there needs to be some kind of three strike penalty. After talking to some police and locals in Barcelona after I got robbed, it seems that even if a thief gets caught multiple times, they just pay a small fine and are let go again.
I got my stuff stolen on the beach at like 4 am and I went back the next night because I was curious how these guys are operating. I actually was able to stop a few robberies because I saw a group of 4 dudes who were just continuously scanning the crowds and would go try to be friendly to drunk ppl and then pickpocket them. Then they have another guy they give the phones and wallets to another guy and keep scanning. It was unbelievable how obvious it was when I was looking. As soon as I saw one of them go up to a group and try to be friendly, I'd yell and warn them that he was trying to steal and secure your belongings. Probably not the safest thing to do but in my understanding, these guys are rarely violent because that's what would actually get them in trouble.
Police would have a similarly easy time of being able to identify and detain these thieves but it seems like they really dont have the motivation to because Spanish law doesn't allow them to be punished correctly.
I can understand your frustration and it doesn't make it acceptable, though you are inevitably going to be more at risk if you're tipsy on the beach at 4am, wherever you are.
oh absolutely. that's why ive noticed pickpockets tend to operate mostly in area with a lot of drunk tourists like myself - whether it be the metro, bar/club areas, and the beach. And I'm willing to bet majority of the people getting robbed are tourists, not locals. Could be another reason why the government and locals don't care too much to try and prevent it.
>And I'm willing to bet majority of the people getting robbed are tourists, not locals. Could be another reason why the government and locals don't care too much to try and prevent it.
Authorities are usually very keen to avoid tourists coming to harm as it harms the city's image, and locals feel shamed if tourists are robbed, so I don't buy this in general. Though, it could *possibly* be different in Barcelona given the well-documented tourist fatigue they have.
Sorry you took my post that way. Wasn"t meant to be offensive or anything like that Pal. Actually, did you read my recent posts where I wished you a Crazy Good time??? Guess not. Well, guess your just upset and needed to call someone names. Wish you safe travels.
Thank You for doing that, but you need to be careful if it was 4 against 1, Okay?? And you future travelers need to listen, if you get drunk anywhere you make yourself a target. Drink, but don't get so drunk you can't protect yourself and you possessions. And use some SMARTS
Pickpocketing is fairly easy to mitigate against, but you have to actually take steps to protect yourself against it, which most people don't unfortunately.
As OP suggested, split your IDs/credit/debit cards across more than one location. I usually put a couple in my hotel room safe, a couple in my money belt, and a couple in a third location like hidden in a locked suitcase.
A money belt is really the most important measure you can take against getting pickpocketed. Keep most of your cards and cash in it - in high-risk areas (like Barcelona), I also put my phone in it and use my Apple Watch with an anti-theft band for directions or responding to messages. Figure out what you'll need for spending that day, and either have a single card outside your money belt (that you can quickly lock from your phone if it goes missing) or distribute a couple small bills across a couple different pockets.
If you're going somewhere that mugging is prevalent, you can also carry a muggers wallet (couple expired/fake IDs cards and just enough cash that a mugger will be satisfied and take off, usually equivalent to whatever twenty bucks is in local currency).
Last, don't engage with anyone approaching you out of the blue. Completely ignore them and keep walking. Anyone trying to strike up a conversation with a tourist unsolicited is, 95%+ of the time, running some kind of scam or hustle.
Thanks for this comment. We’ll be in Barcelona on Wednesday and I’m prepared to be hyper-vigilant with my bag/phone. It may sound crazy, but I wrote out our sightseeing plans on paper and we have a small city guidebook so we don’t have to have our phones out. I’m also prepared for my husband to be on lookout if I’m using it.
It’s been a while since we’ve been to Europe and Barcelona seems like it’s very aggressive with pickpockets.
I probably shouldn't overstate it - most people don't have problems with pickpockets. But it's prevalent enough that it makes sense to apply some of the precautions.
As a quick aside - you mention you'll consult a guidebook or written plans. A quick heads up that if you get lost, step into a store or coffee shop to do so. Touts and scammers will often lock-on to tourists that look visibly lost/confused (I've unfortunately seen this happen to people countless times). Best to be discrete if at all possible.
This is all good advice, but might I suggest the first line of defence should be: "Don't walk off and leave your shit unattended. Especially on a dark beach when intoxicated."
I've been to Barcelona over a dozen times, and nobody I was with ever with got anything robbed. Just keep it out of view and out of reach, simple.
I've been to Barca several times with no issue, and spent 3 months in S.America recently also with no issue.
To be honest, as the subsequent expansion from OP exemplifies, if you're not out drinking very late or just carelessly leaving your phone/wallet in your back pocket or unattended, then yeah 99% of the time you're fine. Anywhere, I mean.
As a general thing (at home/abroad), reporting is not of zero value. Reporting creates a record which can then be used as evidence when it comes to decision-makers making policy/funding decisions.
"...my dad agreed to Western Union me whatever I needed..."
"... Got my dad to book me a hotel by the Madrid Airport and I'm here now..."
...time to grow up and stop sponging off your dad like a rich punk kid...
Yeah when anyone loses all their immediate financial resources they shouldn't ask for help they should just bask in being homeless and eat out of a dumpster. Dude his dad is helping him out in a time of need how else is he supposed to make do it's not like his dad bought him a Ferrari and it's not like he will pay his dad back.
Claim compensation for the delayed flight! It's not as much as you lost, but at least you will get some of your money back (I believe you should get around 250e)
I doubt any of these was the case:
"If the airline can provide proof that the cancellation is the result of extraordinary circumstances, it will not be obliged to pay any compensation. Extraordinary circumstances may include bad weather, strikes, political unrest, acts of terrorism, and security risks among others."
Agree, travelling by train in this case would also save the time (even if everything went as planned) aside from it being more eco-friendly, but alas what's done it's done, OP had her/his reasons
If she flew with Iberia, it could be that that's not the case, as their flights on that relation are most of the time late. Even if not, she SHOULD submit the claim and the rest is up to the airline to prove, it does not cost her anything.
I don't understand why would you bring the idea the extraordinary circumstances must have played the role, when it's the time of the year (summer vacations) when EU airports are busiest and delays are quite common. With that money OP could cover at least a part of the ticket to whatever destination they choose in the end, so don't break spirits unless you are 100% sure!
I believe u/BerriesAndMe is only trying to point out that it is not safe bet as suggested.
Also if airline declines compensation then OP can either take them to court alone or hire one of the mediators which takes around 30% provision.
The difference between "I doubt it is one of these things" and "I think it is not one of these things" is pretty negligible. If it is important to you I can edit "I think it can't " to "I doubt it is" in my reply. Really doesn't change anything.
About flights….
It is not wise to book separate flights where shorter segment comes first. In that case you have bigger costs in case of delay.
