Hotel in barcelona, where did you stay?

[as19111]

Hi Andrea...what are "Pac Safe Products" that you Zip and Clip? Never heard of these!

Thanks for the great post! How was your cruise?

 

Mickeysgal! How was the hotel Montecarlo??? We are booked for 2 nights there end of August pre-cruise!

 

Olwyn

www.pac-safe.com/ - check out this website to learn more. They are sold both on line, through AAA, luggage stores, REI etc. The zip and clip means close the zippers and attach the clips on any purse/bags or else your a welcome target. We have two and my husband carries a larger one as his "man purse" with water, umbrellas, travel guides etc. I carry a smaller one with cash, passports and credit card.

 

The cruise was amazing...that's a word you'll hear repeatedly in every port. It is a marathon of ports and you have to pace yourself at night (read early to bed gratefully and really early to rise) but you can still enjoy dinner, a few shows, and maybe a MUTS. My favorite ports were Barcelona, Istanbul and Kusadasi with the rest just as "amazing". My least favorite port was Athens, BUT, it was our last port before Venice and we were tired tourists by then.

 

Andrea

[Olwyn]

Hi Andrea!

The cruise sounds divine! Sigh! We leave on August 29th...cruise departs September 1st.

 

Those Safe-Pacs sound great. The purses though still have the chance of being grabbed, from a guy on a scooter or on foot. I had a client 'dragged' down the street by a guy on a scooter, who eventually did manage to take her bag! :( Sylvie ended up in hospital badly scraped and banged up.

 

What kind of pac did you use? How do their 'money-belts' differ from the regular kind? Do you know?

I would rather my elderly mom not have a bag of any kind over her shoulder on the street in Barcelona...and maybe not myself either. Just tempting fate!

 

Thanks so much for all the information Andrea!

Olwyn

[Susan-M]

I would rather my elderly mom not have a bag of any kind over her shoulder on the street in Barcelona...and maybe not myself either. Just tempting fate!

 

 

I would rather that my elderly mom not have a purse anywhere that she goes after a nasty theft attempt of her 'handbag' in Florida that left her with a broken rib and cuts/bruises...however, she has since downsized to an over the shoulder/close to the body smaller purse which she feels more secure with. We looked at the Pac Safe purses in a local store prior to a recent trip, but she wasn't thrilled with the sizes ... she ended up finding a Roots one on sale at Sears that she is quite happy with.

 

I use a small backpack which I've travelled with on buses, subways, trains, etc. in many major cities in Europe (including a pre-cruise stay in Barcelona) ... and so far no one has bothered me. But my valuables (money, credit cards, etc.) go in a neck pouch that DH usually wears.

[CathyCruises]

Again, what worked great for me was the small satin pouch that clips onto one's bra straps, just large enought for credit card, some euros and the Sea Pass card. Extremely secure--gave me great peace of mind. It could work great for moms! http://www.travelwares.com/Bra_Stash_p/a1130004f.htm Easily available for $6.95! Backpacks are fine as long as there's nothing of value--umbrellas, jackets, kleenex, water bottle, etc.

 

Cathy

[as19111]

I agree with the above comments, as anything can happen regardless of precautions taken. Any purse should be worn across the chest and not just on the shoulder. I also use the silk pouch, especially on the ship and in ports for my cruise card and maybe some casino cash:o

 

We have the metrosafe 200 (our man purse) and the slingsafe 100 which isn't too large and holds passports, credit card, a slim camera and some cash.

 

Sorry for taking this thread off topic. It's time to get back to hotels in Barcelona!

[HMSDingy]

We did not stay out past 8 pm(time change adjustment) and I felt totally at ease while we were out. Las Ramblas is an interesting place with open air pet shops, street performers, artists, and flower stands. You will also be in walking distance for the "farmer's market" which is a visual delight. Pickpocketing is real. We saw someone tell the HoHo bus driver that they were pp while getting on at Sagrada Familia. ( I also saw someone getting back on the ship in another port discover their wallet missing.) That said, be smart and be streetwise and you'll be ok. DH has had two instances of ALMOST losing his wallet of his own carelessness, and he knows not to carry one in these situations. (an aside: look at the pac safe products and they only work if you zip and clip) My issue with money belts is keeping everything in it and having to undress to get it. They are fine for "long term storage" but you need access to cash/cards for museum fees etc.

 

BTW, if you do use the HoHo, they should give you a little coupon book that has discount admissions for many of the major sites. You must present a coupon for each person, so make sure you get a booklet for each fare.

 

Anyway, this "funky" hotel uses the roomsafe as a night table (hanging from the wall)! We used it and it's just like the ones on the ship or other hotels. I'll try to find a photo for you.

 

Andrea

 

 

Don't want to continue off topic, but the money belt I mentioned is not the kind like on the pacsafe site where you can insert bills in the belt inside but more of a kind that is strapped around your waste and can be worn under clothes. Like this one.

[jacruisers]

Just got back, we stayed at Hotel Olivia right in front of Placa Cataluna were the HOHO red & blue line bus starts. Location was great, Las Ramblas around the corner, room very nice with a modern style to it. Would stay again.

 

Anna