Tips to avoid being robbed on La Ramba in Barcelona
Any long term resident from northern European countries will tell you that one of the things they like about Barcelona, is how safe a city it is, both to live in and to visit. You can walk alone home from a late night out and never feel threatened on the streets or on public transport. There are 4 different types of police in Barcelona, and they are often seen patrollling. That makes you feel safe and you are safe.
Agressive behavior in the nightlife is rarely seen. The Spanish don't binge drink., which helps keep things peaceful. Pot is their preferred vice and you are more likely to be hugged than mugged!. Muggings do occur, usually very late at night at the bad end of La Rambla but rarely with knives or guns. Most of the muggings are tourist walking alone, sometimes drunk, who get bullied out of their money or simply have it stolen it without noticing.
So why does Barcelona have such a bad reputation for safety if it is so safe here? Mostly because of the pickpockets and scamsters. Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and that has attracted a permanent pickpocket convention. If there were Olympic medals for bag-snatching scams, Barcelona would sweep the board.
Here are some tips for how to enjoy Barcelona and keep your wallets, phones and cameras safe!
The most common problem is handbags, phones and wallets being expertly stolen, often without their owners even noticing. No violence involved just stealth. The victims were usually either distracted by sights, by scams or by alcohol.
If you found this article because you have already been robbed, then we do sympathise and suggest you scroll down to the bottom of this page to find emergency numbers and a link to the police station, where you can report the theft.
With very few exceptions it's perfectly safe to walk the streets of Barcelona in the centre of town. It's safe to take money out of an ATM cash machine anywhere in the city, even on the famous walking street, La Rambla, which is the area of Barcelona that is most affected by pickpocket crime.
The Barcelona nightlife is also very safe compared to many European cities. Perhaps because Spaniards and Catalans rarely drink to excess, often preferring to smoke pot rather than binge drink. Pot makes you sleepy and happy and combined with the modern Spain's reputation as peaceful and tolerant nation, you are more likely to be hugged than mugged. Bar fights and street brawls are virtually non-existent in Barcelona's vibrant nightlife.
Back to the pickpockets. It is true that many visitors to Barcelona are robbed, and especially in the dense tourist areas like La Rambla. But if you use your common sense and take some simple precautions, like the ones that we have listed below, you will be able to go home with out any bad memories.
The places to take these special precautions in Barcelona are in particular when you are on the street of La Rambla, when you are anywhere near the top tourist attractions in Barcelona, when you are on or around Barcelona tour buses and trains and in particular be aware when you are in the Metro system. In other more residential areas of Barcelona you need not worry about pickpockets.
We are not going to scare visitors by publishing pages and pages about robberies. Yes, unfortunately some people do get robbed every day in Barcelona. But the stories are always the same, so there is really no point in repeating them. You can read them in the links at the bottom of this page.
We would rather tell you, how you can avoid becoming the victim of theft in Barcelona. It’s really simple. Just follow the safety tips below and the chances of you being robbed in Barcelona are really miniscule.
Our senior staff have lived in Barcelona for 10 years and walked Las Ramblas a thousand times and never been robbed once. Here are a few tips. This seems like a long list, but once you have read it, you can see that it really just a question of using your common sense and taking a few precautions.
By the way, these pickpocket safety tips will work all over the world, not just in Barcelona.
1. Dress in normal clothes
Many of us have a secret wardrobe of ancient vacation ritual outfits, most of which has been bought on package holidays in the seventies and now are kept exclusively for scaring people in foreign countries! These horrific multi-coloured, tighter than the space between two coats of paint, tourist uniforms need to be burnt before you go on holiday. Don't give them to charity. Even the poorest countries would send them back! Don't take them on holiday. They scare small children and worst of all: they really make you stand out in a crowd and make you a easy mark for pickpockets.
Barcelona is very much a jeans and casual wear city, so just wear what you would at home. A good rule of thumb is, if you don’t wear it at home, don’t wear it on holiday! Save it for a Bad Taste Party or the ABBA fan club summer barbeque.
Try to avoid clothes that advertise
that you come from another country or even worse, support another
football team than Barca! We recommend that you buy a FC Barcelona shirt and blend in with the locals although having said that, most Catalans only wear their Barça shirts on match day or the day after a big win. But you will definately look more local in a Barca colours than Man U colours.
