Spain ? no-way.

[John H]

john are you off to spain this winter?
i ask s i am around all winter there i hope. we might have met you never know .it is a small world. always amazes me how many you can know on these forums but not actually put name to a face.
i used to pull my artic trailer with V W lt .now use a mitsubishi canter. you may have avoided me lots do.sometimes travel with a few mates in big n noisy trucks. with loud horns.

Not this winter - our daughter has inconveniently just presented us with a new grand-daughter, so we made a rash promise to be stuck in the cold and damp for Christmas (they never think about anyone but themselves do they?). But we will be there next year - probably from October through to March. We have a McLouis Glen, 05 registration - if we see you, we'll steal your generator! Happy travels - I'll think of you as I shiver.

 

[noody]

It's always Spain though, isn't it ? Ok, no-doubt Germany, France, Holland, Belgium all have thieves though out of all the EU destinations for motorhomes and caravans Spain either attracts more thieves or the police don't bother dealing with the problem.

 

[John H]

It's always Spain though, isn't it ? Ok, no-doubt Germany, France, Holland, Belgium all have thieves though out of all the EU destinations for motorhomes and caravans Spain either attracts more thieves or the police don't bother dealing with the problem.

Well, no it isn't. My only experience, as posted above, was in Hungary and I have met others (fortunately few) who have been robbed in countries other than Spain. The reason why it appears there is a lot of it in Spain is because by far the majority of motorhoming Brits who go abroad go to Spain. To get to Spain, many pass through France - and you will hear as many tales about southern France as well. But don't be put off - the percentage is very small and you are probably more likely to be robbed at home. As for the Spanish police, I know from the experiences of the few people I have met who have had to deal with them that they are very helpful. Spain depends on tourism and the last thing they want to do is upset or put off visitors. The problem tends to lie more with those being robbed - I have never met one (myself included) who didn't say it was their own fault - leaving the passports on the drivers seat, leaving the van unlocked while going to the loo, believing people who try scams so well-known that they ought to have their own television series etc. Be careful but don't be paranoid.

 

[frostybow]

hi we have toured a lot in spain longest trip 8 months shortest 4 months mostly wild camping we have never had any trouble dont be put of by the stories just use common sense when parking up.we are leaving for spain in may for 5 months might see you there

 

[BillyB666]

I reckon Frostybow has it right, we've toured all over Europe, never had problems - just be sensible - 99.99999999% of people are good & will help you where they can. Pack ya beans n sausage & get on Norfolk Lines web site. You'll have a ball

B

 

[Hallii]

I just typed a long and involved reply but I deleted it after reading it!

What I was saying is more simply put.

Spain and Portugal are nice friendly safe places.

You can wild camp almost anywhere but avoid anywhere where you feel uncomfortable.

If you decide to go to Spain you will be made welcome, you will find that the local traders actually welcome your visit (unlike here!). So use the local shops, bars and garages etc.

Have a meal at the beach bar and ask if you can stay on the car park, I have never been refused! At one place "Satan" the guard dog (that's not his proper name!) and I became good friends and he slept under my camper.

You will find some places with many campers wild camping, some are there for months, so if you need to know something knock the door and ask.

Drive into a village and ask at the bar where the campers are parked and you will get excellent directions, probably in English, and an invite to eat there later on!

Finally, go and enjoy Spain, don't forget the mountains and inland villages, the lakes and the rivers. That's the real Spain, quiet, hot, sleepy, trouble free and very easy going. Forget the negative comments and just be sensible, you won't come to any harm!

Geoff

 

[vwalan]

spain as a great influx of campers at times .its like morocco .weare told about 25,000 campers enter maroc in the winter thats alot of campers if only 25 went inthe most robberies could only be 25. get it in proportion its actually not many real robberies .there are alot of people say they are robbed and claim on theitinsurance. making it mors difficult for every one. i got broken into last winter .i welded a peice of steel into the window aperture painted it white ,lost radio andfew bits but never claimed whats the point may not get ins,next time if lots keep claiming.we also need to think personal responsibility some are so careless and leave things on viewetc .

 

[Deleted member 3011]

Needs a bit of thought before turning your MH into a fortress and locking yourself securely inside.
If there is a fire, you have seconds to get out.

