The short answer is, yes, you really need to watch your possessions in Barcelona. The stories are true. Barcelona is the Yankee Stadium or Old Trafford of pickpockets. Like Rome and other great European cities, it attracts the best and brightest of the trade.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to strap your valuables to your genitals. The danger is real, but the fear doesn’t have to consume your planning and daily lives. It’s simply about taking precautions, recognizing the danger zones and being aware of your surroundings.
Almost all the pickpocket activity takes place around the tourist zones and the metro and train stations. Anywhere there are lazy, jet lagged tourists, you’ll find pickpockets. Lately, there have been multiple reports about robberies at the airport counters and rental car pickup areas. The areas around La Rambla are notorious, as well as the streets in front of the major Gaudi sites.
Once you’re outside the tourist zones, as most visitors will attest, Barcelona is a remarkably safe city. Beyond the pickpockets, there is very little crime. Most areas around the city center are safe to walk, day or night. Unlike most major cities in the world, you don’t have to worry about getting mugged as you stroll Eixample, and there are relatively few vagrants or homeless people, at least compared to other cities.
After all the pickpocket stories, visitors are often surprised by how safe it feels in the city. I’ve been with women who were shocked to see other women walking by themselves late at night. In the city center, there’s no ambiance of fear, none of that creepy feeling that you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time when you make a wrong turn. The sketchiness found in so many big cities simply isn’t part of Barcelona life and it’s one of the reasons people fall in love with the city.
Nevertheless, the pickpocket issue is real. And it’s a drag. I never carry a wallet in Barcelona. I keep cash and credit cards in my front pocket. And I’m always careful about my stuff. But once I’m away from the tourist areas, I rarely think about it.
All you can do is be diligent, and there are many oft-repeated precautions you can take to feel safer.
Be extra cautious in crowded spaces like metro stations and street events
Pickpockets often work in pairs. Beware of obvious attempts to distract you.
Pickpockets may not look like pickpockets. Whatever your vision of what a pickpocket may look like, you’re likely wrong.
Don’t make yourself a target. Don’t wear that expensive watch. Don’t act like an easy mark.
Never, ever leave bags or your phone where they can be easily grabbed. They’re looking for anything that can be easily snatched up.
Be safe. Enjoy the city. Don’t let fear of pickpockets ruin your trip.
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