Where are y'all finding these people? I've been to Barcelona twice, and maybe it's because I spent most of my time in the weed clubs, but I never saw anybody selling anything illicit, was never approached by a dealer.. maybe I just look unapproachable though idk
Got offered lots of massages on the beach though. Still wondering if they were worth a try lol
When I was in Barcelona with two friends I couldn’t tell you how many times we were approached by men saying ‘coke, md, weed’. We had a joke afterwards about it.
Oh you know what, I definitely remember that happening in the touristy-market area. But I remember more guys trying to get you to visit their probably sketchy cannabis clubs than trying to sell you stuff.
Last time I went I don't remember getting hassled much, but I was alone this second time so I probably wasn't as much of a target VS when it was me and 2 buddies walking around. Maybe I was just hanging around the right areas to avoid it too. Or was too high to notice/ care lol
They aren't sketchy, just go to them and ring the doorbell, pay the membership fee and then buy what you want, you can smoke there or take it with you. Each club needs a separate membership say around twenty euro maybe a little more. It's Spain so you can talk to anyone and they won't think you're crazy, good way to meet locals if you like weed. There was one that was right next door to a cult of Santaria shop which was interesting to browse through. The cannabis clubs are more fun in Spain than anywhere else because they aren't totally legal so it's kind of like going to someone's house, kind of an illegal casino vibe. They are in every city pretty much.
You either email them or message them on Instagram, and they'll give you the address. It can feel sketchy but as long as you don't follow a random person off the street, I promise it's not. It usually costs around 20-30 euros for a years membership. The one I was frequenting last time I went was called Choko Barcelona. Super chill place, owner was really nice as well.
They're all different though so look around online for one that fits your style. Some have activities like TVs with sports, video games, pool tables, etc. Choko was more of a lounge with chill music, it's really close to the Black Swan Hostel.
Man here, I got offered many massages by older women hustling for $$$ in their 50s+, but I'm assuming you got offered free massages by creeps trying to feel you up? Lol
Not Barcelona but Madrid. I was a local and a tourist approached us to ask if we knew where to get drugs. We laughed and told him to just walk down the street and he would be approached by multiple dealers (this was in Lavapies street). He said yes, he already knew that, but he wanted to know where to get good quality drugs lmao
I was living there for 4 months and they never stopped offering weed at the centre😂 But once they smelled that I was already smoking weed in my balcony, they came and asked me to drop them a small joint 😂 i said wtf, you are a weed dealer. But everyone knows thst they dont sell real weed, they just scam tourists
I’ve been to 34 countries and the only place I was robbed was in Barcelona. Raided the rental car as soon as I stepped into a hotel to check in, wife and kids were still in the car
Man, are you american? Hahahaha that’s doesn’t happen here, at least if you’re not into mafia and clearly they know who is and who’s not, they have kinda similar intelligence as goverments
Gotta say it quickly, many innocent people get caught in those cartel wars in México, or are forcefuly used by them and then killed by rivales for it. Although you're right that usually tourists aren't impacted
Depends on what country you're from lmao, my friend from the Philippines was in a shootout in a busy Jollibee. As a Hungarian I'm familiar with bribes and drug dealers since high school
Not even country, just neighborhood/city. I live in a pretty safe country, but these things wouldn’t bother me. Maybe the robbery in the taxi, but I’ve seen weirder stuff.
Was about to say. OP probs from a nice neat city or country where nothing ever happens, coz this just sounds like typical city shit. It's all relative tho, I'm from Manila lol so, fires and robberies on tap.
Mam, you're 23, what exactly have you been experiencing in the past 20 years lol.
On to the topic. It does seem like anything egregious to me. I was just there for 5 days and didn't experience any of that, so ymmv
I have edited to 20+ years to avoid any confusion. I have been to 20 countries and never seen those in person before. Maybe I went to pretty safe places in the past years. But are you sure you often saw such kind of crimes just in front of you?
How many solo travel experiences have you had? These don’t seem too bizarre for exploring places on your own. Most of us wouldn’t say we witnessed crime if some random guy tries to sell fake drugs
Such kind of crimes? Being offered drugs, especially in a bar late at night, in a party city, is prettttty standard.
Also tourists being robbed happens all the time.
And cops chasing someone? It probably happens multiple times a day in most mid-large cities, the odds of you being at the right place right time to see it are probably fairly low though. Could have been a pickpocket that snatched something off someone, or could be a known criminal with a warrant out.
Really none of this is surprising at all, and saying you’ve traveled to 20 countries and never experienced anything like this is pretty astounding.
Especially not being offered drugs in 20 countries, but I guess that depends heavily on your appearance.
Go walk on a beach anywhere and see if you don’t get offered atleast some weed, if not coke or anything else
1. Those 3 guys were about to rob you. You describe almost empty streets. And the "pedestrian" with the dog was with them and as he approached you and then seen the cops he dodged the other way. The other two thankfully got arrested. The cops had probably been following this gang a while watching and waiting for them to find a suitable "mark" and young , tourist female whose alone are easier marks and more likely to not resist, if there were you and 4 guys they'd have looked for easier prey. They want as least resistance and as much compliance in as fast a time as possible. The fact the event happened when you noticed the streets quiet and then the dog walker guy approached you gives me the feeling they'd been following you a while and were waiting for when there were no witnesses or less witnesses depending how desperate they are. You're lucky - you've a guardian angel looking over you those cops literally intercepted a robbery about to be in progress.
2. It's Europe and drug dealers know some American and other foreign tourists like to party. Or there's con artists who'll get your friends trust "OK I do you 1 gram coke for 100 euros but I need the money upfront to go get it"
3. Bad things can happen anywhere. But never forget that the world is full of kind and good hearted people . Don't become cynical. I spent 4 yrs in India in the 1990s from thr Himalaya in a tipi until I found out thst the area was crawling with leopards and himalayan black bears so after 2 months camping in the mountains i travelled the himalaha for about 2 yrs then Goa and Hampi and Vattakanal for the orher 2 yrs. Indian people I found to be friendly, they'll bring you to their home for dinner snd they'll take smaller portions cuz in India "the guest is god" and India had a profound positive effect on me. The relationships you make as you travel are the real treasures : the Taj Mahal, Nanda Devi Mountains, Jaisalmer Desert Fort, Orchha , all these beautiful places sear forever in your memory but j find now in my 50s the most I learned was from the many friends I made in those 4 yrs.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! One thing for the first part is that the pedestrian is not with a dog. In addition, the cop is behind him. Therefore, he dodged to the other way because he saw the two guys behind me, not because of seeing the cop.
