It’s exciting to go on holiday to a new country, especially a country known for amazing wine, amazing food, incredible culture, history and architecture. Spain is an amazing place to relax and visit. Barcelona is one of the busiest cities for tourists with almost 9 million visitors coming yearly, and those visitors spending nearly $9 billion when they come.
The thing is, Barcelona is not a resort. It’s a city with people who live and work on a daily basis. Nearly 2 million of us are here working a 9-5 job (or more if we’re freelance) and when you do come to visit, here’s a couple things to remember.
Respect the Neighbours and the Community
If you’re renting out an Airbnb, or a holiday flat, or even a hotel, remember that there are people who have to get up early and take their kids to school then head to work. If you are looking to party, then head to a resort town like Tossa del Mar or head over to Ibiza. Party at the clubs, but when you leave the clubs, respect the neighbourhoods where you may be staying. If you want to party, pick a party place, not Barcelona. In fact, there are masias in the countryside you can rent to enjoy yourself without disturbing people in a 3 km radius, and take a wedding party or a “stag” party.
Protect Yourself Against Crime
Look, too much has been made about the pickpocket and petty crime situation in Barcelona. Barcelona is like any other big city and has crimes of opportunity. In fact, outside of the tourist heavy areas, the odds of you being a victim of crime are pretty much non-existent. The silver lining is the way the criminal system is set up here in Spain, there is an incentive for non-violent crimes. There are so many articles claiming how awful the crime rate is in Barcelona, but compared to other major cities, it’s actually much better. So, stop fanning the “fake news” posts by The Guardian, The Independent and even CNN, because of the 9 million visitors, less than 1% are victims of crime.
- To keep things in perspective, take a look at this crime comparison with the United States:
- You are five times more likely to be murdered in the United States than Spain.
- You are 13 times more likely to be a victim of a crime in the United States than Spain and the crime per 1000 people is 85% higher in the United States
- There are 9 times more gun crimes in the US than Spain per 100 people.
- You are 54 times more likely to be a victim of a violent crime in the US than Spain.
So, Spain is really a safe country in comparison. Just remember a few things when in Barcelona: a) near tourist hot spots, keep an eye on your belongs and keep any valuables out of sight and secured. b) be especially wary on the regional train from the airport to the city, and also the metros. If you keep aware and vigilant, you’ll usually be left alone. c) Watch for the typical distraction techniques used by pickpockets in every tourist city from New York, Los Angeles, Venice, London and Paris.
I have never, ever, ever, in 6 years seen these scams making the rounds in media in articles like this one – The Flower Scam, The Pigeon Poo Scam, Devious Diners Scam, or The Fake Policeman Scam. I have seen the clipboard scam and a crowded metro scam maybe twice each. That article cited, is actually a way to try to get you to buy travel insurance. Scroll to the bottom of that article.
Research what the locals like to do
What are do locals do? Where do they go? What do they enjoy? The point of travel is to experience different culture, but doing research about Barcelona before you come is always a wise choice. You can read blogs like mine, and others to get a sense of culture, history, gastronomy and more. Barcelona is not Disneyland, and there are far more interesting and authentic things to do outside of visiting Sagrada Familia, FC Barcelona, Parc Guell and more.
Blend In
We always see it in the movies how spies blend in with locals, and you know what? It does work. Wearing your favourite college sweatshirt, wearing flip flops, shorts and a baseball cap pointing at everything on the street with a giant camera dangling around your neck just screams “I’m a tourist.” So, take the time to find out how locals dress, how locals speak, and don’t be offended if they look at you strange for what you’re doing, because guess what? Your a “guest” in Barcelona, and it’s proper to respect your host’s rules, so-to-speak.
So here’s a few tips on blending in here in Barcelona:
- Beachwear is for the beach. Don’t stroll thru town in your bikini to head to the beach.
- Barefoot is for the beach. Wear shoes elsewhere.
- Dress for the weather. Barcelona peeps dress for the calendar changes. Fall in fall, winter in winter, summer in summer. Wearing shorts in December in Barcelona, no matter how warm, will make you stand out, and a target for pickpockets.
- Talk the appropriate levels for the appropriate place. Don’t be screaming talking loudly while walking down the street, or in a street side cafe in the morning or afternoon. That’s reserved for dinner and after dinner.
- Eating in public. You rarely find people “eating on the go” or even drinking “coffee on the go” in Barcelona. Everyone takes the time to sit, enjoy, then move on with their business.
If you want more tips, drop me an email. Lol.
Conclusion
I’ll say that many US, Canadian, Italian, and British tourist are notorious for bad behaviour in Barcelona. So, while it is your “holiday”, don’t treat your holiday like a frat party, please. It’s bad enough I have to explain to my friends why you’re behaving like a drunken version of Trump. Please and thank you.