Going there in December.It's always had bags being snatched but I suppose it's grown so big it's harder to mantain a low crime rate.I'm staying at the Deloix.

Looks a nice hotel we passed it on a stroll a few times, had no problems nice stroll with plenty of folks around

The advice is the same as always. Don't make yourself a victim!
If your hotel can't be reached via well lit populated streets then get a taxi, it only costs about three quid to go halfway across the town. Stay clear of the pea men, rose and other junk sellers, whose main aim is to distract you while they or their colleagues rob you. Most of all DON'T go out with all your worldly goods in your wallet or handbag! A few euros spread around every pocket and the most you can lose is a few drinks. Lose a passport and it could mean the end of your holiday. You might end up having to go to Madrid, I doubt if Benidorm has consular services?

That thought of having to go to Madrid made me think! I have now found out that there is a British Consulate in Alicante. It is only open to the public Monday to Friday 8.30 - 1.30! The way things move in Spain, that's not long enough to reach the front of the queue!

For an inkling of the true horror and expense involved if you lose your passport, have a look here.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391332

Read this today,it can happen anywhere but shows you still have to watch when on holiday,its been on our local news today as he stays about a 20 minute drive from me:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2007/12/06/scot-dies-after-being-mugged-in-benidorm-86908-20210093/

Garry

Sad Gary, but you know reading between the lines....

Leaving a bar at 4.30 am and walking around , cold sober.? I doubt it.

If peopel keep doing this, then they are making themselves a sitting target for the illegal low life, who are robbing and stealing to survive in most Spanish towns.
Times have changed and it's time people changed their idea of what they should and shouldn't do on holiday.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

i agree Shirley,but as has been pointed out time and again,when people are on holiday they let their guard drop,drink more and stay out later,we are all guilty of it at some time but unfortunatly we keep hearing about things like this,not just in Benidorm but everwhere.

Garry

I have to say having been to Benidorm 11 times in the last 6 years I have noticed that you cetrainly do need to be more vigilante.

Me and my husband where htere the last time in Sepember and had just left the Talk of The Town. It was a bout 3am. Niether of us where drunk but whilst walking back to our hotel along Calle Ibiza where surrounded by about 4 gypsy women who tried to snatch my bag. We managed to push them off in the end but it was a little frightening.

My mother lives in Benidorm and owns a bar there and whilst walking home just passed the Village by the Europa her and her huband where threatened with a gun by two men who got out of a car. This was at 10pm in August on a well lit street. They wanted my moms bag.

It is certainly getting worse there but having said that I am going back again in June with my husband and two daughters although we are staying on the Poniente side this time and are going to get taxis back from Levante of a night time.

You know Gary, about 10 or 12 years ago we stayed in the hotel Fenicia in the old town on A1 basis and we were so stuffed with food that we used to go for a little walk after dinner.

We used to walk all through the back streets of the old town and cut through dark alleyways, stopping every now and then to window shop.
Believe me, the old town was like a ghost town, all the shops were shut and apart from the odd cat or dog, there wasn't a living soul around"¦only us silly beggars.
I wouldn't do it now, times have changed.

We nearly always go for a little walk after the evening meal, but we stick to the well lit main streets and I have my eyes on the back of my head I'm back in the hotel usually before midnight.

When you come out of the hotel Dalmatas, across the road is a short-cut between the back of the pub and the "centurian" (or summat like that) car hire offices. Which takes you onto Avda L'Atmella de Mar/start of Avda Mediterraneo.
Fine cutting through in the daytime and it's very tempting to cut through at night when walking back to the hotel, but no, no way Jose"¦it's only a short, short-cut, but it's pitch black in there....I think it's off Avda Berlin.

It can happen anywhere, but you can reduce the chances of it happening if you just think about what you're doing, I know that's easier said than done especially if you've had one too many San Miguels.