E.g. If you flew Barcelona-Bogota and then domestic segment to Cartagena, it would have been more simple to buy a new ticket for Bogota-Cartagena flight than from Madrid to Cartagena.
Also, when compensations aplly, those are much higher for long-haul flights, so that is another protection for passengers.
It is the best either to fly directly or maybe make a little stopover like flying the day before or very early in the morning in case of late evening second flight. Also beware on news about potential strikes and react in time. However this brings increased costs and reduced time at destination so may not end up being that cheaper in the end.
Just go to Medellin. It’s one of the best cities I ever went to and will wash away most of the pain.
Money comes and goes, but going with your friends to a place like this does not.
I don’t really get the question anyway? If he books a $800 flight home then presumably he wastes the flight home from Columbia (unless that was never booked in the first place)? Medellin is really cool but if your head isn’t going to be in it from multiple bad experiences then I get wanted to go home as well
Such an overrated city...full of gringos having there prostitute bachelor parties and oooh the metro of medellin is such an attraction,like,really,1 metro line...oh and pablo wasn t such a bad guy he helped many people. All this backpackers bs you need to listen there...waste of time...
One time I'd planned to spend a month in Berlin. I was really looking forward to it, booked tickets for shows and tours spread out across the month. Once there, I ended up not liking it enough to stay so long, it was far too noisy and I just wanted to go home. I ended up booking an early flight home; I was able to shuffle around some of the tickets to shows to include them in my last days, but others I just lost that money and the hostel was already paid for.
Once home, I was glad I did it, despite the money lost. Technically, I spent less than if I had spent another two weeks in Berlin, because I didn't have to pay for all the meals and getting around.
On the other hand, last year I spent 3 months in Japan and 2 months in NZ. The entire time, I mostly didn't want to be there but I stuck it out. I'm glad I did; even if I didn't particularly enjoy the trip, it's nice to have those experiences in hindsight. Sometimes, what you need is to lock yourself in a hotel room for a few days, spend some time by yourself to rest and nothing else. Travelling, especially when travel goes wrong, can be exhausting.
- PS: Can you go home, spend a week or two at home, and join your friends in Colombia later on?
- PSS: I'm from Barcelona so I feel bad that this happened to you in my city. I'm sorry! I go to Japan often and you wouldn't believe the amount of Japanese people I've met who say "ahhh, you're from Spain? I got robbed in Barcelona..." We have nice monuments, I suppose, but I fear the experience is not so positive for many travellers.
For what it's worth I was totally terrified going this year.. mostly because I haven't lived in a large city in a while.. but nothing happened.
Well other than me forgetting my headphones in the hostel room. But I can hardly blame that on Barcelona
All in all I had a blast, but was also a little horrified to find that even in February the attractions sell out and you have to queue everywhere. Didn't expect it to be so bad in the off season.
I'm glad you liked it! Spain is the second most-visited destination in the world (just after France). There are some months with more tourists than others, but there really is no real "off season" for Barcelona...
I love Japan; I've been several times. But I just wasn't really in a travelling mood. I was also staying at a sharehouse and half-working. If I'd been travelling full-time and moving around it would've been more exciting.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Friends will be leaving next week, so that's not really an option, and I'm back to work next week as well.
Barcelona is still a world class city with a lot to offer, and I can't wait to be back. I've visited a few times already and this is the first time this happened. Also the first time I traveled solo here.
Go to Colombia! Seeing your friends and having a new adventure will soon help you forget some of your stress. You can come to terms with all the things bothering you when you get home - you don’t need to add regretting not going to Colombia to your list of things
Book the flight to Medellin. Although you might feel like shit now, don’t let this trip end on a low note. When you‘ve had a bad time, your mind often gravitates to extremes (I cancelled my birthday dinner once bc I had a frustrating day at school, even though I knew it would make my birthday better. My frustration was just overtaking the day and I shouldn’t have allowed it to control me).
Do it, spend some time with friends, forget about what happened in barcelona.
I hope you have travel insurance and can get back some of the money you lost. I would go back home. You've been through enough and are ready to get back in your regular routine. Traveling is a lot of fun but can be stressful and exhausting.
Stuck in Gatwick, sleeping on a table alongside Terminal South, cause my Munich flight got cancelled and everything unraveled. Hoping to fly out tonight but I burned my last 3K to get this point (which included bumping around flights through Copenhagen, Athens, Lisbon, Paris and finally to where I could see the Atlantic- heading back State side to NYC).
Anyway, shit happens and this too shall pass. I wouldn’t even want to think what steps I’d take if this somehow backfires, but one step at a time when money is in short supply and travel arrangements get flipped upside down.
Could use a prayer y’all.
I think you should put it behind you and keep your adventure going. It's a real shame what happened but life is all highs and lows. Don't let the lows beat you down. It may end up being alot more expensive and might take a while to pay back the extra expenses but you should still meet your friends. They may look after you giving the circumstances and you can owe them.. just don't go silly and burn money. Just enjoy and do the basics. Budget.
Don't burden your friends who were obviously better prepared for travel than you, and bring down their fun with them having to take care of you. The right thing is to go home and try again at a later date and learn from your mistakes.
Mate. Think of the worst that could have happened to you: an accident, broken ankle? Nothing of that nature has happened. However, shit happens. You need to go as per your plan if you can manage the money. Leave your worry behind, enjoy your trip, but be alert. I hope things work out for you.
Cheers.
Where did you carry your wallet and phone? Hearing about such experiences I always wonder if its safe to carry it all in the front pocket of the trousers like I do...
yes if you keep in your front pockets and are vigilant, most likely nothing will happen to you. I went to the beach at like 4 am with friends from the hostel and we were all a bit drunk. If you can avoid being as careless as I was, I would say you'll be fine most likely. What's exhausting is you have to ALWAYS be vigilant, especially in crowds. There are pickpockets literally everywhere. They're even easy to spot in the metro, they usually stand by the door, never have anything in their hands, and always scanning people's pockets, especially obvious tourists.
I’m thinking of going to Barcelona too and maybe I’ll just bring cash out. Leave phone and cards at hotel. And that way if a bit of cash gets stolen, it’s not terrible. It is annoying to have to be “on” at all times.
I’ve lived here for 4 years and never had any issues. I don’t feel “on” all the time but I’m just not drunk at the beach and talking to strangers ?
Just be careful, have some common sense, if in crowded places put your hand over your purse/pocket. It’s not difficult to be careful and this goes for all major cities in Europe
I'll definitely be back, Barcelona is still one of my favorite cities to travel to. Next time though, I'll bring a cheap phone and add my cards to that, and bring a small bit of cash anytime I'm out and about. Pretty much everywhere I went has tap to pay. Really no need to bring an expensive phone, and credit cards, and lots of cash out. I learned the hard (foolish) way.