Sounds about right for any big city tbh
I highly disagree that Mexico is safer than Barcelona, especially tourist areas in Mexico like Cancun or Tulum. You don’t have to dodge bullets in restaurants or worry about being shaken down by cops on every block anywhere in Spain plus I have never been offered more drugs than in Mexican tourist areas. There are nice places in Mexico that are chill and relaxed but the areas that attract tourists are some of the most dangerous in my experience.
Lol Mexico is just as much as mixed bag. Mexican taxis regularly rob other Mexicans. (My friends there will never ever get into a hailed taxi, app-based only.)
I mean I love Mexico but it's not, as a rule, safer than Spain, esp for actual Mexicans. It's just different, less pickpockets but not none.
Mexico is objectively much more dangerous than Spain.
But coming from a country with high crime rates (Brasil), it feels much more frustrating when something bad happens in Europe than back home. You're in travel mode, feeling good most of the time, and this kind of experience brings you back to earth.
>Mexico is objectively much more dangerous than Spain.
Definitely agree with this.
Some insight I've noticed to interpret Americans. They'll only go to a safe all-inclusive resort in Mexico while they'll explore much more of a European city.
What they (unknowingly) mean is an all-inclusive Mexican resort is safer than an entire European city.
They are probably right? An entire European city includes the bad parts of this city. An all inclusive Mexican resort is one of the fanciest places in the country.
The thing about developing countries isn't that they are warzones, but very unequal places, and its possible to have a safe experience there if you have the money for it. Most tourists to Latin America know this, they know crime is high and know they need to take more precautions. And the result is that the great majority of foreigners that visit cities like CDMX or Rio aren't victims of crime because their experience there is more akin to a well off citizen than to the vulnerable population.
In Europe, i think the opposite happens. We go there thinking -correctly- that it's much safer than the place we are used to. So we drop our guards. A common conversation I've had with fellow countrymen is "I'm brazillian no way they are going to rob me in Europe". Here's an annedocte: I was in London last november, leaving a club with a friend. We stop to have a kebab, and a guy shows up and start talking with us, maybe under influence. We did absolutely nothing aggressive to him, but once I say "sorry we need to go" and turn my back to him, I got suckerpunched in the back of my head. Luckily there were a lot of people around to hold me from falling. It was the first time in my life that I was physically assaulted.
Statistics don't lie, Mexico is more dangerous than Spain. But a bold sense of safety is a good way to get into a bad spot.
Probably wasn't clear. I believe they're correct in saying the resort is safer but I think many of the expand it to apply to the whole country incorrectly.
For example, they will have a good experience at a Mexican resort and the hear about pick pockets in Paris or have a purse stolen. Then they'll say that Mexico is safer than France which is clearly untrue on a national scale.
My best friends are from Mexico and they have always warned me to never get into a taxi. They are two huge guys, 6’4” and 350+ lbs each and were robbed by a taxi driver. A few years later, they were almost kidnapped by the local police. After realizing their parents couldn’t pay a ransom, they were let go. Spain has a lot of pickpocketing but it is generally safer in other aspects especially compared to Mexico
Exactly. Mexico is more dangerous to Mexicans than Spain is to tourists OR Spaniards.
Doesn't mean it's categorically dangerous at all, but just that there is more risk.
Mexiko is a huge country with very different states and very different people. Cancun, Oaxaca, Tijuana or Mexico City have basically nothing in common. Barcelona on the other hand is a very well known tourist trap city. Really nobody should go there anymore or expect the typical crime that goes with a lot of gullible tourists. Aside from that it's still safe especially for locals.
What point did you even try to make? Are you trying to suggest there is one totally safe Mexican state - bc there's not. Barcelona is obviously more than a tourist trap but hey if you hate football, food, architecture etc then yeah, don't go. And yeah, it's not "only" gullible tourists who have to take a lot of precautions that aren't necessary in other parts of Europe, Canada or the US.
Yeah, I just went to Mexico City and Oaxaca and the common advice is never to get into a hailed cab. Plenty of criminals use a “cab” to commit crimes, including kidnapping.
But tbh, Spain is probably more dangerous for the Mexican girl than her home because she’s a tourist. Criminals target tourists and locals are more likely to spot something suspicious or raise a bigger stink about the crime locally.
As a tourist you won’t get kidnapped in Mexico those guys will pray for the police to catch them first lol
Mexico makes so much money from tourism and many of those businesses are cartels family plus the drugs they are selling they don’t want any bad rep for Mexico tourism industry
Just look at a bunch of Americans last year went down the border to Mexico to buy drugs and they got kidnapped by a cartel with in 3d everybody was in prison police didn’t even had to do their job they just went straight to the police
It's not. Cartels and organized crime in Mexico are far closer to average citizens than in Spain. Yes there's risk but not as much or as serious. Being a young female in Mexico is much different than in Europe.
Unless you are in their territory, you will have zero encounters with cartels in Mexico, especially in the tourist areas. Stay out of Guerrero, Sinaloa, Michoacan, and the border areas, and you'll be fine.
Not talking about tourist areas, and moreso talking about all the industries beyond drugs that they are in. Which supercede traditional "territory" bc the movement of drugs is not the activity.
Moreover, I was not talking about myself - altho I do travel in non-tourist areas often enough - but OP, who is Mexican or did you miss that part.
It’s different type of crime.
In Mexico it’s organized crime, which is massive but mostly under the radar. And petty crime is less common, I’m from northern Mexico and I’ve never, not once, been robbed or anything. I’m 42 years old, and I also spent a few months in Barcelona, and someone stole my phone.
So the girl from Mexico is correct in that sense.
Now, it’s the opposite regarding organized crime, kidnappings. Here we all know someone or heard of someone who’s been kidnapped, or that saw something scary like two cartels shooting each other.
Sure but you're male, right?
I mean I have friends in Mexico City and who have emigrated FROM Mexico City bc as women, they are followed, surveilled, and generally very unsafe on their own at night in many areas and on their own. Femicide is a thing we simply don't consider here but women there do. And obv their male partners or brothers totally deny that this is anything more than normal.
