Barcelona is a wonderful place to live, but it’s a den of thieves. It’s topped the poll as worst city in the world for pickpockets, and the sad truth is I can’t remember the last time I went out and didn’t see someone chasing after a bag thief or plaintively yelling for the police.
Here’s how to avoid it happening to you:
1. Get the airport bus.
If you fly to Barcelona, take a cab or the bus from the airport. On the train, thieves only have to pay once to spend the whole day rifling through people’s pockets, and thefts are common both at Sants station and on the trains. The bus, which costs around 5 euros, is a far safer bet.