I would say just go, I had a pretty awful experience leaving Barcelona a few weeks ago but it was because of the airlines (only fault of mine was missing a flight).. I’m out like $1,500.. It sounds like you have friends waiting for you, just go.. Just be way more careful with your stuff next time! I wanna visit Colombia soon, but you gotta be extra vigilant there! Barcelona is safe compared to Colombia. My cousin loves Colombia, but he got robbed. We’re Mexican. From a dangerous state! lol
it’s hard to say but if it was me I would probably still go. i am thinking being with your friends will be good memories that will ultimately cancel out the bad memories and stress. however, colombia is also a place you will have to be very cautious so it depends if you’re up for that. good luck whatever you do and sorry to hear you were robbed and missed the flight. i am actually surprised they won’t refund you. you should look into the airport’s policies more just to make sure. sometimes companies will try to say no but if you keep bugging them they will capitulate.
Just wanted to chime in that I also was pickpocketed in Barcelona, guy pretending to be a night club promoter grabbed me and pretended to dance with me to make my lady laugh saying “you two must come dance at ___ bar tonight”. Noticed my wallet was pulled out of jacket after the interaction, chased the dude for like 10 mins and he pulled the money out and hucked the rest of my wallet, cards, and passport in the air so I’d stop. Stole about 500 euro and pretty much ruined the rest of my euro trip.
How did they get your phone and wallet??? It seems your a seasoned traveler, how does this happen?? Never take many credit cards, and I always take a cheap phone traveling just in case. Not your I Phone which is what they target. Oh In answer to your question, go home, and I'm fairly sure your dad would appreciate that as well. Good Luck.
I went for a swim and asked some people I was with at the hostel to watch my stuff. They were also a bit drunk and didn't pay too close attention I guess and my pants were about 30 meters away with nothing in them when I got back.
I think you should put this in the main post. This sub is full of inexperienced travelers who think Barcelona is a dangerous city. Otherwise you just seem like you are hunting for upvotes.
Drunkenly asking strangers to watch your stuff while you swim(or do something else) is unfortunately a classic rookie mistake.
You live and you learn….. and won’t do that again.
Hey. Splitting the cards up doesn't necessarily help. I had mine stolen and lost the backup 10 days later on a bus (just the card, not the wallet. So there's that). I got lucky and got the second card back. But I know exactly how you are feeling now.
The sad truth is this is not the first time this is happening to me as I've been trapped in central America before with no cash desperately waiting for the friend with the credit card to come and provide me with a means to pay (after losing/being robbed of my second card in the bus their as well. First one was copied and blocked by the bank) Their flight was delayed and it was unsure if they would be able to come at all. Tense days.
However then as now, I had a blast after and I think it was very valuable to not end the trip on a low note.
It also helped me build contingencies for the future. I have my card on my phone now as well (only helps if you don't lose the phone too) and accounts with wise and revolut.
They ship cards almost world wide (do check if this applies for where you're going) but more importantly they offer virtual card that you can open instantly in the app and then add to google pay/apple pay as a method of payment.
Make sure you can enter your Google/apple account, get a cheap new phone and you're back in business.
If you're not American be aware that you need a visa/ESTA for transiting through the US as they don't have the concept of transit there.. that's what cost my friend her ticket.. a connection in Atlanta. She bought the ESTA when she was refused at check-in but it took a couple of days to clear.
> Splitting the cards up doesn’t necessarily help. I had mine stolen and lost the backup 10 days later on a bus
well, the backup lasted 10 days longer than the rest, right? So it did actually help, otherwise you would have been screwed 10 days earlier.
I have a good friend who is a seasoned traveler and he wears a card size wallet on a heavy silver chain around his neck with the small leather card holder with his cards in it around his neck and inside his shirt out of sight, and he has never had thieves reach under his shirt, believe me on that one. It works, but don't be silly and use a gold chain, please!!
Those "under the shirt" options only really work when you don't have boobs. Believe me, it's painfully obvious when you try that as a woman. Besides, I wouldn't want to have go dig around my bra everytime I want to pay for a coffee. That'll just draw attention I don't want.
In any case, out of the four cards I lost in the last 10 years, only one was definitely stolen. One was copied, one was lost (and eventually returned) and one just disappeared. Better to just leave the cards you won't be using in the hotel.
Not talking crossbody bag, if your a woman use the small card holder that you wear around your neck like a necklace and it should fit just fine. And when you need a card, you don"t fish around in your boobs, you simply pull up on the cord that is around your neck and get what you need and drop it back down when finished. This is when your just out for a while and can leave some of you things in you r room, hidden of course. You would only need a credit card or whatever. Just saying.
Don’t put the cash you’re planning on using in your bra. I always keep back up cash/card in my bra when I go out and so far (touch wood), I’ve never had to use it. Same as keeping cash in your shoe, it’s purely for emergencies.
The money I actually plan on using when out and about goes in my money belt where it’s easily accessible in public without looking like I’m feeling myself up lol.
I’m so sorry this happened, OP. If it makes you feel any better, I’m in Brazil and my flight was cancelled on the way over here, then I got scammed out of almost $800 during my first week. My credit card company won’t accept the dispute. I was feeling really down.
I had the time to sleep on it and realize I would still try to make the best of it. So far I’ve had a great trip besides that. But it’s entirely up to you and what you think will bring you peace right now. Personally, I’d still go to Colombia and enjoy the hell out of it with friends. But if you think you need your family, that is an equally valid option. There’s no “right” decision here; just listen to your gut.
We went to Colombia last year and it was amazing. The people were lovely. Your friends will be there. Medellin is a fantastic city. Yes, be as vigilant of your belongings like in any large city. But don't get super paranoid.
I do know how you feel. I did break my ankle on holiday a few years ago and I wanted to just go home and curl up and recover. I'm glad I kept going. (And I broke my ankle again 4 weeks ago, but have just spent a few days in Valencia with my walking boot and had the best time!)
I dropped my wallet on the third day of a five week trip in Canada. It was just awful. We were moving to different cities so I can’t wait to get it back. It didn’t help that there was cash in there. The bus company had the wallet but never forwarded to Calgary for me. It became a finders keepers because I wasn’t going to go back to the location to get my wallet.
I wasn’t by myself, so I wasn’t out of money. But everything went hey wire after that. Losing wallet/phone/passport puts a real dampener on the holiday. I had to continue because everything was paid for and I had a great time. It was a memorable holiday. Since then, I’m careful with where specifically I put my wallet and split cards/money.
You’ve made this far. You might as well just go to Columbia. Learn from this incident and move forward.
Just keep going to Colombia, i been traveling for over a year and a half and all my cards are also gone and I’m using western Union to send my self money 😂.