 

[pablisch]

A sorry tale

Hello, I know I've missed the boat on this discussion but I just wanted to say that I had always heard that the real danger spot for KO gas attacks was not Spain but the peage running along the French Med coast. of course that's not to say that anyone who parks there will get gassed.

Personally, I've never had any trouble with gas. Got broken into twice in a week in portugal, but no gas. I've slept in a stupidly dark and quite place in an aire, but no gas. BUT, I have met a couple who just woke literally moments before, following a gas attack. They had lost everything and needed to borrow a phone as theirs was gone. It was a Spanish couple traveling through France.

So i am not a gas attack sceptic, I've seen the result.

What i want to know is how you stop it? If you have an alarm, does that make you panic a little as you drift into sleep? surely a loud noise does not negate the effect of the gas? Surely opening the windows is not a great idea surrounded by your attackers? and having gassed you, are they going to let you get away very easily?

I was wondering what type of gas mask filters you would need to be unaffected by this gas? Does anyone know? or does anyone have any suggestions who to ask?

Somehow it doesn't seem sensible to drive off in a motorhome filled with sleeping gas!

Regards to all, Pablito

 

[noody]

18 months since I started this thread because of concerns and whilst I accept there are crooks everywhere the evidence for Spain and Portugal having the greatest collection of motorhome bandits appears on a regular basis whilst France gets a regular mention of being the most motorhome friendly country in the world.

The only explanation is that crooks targeting motorhomers in Spain and Portugal don't get targeted by the police, the crimes are not logged by the police so don't build-up as a problem or the police figure these are crimes against visitors who will go home and not become a collective problem.

If these crimes resulted in visitors avoiding the country to a noticeable level and affecting the businesses who thrive on tourists you can be sure something would be done.

In just the same way as dog owners rarely get the law thrown at them for fouling, if a concerted effort was made over a couple of years, heavy fines dished-out and more public condemnation the problem would halve.

________________________________________________
Richard. Distinguished kite-surfing gentleman
I don't do tricks.


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[Guest]

18 months since I started this thread because of concerns and whilst I accept there are crooks everywhere the evidence for Spain and Portugal having the greatest collection of motorhome bandits appears on a regular basis whilst France gets a regular mention of being the most motorhome friendly country in the world.

The only explanation is that crooks targeting motorhomers in Spain and Portugal don't get targeted by the police, the crimes are not logged by the police so don't build-up as a problem or the police figure these are crimes against visitors who will go home and not become a collective problem.

If these crimes resulted in visitors avoiding the country to a noticeable level and affecting the businesses who thrive on tourists you can be sure something would be done.

In just the same way as dog owners rarely get the law thrown at them for fouling, if a concerted effort was made over a couple of years, heavy fines dished-out and more public condemnation the problem would halve.

________________________________________________
Richard. Distinguished kite-surfing gentleman
I don't do tricks.


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I think that unfortunately in this economic climate we are now in, with high unemployment and tightening of belts. The younger generation used to having everything now and not later, these attacks may spiral upwards.
Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times and not just limited to Spain & Portugal

 

[lebesset]

after 25 years of euro touring , being robbed 7 times but with virtually no loss [ if we want to chance staying in dodgy places then we have nothing worth stealing with us ] we have found the worst places are

Italy , it's like a game for young men , plus now eastern europeans , robbed 3 times
s.france italians and E. europeans , last year the french police set up a sting on the meditteranean motorways , and arrested 50 in 1 day ! robbed twice

portugal , lots of tourists in the algarve ...robbed once

uk young british men , robbed once ; good tip from policeman .... favourite now is st-navs , easily sold for drugs apparently ; don't leave a sat -nav ring on your windscreen or you can expect a broken window , most people just put their sat-nav out of sight apparently [ mine goes with me !] ; actually I think that tip probably applies world wide ...met somebody who lost theirs in calais last year

spain ? never been robbed , but then I don't stop on motorways and tend to be more cautious where I park perhaps

face the fact , tourist areas = thieves , nothing to do with spain , thats world wide

 

[vwalan]

there as always been stealing in every country .nothing really to do with todays times .itsnever stopped .used to be handbag snatching. pickpockets etc .it can happen anywhere. i was done near valencia just before xmas. year before in agadir .10 yrs ago in agadir. could just as easy been here in cornwall .cheers have a nice holiday .alan.

