Buying souvenirs on Sunday

Our experience buying souvenirs in European smaller cities on Sundays is simple, almost everything is closed. Since there are not many tourists, there are not shops open for a larger period, and most shops are open only during weekdays and Saturday during the business hours.

So we decided to adopt a simple lesson,

"If you see a shop selling a souvenir or a postcard you want to buy, buy it, the next place can be closed"

We have been to several places where we wanted to buy a souvenir, we normally buy a souvenir magnet, or a simple postal card to offer to our closest friends and family. However it has happened to us to have the will and money to buy it, but most places were closed and only one was open.

The only shop in Heidelberg we saw open during the afternoon of the 31 of December

We faced these problem in Koblenz on a Sunday morning and then in Heidelberg in the 31/December. These are typical days when almost everything are closed, so we were already expecting it, but sometimes you never know what your next stops will be.

This rule clearly does not apply for food !

In our last vacations we ended up eating for two times in the first place we saw, after leaving the place, ten to fifteen minutes later we saw a place that was better, curiously we did not find many places to eat, but there was still one alternative at least.

Pickpockets in Barcelona - Beaware

Barcelona is known for the pickpockets and the quantity of them trying to steal tourists. It is not about the violence involved, there is almost none, so you can walk in peace everywhere in Barcelona, but your wallet may disappear in the strangest situations.

The main targets for thief are easy access wallets. Wallets located on pockets easily visible or wallets inside woman handbags.

Our experience was fairly good, we were not victims at all, being Portuguese (with the Iberian look) it is easier to pass by as locals in the city. My wife even used a necklace and we did not have any problems with that.

One of the Scheme to steal in Barcelona

While we were lunching in the Parc de La Ciudad, we saw a scheme to steal something from a woman purse. In the stairs shown in the image below,

A tourist couple was walking down the stairs when suddenly three kids/teenagers walked faster down the stairs, one of them opens a map and holds it in front of the couple, the other one starts talking with them, as if he is a tourist helper that just wants to show something on a map. The third is "the thief", it is the one that is not in front of the couple, he stayed behind the couple and he was trying to put his hand in the woman handbag.

It is a strange situation, and the couple cannot walk, since the kids are around and they do not want to be rude to walk against them. The couple did not seemed interest and wanted to continue walking down the stairs, but they could only try, since the two "helpers" were in front of them.

After a while, the three kids left and the couple continued, we were on a bench in the garden so I cannot tell if anything was stolen, but I believe it was an annoying moment for them.

There was no violence involved, but if you get your wallet stolen it can ruin your vacations and you may have to lose time to go to the embassy or consulate.

Most of these kids are in waiting in the stairs for the people, they are not hiding and you can easily spot them.

Story of a friend.

We know a couple that also went to Barcelona but brought a small sad story, easily solved. 

They arrived at the airport and then took the bus, after a while and after taking a second bus, the girl noticed she did not have their Barcelona Card anymore, it was stolen from her handbag.

Fortunately, they went to a desk of the Barcelona Card and after telling them their story and showing them that they had bought the cards online starting on that day, the staff was nice enough and gave them two cards for the rest of their stay.

It was not a big loss in money, but it was at least one hour wasted.

More about scams
Video about the Scams in Barcelona by National Geographic, you can find it useful so you don't get scammed.

Tips

• Carrying a fake wallet with something not important is a way to attract the attention of the pickpockets. This way if they want to steal your wallet they will probably steal the "fake" wallet and you will not lose anything important.

• Do not show signs of luxury. you do not have to look poor or homeless, but most of these pickpockets know how to evaluate how much money someone may be carrying. I do not mean fancy clothes or wallets, but a pocket full that 

• When paying, do not show all your money, try to keep it separated, so when you are paying for your lunch or a souvenir, you will only grab a twenty euro note instead of a bunch of notes.

• If you have an handbag, try to keep it closed, so there is no way of foreign hands trying to sneak in, it is very easy and quick to steal something from an open handbag.

• Leaving your bags unattended is a big risk, there seems to be always someone looking for these bags and they disappear in less than a minute.

Arriving in Barcelona - Tips

Let's start with the city of Barcelona. The capital of Catalunya and home of the Sagrada Familia, one of the most visited monuments in Spain, and that is still being finished.

There are several ways to arrive in the city, by road, water or air. There are several trains serving the city, motorways, and both the port and the airport are near the city.

By Car

There are several motorway and national roads that will lead you to Barcelona. One of the most important comes from France, it is the AP-7, the other comes from Madrid, the AP-2.

From the French city, Perpignan, the toll charge to Barcelona is estimated in €17,85 by Via Michelin
From the city of Zaragoza (between Barcelona and Madrid) the toll charge is estimated in €30,70 by Via michelin




By Train

Renfe Train

If you are in Spain, you can check the best trains at Renfe or AVE (fastest trains).If you are in Paris or Geneve you may want to check the RailEurope.





By Airplane

Vueling, Easyjet and Ryanair are the biggest airlines in the
Barcelona airport, when comparing Passengers.

The airport is located 15Km from the city center. From the airport you can take the taxi, the train or the Bus.

The Aerobus is a frequent service between the Airport and the city, it costs €5,90 for a single ticket and it stops in Pl. Catalunya, Pl. Universitat , Gran Via-Urgell, Sepulveda-Urgell and Plaza de España.

Train to the Barcelo Sants station departs every 30 min from the Airport Station and it costs €3,8 and it takes 20 minutes between stations.

There is also the bus by the Barcelna Metropolitan Transports, it is the line 46 and it is between the Pl. Catalunya and the Airport (map).

If you have a valid Barcelona Transport Card, the Train or the Bus are good options, since the prize is included.

By Ferry

Barcelona can be reached from several cities, like Livorno and Genoa, and the islands of Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.

Most of the docks are near the Columbus monument with an excellent view from below to the Montjuic



Staying in the Airport

If you need to stay at the airport you have to option to sleep in the Air Rooms, an hotel located right in the Airport.