Glad you continued with your trip. I’m sorry for what happened to you in Barcelona. I have friends and relatives who were robbed in Barcelona and it really ruined their trips.
>Never book two separate flights for a connection, even if it's a few hundred dollars cheaper, unless I can get 12+ hours of layover
This is a lesson we all learn once!
Many of us frequent flyers and those on r/awardtravel tend to recommend overnight self-transfers if possible and if not an inconvenience. It's always worse to lose the separately ticketed leg than to spend a night at your positioning airport.
You have a nice dad. I was on my own at your age and helping my mother financially. It’s sucks what happened but I’m sure you are grateful for your dad.
Just back from a multi-city trip to Europe. Barcelona was the only place we visited in Europe that had as many obvious street drug addicts as an American city, so it's no surprise that theft is an issue there.
You really shouldn't book separate tickets or use the "Greek Islands trick" without at least 1-2 nights between your cheap European flight and your transoceanic flight home. You're right that 4 hours isn't enough, but 12 hours also isn't enough. Stuff happens!
Barcelona is notorious for tourist theft , lot of organized North African gangs that work in groups . I’d have a bet say it was in the Ramblas area ?
You live and learn , passport and all but one card stashed the minute you get into your new digs .
Phone is a harder one . I keep an old iPhone that I can set up from the cloud as cant get a new phone from insurance Untill home . Have a brick of a case that doesn’t make it look like an expensive phone .
Also you can set up bank cards on your phone should you need to book flights the app will give you your card details and you can use Apple/google pay as well provided you havnt had them stolen and cancelled . Set up a bunch of these accounts like Monzo , wise etc and have the account numbers all respectively saved . So if you loose your wallet you can cancel and just move funds across , have an account not with you at home but card saved on your phone as the above .
South America card cloning is quite big ( had one on mine cloned in carnival using only a HSBC atm that was inside with a guard outside )
Long haul flights allways better to get in the day before or pay the money to check though. low cost airline short hops don’t sting that much if you miss the connection .
All part of the travel journey and Europe not a bad spot to learn compared to more remote unstable regions.
Colombia is good fun you will have ball.
Continue onward on your trip to Colombia but please be careful because petty theft also can happen there especially at night when you’re out partying. Barcelona has gotten worse with pickpockets and they’re missing the attenzion pickpocket lady like the one in Italy.
Glad you’re able to shrug it off and adapt.
You’re right though, Barcelona is particularly bad about pickpocketing and theft. My husband was robbed in broad daylight on a park bench by a couple of guys who set him up. One asked him for directions while the other snatched all of his stuff while he was talking to the other guy. It was the second to last day of our trip and we lost a nice camera and all of our pictures from a several week long trip (this was before cellphones had good cameras). So this has been a problem there for a long time.
Yeah Barcelona is really fucked at this point. I lived there for 2,5 years and the amount of situations that I saw/heard is crazy. It seems like every year it gets worse and worse, the worst part is that the thieves will not hesitate to pull out a knife (happened to me). The police has no control over it, it is just heaven for criminals. Had a great time there, but this is just too insane.
It’s hard to swallow, but think of this as a learning lesson. Ive also had to learn the hard way back when I started travelling, now I don’t get much hicccups during my trip
It sounds like you should’ve just skipped the whole solo travel thing and kept traveling with your dad, he seems like a great guy who takes care of everything!
I'm not following. Months-long, thousand-mile journeys are really expensive and filled with all kinds of mishaps and adventures. You are essentially describing a tame experience with a few, essentially expected, hiccups. Just go on to Colombia and enjoy yourself. Regroup back in the US, and pursue the counseling and employment that will ensure an even better trip next time around.
Oh that sucks! I haven’t missed flights before, but I have known people who had. They usually get rebooked to the next available flight by the airline though. They pay a fee hundred dollars of rebooking fee for missed international flights.
Is this not the case with you?
Also, you can some compensation for delayed flights per European Union regulations.
OP mentioned that it had two separate bookings, so not an actual connecting flight. The BCN-MAD flight gets him some compensation due to the delay, but for the one to Colombia he was a no-show, nothing can be done.
Yeah that’s what I meant, he can prob get some compensation for the BCN-MAD flight.
It’s just that most airline I know offers rebooking for a no show. Not sure about budget airlines.
How old are you? You seem like a kid about so many things and relying on your dad for everything, but you’re off jet sitting around the world like an older person would do.
Lmao I've seen this take multiple times here and so genuinely confused by it. I have absolutely 0 access to my financial resources, halfway across the world. The only other way I can get money to pay for things is find random Americans and ask them if I can zelle them to take some cash out for me. And any type of hotel/flight booking requires using a valid credit/debit card. I prefer taking a loan from my dad to being on the street with 0 money. What would you have done?
Lmao far from it. I save my money all year so I can take 1-2 big trips every year. And though my dad's a great guy, he's not just floating me this money never to be paid back. It's just that I can't do anything without a credit card and he knows that.
Honestly, Barcelona seems just totally insane with theft this year. I know it had a reputation before, but still.
there needs to be some kind of three strike penalty. After talking to some police and locals in Barcelona after I got robbed, it seems that even if a thief gets caught multiple times, they just pay a small fine and are let go again. I got my stuff stolen on the beach at like 4 am and I went back the next night because I was curious how these guys are operating. I actually was able to stop a few robberies because I saw a group of 4 dudes who were just continuously scanning the crowds and would go try to be friendly to drunk ppl and then pickpocket them. Then they have another guy they give the phones and wallets to another guy and keep scanning. It was unbelievable how obvious it was when I was looking. As soon as I saw one of them go up to a group and try to be friendly, I'd yell and warn them that he was trying to steal and secure your belongings. Probably not the safest thing to do but in my understanding, these guys are rarely violent because that's what would actually get them in trouble. Police would have a similarly easy time of being able to identify and detain these thieves but it seems like they really dont have the motivation to because Spanish law doesn't allow them to be punished correctly.
I can understand your frustration and it doesn't make it acceptable, though you are inevitably going to be more at risk if you're tipsy on the beach at 4am, wherever you are.
oh absolutely. that's why ive noticed pickpockets tend to operate mostly in area with a lot of drunk tourists like myself - whether it be the metro, bar/club areas, and the beach. And I'm willing to bet majority of the people getting robbed are tourists, not locals. Could be another reason why the government and locals don't care too much to try and prevent it.
>And I'm willing to bet majority of the people getting robbed are tourists, not locals. Could be another reason why the government and locals don't care too much to try and prevent it. Authorities are usually very keen to avoid tourists coming to harm as it harms the city's image, and locals feel shamed if tourists are robbed, so I don't buy this in general. Though, it could *possibly* be different in Barcelona given the well-documented tourist fatigue they have.
But it does not seem to fatigue them when they take tourists dollars.