Generally of course there is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage, but
it does make you stand out a mile. So why not leave caps, T-shirts,
bags with flags and cheesy slogans like "I'm an alien! Take me to yourLager! " etc at home.
By the way the picture at the top of this article is a fake, but it could be real. The Catalans in the picture are on La Ramba in the winter and that is how you dress from November to April in Barcelona. It can be chilly, specially at night. Often visitors are sold a "Fun in the sun" tour and arriving in shorts and flip-flops when the rest of us are wearing parkas!
When you are here, look at what the local residents of Barcelona are wearing and follow their lead. Again normal clothes. If they are in summer gear, then get out the shorts by all means. If you are the only person on the street in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops, then be extra careful of pick-pockets. because they will have you in their sights. Or change to warmer clothes! - you might be glad of them anyway!
3. Keep the guidebooks and maps out of sight
Keep the guidebooks and maps well hidden untill you need them. Even if you don’t look Spanish, you can avoid pickpockets simply by looking as if you are a foreigner resident of in Barcelona. Many tourists walk around clutching their guide books and maps at all times. Why?
The guide book or map is the single biggest clue for pickpockets. Why walk around holding a guide book or map all the time? Consult it and then put it away. When you want to consult it again, then go into a doorway or somewhere safe that is not in full view of everyone, then get the map out again.
Use a small and light guidebook or a foldable map of Barcelona. You can get one free at hotels and tourist offices all over Barcelona.
4. Put your bag under the table
In cafés and restaurants in Barcelona DON’T put your bag over the back of a chair or in the empty chair next to yours. That is the easiest target of all for a pickpocket. Put your bag in your lap. Look around you - you will see locals doing it.
5. Hide the good stuff
Or in other words – Don’t show off! The tourists, who get robbed first, are the ones are showing the pickpockets all the goodies.
Look. I’ve got a cool Nikon camera with a telephoto lens hanging round my neck.
Look, I’ve got a cool bum-bag full of cash and mobile phones and credit cards.
Look, I’ve put my newest model mobile on the table next to my coffee cup.
Look I’ve got a big fat wallet sticking out of my back pocket.
Look I’ve got a rucksack with a foreign flag on and I left one of flaps open for you Mr. Pickpocket.
Stop showing off your cash and goodies and you might get to keep them. The pickpockets go for first for the people who are showing them all the best stuff to steal. If you are a human WalMart you can expect shoplifters!
The less you have on display– the less interesting a target you become. It's simple. Keep the expensive cameras and phones in your bags or pockets. When you get to a place of interest in Barcelona, THEN take out your camera and take some photos.
When you have finished, put the camera away instead of leaving it dangling around your neck. If you have a big camera, then consider a neutral camera bag, that doesn’t say NIKON all over it. Or simply remove the labels.
6. Don't put phones on the table
Don’t put anything like wallets or mobile phones on the restaurant or café tables in Barcelona. Especially outdoors and on La Rambla. And be wary of kids or beggars trying to sell newspapers or magazines to you, purportedly donating profits to help the homeless.
If you do forget and leave something in full view on the cafe table, these kids will quickly target you. Their trick is to put the paper down on the table pretending to let you see it, then as they leave they deftly scoop up your phone or wallet, when they pick up the paper again. It's a free magic show, but rather costly!
7. Wear your rucksack on your front
If you have a shoulder bag, then tuck it under your arm and grip it. Make sure all bags are closed and zipped and in your sight, especially when you are in the Metro.
Try to avoid shoulder bags, money pouches and camera straps with thin straps. Pickpockets can slice through them in a second and slip away with the the bag without you even feeling it. Avoid big wallets in back pockets and don't take all your cards and cash with you. Leave some at the hotel. Leave your passport at the hotel safe, unless you need to change money in a bank.
8. Be very wary of physical contact
Beware of anybody touching you at any time, or approaching you. This is a misdirection technique intended to distract, while they rob you. Scamsters often operate in teams and while you are talking or being distracted by one, you might be robbed by another.
There is a very typical metro trick in Barcelona on the escalators. Someone in front of you drops coins and keys on the steps. Total confusion. While you are helping pick things up, you are being robbed.
Another pickpocket trick is for one or two pickpockets to pretend to hug you and be your friend. They often try this when they can see that you are drunk late at night. So don't drink and hug! At least don't hug strangers under the influence.
Another trick is to claim that you have pigeon droppings on your shoulderm, which they will help you brush off. There are many scam variants. Avoid physical contact. Push them away if necessary.
