Tourist Warning for Spain
 

Are any of you planning a trip to Spain concerned about the article threatening tourist on the Fodors home page? I though the fear of being mugged was bad enough.

Hey...i would also like some advice from some other people on this issue as well. I am heading of to Spain this summer, and I would not enjoy being blown up...

My fiance and I will also be honeymooning in Spain this summer. We'll be in Barcelona but this article sort of frightened me as well.

Having lived in Europe over 12 years, I can assure you that the threat of terrorism against Americans in Europe is constantly there. And you should be apprehensive. But don't let that stop you going, PLEASE! Yes, the threat is there. But the chance something will happen to you is extremely small. After all, how many Americans go to Europe in a year? Now, how many do you hear of getting blown up? You have a much greater chance of getting hit by a car in your home town than you do of getting blown up. First, realize it is just that--a threat, not an actuality. Soemtimes the threat is enough to meet terrorists' objectives, and nothing will happen. Then, just take the same precautions that you would take against petty theft. Don't go any place alone. Keep your wits about you. Pay attention to your surroundings. Don't set up a routine (which you probably wouldn't do since you are on vacation, anyway). If you see a package sitting all by itself, alert authorities quickly. Don't take a package from anybody if you haven't personally seen it being wrapped (i.e., don't let the storekeepers take it into the back room to wrap it for you). If you have a rental car, inspect it carefully before you get in. Keep it locked at all times, even when you are inside. With all these precautions, you should be very safe. I certainly wouldn't let this threat scare me into staying home, or keep me from having a good time when I'm there. I'm going to Spain myself, and don't plan on altering my plans at all.

Having lived in Europe over 13 years, I can assure you that the threat of terrorism against Americans in Europe is constantly there. And you should be apprehensive. But don't let that stop you going, PLEASE! Yes, the threat is there. But the chance something will happen to you is extremely, minutely small. After all, how many Americans go to Europe in a year? Now, how many do you hear of getting blown up? You have a much greater chance of getting hit by a car in your home town than you do of getting blown up. First, realize it is just that--a threat, not an actuality. Soemtimes the threat is enough to meet terrorists' objectives, and nothing will happen. Then, just take the same precautions that you would take against petty theft. Don't go any place alone. Keep your wits about you. Pay attention to your surroundings. Don't set up a routine (which you probably wouldn't have since you are on vacation, anyway). If you see a package sitting all by itself, alert authorities quickly. Don't take a package from anybody if you haven't personally seen it being wrapped (i.e., don't let the storekeepers take it into the back room to wrap it for you). If you have a rental car, inspect it carefully before you get in. Keep it locked at all times, even when you are inside. With all these precautions, you should be very safe. I certainly wouldn't let this threat scare me into staying home, or keep me from having a good time when I'm there. I'm going to Spain myself, and don't plan on altering my plans at all. I just plan on having a darn good time while I'm there

Oops, sorry for the double. It wouldn't post, then it posted twice! How?

The threats by ETA are not directed against Americans. They are directed agains the Spanish Government in Madrid. They have threatened to leave bombs in tourist resorts to discourage tourism and by this means, damage the government. There have been two bombs to date, one in a very small Catalan resort called Roses and one in a very Spanish resort near Valencia. They use car bombs, not packages. The two previous bombings involved cars stolen in France. Warnings were given in advance (like the IRA) and only one person was killed, a policeman who was hit by shrapnel. The chances of any of you being killed must be lower than the chance of being killed in your own country. Stay away if you are worried, but remember, this is exactly what ETA want you to do. Do you really want to support a terrorist group?

Terrorists have found bomb threats to be a great way to damage tourist-dependent economies. Look at Turkey a couple of years ago, they set off a bomb in a garbage can and then announced that they were going to start killing Americans, and the Americans stayed away in numbers that really hurt the economy.<BR>I'm going to Spain in May and not about to spend my life at home on the couch because something "might" happen.

What a cavalier attitude some of you have to life!Last summer I took a group to Spain.We just missed the bomb explosion in Madrid-right in the center and the day after we left a bomb killed a person in Malaga.Yes they don't target Americans just those unfortunat people of this planet called earth.It is right up there with how misguided patriotism can get and it doesn't matter if an innocent by stander happens to be in the way-horrific to even imagine.I was so fortunate to get back safely with my students.The group responsible has this twisted way of justifying thes violent acts by giving fair warning........