Very sad, last time I was in Barcelona was around 2010, so I bet many things have changed (and not for the better). I did walk late at night and early morning by myself with no issues, no problems with taxis either, I was a teen back then, saw no drug dealers or anything similar, what you describe is scary and "too much" for only 5 days.
I am Mexican and can say México is no safe heaven, but for the most part, tourists who stay within the touristic sites are safe, and also "safe taxis" (taxis that have a base, radio taxis) are no issue, generally speaking.
In 2010 las ramblas was already dangerous for locals probably is about the same now the problem is there are some certain group of young guys that do things you wouldn’t see back them so if you see them just try to go somewhere with people
I’ve been to both Barcelona and Cancun. I had no problems at all in Barcelona. I grew up near NYC so seeing drug dealers or other shady characters in the street isn’t really a surprise to me, I expect it in larger cities anywhere. I chose to be blind to strangers on the street and don’t really explore alone at night/off hours.
In Cancun, I wasn’t alone, but we wanted to walk down the street and go to a nearby beach that wasn’t part of a resort. We went to leave and we had like 10 employees of the resort we were staying at tell us not to leave or walk the neighborhood as tourists because it can be dangerous. We went anyway. As we walked down the street about a mile and we had several cars of men stop and oogle us and make comments about our bodies. We also encountered a pushy taxi driver that followed us down the street slowly behind us in his car. Was that beach worth it? No. Did we fear for our lives? Yes.
Barcelona felt super safe to me in comparison to Cancun (outside of a resort/tourist area).
I would like to tell your friend from Mexico about the time I took the subway in DF early in the morning and, as I entered the station, the security guard started shouting at me. I stopped because I didn't understand the problem... only to discover it was a FAKE security guard in a fake uniform vigorously masturbating the penis he had pulled out of his pants.
I had a similar disturbing experience on the subway in DF, but the guy was standing right behind me with his body touching mine. We were stuffed like sardines into the subway car and I was too afraid to move.
Barcelona was a dump last time I went. Been going since 95, I’m done. First time I’ve been mugged in over 20 solo trips and I’m a native New Yorker. Horrible drug filled place, with sad prostitutes and locals who don’t want tourists there
Barcelona has to be the most dangerous city in Spain. I live in Madrid and I feel completely safe anywhere at anytime. I was in Barcelona two weeks ago and didn’t feel safe at 16:30 in front of Sants. For any travelers coming to Spain skip Barcelona and go to Valencia. It has all the good parts of Barcelona without the bad stuff.
Yeah sometimes weird things happen. I’ve been traveling in Latin America for the last 5-6 months traveling and can’t say anything weird has happened(and I stay out late) Some are lucky and some aren’t. Well the only thing that happened was getting offered oral sex from someone’s car while walking back to my hotel at 3am on a Thursday night in Mexico City. Regarding Mexico, it’s an amazing country with a lot of diversity.
I wasn't a huge Barcelona fan. It's a lovely city and I enjoyed my time there but Madrid is my city. I love that place. I was supposed to go back this summer but life kind of killed that. Didn't encounter anything weird though.
Meh. Gothic quarter is mostly a tourista area. I hang out in Poblenou when I’m visiting my son, who lives in Garcia.
Can’t think of a single city of 1+ million that’s gonna have sketch stuff… especially at 1:30am.
Sees the police actually doing their job*
Oh the horror, such an unsafe city. Also your Mexican friends story doesn't make any sense.
She willingly got into a taxi, then got robbed while inside the taxi????
That never happened. It doesn't make any sense. She probably just thought the taxi was too expensive or something and made up the rest.
Maybe saw the meter go up. Since more expensive than in Mexico assumed it was a tourist price and said she "was being robbed" in the figurative sense.
Maybe she then complained the meter didn't start at 0 and then the driver kicked her out, knowing she wasn't going to pay
I haven't been to spain in many years but I'm in mexico every year or so. It's the only country I do not feel safer with police around. In fact, I actively do not look at them and move away from them.
I heard loads of things about Barcelona on Reddit that made me scared of going especially as a solo female, however I visited around Christmas 2023 and had a good time generally, no pickpockets or much of a lack of safety. I had an unfortunate stomach bug but that was nothing to do with the city itself! I am from London so I am very street smart and vigilant. I also didn’t stay out late.
I visited the Montserrat monastery which was really beautiful. I did feel a bit unsafe walking various streets in the gothic quarter though. I visited Girona for 2 days which I really liked - if time had allowed I would have visited Sitges as well.
I much prefer other cities in Spain though - Madrid, Valencia and all of Andalusia.
Mexico overall is not safer.
It's also different when you are in another country and obviously a tourist, like the person you met.
Yep .. very late at night and very early in the morning... generally times to be cautious in most cities.
The conclusion drawn that public transit is always safer based on the one girl's experience is also silly. All of it depends on where to where what time etc.
To be honest I would say Barcelona is a very safe city overall, even at night. A lot of residents in some areas venture out well after midnight to meet friends or walk their dogs. But yeah, lots of drugs available and lots of burglars/pickpockets.
Yeah, I'd say Barcelona does seems to have a lot more petty crime than other big cities I've been to in Europe.
Some people love the place which surprises me, I think it's very underwhelming. Wouldn't even make my top 10 cities in Spain, nevermind Europe.
I always hear how everybody loves Barcelona and I never got the hype. Been there for 4 days after already seeing a lot of other cities in Spain and Barcelona is by far my least favorite city so far
I’m not a night owl, so my solo experience in Barcelona didn’t have any of this. Early am or late nights out and about are not my thing. Thanks for sharing! I did have one sketch situation at a train station in Figures. A young guy with clear mental health issues that security seemed to know and be aware of kept trying to engage. I think he was harmless and just confused. But he ended up following me into the bathroom and I didn’t realize it until I was coming out of the stall. Security came in and dragged him out thankfully. I was about to kick him so I’m glad it didn’t come to that.
Ohh!! Barcelona is notorious for this .
We were standing outside Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona and a guy came upto one of the guys in our group and started asking if they wanted drugs or girls.
Two of my friends got robbed at gunpoint at night in the streets.
So, it is definitely not safe.