 

[snowthunder]

Camping in Spain

Hi guys, while I too love the Spanish culture, people etc, and having spent 6weeks a year camping over the last 5 years, i must say that after my experience last year, i will NEVER take my camper in2 Spain again. Not once, but TWICE in the space of 5 days was I "shadowed" by a couple of shady guys. While im sure these werent Spanish men, they were very dedicated in their efforts to get the camper alone, even following me in2 a private drive! My wife, and her parents were with me at the time, and needless 2say that did it for them. We kissed the ground on return to France!! Literally!
Been as far down a Montenegro, up to Denmark, over to Hungary and ive never encountered the feelings i got in Spain. But maybe thats just me!
Take care!

 

[noody]

It's not just this forum, other forums, magazines and personal encounters with those who felt the same. It's a damn-shame. I have pal who drives down through Spain staying at various places then always ending-up in Tarifa for the kitesurfing, he has never had any problems. He has two big-black Newfoundlands that are very gentle but do a lot of barking at the right time and the bloke himself is a 120 kilos skin-head around the age of 40 who works as a firefighter now and was a pro-lifeguard for many years.

Get the picture ?

Life his dogs he-is a gentle-man and maybe he rarely leaves his van unattended but that must be difficult.

I think it's very important we-all share these stories along with the more positive ones.

________________________________________________
Richard. Distinguished kite-surfing gentleman
I don't do tricks.


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[neilmac]

Not once, but TWICE in the space of 5 days was I "shadowed" by a couple of shady guys. While im sure these werent Spanish men, they were very dedicated in their efforts to get the camper alone, even following me in2 a private drive!

Very interesting post! You could be one of the extremely rare individuals who can tell a personal tale rather than the 'friend of a friend' type stuff.

As you were very aware of the characters on 2 separate occasions are you able to be more specific about their appearances (other than shady and not Spanish), their vehicle, whereabouts this occured etc. Did you, maybe, get any photos even mobile phone ones? Did you report it to any authorities?

Could be useful for others to know what to look for......

 

[Deleted member 2636]

Ah ha Tarifa! I would say that if you stay down at the wild camping bit near Spinout then it pays not to put all the "goods" on display. It can be too much temptation to the impecunious...

Know what I mean Squire, Nods as good as a wink to a blind bat etc

 

[GregM]

Hi guys, while I too love the Spanish culture, people etc, and having spent 6weeks a year camping over the last 5 years, i must say that after my experience last year, i will NEVER take my camper in2 Spain again. Not once, but TWICE in the space of 5 days was I "shadowed" by a couple of shady guys. While im sure these werent Spanish men, they were very dedicated in their efforts to get the camper alone, even following me in2 a private drive! My wife, and her parents were with me at the time, and needless 2say that did it for them. We kissed the ground on return to France!! Literally!
Been as far down a Montenegro, up to Denmark, over to Hungary and ive never encountered the feelings i got in Spain. But maybe thats just me!
Take care!

I've not taken the motorhome to Spain yet but hope to some time, although Tracey has been put of by a story of a friend of a friend of a friend ...... of a friend being attached at a motorway aire, and the above post upset me in that after 5 years of visits you have been scared of by a couple of people.

Heck how many times do we look out of the front window at home and see people we don't like the look of, I've lost count the number of times I've seen people looking towards our Motorhome on the drive. Should we move?

 

[noody]

Anecdotal evidence is like probability and even though UK law doesn't accept it, some countries are swayed by the fact if it quacks, woddles when it walks with webbed-feet it's likely to be a duck.

I live in a part of North Pembrokeshire you-all would queue-up to camp outside my front door or on the paddock so even in the UK it's a hard-act to follow. Peace and quiet with a low-crime rate and even the cows and sheep notice a stranger so whilst I love the idea of Spain it wouldn't be a holiday to be looking over my shoulder all the time. You can have all the security devises in/on your van but with the type of lawless-ness often described they wouldn't be much use if some creep hangs-about long-enough knowing you will leave your van eventually.

Going on holiday with a baseball-bat isn't my idea of fun.

________________________________________________
Richard. Distinguished kite-surfing gentleman
I don't do tricks.


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[Deleted member 9237]

I have lived here for 11 years 9 of then in my MH the only time i was rob here was on a campsite and they caught him trying to run out now were do you think he was from.? YES THE UK Say no more.