Ben Pawlowski
A BRITISH expat living in Barcelona has handed out five key pieces of advice for any tourists visiting the city – including how to avoid being pickpocketed.
Anna, a Brit who runs the TikTok page @annainbarcelona, has had her video viewed by over 800,000 people keen to know the do’s and don’ts for the Catalan capital.
Last year, the city attracted over 15 million visitors, but has recently come under the spotlight amid a surge in anti-tourist protests and fears over petty crime, such as pickpocketing.
Here are her five pieces of advice:
- Don’t bring heels
Anna says anyone visiting Barcelona should leave their heels at home as you are, quite simply, not going to use them. Instead, pack comfy shoes fit for walking.
- Don’t eat or drink on La Rambla
Anna has a word of warning for La Rambla, Barcelona’s most iconic street. Yes, it may be nice to walk along, but the food and drink available will be ‘twice as much for something half as good’. She also warns that the area is a magnet for pickpockets.
- Don’t put your phone in your pocket
Barcelona is renowned for pickpockets – Sir Ben Ainslee had his phone stolen just weeks ago – and Anna has one simple piece of advice: don’t put it in your pocket. Instead, she advises you to wear a bum bag – even if it looks ugly. Better safe than sorry.
- Don’t go to dinner without reservation
Anna says that the city is heaving in the summer as millions of tourists come to visit – as such, she highly recommends reserving a table so you don’t miss out.
- Don’t get taxis everywhere
Although she admits they can be useful late at night, Anna advises visitors to use the extensive metro and bus services. On Fridays, the metro runs until 2am, and on Saturdays it runs throughout the night, whilst night bus services are available throughout the week. She recommends getting a 10-ticket metro pass – known as a T-Casual – for around €12.
