Madrid airport, had to make two changes with my suitcase on wheels. I am a New Yorker so I tried to be alert.

Several years ago I bought a light weight travel vest from Magellen Travel store. Its great for stashing all your stuff. That way you won't have to carry a purse, or if you do, just put books in it. I also use a small safety pin to pin the zippers closed on my many vest pockets too.

My daughter just moved to Malaga, Spain. Within a week of arriving she had her handbag stolen which contained cash (only a small amount); ATM and credit cards, mobile phone and worst of all passport.

But she was silly. She was in a restaurant with a group of friends. Got upt to go to the toilet and left her bag on her chair, thinking that it would be safe with the group of friends.

Well hopefully she learnt her lesson. I wouldn't do that at home (Sydney), much less when I was carrying pretty much all that is valuable to me in aforeign country. But then I am not 21 any more either.

As long as you take care, and remain aware, you will be fine.

Enjoy your trip.

I second the comment about being careful in La Boqueria. My sister's purse was stolen at a restaurant there by a very clever thief. Fortunetely, she had given me her debit card and passport to put in my money belt, but she did lose the expensive camera that was in her purse.

I suggest looping your purse strap around your chair leg. If anyone tries to make off with your purse, they won't be able to take it without a big fuss.

Common sense precautions are all that are necessary. If you are reasonably careful with your valuables on a regular basis, just be extra cautious when you travel and there should not be any problem. It probably helps to NOT advertise your relative "wealth" and make yourself a target. Use small bills, don't wear excessively expensive jewelry, pay attention to your surroundings when using an ATM...common sense.

I think that you are right to be aware of crime in both cities, but please don't cancel your trip! I have visited both places and in my opinion, petty crime tends to proliferate more in summer during the high tourist season than at any other time.

Be especially aware of your surroundings at major tourist sights - Las Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Plaza Major and Plaza Sol in Madrid - and while on public transport. Tourists are not targeted because of their "relative wealth" as one previous poster said (Spain is not an impoverished country), but because they are on holiday and are not as aware of potential dangers. On a bike tour of Barcelona we met two German tourists who had had their pockets picked twice on the same trip - yet they went in to visit the Sagrada Familia and left their backpacks behind on their bicycles - dumb, dumb, dumb!

Buy a money belt or a wallet that can go around your neck under your shirt - and use it. Keep small denominations of cash - no more than about €20 - in your pocket.

It is good that you are aware of potential problems - but try not to let that dominate your trip. Both cities are terrific places to visit and are loads of fun. Just be aware that they are bit cities with the crime to match.

Where do you live? Is it a city?

If so you probably are just as "safe" there.

I have been mugged once... and it was in Atlanta GA! LOL!
And in truth it was MORE dangerous here. Criminals in the US are MORE likely to have a gun!

I haven't read anything about recent increases, so I really don't know about that. But I don't think Madrid is so bad, when I was there a couple years ago. I do think you have to watch out more than you might in some other cities.

I do not agree with Carol that any city in the world is as dangerous as Madrid/Barcelona, and am sure she has no stats to back up her statements.

BTW, I do not wear a money belt or around the neck wallet, either. I carry a purse, but the one concession I make, to the fact that as a tourist I will probably be more distracted, is that I wear a purse with a cross-body strap, so the purse is always in front of me. The one I have (pictured here) is perfect size to hold money, glasses, camera and passport, and the wallet is attached to the purse so it won't get lost. This is what I used for Egypt, Madrid and London last summer.

http://tinyurl.com/dzoubc

For those who tell us that theft and street crime is not a problem in Barcelona -

from The Sydney Morning Herald 20 February 2009 -

"A who's who of the mobile industry... is in Barcelona this week for the Mobile World Congress...

Pickpocketing, theft and street crime has been rife during the congress, leading to calls for the event to be moved.

The Inquirer, a technology news website, reported that congress organiser GSMA told the mayor of Barcelona another city would be chosen if the level of theft did not decrease... "

Here's the full story -

http://tinyurl.com/dkayo8

Perhaps now with the big end of town involved and the prospect of Barcelona losing lucrative conferences, the local authorities may take an interest.