I was once walking on Calle Gerona between the indoor market and the hotel Ocas and this tramp approached me, but I was busy yapping to Dave at the time and not looking in front, so I only got this figure at the last minute in the corner of my eye.
Instinctively, I raised my right hand to thump him one because he was in my personal space, the poor bloke coward away pronto.
When I looked at him, there was more meat on a pork chop than he had on him....I'd have probably put the poor sod in Levante hospital.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiii

It's sad that this is happening not only in beni, but because we love it so much there, even hubby was wary this year after being followed in daylight, like sanji we never stayed out after midnight unless we was in the bars facing the hotel, i remember walking the streets way into the mornings old and new town and feeling very safe, would not do it now unless in a large group, saying that we look at the webcam every day except for the two weeks we are there and would be there tommorow if we could, but am considering going back to our other love the costa brava there is still a couple of places where we feel very secure in spain, If we were younger and fitter it would not worry us so much but can't run so fast now lol

Hi Everyone.

Just got back from Benidorm today and thought I would let you know that we have had a fantastic time and did not see any sort of crime or hear of any, although we were usually back in our hotel for midnight.

Annie

Thats great, glad you enjoyed your holiday

Having just returned on Thursday there was an incident in Gemelos 4 on New Years Eve which lead to an old couple losing a lot of money, passports and digital camera's etc through a break in. There was no forced entry into the apartment or the safe which meant the person or persons had access to 'spare' keys. The couple's daughter had booked this apartment through a bar in Benidorm on a recent trip so my advice would be that unless you know and trust your scource stick to the official letting agencies. It may cost that bit more but the chances are you will have a happier holiday and will not experience what this couple endured at the start of their New Year. It was upsetting to see this couple who were well into their seventies experience this and I wouldn't wish this on anybody else.

been going to Benidorn for last 20 years , and not once had a problem , thank god after reading some of these posts , i think i'll be more vidulant next time i go, which will be Oct. We did see plenty of beggers (women) are these the gypsies you refer to ?

We were in Benidorm in November and had a brilliant time.We have been lots of times but I must admit that there seems to be a lot more beggars on the street.I think quite a lot of them are eastern europeans by the look of them.The funniest thing I saw was what looked like a shift change.One guy was sitting begging when another guy came up to him,the first guy got up and walked away and the other one took his place.I think it is all organised as I have seen them get into fancy cars and being driven away.I just walk by and ignore them.

I must have been in a different Benidorm for the last 13 days because I've seen a couple of beggars on the "walking street" in the old town, a beggar outside the supermarket/indoor market in the new town and a gypsy getting a bottle of water from a street machine, also in the new town....

I haven't seen one pea/potato man anywhere during the last 13 days and I saw more beggars in one day in Valencia than all of the above put together.

Maybe they all went on holiday for xmas because considering where we have walked I'm sure we would have noticed them, if they were there.

But, the truth is....they were not here in the numbers some people would like other posters to believe.

I can quite understand why the Mayor has had enough of Benidorm being dragged down by the media, especially when the official figures put Benidorm as the 33rd most visited town/city in the world, with places like London, Paris, Madrid and New York ranking before Beni.

Considering the resort is full of old and disabled visitors at the moment...are we all stupid to come to a crime ridden resort.?

I don't think so......

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

the peamen are still here i see them meeting up every morning on the fillipinas near the barrell

I was out in Benidorm for New Year and did see a couple of Gypsys around by the Ambassador Playa. My nephew saw them going in to a ladys bag from across the street and shouted out. The Gypsys walked off but when we walked past Panchos they tried to call my nephew over and when we wouldn't go they put their hands across their throat as if to say they were going to cut his throat.
My nephew was a little shaken but I explained to him that they're only interesting in stealing from people not him.
It's a shame that there are people like that out there, but Benidorms not the only place that this goes on. And it didn't stop us from going anywhere
6 weeks til we go back again.

I was in Benidorm for New Year. I spent every night in Bahamas on the square and didn't see or hear of any trouble at all.

I walked back a couple of nights on my own at around 7am in the morning and didn't feel threatened whatsoever.

I did wake up on New Years Day without my phone. However, I think this had more to do with my drunken state rather than any finger-happy gypsies.