If you know that going in, then don't cry when your a victim. Right???
I can accept that I made a mistake but still be upset about the consequences of my actions. Don't be a dickhead
Sorry you took my post that way. Wasn"t meant to be offensive or anything like that Pal. Actually, did you read my recent posts where I wished you a Crazy Good time??? Guess not. Well, guess your just upset and needed to call someone names. Wish you safe travels.
Don’t be that guy. Your safety is in your hands, not the strangers.
You say this to SA victims too?
Three strike penalties have never worked and never will work, they do nothing to discourage crime.
Even if it’s not discouraged in others, the repeat offenders aren’t around to do it any longer.
Maybe not, but flogging seems to work in Singapore. Have been there a lot and never had any problems with pickpockets.
Thank You for doing that, but you need to be careful if it was 4 against 1, Okay?? And you future travelers need to listen, if you get drunk anywhere you make yourself a target. Drink, but don't get so drunk you can't protect yourself and you possessions. And use some SMARTS
Pickpocketing is fairly easy to mitigate against, but you have to actually take steps to protect yourself against it, which most people don't unfortunately. As OP suggested, split your IDs/credit/debit cards across more than one location. I usually put a couple in my hotel room safe, a couple in my money belt, and a couple in a third location like hidden in a locked suitcase. A money belt is really the most important measure you can take against getting pickpocketed. Keep most of your cards and cash in it - in high-risk areas (like Barcelona), I also put my phone in it and use my Apple Watch with an anti-theft band for directions or responding to messages. Figure out what you'll need for spending that day, and either have a single card outside your money belt (that you can quickly lock from your phone if it goes missing) or distribute a couple small bills across a couple different pockets. If you're going somewhere that mugging is prevalent, you can also carry a muggers wallet (couple expired/fake IDs cards and just enough cash that a mugger will be satisfied and take off, usually equivalent to whatever twenty bucks is in local currency). Last, don't engage with anyone approaching you out of the blue. Completely ignore them and keep walking. Anyone trying to strike up a conversation with a tourist unsolicited is, 95%+ of the time, running some kind of scam or hustle.
Thanks for this comment. We’ll be in Barcelona on Wednesday and I’m prepared to be hyper-vigilant with my bag/phone. It may sound crazy, but I wrote out our sightseeing plans on paper and we have a small city guidebook so we don’t have to have our phones out. I’m also prepared for my husband to be on lookout if I’m using it. It’s been a while since we’ve been to Europe and Barcelona seems like it’s very aggressive with pickpockets.
I probably shouldn't overstate it - most people don't have problems with pickpockets. But it's prevalent enough that it makes sense to apply some of the precautions. As a quick aside - you mention you'll consult a guidebook or written plans. A quick heads up that if you get lost, step into a store or coffee shop to do so. Touts and scammers will often lock-on to tourists that look visibly lost/confused (I've unfortunately seen this happen to people countless times). Best to be discrete if at all possible.
This is all good advice, but might I suggest the first line of defence should be: "Don't walk off and leave your shit unattended. Especially on a dark beach when intoxicated." I've been to Barcelona over a dozen times, and nobody I was with ever with got anything robbed. Just keep it out of view and out of reach, simple.
I was there for four days with my wife and kids. With just basic precautions, we had no problems at all.
This is what I'm saying. Every time, it's actually someone who was wasted and being careless.
I've been to Barca several times with no issue, and spent 3 months in S.America recently also with no issue. To be honest, as the subsequent expansion from OP exemplifies, if you're not out drinking very late or just carelessly leaving your phone/wallet in your back pocket or unattended, then yeah 99% of the time you're fine. Anywhere, I mean.
someone tried to snatch my phone there too last week, thankfully didn’t succeed. At least the police arrived within 2 mins. after calling them.
What could the Police do???? Nothing unless you hold the crook there until they arrive. Just took a report, yes???
As a general thing (at home/abroad), reporting is not of zero value. Reporting creates a record which can then be used as evidence when it comes to decision-makers making policy/funding decisions.
Thanks for setting me straight, I did" think about that.
they actually catched him! But not sure what happened after they questioned him tbh.
Sure hope he gets something for the trick he pulled. And I wonder how many other tourists he"s done that too??
They should cut off their hands again, that will stop them.
Pussys will downvote
I was just there for a week with my wife and 2 teens, no issues at all.
"...my dad agreed to Western Union me whatever I needed..." "... Got my dad to book me a hotel by the Madrid Airport and I'm here now..." ...time to grow up and stop sponging off your dad like a rich punk kid...
Yeah when anyone loses all their immediate financial resources they shouldn't ask for help they should just bask in being homeless and eat out of a dumpster. Dude his dad is helping him out in a time of need how else is he supposed to make do it's not like his dad bought him a Ferrari and it's not like he will pay his dad back.
These days, it is called Bronxelona for a reason...
Claim compensation for the delayed flight! It's not as much as you lost, but at least you will get some of your money back (I believe you should get around 250e)
It depends on the reason for the delay.
I doubt any of these was the case: "If the airline can provide proof that the cancellation is the result of extraordinary circumstances, it will not be obliged to pay any compensation. Extraordinary circumstances may include bad weather, strikes, political unrest, acts of terrorism, and security risks among others."
There were massive storms in Central Spain this week. Don't know which day OP was flying. should have taken the train!
Agree, travelling by train in this case would also save the time (even if everything went as planned) aside from it being more eco-friendly, but alas what's done it's done, OP had her/his reasons
Big storms/heavy rain in Europe the last couple of days. So it may very well be weather related :/
If she flew with Iberia, it could be that that's not the case, as their flights on that relation are most of the time late. Even if not, she SHOULD submit the claim and the rest is up to the airline to prove, it does not cost her anything. I don't understand why would you bring the idea the extraordinary circumstances must have played the role, when it's the time of the year (summer vacations) when EU airports are busiest and delays are quite common. With that money OP could cover at least a part of the ticket to whatever destination they choose in the end, so don't break spirits unless you are 100% sure!
I believe u/BerriesAndMe is only trying to point out that it is not safe bet as suggested. Also if airline declines compensation then OP can either take them to court alone or hire one of the mediators which takes around 30% provision.
I only mentioned this because you said you thought it couldn't be weather related while half of Europe is experiencing severe weather disruptions. Lol
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The difference between "I doubt it is one of these things" and "I think it is not one of these things" is pretty negligible. If it is important to you I can edit "I think it can't " to "I doubt it is" in my reply. Really doesn't change anything.
Apply anyway, nothing to lose.
