Spain warning

[Loz]

Where does it say that?

Gassing debunked so the 17K jewellery theft must be an insurance job...

 

[Amarillo]

Gassing debunked so the 17K jewellery theft must be an insurance job...

It could still be a theft - just unlikely to have happened in the manner they suggest.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[estresao]

I've been driving in Spain sincd 1987 and never had such a problem, but it's true, in general, not only in Spain, you should be cautelouse when driving by the highway, mainly when your car got foreing plates.

Plus not only driving, but also when stop at any resting area, mainly those next to the highway with services and plenty of people. I've seen thefs stoling in Italy, France ans Spain.

When I want to stop for a rest, I leave the highway and drive some miles away to a village or city.

 

[Mark Masters]

But on the other hand wouldn’t it be safer to stay indoors? I’ve long been in the habit of checking the vehicle over after every stop, stemming from when I used to do Northern Ireland at the time of the troubles. A bit inconvenient especially in inclement weather but worthwhile.


I

I wouldn’t use the A7 but the N340. It’s free and more interesting!

We are planning to travel in Spain and Morocco later this year and need some good maps.What are best ? And what is Morrocco like for camping grounds and /or from camping.?All advice welcomed.

 

[burnercan]

They deserved it taking £17,000 worth of Jewellry on holiday

That's a bit harsh though, assuming they actually did get robbed of such a loot stash. More likely their now only half full cool box of wine went missing and was hardly worth the insurance claim on it's own...

 

[estresao]

We are planning to travel in Spain and Morocco later this year and need some good maps.What are best ? And what is Morrocco like for camping grounds and /or from camping.?All advice welcomed.

In Spain just head to Algeciras to cross to Africa (Tanger Med). You will not have problems in Spain (same precautions you would have driving anywhere, like avoid sleep in highway rest areas and so on). There are some highways with tolls, but if you want save your money there are always normal roads. These roads in general are in good conditions but the speed limit is smaller, you probably will cross some cities/villages, and there are usually lorries which do prefer save tolls money. But if you got time is a good option to sightsee the country, stop around to try local food, etc...

From memory I think from UK to Algeciras, in Spain, there is only one highway with toll, the A1. There are also some small toll just after cross the French border, but they are very cheap.

Morocco is absolutely different to Europe. I've been in some camp sites and, despite the facilities are aligned to the "country level", those were we've been were clean and very cheap. Depending of where you are in Morocco they could be like "luxury" ones or veeery simple ones (for example those which are in the middle of no where). We've found them safe.

 

[shudycamps]

This incident did not happen in Spain, but just outside Andorra.
We were just coming out of a little village called L'Hospitalet in Andorra, we noted a Douane car looking busy. About 5 min down the road as it widen to a short dual carriageway, an oncoming car veered towards us to avoid a car coming straight at him, on our right hand side at high speed. Both the oncoming car and Roger were forced to move over to let this car pass and in the back seat of this black small car, the door was opened and some North African bloke was emptying a suitcase out. He sped away quickly and I said he was on the run from Customs. In less than two minutes, a high speed Douane car passed us by. A crash was a certainty, but when? Five minutes later on a bend, there was Douane car and another unmarked police car; the get away car was crunched into the side of the mountain with all car doors opened. We stopped and I took the SD card out of the dash cam and said to the police we had it all on video. They were very excited as the culprits had legged it from their car, but left all their identity documents behind. I told them to keep the SD card as it was a cadeau. They thanked me and saluted me.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I told them to keep the SD card as it was a cadeau.

That's not something I'd say to a policeman in many parts of the world. But slightly safer than the folded twenty dollar note in the back of your passport, I guess...

 

[OddDog]

Just a quick note:

I have lived in spain for the past 20 years, never ever heard a single story of "highway" robbery of campers. Never, not once.

sometimes you hear of transport vans being robbed at the night stops....

 

[mccp]

Credible bad stuff that happens to Cali owners:

1. Theft of van - I think that at least two people have reported their vans stolen in the last year or so.
2. Theft from unattended van - at least one, I can't off the top of my head remember who it was who had their van broken into and set alight.
3. Accidents - all sorts, ranging from really nasty to minor bumps.
4. Being asked to move on whilst wild camping.

