Lost my passport in a hostel in Barcelona and had to figure it out fast

I was three days into a two week trip through Spain and somehow my passport slipped out of my bag at a hostel in the Gothic Quarter. I didn't notice until I was about to check out and head to Valencia. Panic mode for sure. I ran to the front desk and they had a lost and found box but nothing. Then I remembered a tip from a travel forum: check with the local police station near tourist spots. Walked 15 minutes to the one on La Rambla and someone had turned it in an hour earlier. Cost me nothing but time and a lot of sweat. Has anyone else dealt with losing important stuff abroad and gotten lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota_singh393d ago

Check hostel communal areas not just lost and found. People grab the wrong bag by accident all the time. Look under beds, in shared fridge, even bathroom hooks. I lost a wallet in a Prague hostel once. Found it stuffed behind a radiator in the common room three days later. Someone probably just moved it while charging their phone.

jesse_cooper2d ago

Ehh, I'm not totally sold on that. If someone grabbed my bag by mistake they'd notice pretty quick it wasn't theirs and probably leave it right where they found it or hand it to the front desk. The whole "stuffed behind a radiator" thing sounds more like somebody hid it on purpose, not an honest mix-up. It's not like you walk around with a bag that's identical to someone else's and just forget to swap back. Most hostels have pretty distinct stuff anyway. I'd say check lost and found first, then maybe ask staff if anyone turned in something weird, but tearing apart the common room feels like a stretch.