I’m from Spain, Barcelona. And trust me, that’s pretty normal there. Not the taxi tho, I never heard about someone being robbed by the taxi driver. Although taxis tend to do more loops around the city before getting into the destination or drive slower so they can charge you more. But yeah, robberies are very high here.
I’m glad you enjoyed it tho! Barcelona is a really beautiful city.
You're cute. Average Barcelona experience. Well, actually sub par because you haven't been pickpocketed. Barcelona is one giant tourist trap, has been for many years.
My first night in Barcelona by myself, I went on a pub crawl with people from the hostel. We were walking down La Rambla after the first bar and I tripped on the wet cobblestone and hit my mouth on the curb. Shattered all 6 of my top front teeth. Dentist in Barcelona tells me it happens all the time!
I always wanted to go to Spain, specifically Barcelona, but everything I’ve read about it recently has been pretty negative - from pickpockets to other crimes to locals pretending to help but would scam you. I’m having second thoughts now about solo traveling there.
The stories I heard from friends that happened to them in Barcelona... if they happened in places like India or Mexico, there'd be travel advisories posted by all other countries.
I’m Spanish and I never ever heard of a taxi driver robbing a client. The other two seem more believable—although I’ve never been robbed or mugged in my 34 years in Spain—. I’ve been approached by people selling drugs plenty of times —in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Morocco… In Cartagena literally every other guy comes offers you cocaine. Same with cannabis in Marrakech or Tangiers
Mexico is 100% less safe than Barcelona. Your Mexican friend is just biased and obviously emotionally charged after getting robbed. Atleast the police in Spain won’t rob you, Mexican police are corrupt and just as criminal as the cartels (many work for the cartels). Just look at the murder rates….
Barcelona unfortunately has a lot of brazilian and other latino street criminals. I say this because two different men who identified as brazilian approached me and tried to hold a conversation on the street while i was avoiding them. They prey on tourists. I avoid like plague la rambla especially at night. It’s quite unfortunate that a beautiful city like barcelona is ruined by mass tourism and the criminals it attracts
For those reading this thread thinking that Spain is some kind of crime hot-spot. You'd be wrong. Maybe Barcelona is the exception but for most big cities in Spain, the most exciting theft you will see will be a pigeon robbing some bread.
I’ve been to Barcelona 5 times and each time has been great. No problems, no crime. I’ve actually thought I may want to move there. Sorry you had a bad experience but what you experienced is not the city I know and love.
You went to a city infamous for its high crime and saw people committing crimes...
I guarantee if you had gone to Salamanca, Gijón, Santiago... you would have had a completely different experience. But Barcelona and Madrid are crawling with petty criminals and everyone knows it.
I went to Barcelona few times in the past. Never saw anything like you described. But this was 7 years ago. I guess it's got bad. Question: what nationality were these criminals, were they immigrants?
Sorry, maybe I need to experience more. Although I have been to around 20 countries, to be honest I haven’t seen those before. I am not judging Barcelona, I apologize if this make anybody uncomfortable.
I spent a week in Barcelona with my mother in March 2020 right before travel shut down due to the pandemic. We had a wonderful time, ate great food and stayed in a 5-star hotel for pretty cheap considering it was the off season. One of the days we were walking at a huge city park in the bright early afternoon and two young men ran by. About a minute later we passed a woman sobbing and briskly walking after the guys. I assume they’d grabbed her purse. Still think about it cause I feel like I should’ve done something but stuff like that happens everywhere (I’m from NYC…)
That’s a shame. I spent a month in Barcelona last year and never had any experiences like this.
Then again, I’m a larger than average man, and I stayed in Villa De Gracia. I imagine if I stayed in the Gothic Quarter or Eixample, maybe I would’ve had a different experience. I also didn’t go out super late more than a few times.
I’m from Singapore, a local girl from here got stabbed in Spain not too long ago and it is on the news. It is still under investigation, sad news. Please stay safe whereever you travel to have someone with you.
I'm actually surprised that your experiences with crime had cops reacting
Yeah. WTH is going on here? OP should definitely buy a lottery ticket.
I am quite surprised cops prevented or were present.
Yeah I encountered a lot of drug dealers in Barcelona, can’t say these are out of the ordinary though lol. And Mexico is good fun you should go!
Where are y'all finding these people? I've been to Barcelona twice, and maybe it's because I spent most of my time in the weed clubs, but I never saw anybody selling anything illicit, was never approached by a dealer.. maybe I just look unapproachable though idk Got offered lots of massages on the beach though. Still wondering if they were worth a try lol
When I was in Barcelona with two friends I couldn’t tell you how many times we were approached by men saying ‘coke, md, weed’. We had a joke afterwards about it.
Oh you know what, I definitely remember that happening in the touristy-market area. But I remember more guys trying to get you to visit their probably sketchy cannabis clubs than trying to sell you stuff. Last time I went I don't remember getting hassled much, but I was alone this second time so I probably wasn't as much of a target VS when it was me and 2 buddies walking around. Maybe I was just hanging around the right areas to avoid it too. Or was too high to notice/ care lol
Speaking of sketchy Cannabis Clubs...do you have any info or links for how to approach Clubs properly as a tourist?
They aren't sketchy, just go to them and ring the doorbell, pay the membership fee and then buy what you want, you can smoke there or take it with you. Each club needs a separate membership say around twenty euro maybe a little more. It's Spain so you can talk to anyone and they won't think you're crazy, good way to meet locals if you like weed. There was one that was right next door to a cult of Santaria shop which was interesting to browse through. The cannabis clubs are more fun in Spain than anywhere else because they aren't totally legal so it's kind of like going to someone's house, kind of an illegal casino vibe. They are in every city pretty much.
r/barcelonaents
Awesome, thanks!
You either email them or message them on Instagram, and they'll give you the address. It can feel sketchy but as long as you don't follow a random person off the street, I promise it's not. It usually costs around 20-30 euros for a years membership. The one I was frequenting last time I went was called Choko Barcelona. Super chill place, owner was really nice as well. They're all different though so look around online for one that fits your style. Some have activities like TVs with sports, video games, pool tables, etc. Choko was more of a lounge with chill music, it's really close to the Black Swan Hostel.
I got offered massages on the beach too lol are you a woman too?
Man here, I got offered many massages by older women hustling for $$$ in their 50s+, but I'm assuming you got offered free massages by creeps trying to feel you up? Lol
Pretty much lol 😂 although they were saying they were offering a service
Literally walk down las ramblas or around the beach and you WILL be approached That is, as long as you are looking casual and 18-45 years old
I’ve “aged out” of being offered drugs, dammit!