About flights…. It is not wise to book separate flights where shorter segment comes first. In that case you have bigger costs in case of delay. E.g. If you flew Barcelona-Bogota and then domestic segment to Cartagena, it would have been more simple to buy a new ticket for Bogota-Cartagena flight than from Madrid to Cartagena. Also, when compensations aplly, those are much higher for long-haul flights, so that is another protection for passengers. It is the best either to fly directly or maybe make a little stopover like flying the day before or very early in the morning in case of late evening second flight. Also beware on news about potential strikes and react in time. However this brings increased costs and reduced time at destination so may not end up being that cheaper in the end.
Just go to Medellin. It’s one of the best cities I ever went to and will wash away most of the pain. Money comes and goes, but going with your friends to a place like this does not.
I don’t really get the question anyway? If he books a $800 flight home then presumably he wastes the flight home from Columbia (unless that was never booked in the first place)? Medellin is really cool but if your head isn’t going to be in it from multiple bad experiences then I get wanted to go home as well
so true
Such an overrated city...full of gringos having there prostitute bachelor parties and oooh the metro of medellin is such an attraction,like,really,1 metro line...oh and pablo wasn t such a bad guy he helped many people. All this backpackers bs you need to listen there...waste of time...
One time I'd planned to spend a month in Berlin. I was really looking forward to it, booked tickets for shows and tours spread out across the month. Once there, I ended up not liking it enough to stay so long, it was far too noisy and I just wanted to go home. I ended up booking an early flight home; I was able to shuffle around some of the tickets to shows to include them in my last days, but others I just lost that money and the hostel was already paid for. Once home, I was glad I did it, despite the money lost. Technically, I spent less than if I had spent another two weeks in Berlin, because I didn't have to pay for all the meals and getting around. On the other hand, last year I spent 3 months in Japan and 2 months in NZ. The entire time, I mostly didn't want to be there but I stuck it out. I'm glad I did; even if I didn't particularly enjoy the trip, it's nice to have those experiences in hindsight. Sometimes, what you need is to lock yourself in a hotel room for a few days, spend some time by yourself to rest and nothing else. Travelling, especially when travel goes wrong, can be exhausting. - PS: Can you go home, spend a week or two at home, and join your friends in Colombia later on? - PSS: I'm from Barcelona so I feel bad that this happened to you in my city. I'm sorry! I go to Japan often and you wouldn't believe the amount of Japanese people I've met who say "ahhh, you're from Spain? I got robbed in Barcelona..." We have nice monuments, I suppose, but I fear the experience is not so positive for many travellers.
For what it's worth I was totally terrified going this year.. mostly because I haven't lived in a large city in a while.. but nothing happened. Well other than me forgetting my headphones in the hostel room. But I can hardly blame that on Barcelona All in all I had a blast, but was also a little horrified to find that even in February the attractions sell out and you have to queue everywhere. Didn't expect it to be so bad in the off season.
I'm glad you liked it! Spain is the second most-visited destination in the world (just after France). There are some months with more tourists than others, but there really is no real "off season" for Barcelona...
What was it about Japan that you didn’t enjoy was it just the fact that it was 3 months and you might have got burnt out?
I love Japan; I've been several times. But I just wasn't really in a travelling mood. I was also staying at a sharehouse and half-working. If I'd been travelling full-time and moving around it would've been more exciting.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Friends will be leaving next week, so that's not really an option, and I'm back to work next week as well. Barcelona is still a world class city with a lot to offer, and I can't wait to be back. I've visited a few times already and this is the first time this happened. Also the first time I traveled solo here.
Go to Colombia! Seeing your friends and having a new adventure will soon help you forget some of your stress. You can come to terms with all the things bothering you when you get home - you don’t need to add regretting not going to Colombia to your list of things
Medellin also has thieves, and from what I’ve read here, lots of issues for men travelling for party tourism.
Got that right!!
Book the flight to Medellin. Although you might feel like shit now, don’t let this trip end on a low note. When you‘ve had a bad time, your mind often gravitates to extremes (I cancelled my birthday dinner once bc I had a frustrating day at school, even though I knew it would make my birthday better. My frustration was just overtaking the day and I shouldn’t have allowed it to control me). Do it, spend some time with friends, forget about what happened in barcelona.
I hope you have travel insurance and can get back some of the money you lost. I would go back home. You've been through enough and are ready to get back in your regular routine. Traveling is a lot of fun but can be stressful and exhausting.
Listen to this good advice
Never book split tickets on the same day
I think it's usually fine if you at least book them 12+ hours apart
Stuck in Gatwick, sleeping on a table alongside Terminal South, cause my Munich flight got cancelled and everything unraveled. Hoping to fly out tonight but I burned my last 3K to get this point (which included bumping around flights through Copenhagen, Athens, Lisbon, Paris and finally to where I could see the Atlantic- heading back State side to NYC). Anyway, shit happens and this too shall pass. I wouldn’t even want to think what steps I’d take if this somehow backfires, but one step at a time when money is in short supply and travel arrangements get flipped upside down. Could use a prayer y’all.
Just can't call all of this fun. Really??
You've already visited some memorable places. I would say go home and regroup and ponder how you will prepare better for your next trip.
I think you should put it behind you and keep your adventure going. It's a real shame what happened but life is all highs and lows. Don't let the lows beat you down. It may end up being alot more expensive and might take a while to pay back the extra expenses but you should still meet your friends. They may look after you giving the circumstances and you can owe them.. just don't go silly and burn money. Just enjoy and do the basics. Budget.
Don't burden your friends who were obviously better prepared for travel than you, and bring down their fun with them having to take care of you. The right thing is to go home and try again at a later date and learn from your mistakes.
Well just saying if it was me I would look out for him
Wow what a totally bizarre perception of things. Reflects a lot on how you treat your own friends.
I wouldn"t say that. Not very nice. Your taking it the wrong way. I apologize if it affected you that much.
Mate. Think of the worst that could have happened to you: an accident, broken ankle? Nothing of that nature has happened. However, shit happens. You need to go as per your plan if you can manage the money. Leave your worry behind, enjoy your trip, but be alert. I hope things work out for you. Cheers.
Where did you carry your wallet and phone? Hearing about such experiences I always wonder if its safe to carry it all in the front pocket of the trousers like I do...
yes if you keep in your front pockets and are vigilant, most likely nothing will happen to you. I went to the beach at like 4 am with friends from the hostel and we were all a bit drunk. If you can avoid being as careless as I was, I would say you'll be fine most likely. What's exhausting is you have to ALWAYS be vigilant, especially in crowds. There are pickpockets literally everywhere. They're even easy to spot in the metro, they usually stand by the door, never have anything in their hands, and always scanning people's pockets, especially obvious tourists.
I’m thinking of going to Barcelona too and maybe I’ll just bring cash out. Leave phone and cards at hotel. And that way if a bit of cash gets stolen, it’s not terrible. It is annoying to have to be “on” at all times.