There is not a lot of violent crime. There are lots of purse grabs and pickpocketing - but as can be seen from some of the above posts - if you ignore your belongings you can't expect them to stay put.

Anyone using normal city smarts - and if you don;t have them -go get them, now - should be fine.

I think lesson learned here might be to not carry a purse. It has to be so much easier to steal a purse, especially one left unguarded while you eat dinner and it is strapped across your chair or under your seat/table, next to you, etc. People without purses may still be pick-pocketed but it seems to me to require much more expertise to do that and therefore, less likely.
With increased unemployment worldwide I think we probably should expect attempts at theft and be better prepared. I will be reconsidering my handling of money and cards during my trip next month.

Let's not let the Spanish authorities off too easily - the globe trotting telco honchos mentioned in the newspaper report above are not exactly lacking in big city street-smarts and there was also a stabbing mentioned.

When we travel in any big city in Europe or anywhere else, I carry a bag that I got from Magellan. It's @$59 and has a"slash-proof" strap, lots of compartments and zippered areas and holds 2 bottles of water. Carry it across your body for hands-free shopping and picture taking and don't worry.

When we travel my wife carries a very small purse with only the mandatory cosmetics Otherwise she has a very small wallet identical to mine and since I have larger pant pockets I keep our passports with me - noting in back poskets and not lots of cash, so we feel safe.

What is disturbing in Madrid, Barcelona, and now even on the Andulcian coast: is that there has developed a culture of crime after Franco. While crime exists in many parts of Europe, criminal behavior has minimal stigma in these parts of Spain. Many Spanairds and immigrants view tourists has justifiable victims, and even the locals turn a blind eye to the obvious activity.

My advice is: dont go to Spain for cheap airfare, cheap wine and Tapas. Go to Spain if you want to experience Spain, but consider the pitfalls. If crime is an issue for anxiety, choose another part of Europe.

Quite honestly I don't know why it is assumed this is specific to Spain.

My friends adult son was in Italy and had someone throw a live chicken at him (YES!) so when he droped his pack to cover his face they took his belonging. My uncle traveling in Amsterdam was the victim of a very carefully choreographed pick pocket on a train: The train bumped at a certain spot, the fellow in front of my uncle feigned lost balance and when my uncle tried to help steady him to keep him from falling, someone picked his pocket. The two acomplices looked world apart. One looked like a student, the other a businessman.

It happens everywhere. It happens where we live, where we work & abroad when we travel. Just follow the safeguards that others have recommended & be extra attentive when traveling.

What's really at issue here is not whether Spanish cities are any different to others in the level of crime - we've been through that before - but whether tourists appear to be targeted and whether the local authorities appear to be doing anything about it.

Well I hate to disagree but this is what the poster asked:

"I have been reading about an increase in violent crimes and pickpocketing in both Madrid and Barcelona. I am beginning to wonder if I should cancel my trip."

I realize this is an old topic. But I would hate to see them cancel, and go somewhere else thinking they would be safer elsewhere.

Ooops forgot to add, the rules about safety, alertness & caution are really the main point that needs to be stressed.
Assume any rukus is meant to distract you, and be wary of any person who approaches you to "help" when you did not ask for it.

I’ve run a cross a lot of threads like this and can’t help but notice how full of nonsense they are. The posts seem to fall into several categories.

1. I’ve been there and wasn’t robbed. So what! I the chances of being robbed are 1 in 10 or 1 on 100, most people will say that they have no problems. All it means is that they were lucky. I wouldn’t go someplace where my chance of being robbed is 1 in 10 or 100.

2. The same crime happens everywhere. That’s irrelevant. The question is not whether you can be robbed anywhere but whether you are much more likely to be robbed in Barcelona. Which you are. Even if you are not robbed, having to worry about it is a fun killer.

3. There is more crime in America. This is also irrelevant. A large percentage of crime in America is gang related. If you aren’t in a gang, it doesn’t matter. In fact, tourists are very safe in America. Tourists are not targeted here the way they are in European cities.

4. Blame the victim. I’ve seen robbed tourists described as “clueless” and failing to take precautions. This is a despicable attitude.

If crime is a major concern, then the trip isn’t worth it. If local authorities aren’t interested in keeping crime down, then they should suffer the consequences. That’s why I just cancelled any thoughts to going to Barcelona. It’s a big world, there are plenty of safer options.

