Lil485

Hello

My mother (50yrs) and I (28yrs) will be traveling Spain for 2 weeks May 11 - May 25th. We will be visiting Madrid, Seville, Granada and Barcelona with a couple day trips in between. While traveling I bought us slash safe PacSafe neck pouches for us to carry our belongs my first question to you all especially savy travel ladies who have traveled with this product, is the PacSafe neck pouch safe worth it? I've noticed that it pops out in the back but has it caused any problems or issues?

2nd question. I've spent time in Madrid and have visted Granada and Barcelona, but what are some saftey or trvael tips one can recommned for ladies traveling this Seville? I know that Seville is city or narrow streets one can get lost.....what areas are worth aovind?Where should we go and what should we avoid?

3rd question: Overall in Spain, how has the atompshere been for ladies traveling spend together, any current cautions to know about?

Thank you

Robert2533

In answer to your first question, anything like the neck pouch is a signal that you car carrying something valuable and could become a target. The best bag to carry would be what most Spaniards use, an across the chess bag (small if possible).

In answer to your second question, just stay alert. The streets are not narrow and dark. Most are well lit at night and active with people.

In answer to your third question, refer to the above answer, and try to relax.

stokebailey

My college age daughter and I spent a recent week in Seville, loved it, walked everywhere at all hours to and from our Triana apartment, did not have anything like a problem.

She thinks she's streetsmart but has a tendency to leave purses lying around. I was more vigilant, after hearing how pickpockety it supposedly is there. Both of us wore our purses, mine a large leather flap top one, across our chests. We used normal city precautions otherwise.

A few times people approached us, either selling something or seeking donations, but took No for an answer always. I had an old pouch type thing in my suitcase to wear under my clothes, but never bothered with it.

I'm with Robt. Except some of the streets are very narrow indeed in Santa Cruz neighborhood. The most threatened I felt was one rainy night when one taxi after another roared past us while we stood on <12" sidewalks.

Robert2533

Narrow is when you can't drive a car (or SUV) down it, or you wouldn't think so until you're in the medina or kasbah of most old quarters.

adrienne

You didn't give a link so we have no idea which purse you bought. If you put it under your shirt it will be uncomfortable and will bulge. If I were a thief, you are the person I would target as I'd think you're carrying a lot of cash.

My question is what are you going to be carrying in it that you have to have a special purse? I carry enough cash for a day or two in a small coin purse that goes into my cross body bag - the same bag that I use every day at home. My credit/ATM cards go into the zippered compartment. It's light weight and doesn't pull your neck. The bag never leaves my body, especially when eating in restaurants.

https://www.lesportsac.com/Deluxe_Sh..._wCharm?color=

StCirq

I absolutely loathe any sort of thing that hangs on my neck (if that's what you're talking about) or hangs on my waist. I can't stop thinking about how abnormal and uncomfortable it is. For me, the solution to traveling abroad safely is to have exactly the sort of equipment I am used to at home, rather than having to accustom myself to some new gizmo. So I use the same cross-body bag I use most of the time at home. No surprises.

adrienne

Plus, every time you want to buy something like a bottle of water or ice cream or pay for admission or lunch you have to take this thing out of your shirt or stick your hand inside your shirt to get the money.

Try it at home first and see how it works for you.

thursdaysd

I travel with this: http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-N-Clark-...rds=money+belt

Much less obvious than a neck pouch. I put it on in the morning and forget it until I take it off at night. I wear it with the pouch at the back. If I have a hotel safe I don't wear it, but the places I stay often don't have one. I keep one day's cash in my day bag. I'm sp used to wearing it that when I get home from a trip I feel undressed without it.

nytraveler

Cannot agree more that those pouches just attract a lot of attention. Use you normal purse (but make sure it goes across the body - and put cash and card in different sections/pockets - so even if you lose drop something you still have the rest.place

Most places in Spain are safer than most any place in the US. You just need to not carry a lot of cash and keep track of what is going on around you. And NEVER allow strangers to approach you with some sob or other story. Just say NO loudly and kep going.

november_moon

For travel, I have a small cross - body handbag. It is a regular handbag, not a travel - specific type of bag. It fits my wallet, sun glasses, small map. It is small enough to easily hold on my lap on restaurants and hold close on the Metro, etc.

cathies

I use a small Mark Jacobs cross body bag and it's perfect. We have a SMALL backpack for water, maps etc which my HB carries. It is NOT big enough to side swipe people if he turned around, unlike some that can positively knock you off your feet.

cathies

I should add that we usually wear clothes that have a couple of zip pockets so I'll put €20 in one pocket and a credit card in another one so that I can't ever lose everything.

Lil485

My bad, this is what neck pouch I'm inquiring about
http://pacsafe.com/coversafe-75-anti-theft-neck-wallet

cathies

I'd like to see it on the model underneath the singlet she's wearing!

You are travelling in May when the weather will be quite warm. Would you agree that a pouch like that one will be very visible underneath summer weight clothes. It might be an option if you were travelling in cooler months and wearing more clothes.

will_power27

I agree with thursdaysd, if you are carrying a lot of money / passports, a money belt that goes around the waist is a lot easier to hide than the neck pouch. Normally, when I travel, I use the money belt for anything I am quite sure I am not going to need in the day, but am not comfortable leaving at the hotel. I use a purse for any less valuable items / smaller bills.
My mother and I were in Spain three years ago (both females) and we had no problems. We felt safer there than we do in big U.S cities. Just be aware of your surroundings and you should be fine.

lateinlifetraveler

It does seem too bulky to wear under your clothes. I think the wire enforced cord might rub or chafe your neck too. If needed, I use the type that goes around the waist under clothes and only carry a days worth of money in my purse or a zippered pocket. You never of course access the pouch under your clothes in public! I think that if the neck pouch is used at all in public than a thief will know exactly where you keep your money.

adrienne

Why do you think you need this product and what are you going to put in it? If you had thought this was a great idea you wouldn't have posted, asking what others thought about it.

I think this is a case of buyers remorse.

Ask yourself why your only questions posted on this board are safety concerns. Focus on the food and the sights and relax.

mama_mia

On my first trip to Italy with the family, I stashed passports and my credit and ATM card in a waist pouch while traveling on trains. I really hated it because it made me sweaty and added pounds to my normally flat belly (one of my few good features). Also awkward when we needed to access things.

Since then, I have just used my normal cross body bag with good inside pouches. Some of my fellow travelers have used the neck pouch and I did notice it sticking out at the neckline.

My main worry these days is going through train stations and while on public transit. Then I am just more vigilant with my crossbody bag.

If you are traveling light (with only a carry on) then you should be fine moving through train stations with just. However, if you have multiple bags, some large, that are awkward to handle, then something like a Pacsafe is not a bad idea.

But it is better to travel light.

MarthaT

I also just travel with a crossbody bag. Lots of inside zippered places to put things.
I would never wear something like this because it is to obvious under clothes.
I notice tourists wearing things like this all the time and can't believe they think it is secret. either the neck cord hangs out or you can plainly see the form under their shirt or blouse.

thursdaysd

"Also awkward when we needed to access things."

YOU DO NOT ACCESS IT. The whole point of a money belt is to hold things you don't need during the day. On the rare occasions when you do - e.g. after visiting an ATM - you find a restroom. And if you don't like the way it looks with the pouch in front, wear it at the back, it should fit nicely into the hollow below your waist.