A threat of terrorist activity is always present. My husband and I went to Spain and stayed for 6 weeks. The Basque were really upset for some reason and were rumored to have warned travelers to stay away from Bilbio. Well the new museum was opening at the time of our trip. We went, we saw, we had fun and we even forgot about the threats. Bottom line: do what makes you comfortable. Travel involves risk as does going to school in America these days(the horrible shootings)

How dare you compare going to school with travel and bomb threats.I suppose you are of the mind that the shooting in Indiana was not so bad because he only shot the kid he had a problem with.

We were in Madrid from 17 to 20 March when the bomb exploded in the northern part of Spain but we did not experience anything out of the ordinary.<BR><BR>If you visit www.madridman.com, there is a whole discussion about safety in Madrid and I was very anxious to go there after I have read all the stories about pick pockets, etc.<BR><BR>We however went there and did not even see a mugging or anything else for that matter.<BR><BR>As the postings above said - be aware but do not be paranoid. Don't put your wallet in your back pocket and don't wear your $100 000 necklace. A money belt worn under my wife's clothes worked well for us.

I just returned from Barcelona and would just like to say that people need to relax with the warnings about Spain. After reading all the warnings on this web site (and others) I was starting to regret making my reservations. What a joke! Barcelona is a safer city than NY, my hometown. I saw 70 year old couples walking arm in arm at 1:00 AM in Barcelona. It is a beautiful and vibrant city, and you do it, and potential visitors a disservice by hysterically overstating o its crime patterns. To the city of Barcelona I say thanks for an unforgettable time, and I will be back soon!

Not aiming to make a political discussion about this, I think we HAVE to take sides here. If you modify tour itinerary and go to Portugal instead of Spain, you are supporting Baskos (correct spelling). If, in the other hand, you go to Spain anyway, you are supporting the Madrid Goverment, who ilegally retains the Basko Country from many centuries. The Baskos are right, the Spanish aren´t. So, in my point of view, the right answer is: go to Spain if you want to, but don´t complain if you are blowed by a car bomb. The correct answer is: don´t involve yourself into Spanish internal problems. Support Basko people (after all, they have the reason here) and go to Portugal.

Spain is pretty close to the top of the preferred destination list of German tourists and so the question of ETA threats was also discussed here. The German experts agreed that there was no relevant reason to avoid travelling to Spain. <BR><BR>By the way, if the ETA wanted to damage the tourist industry by hitting individuals because of their nationality, I think that they would go for Brits or Germans. I don't know the statistics but I'm reasonable sure that they make up the majority of tourists in Spain.

Hans: what are they supposed to do? Asking tourist for their passports in order to find out whether they are German or not? This people delver CAR BOMBS! Because of its nature, the bombs don´t choose targets. Believe me, I have Basko blood myself, and I understand their thinking ways. I altered myself my next trip to Spain, I´ll go to Portugal, Madeira and the Açores Islands? Why on Earth I should take unnecesary risks? I still remember the images with all those Muslim terrorists shooting innocent tourists at the Luqsor Temple...I think that video is explicit enough...

Marcelo: I agree that the ETA doesn't chose their targets with car bombs. But since some posters assumed that the ETA targeted Americans, I mentioned that they aren't the most important tourist group (at least I would be surprised if they were) and therefore not the prime target if the ETA wants to hurt the Spanish tourist industry.<BR><BR>As for risks, it wouldn't influence me as long as the chances of getting hurt in a car accident are a multitude of my chance of getting hurt by a car bomb. In my opinion, people learn to live with quite high risks simply by being accustomed to them but get nervous if they face a new risk, even if it is significantly lower than the ones they accept as a normal part of their life.<BR><BR>Whether you want to avoid Spain because of its Basque politic, is certainly up to you. But since I agree with you that this is not a place for a political discussion, we shouldn't start one.

Hans, mein gluchlichte freund: Got it, it´s up to the tourist. See, I have three kids. Almost 20% of Argentinians have Basko blood, as myself. Every Basko descendant will tell you he is an "etarra" (soldier in Euskera). So, better for me changing Madrid to Lisbon, and Canarias to Madeira. I have 50% Portuguese blood also (as you can see if you know enough Portuguese to decode my email address...<BR>Don´t give enough attentios to politics, and you will find yourself in a war! "War is the continuation of the politics by other means"... Von Clausewitz.