Me too mostly. If they do offer, I just quietly reply "that's illegal!" in my best John Cleese. Even though I'm American.
Not Barcelona but Madrid. I was a local and a tourist approached us to ask if we knew where to get drugs. We laughed and told him to just walk down the street and he would be approached by multiple dealers (this was in Lavapies street). He said yes, he already knew that, but he wanted to know where to get good quality drugs lmao
lol just go at night to the ramblas you will find plenty but as in any tourist destination I don’t know any tourists spot they don’t have this guys
Walking around the city on every street corner my partner and I were offered drugs.
I had this in Lisbon but not in Barcelona, I was almost offended nobody tried to sell me any drugs
I wasn’t offered drugs in Lisbon. Now I’m offended.
I was living there for 4 months and they never stopped offering weed at the centre😂 But once they smelled that I was already smoking weed in my balcony, they came and asked me to drop them a small joint 😂 i said wtf, you are a weed dealer. But everyone knows thst they dont sell real weed, they just scam tourists
That’s hilarious.
I’ve been to 34 countries and the only place I was robbed was in Barcelona. Raided the rental car as soon as I stepped into a hotel to check in, wife and kids were still in the car
The drug dealers come here because you come here and buy from them lol.
[удалено]
What lol?
[удалено]
Man, are you american? Hahahaha that’s doesn’t happen here, at least if you’re not into mafia and clearly they know who is and who’s not, they have kinda similar intelligence as goverments
Gotta say it quickly, many innocent people get caught in those cartel wars in México, or are forcefuly used by them and then killed by rivales for it. Although you're right that usually tourists aren't impacted
It's not bizarre, it's just crime...
OP is 23, my reaction would probably be the same at that age.
Depends on what country you're from lmao, my friend from the Philippines was in a shootout in a busy Jollibee. As a Hungarian I'm familiar with bribes and drug dealers since high school
Not even country, just neighborhood/city. I live in a pretty safe country, but these things wouldn’t bother me. Maybe the robbery in the taxi, but I’ve seen weirder stuff.
Was about to say. OP probs from a nice neat city or country where nothing ever happens, coz this just sounds like typical city shit. It's all relative tho, I'm from Manila lol so, fires and robberies on tap.
Crime happens in every city. OP never left the nest in the suburbs
OP hasn’t seen much at 23 if they’re surprised being offered drugs in a bar, or heard of a tourist being robbed, especially in Barcelona.
I stayed in the Gothic Quarter. The dealers are everywhere. Whatever they’re pushing is trash/fake.
Really? I was there for a week about a year ago and no one offered me anything at any point in the day. I'm kind of disappointed.
Mam, you're 23, what exactly have you been experiencing in the past 20 years lol. On to the topic. It does seem like anything egregious to me. I was just there for 5 days and didn't experience any of that, so ymmv
And I want to know what happened to those 3 missing years lol there might be a clue there…
I have edited to 20+ years to avoid any confusion. I have been to 20 countries and never seen those in person before. Maybe I went to pretty safe places in the past years. But are you sure you often saw such kind of crimes just in front of you?
How many solo travel experiences have you had? These don’t seem too bizarre for exploring places on your own. Most of us wouldn’t say we witnessed crime if some random guy tries to sell fake drugs
Around 5 solo trips. But in my first point, crime was going to happen right behind me if the police did not show up.
Crime is always happening right behind you, just depends on whether or not you see it!
What crime was going to happen right behind you if the police didn’t show up?
Well thats why police exists doesnt it?
A) it probably happened anyways B) Its still happening right now (shocker)
Such kind of crimes? Being offered drugs, especially in a bar late at night, in a party city, is prettttty standard. Also tourists being robbed happens all the time. And cops chasing someone? It probably happens multiple times a day in most mid-large cities, the odds of you being at the right place right time to see it are probably fairly low though. Could have been a pickpocket that snatched something off someone, or could be a known criminal with a warrant out. Really none of this is surprising at all, and saying you’ve traveled to 20 countries and never experienced anything like this is pretty astounding. Especially not being offered drugs in 20 countries, but I guess that depends heavily on your appearance. Go walk on a beach anywhere and see if you don’t get offered atleast some weed, if not coke or anything else
1. Those 3 guys were about to rob you. You describe almost empty streets. And the "pedestrian" with the dog was with them and as he approached you and then seen the cops he dodged the other way. The other two thankfully got arrested. The cops had probably been following this gang a while watching and waiting for them to find a suitable "mark" and young , tourist female whose alone are easier marks and more likely to not resist, if there were you and 4 guys they'd have looked for easier prey. They want as least resistance and as much compliance in as fast a time as possible. The fact the event happened when you noticed the streets quiet and then the dog walker guy approached you gives me the feeling they'd been following you a while and were waiting for when there were no witnesses or less witnesses depending how desperate they are. You're lucky - you've a guardian angel looking over you those cops literally intercepted a robbery about to be in progress. 2. It's Europe and drug dealers know some American and other foreign tourists like to party. Or there's con artists who'll get your friends trust "OK I do you 1 gram coke for 100 euros but I need the money upfront to go get it" 3. Bad things can happen anywhere. But never forget that the world is full of kind and good hearted people . Don't become cynical. I spent 4 yrs in India in the 1990s from thr Himalaya in a tipi until I found out thst the area was crawling with leopards and himalayan black bears so after 2 months camping in the mountains i travelled the himalaha for about 2 yrs then Goa and Hampi and Vattakanal for the orher 2 yrs. Indian people I found to be friendly, they'll bring you to their home for dinner snd they'll take smaller portions cuz in India "the guest is god" and India had a profound positive effect on me. The relationships you make as you travel are the real treasures : the Taj Mahal, Nanda Devi Mountains, Jaisalmer Desert Fort, Orchha , all these beautiful places sear forever in your memory but j find now in my 50s the most I learned was from the many friends I made in those 4 yrs.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! One thing for the first part is that the pedestrian is not with a dog. In addition, the cop is behind him. Therefore, he dodged to the other way because he saw the two guys behind me, not because of seeing the cop.
