Well, the Times of London article changed our minds about Barcelona (for good or ill, we'll never know)...we thought we might try San Sebastian, because we would still love to go to Spain. Any thoughts? Need to make up our minds ASAP! <BR> <BR>thanks! <BR> <BR> <BR>steve

Steverino, <BR>Please do go! It's a lovely, elegant, sophisticated (slightly Parisian), friendly city (with fabulous food and innumerable atmospheric tapas bars in the Old Quarter, "la Parte Vieja") which we visit almost every year. This summer we're again headed to the Basque Country and have planned 5 days in the San Sebastian area for late July. If it were a crime-ridden place, we obviously would stay away. It's hard for us NOT to include S.S. in our vacation plans. It always beckons. <BR>One caveat: hotel space will be at a premium, particuarly for the last 2 weeks in July during the Jazz Festival, so I would make reservations right away. The venerable Belle Epoque "Maria Cristina" is the luxury option (member of the Starwood group), the 4 star Costa Vasca (Aramzazu group) is very comfortable with garden and pool near Ondarreta beach, the Best Western affiliated 3 star Europa is a great mid-range choice only 1 block from La Concha beach , and for a rather elegant boutique type "budget" option, housed in an elegant 19th c. building in a toney residential section near Ondarreta , there's the Galeria, or only 2 blocks from La Concha, the family run Hostal Alemana provides comfort, a great location and has large rooms (and a pleasant brk. rm) for only about 12,000 pts. <BR>And don't forget to visit two very interesting Basque fishing villages, just 1/2 hr away-Pasai Donibane (Pasajes de San Juan in Spanish) and the very pretty Hondarribia (Fuenterrabia) near the French border. And the Guggenheim in Bilbao is only an hr. away from S.S. <BR>We love San Sebastian and the surrounding area!

Criminal rate in the Basque Country is among the lowest in the world. Well, in Donostia (Basque name for San Sebastian) there are usual pick pockets of cities, but, be sure they are very few, obviously you should not let anything of value in your car, although it would be strange that anybody broke into it, it is much easier to take those simple precautions. You will be able to strol at any time, day and night in any Basque city without fearing of robberies. And do not worry because of political violence, it has never been against tourists, so you probably won't note the struggle, unless you read papers or watch TV. Ask for any info you want (although I'm from Bilbao, not Donostia, but go there frequently).

Steverino: <BR> <BR>You're letting one piece of sensationalist garbage journalism change your mind about going Barcelona? Too bad. Your loss.

yyz, I read that Times of London article . Do newspapers sensationalize stories to sell papers? Of course they do. On the other hand, if crime in Barcelona was not a problem, I don't think the U.S. State Dept. would be saying the following (in their Consular Information Sheet for Spain and Andorra, dated April 4, 2001)... <BR> <BR><I>CRIME: While most of Spain has a low rate of violent crime, the principal tourist areas are experiencing increasing crime directed against tourists. Madrid and Barcelona, in particular, have reported a growing incidence of muggings by gangs brandishing weapons and/or using force.</I> <BR> <BR>Now, my girlfriend & I were in Barcelona for six days about a year ago, and had no problems with crime whatsoever. I would not hestitate to return to Barcelona and I think it's unfortunate if anyone lets their fear of crime keep them from visiting this wonderful city. But, we all have our own levels of acceptable risk, and I <I>do</I> think there seems to be a problem, a growing one, that should be acknowledged, not dismissed. <BR> <BR>The same Consular Information Sheet -- at http://travel.state.gov/spain.html -- also has this to say about the Basque country... <BR> <BR><I>SAFETY AND SECURITY: The ETA Basque terrorist organization remains active in Spain. ETA efforts have historically been directed against police, military, and other Spanish government targets. Since November 1999 ETA has conducted scores of attacks, resulting in over two dozen deaths. In March 2001, ETA issued a communique announcing its intention to target Spanish tourist areas. While ETA has targeted tourist areas in the past, the size and the location of past bombings suggest that they were not intended to cause serious injury. Since 1999, a smaller Marxist group, GRAPO, has mounted several attacks, and has killed three people. Americans have not been the specific targets of the attacks of either of these groups.</I>

Capo, I definitely wouldn't dismiss the problem. I've been there twice. I just returned a couple of weeks ago, and compared to '97 when I was last visited, the police presence is significantly more visible now. That doesn't mean that they have the problem under complete control (which is impossible anywhere in the world), but at least the Ajuntament and the police are making an effort to get the some of the egg off of their faces. <BR> <BR>I guess it's just that Times's portrayal of the city as some urban crime free-for-all is what irks me the most. As most can attest, Barcelona is no more dangerous/risky than any other tourist destination in the world. Que sera sera.

yyz, thanks for your comments. <BR> <BR>I didn't perceive the Times article in quite the same way you did, as portraying Barcelona as some kind of an urban crime free-for-all, but I understand your point. <BR> <BR>While I doubt the author of that article made up victims, or crimes, to sensationalize the story, she could've put them into some perspective: e.g. comparing crimes against tourists with the number of tourists who visit, and/or comparing crimes in Barcelona to other European cities. <BR> <BR>If you found the police presence to be significantly more visible now as compared to 1997 (I've only been there once, so I can't compare), then it sounds like the authorities have, at a minimum, acknowledged the problem, and are trying to take some preventative measures. <BR> <BR>I'm not saying this should happen, but <I>if</I> tourism were to drop off significantly due to fears about crime, I'd bet that authorities would take even stronger measures, preventative or otherwise.