Any particular reason you dug up a thread 18 months old to whine?

I've been going to Spain off and on for over thirty years and I don't think there is a greater risk to tourists there than in most other European countries. OK, I did have a jacket stolen in 1986 but I had left it unattended in a bar. I think it would be a shame not to visit Spain, which in my opinion is a delightful country, because of what I would think of as exagerated fears of crime.

There's not a lot of crime but there are the usual suspects that you can have anywehere: pickpockets, etc. Like in any big city: Keep your bag in front of you with your arm over it, walk in lighted areas, dont' put your wallet / money in your pocket, dont leave your bag at your seat when you go to the restroom, dont walk next to construction sites and parks at night - walk on the other side of the street or down another block where there are shops/restaurants, lights, and people. I really feel like these cities are VERY safe, particularly Madrid!! Clean, well-lit, people always around, and safe.

"Any particular reason you dug up a thread 18 months old to whine?"
Someone decided to give us a lecture and/or explain their decision for canceling a trip to a beautiful city. Their loss. And, who cares.

hornet - Everybody has their own ideas about what makes a trip "worth it". If petty crime is something that causes you to cross a destination of your list, then I can't fault you for that. I wouldn't recommend a place like that to my mom for the same reason - having to be overly concerned about petty theft would put a damper on her fun and she would be really upset if she were a pickpocketing victim. However, I wouldn't think twice about going myself. It's just about knowing yourself and enough about potential destinations to find a good match.

With the odd exception, I agree with what Imhorny said.

Passport stolen in Barcelona? -

"Spanish police in Al Quaeda passport sting"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/02/3082382.htm?section=justin

Why dredge up this old thread?

Oops, no 'u' in AQ (except if it's your passport).

I am going soon hopefully to Barcelona and Sicily. I have been many times and so far so good, although I had a bad experience in Madrid. Let us face it though, have you guys read the news about unemployment in the European Union and what is going on, first Greece, then Ireland, and who is supposedly coming next>?....my advice is be double cautious....I know I will be and I am also prepared to be hit by new taxes, like a new tax in Roman hotels already taking form...

My family was robbed in May 2011 on the highway leading to Barcelona. We were approaching the toll on the AP 7 leading to the exit for the C33 when a car pulled next to our rental car on the left hand side. We heard a loud sound (which probably was a good size rock thrown at the back of the car) and the people in the car next to us indicated that we had a problem with our tire. We pulled over to the side of the road and two men ran back to the car when my husband got out to check the tire on the passenger side. They pulled the doors open and one man grabbed my purse off the seat next to me in the back of the car. I was able to hold on to a backpack which he also tried to steal. All of our passports, a digital camera, some cash and one credit card were in the purse. Someone found the pocketbook at a train station in the suburbs minus the money and camera and called our hotel since the reservation for the hotel was also in the bag. At least we didn't have to replace the passports since they were still in the bag along with the credit card which I had already canceled. Be careful when driving on this highway since the exact same thing happened to someone else I met in France. Another French person told me her friends were robbed when stopped at a red light in Barcelona when 2 men approached their car with hammers and broke their car windows.

I had hoped they caught all those creeps lately. I see their cousins much be back at it. Yes, that toll road is notorious.. I 've been on it many times and never had an incident but am aware that it DOES happen. Good for posting.

We returned recently aafter spending 6 nights in Barcelona. I am happy to report no robberies. However we avoided the METRO except for one short trip in the LILA line which I am told is quieter, and took a bus only once in mid morning to go tho the museum up the hill. After that we walked, and took a few taxis. I figured it comes to some savings considering that the ONLY time we took the METRO in MAdrid during our last trip, were robbed by a group of guys I could swear were Rumanians.
At all times wore a belt or similar, and carried almost nothing anyway.
On the whole to be alert 24/ 7 was a little stressful. However I am happier now than the previous trip with the Madrid incident.

portmooseturner,
I cant tell you how sorry I am this has happened. Afew years back I said this, and the only things that have changed are the air and lodging costs



FrankSon Feb 21, 09 at 10:34am "What is disturbing in Madrid, Barcelona, and now even on the Andulcian coast: is that there has developed a culture of crime after Franco. While crime exists in many parts of Europe, criminal behavior has minimal stigma in these parts of Spain. Many Spanairds and immigrants view tourists has justifiable victims, and even the locals turn a blind eye to the obvious activity.