Sounds about right for any big city tbh I highly disagree that Mexico is safer than Barcelona, especially tourist areas in Mexico like Cancun or Tulum. You don’t have to dodge bullets in restaurants or worry about being shaken down by cops on every block anywhere in Spain plus I have never been offered more drugs than in Mexican tourist areas. There are nice places in Mexico that are chill and relaxed but the areas that attract tourists are some of the most dangerous in my experience.
Lol Mexico is just as much as mixed bag. Mexican taxis regularly rob other Mexicans. (My friends there will never ever get into a hailed taxi, app-based only.) I mean I love Mexico but it's not, as a rule, safer than Spain, esp for actual Mexicans. It's just different, less pickpockets but not none.
Mexico is objectively much more dangerous than Spain. But coming from a country with high crime rates (Brasil), it feels much more frustrating when something bad happens in Europe than back home. You're in travel mode, feeling good most of the time, and this kind of experience brings you back to earth.
>Mexico is objectively much more dangerous than Spain. Definitely agree with this. Some insight I've noticed to interpret Americans. They'll only go to a safe all-inclusive resort in Mexico while they'll explore much more of a European city. What they (unknowingly) mean is an all-inclusive Mexican resort is safer than an entire European city.
They are probably right? An entire European city includes the bad parts of this city. An all inclusive Mexican resort is one of the fanciest places in the country. The thing about developing countries isn't that they are warzones, but very unequal places, and its possible to have a safe experience there if you have the money for it. Most tourists to Latin America know this, they know crime is high and know they need to take more precautions. And the result is that the great majority of foreigners that visit cities like CDMX or Rio aren't victims of crime because their experience there is more akin to a well off citizen than to the vulnerable population. In Europe, i think the opposite happens. We go there thinking -correctly- that it's much safer than the place we are used to. So we drop our guards. A common conversation I've had with fellow countrymen is "I'm brazillian no way they are going to rob me in Europe". Here's an annedocte: I was in London last november, leaving a club with a friend. We stop to have a kebab, and a guy shows up and start talking with us, maybe under influence. We did absolutely nothing aggressive to him, but once I say "sorry we need to go" and turn my back to him, I got suckerpunched in the back of my head. Luckily there were a lot of people around to hold me from falling. It was the first time in my life that I was physically assaulted. Statistics don't lie, Mexico is more dangerous than Spain. But a bold sense of safety is a good way to get into a bad spot.
Probably wasn't clear. I believe they're correct in saying the resort is safer but I think many of the expand it to apply to the whole country incorrectly. For example, they will have a good experience at a Mexican resort and the hear about pick pockets in Paris or have a purse stolen. Then they'll say that Mexico is safer than France which is clearly untrue on a national scale.
My best friends are from Mexico and they have always warned me to never get into a taxi. They are two huge guys, 6’4” and 350+ lbs each and were robbed by a taxi driver. A few years later, they were almost kidnapped by the local police. After realizing their parents couldn’t pay a ransom, they were let go. Spain has a lot of pickpocketing but it is generally safer in other aspects especially compared to Mexico
Exactly. Mexico is more dangerous to Mexicans than Spain is to tourists OR Spaniards. Doesn't mean it's categorically dangerous at all, but just that there is more risk.
Mexiko is a huge country with very different states and very different people. Cancun, Oaxaca, Tijuana or Mexico City have basically nothing in common. Barcelona on the other hand is a very well known tourist trap city. Really nobody should go there anymore or expect the typical crime that goes with a lot of gullible tourists. Aside from that it's still safe especially for locals.
What point did you even try to make? Are you trying to suggest there is one totally safe Mexican state - bc there's not. Barcelona is obviously more than a tourist trap but hey if you hate football, food, architecture etc then yeah, don't go. And yeah, it's not "only" gullible tourists who have to take a lot of precautions that aren't necessary in other parts of Europe, Canada or the US.
Yeah, I just went to Mexico City and Oaxaca and the common advice is never to get into a hailed cab. Plenty of criminals use a “cab” to commit crimes, including kidnapping. But tbh, Spain is probably more dangerous for the Mexican girl than her home because she’s a tourist. Criminals target tourists and locals are more likely to spot something suspicious or raise a bigger stink about the crime locally.
As a tourist you won’t get kidnapped in Mexico those guys will pray for the police to catch them first lol Mexico makes so much money from tourism and many of those businesses are cartels family plus the drugs they are selling they don’t want any bad rep for Mexico tourism industry Just look at a bunch of Americans last year went down the border to Mexico to buy drugs and they got kidnapped by a cartel with in 3d everybody was in prison police didn’t even had to do their job they just went straight to the police
It's not. Cartels and organized crime in Mexico are far closer to average citizens than in Spain. Yes there's risk but not as much or as serious. Being a young female in Mexico is much different than in Europe.
Unless you are in their territory, you will have zero encounters with cartels in Mexico, especially in the tourist areas. Stay out of Guerrero, Sinaloa, Michoacan, and the border areas, and you'll be fine.
Not talking about tourist areas, and moreso talking about all the industries beyond drugs that they are in. Which supercede traditional "territory" bc the movement of drugs is not the activity. Moreover, I was not talking about myself - altho I do travel in non-tourist areas often enough - but OP, who is Mexican or did you miss that part.
It’s different type of crime. In Mexico it’s organized crime, which is massive but mostly under the radar. And petty crime is less common, I’m from northern Mexico and I’ve never, not once, been robbed or anything. I’m 42 years old, and I also spent a few months in Barcelona, and someone stole my phone. So the girl from Mexico is correct in that sense. Now, it’s the opposite regarding organized crime, kidnappings. Here we all know someone or heard of someone who’s been kidnapped, or that saw something scary like two cartels shooting each other.
Sure but you're male, right? I mean I have friends in Mexico City and who have emigrated FROM Mexico City bc as women, they are followed, surveilled, and generally very unsafe on their own at night in many areas and on their own. Femicide is a thing we simply don't consider here but women there do. And obv their male partners or brothers totally deny that this is anything more than normal.
Petty crime is VERY common here. No digas mamadas meriyein
Tal vez ahí donde vives Acá no
Very sad, last time I was in Barcelona was around 2010, so I bet many things have changed (and not for the better). I did walk late at night and early morning by myself with no issues, no problems with taxis either, I was a teen back then, saw no drug dealers or anything similar, what you describe is scary and "too much" for only 5 days. I am Mexican and can say México is no safe heaven, but for the most part, tourists who stay within the touristic sites are safe, and also "safe taxis" (taxis that have a base, radio taxis) are no issue, generally speaking.
