word of warning to anyone going to Paris

[txSleepingBeauty]

after their Med cruise and using the night train. After the Transatlantic, we were leaving from the Estacion Franca on the 1955 overnight train up to Paris. There is NOWHERE in the station or nearby to leave luggage and the thieves are rampant. I had my entire purse stolen, including my passport, phone and camera with every picture we had taken on it the previous two weeks. All gone.


The train station employees were less than helpful, including the security guard. The payphones don't work and no one will let you make an overseas call. Neither would the hotel next door. I couldn't cancel my credit cards until we got to Paris the next day. Thankfully they never tried to use any.

So be aware in that train station!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

It sounds like this happened in Barcelona?

Sorry! But even in the US the police don't do much for purse snatching.... (trust me I know )

Train stations are always risky. However we managed to survive several trains on this trip with no problem. but you have to watch your stuff and never set down something like a purse... Sorry this happened, but hopefully your crisis can prevent others...

 

[disneywonderfun]

after their Med cruise and using the night train. After the Transatlantic, we were leaving from the Estacion Franca on the 1955 overnight train up to Paris. There is NOWHERE in the station or nearby to leave luggage and the thieves are rampant. I had my entire purse stolen, including my passport, phone and camera with every picture we had taken on it the previous two weeks. All gone.


The train station employees were less than helpful, including the security guard. The payphones don't work and no one will let you make an overseas call. Neither would the hotel next door. I couldn't cancel my credit cards until we got to Paris the next day. Thankfully they never tried to use any.

So be aware in that train station!

Unfortunate, but not that uncommon. I travel with zip socks that have a zippered pocket large enough to stick your passport and cash. Never worry anymore on the road. Of course, somebody could still grab my luggage, etc. Never entirely safe, I guess.

DWF

 

[txSleepingBeauty]

Yup, it was in Barcelona. My bag was right beside me, someone came up from behind. Just wanted to give people a heads up.

 

[luv2sleep]

How did you get home without your passport?
Was your purse on your on you? Do you think someone bumped you to distract you or something like that?

 

[MaleficentRN]

I have a friend who was gassed, yes gassed, on an overnight train from Barcelona to Paris. It was her and a couple of other people in a car and she just felt really tired and woke up a couple of hours later and a wallet lighter.
You really have to be on guard 110% in Europe.

 

[luv2sleep]

I have a friend who was gassed, yes gassed, on an overnight train from Barcelona to Paris. It was her and a couple of other people in a car and she just felt really tired and woke up a couple of hours later and a wallet lighter.
You really have to be on guard 110% in Europe.

Wow! Did they not have their own room/cabin or were they sleeping on the open train in the train car?

I was thinking you could lock your door.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Wow! Did they not have their own room/cabin or were they sleeping on the open train in the train car?

I was thinking you could lock your door.

It was an open car, Everyone woke up with a killer headache. This was several years ago. I hadn't thought of it in years and just messaged her to help refresh my memory on the details.

 

[luv2sleep]

It was an open car, Everyone woke up with a killer headache. This was several years ago. I hadn't thought of it in years and just messaged her to help refresh my memory on the details.

That makes more sense but where in the heck was security? That's really awful.

 

[disneyfan888]

Wow, I am so sorry to hear that. Sadly this type of thing is very common in Europe. I almost had my purse stolen on the metro and thankfully another passenger saw the person and knew what they were up to and stopped them. Very scary. I hope you and your family are all well.

 

[Plaid Princess]

Same thing happened to my mom in Paris.

 

[txSleepingBeauty]

How did you get home without your passport?
Was your purse on your on you? Do you think someone bumped you to distract you or something like that?

I had to get an emergency passport in Paris. Thankfully, they don't check identification when going between EU countries. My bag was sitting beside me in my backpack which was unfortunately unzipped. someone walked right behind me and grabbed the purse. never saw anything.

As far as getting gassed on the actual train, I was petrified of someone stealing our stuff on the actual train. So I slept with my mom's bag with her passport and remaining credit cards wrapped around my leg and under the covers, an had our bags piled in front of the door so that no one could get into our cabin

 

[luv2sleep]

I had to get an emergency passport in Paris. Thankfully, they don't check identification when going between EU countries. My bag was sitting beside me in my backpack which was unfortunately unzipped. someone walked right behind me and grabbed the purse. never saw anything.

As far as getting gassed on the actual train, I was petrified of someone stealing our stuff on the actual train. So I slept with my mom's bag with her passport and remaining credit cards wrapped around my leg and under the covers, an had our bags piled in front of the door so that no one could get into our cabin

Even with a locked door, huh? Scary?

Just goes to show stuff happens everywhere. Nowhere seems safe.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Ok. To set the record straight. My friend was in a sleeper car with 5 others on a train from Paris to Nice. But still, be VERY CAREFUL!

 

[luv2sleep]

Ok. To set the record straight. My friend was in a sleeper car with 5 others on a train from Paris to Nice. But still, be VERY CAREFUL!

That's even worse, right? You'd expect to be relatively safe in a sleeper car. I would hope you could lock the door.

 

[MaleficentRN]

That's even worse, right? You'd expect to be relatively safe in a sleeper car. I would hope you could lock the door.

It's not a compartment. It like in the old movies where it's bunk beds.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It's not a compartment. It like in the old movies where it's bunk beds.

Exactly so. Think of the individual compartments that have two long seats in them (seating 6 people face to face). The seat becomes one bed, the back flips up to make the middle bed, and there's a pull down higher up for the highest bed.

Up to six people will share the sleeping space. You don't "get ready for bed", no pjs, etc. You take off your shoes, and sleep in your clothes.

That's how we traveled through Europe many times.

 

[tinkerone]

this post makes me happy that I ordered the KYSS bag. the chain will be wrapped around everything I can wrap it around. it will be a little harder to take and anything is a deterent. if they have to work to get it they'll move on to someone else.

 

[Disney mam]

I am truly sorry that you lost your purse, just glad you managed to get home safe. That can never be a nice feeling, wee you by yourself? We were there on Saturday 8th June.

Trouble is, no matter where in the world you are, train stations are always a thieves super market (not just Europe). We did have a dodgy guy come up to us in Paris and I sent him on his way, but then the guards came and moved him on. I think he took a look at us using the ticket machine with kids and hoped I would be distracted by my boys. Not a chance, I am always on guard no matter whether I am on the train to work or anywhere else.

Myself, DH and 2 young kids just did the return trip on the over night train and we didn't let anything leave our site. We kept all bags shut and in front of us. Heck, we waiting 10 hours for the train, some time in the station and most of it in the park next door by a bench. We even chilled on the grass under a tree with our legs on the cases and used the others for a head rest.

The amount of local people that told us to be cautious was unbelievable and kind. There were lots of men roaming the park trying to sell you water, but they seemed harmless. Maybe given the right opportunity they would try something, but I saw lot of people leaving things for easy pickings and they were fine.