My advice is: dont go to Spain for cheap airfare, cheap wine and Tapas. Go to Spain if you want to experience Spain, but consider the pitfalls. If crime is an issue for anxiety, choose another part of Europe."

portmooseturner,
I cant tell you how sorry I am this has happened. Afew years back I said this, and the only things that have changed are the air and lodging costs



FrankSon Feb 21, 09 at 10:34am "What is disturbing in Madrid, Barcelona, and now even on the Andulcian coast: is that there has developed a culture of crime after Franco. While crime exists in many parts of Europe, criminal behavior has minimal stigma in these parts of Spain. Many Spanairds and immigrants view tourists has justifiable victims, and even the locals turn a blind eye to the obvious activity.

My advice is: dont go to Spain for cheap airfare, cheap wine and Tapas. Go to Spain if you want to experience Spain, but consider the pitfalls. If crime is an issue for anxiety, choose another part of Europe."

Spaniards are victims too. Have you not heard that the farmers in the Southwest near Cartagena are being robbed again and again...? when I was a few years ago in Tordesillas in the Province of Villadolid,Castille and Leon, it seemed almost everybody has been recently robbed, and the thieves were NOT locals, the owner a cafe told us how his cell phone had been robbed and then he got a long bill for long distance calls....guess to where? ...of course calls were made to the countries where thieves came from; the owner of the hairdresser shop in the same town told me how they got inside her shop, some women blocked the view and children stole anything they could get their hands on, including the customers purses and coats hanging around....
In another nearby town Medina del Campo, they told us howe extrangers rang the front door of some houses while some one else was stealing at the back,......are all victims tourists ? I don't think so,are all thieves foreigners >? I don't think so.....however they sure come from all over.

Life has surely changed. It was not only because Franco is gone, in those smaller towns people know each other and part of beauty of life was confidence. Most of them are hard working, honorable people that in the past left their doors unlocked and trusted their neighbors , not anymore.

About ten years ago in Madrid the police continued to smoke and actually laughed as someone was trying to get help when a thief was running away!
Over the past couple of years I have seen an increase in police presence-walking/on horseback and you can go and file a report at the police station.At least it appears the government is aware of the problem now making an effort.
Personally I think Spain was in a state of disbelief when these events first began and had no idea how to handle them!
The European Union and the fact that there is no passport control amongst all these countries allows these criminalss to roam freely throughout Europe-they use the seasons to rob the tourists especially in the spring and summer.
The biggest problem are the under age criminals.After being questioned by the police,They are set free after a few hours and go back to heir life of crime.
I have never been attacked or pickpocketed bu have seen these crimes being commited in Madrid and was really shaken up by it.
By the way,I don't go on the metro,I walk or take the bus in Madrid!

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/flexible-thief-hides-inside-suitcase-steals-from-other-bags-20110609-1ftui.html

juli 2011, catalunyan government stepped up security from about 18:00 onwards every day. Guardia, municipal, mossos armed with dogs on every corner. Not much action. Have not spotted any suspect this year.
Was mugged almost twice 25 years ago. Stay clear certain areas night time or certain areas day time. Don't wave tourist with dollasrs. Locals will warn you if you exaggerate.
City as safe as any other. Lot better then USA or straight dutch country village. Be a bit precautios and vigilant and no problem

Hi Joj,

For every million people who go to Europe, maybe 1% meet with an unfortunate incident.

About 95% tell the world about it.

What fraction of the other 99% write in to say, "I went to xxxxx and wasn;t pickpocketed"?

1% Ira?
Ive been to Europe less than two dozen times and I have been targeted at least 3 times I know about. Being a target never bothered me, it happens. What does concern me is the TYPE of crime in Spain. The criminal act, like a purse snatching, can occur right in front of a waiter, and they dont react or care. Ive seen them, and they arent surprised. There isnt a social stigma to crime.

It's not they don't care.. it's there is NOTHING they can do about it and they probably don't want retaliation from these mobsters.

