Spending time in the glorious Spanish sun, staying in luxury spanish villas, and doing as much or as little as you please is what a lot of people go to Spain for. While this country happens to be one of the safest in Europe, it always pays to be safe.
So how can you keep yourself safe when you’re on vacation, and what do you need to do to reduce your chances of falling victim to crime? We’re going to take a look at this now:
(Please note these safety tips are relevant no matter when you go on vacation.)
Table of Contents
Staying Safe at Night
Stay safe at night by making sure you’re not the only one walking along a street. If you have to go somewhere make sure you have a friend or a family member with you. If you can’t have anyone with you try to only walk through busy streets.
Avoiding Pickpockets
If you need to get money out of a cash machine one of the best things you can do is use a cash machine in a bank rather than one outside. Using a cash machine inside, whether it be located at reception in a hotel or on the park where your villa is located.
One of the reasons that you need to avoid using an ATM that’s located outside is that someone may decide to bump into you or run up and grab your money as it comes out of the ATM. If you can, use an ATM that’s located inside, if you can, make sure you have someone with you to grab the money as soon as it is spat out.
While you’re walking along a street someone with a clipboard may approach you and ask for your signature. While you’re signing their form they or another person may pick your pockets.
As I mentioned earlier, these safety tips are relevant to anywhere you go and are not limited to Spain.
Staying Safe While Driving
When you’re driving on Spain’s road you should be aware that police officers who deal with traffic matters will be wearing a uniform, and they will always be carrying identification. Even plainclothes police officers will be carrying identification. Unmarked police cars have a sign in the rear window that says ‘Policia’ or ‘Guardia Civil’, and this sign flashes as does a blue light on them. If you are stopped by someone claiming to be a plainclothes officer you can ask them for identification. Please note that no police officer will ask for your purse, wallet, or your bag.
– Drink Driving
Spain has some very strict drink-driving laws and if you are caught driving under the influence you may be told to pay a heavy fine, you could lose your license, and in some cases, you may even find yourself imprisoned. If you want to drink make sure someone else drives or you use an alternative form of transport.
– Speeding
If you get caught speeding you may be issued with a fine on the spot. If you accept the fine and you’re happy to pay it within 20 days, your fine could be reduced by as much as 50%.
– Wearing Seatbelts
Seatbelts need to be worn at all times, and children under 12 years of age should only be sat in the back seat. They will also need to be sitting in an approved safety seat. If you are hiring a car to use on your travels ask the car hire firm to provide you with one.
Parking your Car
If you happen to be visiting Barcelona you may be interested to know that in August it’s free to park in the green zones dotted around the city centre. However, you should always make sure that you don’t leave any valuables lying around as your car may be targeted by thieves. Keep everything in the glove box or in the boot of the car, and out of sight.
Staying Safe at Train Stations
It’s a sad fact that no matter where you go in the world if you’re stood at a train station you need to be on the lookout for thieves. It is all too common for thieves to use a pair of scissors to cut the straps off bags. If a thief cuts your bag they are likely to run away with it. One of the best things you can do is to keep all of your cards, cash, and documents about your person.
Staying Safe at the Beach
When it comes to spending time on one of Spain’s beautiful beaches you should make sure that you don’t swim on a beach that’s close to a river. This is because the current can be quite strong and you may be dragged away from the shore.
Another thing to bear in mind is that you should never dive into water if you don’t know how deep it is, or if it contains rocks. Shallow water and hidden rocks can ultimately cause injury or death.
If you would like to take a walk along a beach you should make sure that there lifeguards present. If there are no lifeguards around you should stay away from the edge of the water. This is because waves can often be quite large and they could pull you under.
As I mentioned earlier Spain is one of the safest countries in Europe and although nothing may go wrong while you’re on vacation, it’s sensible to do what you can to stay safe.