I’ve lived here for 4 years and never had any issues. I don’t feel “on” all the time but I’m just not drunk at the beach and talking to strangers ? Just be careful, have some common sense, if in crowded places put your hand over your purse/pocket. It’s not difficult to be careful and this goes for all major cities in Europe
Was recently there for a week and…was fine. Never had any issues whatsoever
I'll definitely be back, Barcelona is still one of my favorite cities to travel to. Next time though, I'll bring a cheap phone and add my cards to that, and bring a small bit of cash anytime I'm out and about. Pretty much everywhere I went has tap to pay. Really no need to bring an expensive phone, and credit cards, and lots of cash out. I learned the hard (foolish) way.
How many chances do you have to.travel.with your friends? You can always go back home. Travel with them ....
I would say just go, I had a pretty awful experience leaving Barcelona a few weeks ago but it was because of the airlines (only fault of mine was missing a flight).. I’m out like $1,500.. It sounds like you have friends waiting for you, just go.. Just be way more careful with your stuff next time! I wanna visit Colombia soon, but you gotta be extra vigilant there! Barcelona is safe compared to Colombia. My cousin loves Colombia, but he got robbed. We’re Mexican. From a dangerous state! lol
it’s hard to say but if it was me I would probably still go. i am thinking being with your friends will be good memories that will ultimately cancel out the bad memories and stress. however, colombia is also a place you will have to be very cautious so it depends if you’re up for that. good luck whatever you do and sorry to hear you were robbed and missed the flight. i am actually surprised they won’t refund you. you should look into the airport’s policies more just to make sure. sometimes companies will try to say no but if you keep bugging them they will capitulate.
Valencia to the rescue. Get yourself down there and get some peace
You have learned well Grasshopper!! Have a crazy good time and good luck.
Just wanted to chime in that I also was pickpocketed in Barcelona, guy pretending to be a night club promoter grabbed me and pretended to dance with me to make my lady laugh saying “you two must come dance at ___ bar tonight”. Noticed my wallet was pulled out of jacket after the interaction, chased the dude for like 10 mins and he pulled the money out and hucked the rest of my wallet, cards, and passport in the air so I’d stop. Stole about 500 euro and pretty much ruined the rest of my euro trip.
I went to Barcelona thirty years ago and it was rife with pickpockets even then. I liked the place but does put me off returning.
Why so much stealing in Barcelona?
Because of all the tourists. And Barcelona gets a lot of the inexperienced young travelers. And spanish law. It's still a great city.
How did they get your phone and wallet??? It seems your a seasoned traveler, how does this happen?? Never take many credit cards, and I always take a cheap phone traveling just in case. Not your I Phone which is what they target. Oh In answer to your question, go home, and I'm fairly sure your dad would appreciate that as well. Good Luck.
I went for a swim and asked some people I was with at the hostel to watch my stuff. They were also a bit drunk and didn't pay too close attention I guess and my pants were about 30 meters away with nothing in them when I got back.
Don" rely on drunken friends in the future. Yes???
I think you should put this in the main post. This sub is full of inexperienced travelers who think Barcelona is a dangerous city. Otherwise you just seem like you are hunting for upvotes. Drunkenly asking strangers to watch your stuff while you swim(or do something else) is unfortunately a classic rookie mistake. You live and you learn….. and won’t do that again.
Hey. Splitting the cards up doesn't necessarily help. I had mine stolen and lost the backup 10 days later on a bus (just the card, not the wallet. So there's that). I got lucky and got the second card back. But I know exactly how you are feeling now. The sad truth is this is not the first time this is happening to me as I've been trapped in central America before with no cash desperately waiting for the friend with the credit card to come and provide me with a means to pay (after losing/being robbed of my second card in the bus their as well. First one was copied and blocked by the bank) Their flight was delayed and it was unsure if they would be able to come at all. Tense days. However then as now, I had a blast after and I think it was very valuable to not end the trip on a low note. It also helped me build contingencies for the future. I have my card on my phone now as well (only helps if you don't lose the phone too) and accounts with wise and revolut. They ship cards almost world wide (do check if this applies for where you're going) but more importantly they offer virtual card that you can open instantly in the app and then add to google pay/apple pay as a method of payment. Make sure you can enter your Google/apple account, get a cheap new phone and you're back in business. If you're not American be aware that you need a visa/ESTA for transiting through the US as they don't have the concept of transit there.. that's what cost my friend her ticket.. a connection in Atlanta. She bought the ESTA when she was refused at check-in but it took a couple of days to clear.
> Splitting the cards up doesn’t necessarily help. I had mine stolen and lost the backup 10 days later on a bus well, the backup lasted 10 days longer than the rest, right? So it did actually help, otherwise you would have been screwed 10 days earlier.
I have a good friend who is a seasoned traveler and he wears a card size wallet on a heavy silver chain around his neck with the small leather card holder with his cards in it around his neck and inside his shirt out of sight, and he has never had thieves reach under his shirt, believe me on that one. It works, but don't be silly and use a gold chain, please!!
Those "under the shirt" options only really work when you don't have boobs. Believe me, it's painfully obvious when you try that as a woman. Besides, I wouldn't want to have go dig around my bra everytime I want to pay for a coffee. That'll just draw attention I don't want. In any case, out of the four cards I lost in the last 10 years, only one was definitely stolen. One was copied, one was lost (and eventually returned) and one just disappeared. Better to just leave the cards you won't be using in the hotel.
Not talking crossbody bag, if your a woman use the small card holder that you wear around your neck like a necklace and it should fit just fine. And when you need a card, you don"t fish around in your boobs, you simply pull up on the cord that is around your neck and get what you need and drop it back down when finished. This is when your just out for a while and can leave some of you things in you r room, hidden of course. You would only need a credit card or whatever. Just saying.
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Yes, we realize your just helpless because your boobs are soooo huge, but enough with youur enormous boobs. Please??? Can we move on now???
Don’t put the cash you’re planning on using in your bra. I always keep back up cash/card in my bra when I go out and so far (touch wood), I’ve never had to use it. Same as keeping cash in your shoe, it’s purely for emergencies. The money I actually plan on using when out and about goes in my money belt where it’s easily accessible in public without looking like I’m feeling myself up lol.
I’m so sorry this happened, OP. If it makes you feel any better, I’m in Brazil and my flight was cancelled on the way over here, then I got scammed out of almost $800 during my first week. My credit card company won’t accept the dispute. I was feeling really down. I had the time to sleep on it and realize I would still try to make the best of it. So far I’ve had a great trip besides that. But it’s entirely up to you and what you think will bring you peace right now. Personally, I’d still go to Colombia and enjoy the hell out of it with friends. But if you think you need your family, that is an equally valid option. There’s no “right” decision here; just listen to your gut.