Their is NO punishment in Spain for stealing..period. That is the problem. Your past record can't be used against you. The thief goes home to wait for a trial.. and is out on the streets during that waiting period.. which can be YEARS.

It's useless. No civilian understands how new laws can be passed quickly when congress wants to. (Abortion without parental consent for minors, the day after pill can be bought at ANY age WITHOUT a prescription., etc. etc.etc).

But toughening the laws in reference to petty crime just lingers.. In fact, they've gotten more liberal.

You CAN MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT. about four or five years ago, I did a tour of Spain. The tour started in Madrid and a week later finished in Barcelona. As we were on the coach headed back for the airport, the TD told the group she had been doing this tour for a while and we were the first group where there wasn't a single pick pocketing incident. Yes I know, it happens everywhere but I never felt threatened say in Germany or in Scandanavia the way I did in Spain. I'm sure it's not necessarily true but I have the feeling if I left something in a German restaurant and went back an hour later, it would still be there. Nowhere near the same sense in Spain.

As a matter of fact, in two weeks I will be doing a cruise on the Norwegian Epic out of Barcelona. While normally, I might wish to get there a couple of days early, I was so unimpressed by Barcelona and the thieves that seemed to be following our group around, I am flying into Barcelona on the evening before the cruise, staying in an airport hotel and will be taking a cab to the pier. I am sure I could do better by staying in downtown Barcelona and perhaps taking some upblic transportation; I do it all the time in London, Paris, Munich but the quicker I can get to the ship and get out of Barcelona, the happier I will be.

Very sorry if that offends anybody but that's just the way it is.

We traveled through Madrid and were astounded at the cleanliness and the police presence. My children, teen-ayers, felt safe enough to walk around the parks and on to star bucks.. We love Madrid. We did not always feel safe in Paris...though....

In general pickpocketing is not a violent crime. You wouldn't even know it was happening. Now in the US we have violent crime.

Excuse my typos. Didn't proofread enough AGAIN. Sorry.

"There is NO punishment"...

I´d never talk about crime in "Spain", but in big cities. Spain is a very, extremely safe country. Madrid and Barcelona are where most tourists head to and so are the mecca for thieves. But to talk about Spain as a dangerous country is really strange...

I suppose people are usually referring to places tourists likely travel on this board. But people talk about crime in countries as a whole in reference to the US on this board, I see it quite a bit (ie, CarolA's post near the top saying the US as a whole is more dangerous than other places, or that all cities are equally dangerous). Now I don't agree with that, but people do talk about the US being a dangerous country whereas the same thing holds. Is is really strange? maybe not totally accurate, but probably not really strange given the context

Over my life I have spent a year in Spain and have never been pickpocketed. I spent one day in Istanbul and I was and that was after I put my wallet in front pocket to protect it.

I spent another 6 days there and I would still go back to Istanbul.

I have seen street crimes in Spain and have relatives who were victims of street crimes. If that is your sole concern, do not go.

No one can assure another's safety, but if you are going to miss the country because you are worried, do not go.

There was terrorist incident in Istanbul while we there, there was horse rustling at a lodge we stayed at in Belize, a few places were bombed or machine gunned just before or after we visited them in Europe, Pope John Paul I died when we were in Venice, and I have been pulled over by the Guatemala military.

If you want safe visit Grandma.

Grandma?? Mine lived on Chicago's south side, and frankly, taking her up to her flat at night was hair-raising at times. Once we didn't even get out of the car, and drove around until the groupies left the area!

Ditto never been robbed or pick pocketed in Spain in over 40 yrs. but some of my guests/students and clients have been!

The family that comes to visit really gets the instructions and are very aware and nevr had a problem.. but sometimes others on their own get enthralled with the scenery or people watching and get distracted.

Don't cancel your trip!
Yes,pickpocketing is common in Barcelona and from what I hear, to a lesser extent, in Madrid.
However, with smart precautions you won't be a victim!
Don't place your wallet in your back pocket, don't use a backpack or wear it in the front when in public transportation or walking down the crowded Ramblas, keep your valuables well hidden, etc.

It would be a shame canceling your trip to two great destinations over something that you may encounter in any big city in Europe or elsewhere!