Incredible bad stuff that happens to friends of Cali owners:

1. Spanish highwaymen.
2. Narcotic gassing in motorway service stations (Spain again).
3. CO gassing - actually this never happens because we all install CO alarms.
4. Being asked to search for a Rimming expert by KwitFit.

Most, if not all, of the second list have been brought to our attention by Eileen.

Edit: added links.

 

[estresao]

W

Credible bad stuff that happens to Cali owners:

1. Theft of van - I think that at least two people have reported their vans stolen in the last year or so.
2. Theft from unattended van - at least one, I can't off the top of my head remember who it was who had their van broken into and set alight.
3. Accidents - all sorts, ranging from really nasty to minor bumps.
4. Being asked to move on whilst wild camping.

Incredible bad stuff that happens to friends of Cali owners:

1. Spanish highwaymen.
2. Narcotic gassing in motorway service stations (Spain again).
3. CO gassing - actually this never happens because we all install CO alarms.
4. Being asked to search for a Rimming expert by KwitFit.

Most, if not all, of the second list have been brought to our attention by Eileen.

Edit: added links.

Wild camping is not legal in Spain. It they only ask you to move with no a fine you're lucky

 

[Velma's Dad]

4. Being asked to search for a Rimming expert by KwitFit.

Hadn't seen that thread, but have just looked and now I'm going to be laughing til bedtime. Thanks mccp (and Eileen, of course).

 

[Loz]

Is Eileen the wife of Polzylad perhaps?

 

[westfalia]

Hadn't seen that thread, but have just looked and now I'm going to be laughing til bedtime. Thanks mccp (and Eileen, of course).

This is good for a laugh too. https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/fixed-toilet-in-the-cali.18749/#post-215310

 

[OddDog]

Camping not allowed in spain, the right of "pernoacta" does exist.

Each region has a variation on the rules that mark camping vs pernocta.

Basically pernocta exists to allow gypsy travellers to move.

In Galicia, u can pernoctar if your 100 meters from the main road.

 

[OddDog]

Opps by camping I actually meant wild camping.

 

[estresao]

Camping not allowed in spain, the right of "pernoacta" does exist.

Each region has a variation on the rules that mark camping vs pernocta.

Basically pernocta exists to allow gypsy travellers to move.

In Galicia, u can pernoctar if your 100 meters from the main road.

Pernocta is also allowed because tired drivers are advised to pull over and rest. That's country wide law.

 

[estresao]

Pernocta is also allowed because tired drivers are advised to pull over and rest. That's country wide law.

I mean... pull over with safety in mind in an appropiated place, of course. Obiously you cannot just pull over in a highway and sleep in it shoulder LOL

 

[adinalee111]

I have a holiday home in Spain and THIS DOES HAPPEN it is not a myth, just recently on our local new station

Guardia Civil Trafico officers are warning of the dangers of motorway robberies, where vehicles or their contents are stolen.

A spate of thefts of cars on the countries motorway network has been reported, with people being either involved in minor accidents, or them being flashed by a following driver. When stopped, the driver of the vehicle is then distracted and the car is stolen.

People are being advised not to leave their vehicles in the case of people attempting to make them stop, and if it is safe to do so, call emergency services on 112 or 062, or drive to the nearest service station.

 

[Barbara]

Last week on AP7 south of Alicante I was approached by a man trying to get me to look at his map and directions to Malaga. I ignored him as I had the same thing 3 years ago and the man had cut off the bit with Malaga on from his map in the hope that I would open the car and get my map out.

It could have been quite OK but I am now very carefully as some years ago I had my a small slit made in my tyre at a service area between Valencia and Alicante on the AP7. We were followed out of the service area and a (non Spanish registered) car tried to flag us down and pointed to the wheel. Luckily we were aware of this type of crime and did not stop. We left the motorway in a town where the tyre went down. We were lucky that the slow puncture was slow enough for us to get to safety. The tyre was definitely slashed.

I am not posting this to discourage driving in Spain. It is a great place to drive and these are the only problems I have had in 20 years of driving around Spain. Just keep aware, just as you would if at home.

 

[Jay586]

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/safety-and-security

Always worth a look to sift the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Barbara]

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/safety-and-security

Always worth a look to sift the wheat from the chaff.

useful link