Pickpockets will very rarely attack you. If they feel that they have been spotted, they just shrug their shoulders and wait for another victim. Be wary of offers of help and be very aware if you accept them.
9. Don’t join in the street games
The three bottle tops and the pea is the best known. It is a total scam. The people standing nearby encouraging you to play are part of the scam.
The free shows on La Rambla and elsewhere are fine and good fun. But be especially aware while you are watching the free shows and human statues on La Rambla, because the show is distracting you and the pickpockets know it.
Enjoy the show if you must, but keep a hand on your money.
10. Don’t take ALL your money and credits cards with you on holiday or out with you
Leave some in your home country and at your hotel or apartment. A good rule of thumb is not to take unnecessary plastic cards on holiday. You don’t need video cards, gym cards, library cards, and all the other loyalty cards you have at home in Barcelona.
Take them out of your wallet before you leave home. If you are unlucky and have your wallet stolen, then at least you will not have to replace every card in your collection.
11. Tips about ID and passports
You will need some photo ID to make credit cards purchases and to change money at banks, so if you want to make a major purchase then of course you need to have them.
But if you are just out for the day and don’t plan to spend too much, then leave them at the hotel. Most quality hotels are safe, but hostels are a different matter. Ask if they have a safe in the reception or another system for safeguarding valuable items.
And it’s a good idea to have a few copies of your passport with you, just in case.
Write down a few personal phone numbers and keep them separate from your wallet. Some people have their phone stolen and find that they cannot actually recall any numbers in their head. Remember you can always call the emergency numbers in Barcelona for help.
14. Safety on the beaches of Barcelona
Barcelona has great beaches. If the beach is very crowded, then try not to have anything of real value and keep it covered. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t leave your stuff on the beach, while everyone in your group goes for a swim.
If someone lies next to you is alone and just has a towel and no books, sun lotion, etc then be extra careful. Of course if are asleep, then you won't notice, so don't fall asleep on the beach. The worst beach for being robbed is Barceloneta. The others further to the north are not that bad. If you have time then north of the city of Barcelona for nicer beaches, where you won't ever be robbed. By the way you can trust the drinks vendors on the beach. They often help catch the pickpockets and hand them over to the police.
On the beach you could try the old safety precaution of putting your wallet in your shoe. But heed the words of comedian Jerry Seinfeld:
We go to the beach, go in the water, put your wallet in the sneaker, who's gonna know?
What criminal mind could penetrate this fortress of security?
"I put it down by the toe. They never look there."
"They check the heels, they move on."
15. Safety in the metro of Barcelona
We recommend that you choose a purse or bag with a secure clasp. Keep the purse or bag close to your body and in front or under your arm. Grip the bag, when you are in the Barcelona metro system
The safest place for a wallet is in your front trouser pocket, or side pocket - with your hand round it! Never in your back trouser pocket. Another good tip is to put a thick rubber band around your wallet. The rubber band will create more friction and resistance than the smooth leather, if your wallet is being removed from your pocket. This means that there is a greater chance that you will notice it leaving your trousers!
Be aware of loud arguments or commotions that may be staged in order to distract you, while an accomplice picks your pocket.
If you have something stolen, yell out immediately to warn others. Don't be afraid to SHOUT! Tell the train or bus operator, and shout for someone to call the police. This creates a bigger chance of someone discarding your wallet then running.
If a person finds your wallet, then ask them to wait until the police get there. This could be an accomplice! Often a friend of the pickpocket will pretend to find your wallet and return it, (without the cash) to stop you running after the pickpocket, who is his friend!
Be extra careful if the Barcelona metro is crowded or if you are bumped or jostled.
16. Don’t drink too much
Sorry to spoil the party, but most pickpocket scams are particularly effective if you have had too much to drink
17. Report a theft
There is a good chance the money will be gone if your wallet is found, but perhaps a friendly Catalan will find your wallet and hand it to the police. It might have a lot of cards and photos intact. And you will be able to claim insurance with an official police report.
This is a link to an personal website by a Barceona resident called Terry Jones. This link is a mirror site of the old list of scams which has now been closed. It has a long list of street scams and pickpocket techniques that visitors to Barcelona have experienced. Please note that the list was started in 1996, so although the list is long and the stories are true, they are from a long period of time during which millions of visitors have been in Barcleona and were not robbed or scammed.