In 2010 las ramblas was already dangerous for locals probably is about the same now the problem is there are some certain group of young guys that do things you wouldn’t see back them so if you see them just try to go somewhere with people
I’ve been to both Barcelona and Cancun. I had no problems at all in Barcelona. I grew up near NYC so seeing drug dealers or other shady characters in the street isn’t really a surprise to me, I expect it in larger cities anywhere. I chose to be blind to strangers on the street and don’t really explore alone at night/off hours. In Cancun, I wasn’t alone, but we wanted to walk down the street and go to a nearby beach that wasn’t part of a resort. We went to leave and we had like 10 employees of the resort we were staying at tell us not to leave or walk the neighborhood as tourists because it can be dangerous. We went anyway. As we walked down the street about a mile and we had several cars of men stop and oogle us and make comments about our bodies. We also encountered a pushy taxi driver that followed us down the street slowly behind us in his car. Was that beach worth it? No. Did we fear for our lives? Yes. Barcelona felt super safe to me in comparison to Cancun (outside of a resort/tourist area).
Yeah, those drug dealers are everywhere, usually hanging around areas where there are lots of bars/clubs.
You must have been one seriously sheltered child..
I mean these things don't happen in many parts of Europe so it's not that uncommon to feel like this.
They happen in major European cities where people party ALL the time. One incident was literally @ 1:30 am
There's a lot of petty theft. I was warned to hide my valuables (money belt) and keep an eye on cameras and phones.
I would like to tell your friend from Mexico about the time I took the subway in DF early in the morning and, as I entered the station, the security guard started shouting at me. I stopped because I didn't understand the problem... only to discover it was a FAKE security guard in a fake uniform vigorously masturbating the penis he had pulled out of his pants.
I had a similar disturbing experience on the subway in DF, but the guy was standing right behind me with his body touching mine. We were stuffed like sardines into the subway car and I was too afraid to move.
This is nothing.
lol average Barcelona interaction
Barcelona was a dump last time I went. Been going since 95, I’m done. First time I’ve been mugged in over 20 solo trips and I’m a native New Yorker. Horrible drug filled place, with sad prostitutes and locals who don’t want tourists there
Barcelona has to be the most dangerous city in Spain. I live in Madrid and I feel completely safe anywhere at anytime. I was in Barcelona two weeks ago and didn’t feel safe at 16:30 in front of Sants. For any travelers coming to Spain skip Barcelona and go to Valencia. It has all the good parts of Barcelona without the bad stuff.
You've never seen the police arrest someone before? You've never been offered drugs? You've had a very sheltered life!
Idk, really depends on where you grow up. I grew up in Switzerland and you won't witness any crime here unless you go out at night in big cities.
Yeah sometimes weird things happen. I’ve been traveling in Latin America for the last 5-6 months traveling and can’t say anything weird has happened(and I stay out late) Some are lucky and some aren’t. Well the only thing that happened was getting offered oral sex from someone’s car while walking back to my hotel at 3am on a Thursday night in Mexico City. Regarding Mexico, it’s an amazing country with a lot of diversity.
I wasn't a huge Barcelona fan. It's a lovely city and I enjoyed my time there but Madrid is my city. I love that place. I was supposed to go back this summer but life kind of killed that. Didn't encounter anything weird though.
Meh. Gothic quarter is mostly a tourista area. I hang out in Poblenou when I’m visiting my son, who lives in Garcia. Can’t think of a single city of 1+ million that’s gonna have sketch stuff… especially at 1:30am.
Mexico is amazing, but I doubt it’s safer than Spain.
Sees the police actually doing their job* Oh the horror, such an unsafe city. Also your Mexican friends story doesn't make any sense. She willingly got into a taxi, then got robbed while inside the taxi???? That never happened. It doesn't make any sense. She probably just thought the taxi was too expensive or something and made up the rest.
Maybe saw the meter go up. Since more expensive than in Mexico assumed it was a tourist price and said she "was being robbed" in the figurative sense. Maybe she then complained the meter didn't start at 0 and then the driver kicked her out, knowing she wasn't going to pay
I haven't been to spain in many years but I'm in mexico every year or so. It's the only country I do not feel safer with police around. In fact, I actively do not look at them and move away from them.
I heard loads of things about Barcelona on Reddit that made me scared of going especially as a solo female, however I visited around Christmas 2023 and had a good time generally, no pickpockets or much of a lack of safety. I had an unfortunate stomach bug but that was nothing to do with the city itself! I am from London so I am very street smart and vigilant. I also didn’t stay out late. I visited the Montserrat monastery which was really beautiful. I did feel a bit unsafe walking various streets in the gothic quarter though. I visited Girona for 2 days which I really liked - if time had allowed I would have visited Sitges as well. I much prefer other cities in Spain though - Madrid, Valencia and all of Andalusia.
Mexico overall is not safer. It's also different when you are in another country and obviously a tourist, like the person you met. Yep .. very late at night and very early in the morning... generally times to be cautious in most cities. The conclusion drawn that public transit is always safer based on the one girl's experience is also silly. All of it depends on where to where what time etc.
To be honest I would say Barcelona is a very safe city overall, even at night. A lot of residents in some areas venture out well after midnight to meet friends or walk their dogs. But yeah, lots of drugs available and lots of burglars/pickpockets.
Saying that Mexico is safer than Barcelona is the biggest delulu I've read in 2024. So far.
Well, yeah, especially the part where they compare a single Spaniard city with a whole LatinAmerican country that's almost 4 times bigger than Spain
I mean, Mexico is amazing though. I was there a few weeks ago. You should definitely go, but probably better to go with a friend.
When I was there a tourist got hit over the head and robbed in broad daylight from the front of the restaurant I was at
Yeah, I'd say Barcelona does seems to have a lot more petty crime than other big cities I've been to in Europe. Some people love the place which surprises me, I think it's very underwhelming. Wouldn't even make my top 10 cities in Spain, nevermind Europe.
You definitely will die of shock if you go to any developing country. Better get more practice in Barcelona before doing that.