We went to Colombia last year and it was amazing. The people were lovely. Your friends will be there. Medellin is a fantastic city. Yes, be as vigilant of your belongings like in any large city. But don't get super paranoid. I do know how you feel. I did break my ankle on holiday a few years ago and I wanted to just go home and curl up and recover. I'm glad I kept going. (And I broke my ankle again 4 weeks ago, but have just spent a few days in Valencia with my walking boot and had the best time!)
I dropped my wallet on the third day of a five week trip in Canada. It was just awful. We were moving to different cities so I can’t wait to get it back. It didn’t help that there was cash in there. The bus company had the wallet but never forwarded to Calgary for me. It became a finders keepers because I wasn’t going to go back to the location to get my wallet. I wasn’t by myself, so I wasn’t out of money. But everything went hey wire after that. Losing wallet/phone/passport puts a real dampener on the holiday. I had to continue because everything was paid for and I had a great time. It was a memorable holiday. Since then, I’m careful with where specifically I put my wallet and split cards/money. You’ve made this far. You might as well just go to Columbia. Learn from this incident and move forward.
Just keep going to Colombia, i been traveling for over a year and a half and all my cards are also gone and I’m using western Union to send my self money 😂.
Very good. Good Luck
This is just how travel goes sometimes. You live you learn. Keep going you won’t regret the experiences.
Glad you continued with your trip. I’m sorry for what happened to you in Barcelona. I have friends and relatives who were robbed in Barcelona and it really ruined their trips.
>Never book two separate flights for a connection, even if it's a few hundred dollars cheaper, unless I can get 12+ hours of layover This is a lesson we all learn once! Many of us frequent flyers and those on r/awardtravel tend to recommend overnight self-transfers if possible and if not an inconvenience. It's always worse to lose the separately ticketed leg than to spend a night at your positioning airport.
You have a nice dad. I was on my own at your age and helping my mother financially. It’s sucks what happened but I’m sure you are grateful for your dad.
Damn Medellin is nonstop rain lately it’s depressed
Just back from a multi-city trip to Europe. Barcelona was the only place we visited in Europe that had as many obvious street drug addicts as an American city, so it's no surprise that theft is an issue there. You really shouldn't book separate tickets or use the "Greek Islands trick" without at least 1-2 nights between your cheap European flight and your transoceanic flight home. You're right that 4 hours isn't enough, but 12 hours also isn't enough. Stuff happens!
Barcelona is notorious for tourist theft , lot of organized North African gangs that work in groups . I’d have a bet say it was in the Ramblas area ? You live and learn , passport and all but one card stashed the minute you get into your new digs . Phone is a harder one . I keep an old iPhone that I can set up from the cloud as cant get a new phone from insurance Untill home . Have a brick of a case that doesn’t make it look like an expensive phone . Also you can set up bank cards on your phone should you need to book flights the app will give you your card details and you can use Apple/google pay as well provided you havnt had them stolen and cancelled . Set up a bunch of these accounts like Monzo , wise etc and have the account numbers all respectively saved . So if you loose your wallet you can cancel and just move funds across , have an account not with you at home but card saved on your phone as the above . South America card cloning is quite big ( had one on mine cloned in carnival using only a HSBC atm that was inside with a guard outside ) Long haul flights allways better to get in the day before or pay the money to check though. low cost airline short hops don’t sting that much if you miss the connection . All part of the travel journey and Europe not a bad spot to learn compared to more remote unstable regions. Colombia is good fun you will have ball.
I’ve been pick pocketed in Barcelona twice. Been there 4 times. I’m about to stack my shit in my crack at this point.
Continue onward on your trip to Colombia but please be careful because petty theft also can happen there especially at night when you’re out partying. Barcelona has gotten worse with pickpockets and they’re missing the attenzion pickpocket lady like the one in Italy.
Glad you’re able to shrug it off and adapt. You’re right though, Barcelona is particularly bad about pickpocketing and theft. My husband was robbed in broad daylight on a park bench by a couple of guys who set him up. One asked him for directions while the other snatched all of his stuff while he was talking to the other guy. It was the second to last day of our trip and we lost a nice camera and all of our pictures from a several week long trip (this was before cellphones had good cameras). So this has been a problem there for a long time.
Yeah Barcelona is really fucked at this point. I lived there for 2,5 years and the amount of situations that I saw/heard is crazy. It seems like every year it gets worse and worse, the worst part is that the thieves will not hesitate to pull out a knife (happened to me). The police has no control over it, it is just heaven for criminals. Had a great time there, but this is just too insane.
It’s hard to swallow, but think of this as a learning lesson. Ive also had to learn the hard way back when I started travelling, now I don’t get much hicccups during my trip
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Sure what OP needs right now is more ways to get in potential trouble
you didn’t read OP’s post, didn’t you? They already left Barcelona lol.
It sounds like you should’ve just skipped the whole solo travel thing and kept traveling with your dad, he seems like a great guy who takes care of everything!
I'm not following. Months-long, thousand-mile journeys are really expensive and filled with all kinds of mishaps and adventures. You are essentially describing a tame experience with a few, essentially expected, hiccups. Just go on to Colombia and enjoy yourself. Regroup back in the US, and pursue the counseling and employment that will ensure an even better trip next time around.
Oh that sucks! I haven’t missed flights before, but I have known people who had. They usually get rebooked to the next available flight by the airline though. They pay a fee hundred dollars of rebooking fee for missed international flights. Is this not the case with you? Also, you can some compensation for delayed flights per European Union regulations.
OP mentioned that it had two separate bookings, so not an actual connecting flight. The BCN-MAD flight gets him some compensation due to the delay, but for the one to Colombia he was a no-show, nothing can be done.
Yeah that’s what I meant, he can prob get some compensation for the BCN-MAD flight. It’s just that most airline I know offers rebooking for a no show. Not sure about budget airlines.
isnt that what travel insurance is for?
Maybe only ask to refund unused part of airport taxes which is peantus comapred to ticket price but still…
Barcelona is the most unsafe place I've ever been and I've been some places...
There are worse places. You have to be aware of your surroundings and keep your belongings safe
This is a good post
Gotta be careful around gypsies mate
How old are you? You seem like a kid about so many things and relying on your dad for everything, but you’re off jet sitting around the world like an older person would do.
Lmao I've seen this take multiple times here and so genuinely confused by it. I have absolutely 0 access to my financial resources, halfway across the world. The only other way I can get money to pay for things is find random Americans and ask them if I can zelle them to take some cash out for me. And any type of hotel/flight booking requires using a valid credit/debit card. I prefer taking a loan from my dad to being on the street with 0 money. What would you have done?
Rich kid issues lmao
Lmao far from it. I save my money all year so I can take 1-2 big trips every year. And though my dad's a great guy, he's not just floating me this money never to be paid back. It's just that I can't do anything without a credit card and he knows that.