Safety in S. Spain
 

Hi there! <BR>We would like to know how safe it is in places like Seville, Granada, and Cordoba, both during the day and night. Also, how safe is it to move around with a video camera. We are planning to visit end of May. Do we HAVE to book for hotels in advance, or we can take a chance to find one once we get there? Any information will be appreciated. Also, I saw many people talk about Ronda, is it also an interesting city like Granada, Seville, or there is something unique about Ronda? Are ATM machines readily available, and we can use regular north american bank cards? Please help.

Kay, <BR> <BR>In spite of the many postings here about purse snatchings, etc.. in Spain, I continue to think it is no worse than other tourist destinations in the US or Europe. I think that a person walking alone at night with obvious jewelry, expensive camera, etc...in Los Angeles or Chicago or New York would be seen as much as a target as in Seville. I remember last year when we were ataying at the Paradoe in Granada and my husband and I considered an evening stroll down to the center of Granada and the Albaicin and I asked the hotel clerk if it was safe to walk at night as the streets were not well lit and he looked up at me with a shocked expression and said "Senora, this is not Miami! In Spain we have no guns like the United States!" Again, I do not want to minimize anyone's trauma if they have experienced crime abroad, but I have to agree that things are probably worse here. <BR> <BR>Maria <BR> <BR>P.S. As to the rest of your question, Ronda is great, deserves a day, there are ATM machines everywhere in Spain, we always book in advance as we don't want to spend the time on vacation trying to patch together arrangements for a bed late at night and it is always possible you will unknowingly be travelling to a city that is hosting a special event or festival that resutlts in no rooms being availbale in the vicinity for days. We are not video people so can't help you there.

Hi Kay. We were never concerned about safety in any of those cities. We were out and about quite late in Seville and never worried about our safety. It always makes sense to avoid wearing flashy jewelry and to make sure your valuables are in a safe place. <BR> <BR>Maria's right on the money regarding hotel reservations, you never know if something special's in town. We had a horrible time last year trying to find a hotel in Barcelona in May because of a convention and we were reserving months in advance. You also waste time that should be spent enjoying the cities, trying to find suitable accomodations. <BR> <BR>ATM's are readily available all over Spain. Make sure you have a 4 digit PIN. Our card is linked through the Cirrus network and we had no problems using it anywhere. <BR> <BR>Ronda is a quaint town up in the hills. The drive up to Ronda is spectacular, I actually thought that was the best part of the trip (we were coming from the Costa del Sol side however). Once we were there, we just wandered through town and walked down into the gorge for a fabulous view of the bridge.

I am recently returned from Spain and recommend Ronda. It is a slow go if you're driving, however, as the approach roads are curvy and feature lots of slow moving traffic. It is mostly a place to enjoy vistas and shopping and it features Spain's oldest bullring. Relative to safety, carry a money belt with your passport in it. I did not see many people with video cameras when I was there in the end of March, however, I never got the impression anywhere I went in the South that I was going to be strong-armed. Be careful where you set it down, however. Keep it in your lap when dining (esp. outside)to avoid someone snatching it off of your table and tossing it to a partner who'll dash with it. In Granada be sure to visit the Arab quarter (Albycin) for Middle Eastern tapas and in Cordoba be sure to visit the Alcazar for a more scenic garden than the Alahmbra in my view...I would book hotels in advance for better rates and to assure you have somewhere descent to stay. You'll have a good time ;-) (wink) <BR>

Fodors <BR> <BR>You ask about safety. The consuls of four countries hear of new scams, thefts, and dangers, so give good advice. This is found <BR>from Australia on http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice <BR>from Britain on http://193.114.50.10/travel <BR>from Canada on http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/menu-e.asp, under "Travel Reports" <BR>from the USA on http://travel.state.gov, under "travel warnings" <BR>Some experienced American travellers find the American site over-cautious. It is therefor useful to check all four sites. <BR> <BR>I have never myself felt unsafe in any part of Spain at any time. <BR> <BR>I'm afraid I don't knw whether you ave to book rooms ahead. <BR> <BR>Yes: Ronda is a fine place, though not quite up to the level of Grenada, Seville and Cordoba. You can read it up if you go into http://www.yahoo.com, then open "Ronda Travel". <BR> <BR>ATM machines are common in Spain. American cards work in them, with a 4-digit PIN code. If you haven't such a code you can ask your card issuer for one. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Hanes, London <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Hi Ben, Chris, Kristi, and Maria: <BR> <BR>Thank you for taking the time to respond to our questions, and give us different tips. We really appreciate. We would also like to thank Nalneesh for responding with tips a few days ago. Again, thank you all. Cheers.