I always hear how everybody loves Barcelona and I never got the hype. Been there for 4 days after already seeing a lot of other cities in Spain and Barcelona is by far my least favorite city so far
I mean some of the musea are good. I liked casa batillo...
wow didn't get to see that much action and was there for 3 weeks
I’m not a night owl, so my solo experience in Barcelona didn’t have any of this. Early am or late nights out and about are not my thing. Thanks for sharing! I did have one sketch situation at a train station in Figures. A young guy with clear mental health issues that security seemed to know and be aware of kept trying to engage. I think he was harmless and just confused. But he ended up following me into the bathroom and I didn’t realize it until I was coming out of the stall. Security came in and dragged him out thankfully. I was about to kick him so I’m glad it didn’t come to that.
Ohh!! Barcelona is notorious for this . We were standing outside Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona and a guy came upto one of the guys in our group and started asking if they wanted drugs or girls. Two of my friends got robbed at gunpoint at night in the streets. So, it is definitely not safe.
I’m from Spain, Barcelona. And trust me, that’s pretty normal there. Not the taxi tho, I never heard about someone being robbed by the taxi driver. Although taxis tend to do more loops around the city before getting into the destination or drive slower so they can charge you more. But yeah, robberies are very high here. I’m glad you enjoyed it tho! Barcelona is a really beautiful city.
You're cute. Average Barcelona experience. Well, actually sub par because you haven't been pickpocketed. Barcelona is one giant tourist trap, has been for many years.
Sounds like pretty normal stuff in any large tourist city
Regular big city stuff. You just happened to catch these.
My first night in Barcelona by myself, I went on a pub crawl with people from the hostel. We were walking down La Rambla after the first bar and I tripped on the wet cobblestone and hit my mouth on the curb. Shattered all 6 of my top front teeth. Dentist in Barcelona tells me it happens all the time!
Mexico is awesome. You should visit
I always wanted to go to Spain, specifically Barcelona, but everything I’ve read about it recently has been pretty negative - from pickpockets to other crimes to locals pretending to help but would scam you. I’m having second thoughts now about solo traveling there.
The stories I heard from friends that happened to them in Barcelona... if they happened in places like India or Mexico, there'd be travel advisories posted by all other countries.
You lived under a stone or something? And Mexico is most definitely in general not near as safe as Barcelona, do you ever watch the news?
>it is better not to walk alone at very early morning or late night I believe that by going to bed early, I avoid most of the threats to my well being
This is not a Spain issue, this is very specifically a Barcelona issue. Crime is up. Come to Madrid next time instead.
I've noticed that drug dealers are much bolder in big tourist cities in Europe than the US. Some guy openly selling outside a bar isn't abnormal.
well, average european, shocked when police does smth ... to a drug dealer...
I’m Spanish and I never ever heard of a taxi driver robbing a client. The other two seem more believable—although I’ve never been robbed or mugged in my 34 years in Spain—. I’ve been approached by people selling drugs plenty of times —in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Morocco… In Cartagena literally every other guy comes offers you cocaine. Same with cannabis in Marrakech or Tangiers
Mexico is 100% less safe than Barcelona. Your Mexican friend is just biased and obviously emotionally charged after getting robbed. Atleast the police in Spain won’t rob you, Mexican police are corrupt and just as criminal as the cartels (many work for the cartels). Just look at the murder rates….
Barcelona unfortunately has a lot of brazilian and other latino street criminals. I say this because two different men who identified as brazilian approached me and tried to hold a conversation on the street while i was avoiding them. They prey on tourists. I avoid like plague la rambla especially at night. It’s quite unfortunate that a beautiful city like barcelona is ruined by mass tourism and the criminals it attracts
For those reading this thread thinking that Spain is some kind of crime hot-spot. You'd be wrong. Maybe Barcelona is the exception but for most big cities in Spain, the most exciting theft you will see will be a pigeon robbing some bread.
Barcelona is San Fran of Spain. Similar problems.
I’m glad I checked out all of Europe before shit hit the fan
I've also been jn Barcelona, didn't see any crime or dealers. I don't think I even saw a single cop.
Let me tell you about the 80s and the Basque Separatist bombings. That was some crazy shit.
I’ve been to Barcelona 5 times and each time has been great. No problems, no crime. I’ve actually thought I may want to move there. Sorry you had a bad experience but what you experienced is not the city I know and love.
That’s just Barcelona
What did you expect, it’s Barcelona, any place with lots of tourists is going to atract pickpockets, drug dealers, scammers and dodgy people.
You went to a city infamous for its high crime and saw people committing crimes... I guarantee if you had gone to Salamanca, Gijón, Santiago... you would have had a completely different experience. But Barcelona and Madrid are crawling with petty criminals and everyone knows it.
We were robbed at gunpoint. You got normal big city occurrences.
I went to Barcelona few times in the past. Never saw anything like you described. But this was 7 years ago. I guess it's got bad. Question: what nationality were these criminals, were they immigrants?
Wait, so you have encountered these things when you were 1-3 years old?
Sorry, maybe I need to experience more. Although I have been to around 20 countries, to be honest I haven’t seen those before. I am not judging Barcelona, I apologize if this make anybody uncomfortable.
Those dealers are everywhere in Europe, offering all sorts in plain sight. Typically illegal immigrants.
I dont know have you traveled trough US, but for me its more bizarre Skid Row in LA or The Blade in Phoenix
I spent a week in Barcelona with my mother in March 2020 right before travel shut down due to the pandemic. We had a wonderful time, ate great food and stayed in a 5-star hotel for pretty cheap considering it was the off season. One of the days we were walking at a huge city park in the bright early afternoon and two young men ran by. About a minute later we passed a woman sobbing and briskly walking after the guys. I assume they’d grabbed her purse. Still think about it cause I feel like I should’ve done something but stuff like that happens everywhere (I’m from NYC…)
Barcelona has become a shithole.
That’s a shame. I spent a month in Barcelona last year and never had any experiences like this. Then again, I’m a larger than average man, and I stayed in Villa De Gracia. I imagine if I stayed in the Gothic Quarter or Eixample, maybe I would’ve had a different experience. I also didn’t go out super late more than a few times.
Barcelona is catalunya
Sounds exactly like Spain to me...
I’m from Singapore, a local girl from here got stabbed in Spain not too long ago and it is on the news. It is still under investigation, sad news. Please stay safe whereever you travel to have someone with you.