Avoiding Theft in Europe

[Bethany10]

A co-worker just got back from a trip to Europe and the one place they tried to get her phone was in Rome. They had warned their kids, she was wearing a money belt, but was tired and not thinking clearly. They stopped at a cafe, she put her phone on the table and shortly thereafter someone tried to grab it. They got a good grip on the guy and got him to drop it, and they went on to love the city and have a wonderful time, but it was a reminder to everyone to be vigilant.

 

[cruiser21]

Good to know, and thanks for sharing your experience.

Nevertheless, I don't want the thread to get distracted from its purpose of giving and soliciting advice on not getting stolen from. A lot of visitors have not been as fortunate as you, and I'm not talking about the clueless types.

I don't think I'm an exception. I also think you've gotten a lot of good advice.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I just don't like money belts. My pacsafe crossover purse has worked perfectly. Slash proof and zipper locked.

I agree to be aware but not to the point that you are not enjoying your trip. I think a few of the tips are way over the top....don't look like an American, don't read a map, don't enjoy a street performance. Enjoy your trip. Don't live in fear something will happen.

 

[lucky1]

We had to laugh after touring Italy with ABD, DH made sure he wore clothing that would not identify him as a tourist and there we were with our DCL landyards and VOX box and with a tour guide holding a sign leading us along. One of the things we had to remember is not go back to old habits. For example, we were in a shop and DH pulled his wallet out of his front pocket to purchase something, then we moved to another store. We went to do a purchase and he put his hand in his pocket and his wallet wasn't there. He panicked thinking he had been picked. But what happened was after the first store, he put his wallet back into his back pocket like he does at home.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

Great advice, Shanti! I am a huge Rick Steves Fan (Back Door to Europe books and PBS shows), and before we visited Europe some years back, I was scouring Rick's books and DVD's for great advice. He recommended something I had always thought kind of well....odd & silly.... a money belt. After doing some additional research, and finding a very slim cloth money belt that as a woman I could easily slip beneath the waist of my trousers, I bought one. And I used that sucker! Yes, it felt a little odd to pull it out and unzip it at times, but let me tell you, I NEVER once had to even think, "Is my backpack/handbag zipped up?", "Is my bag one that's strap is cut proof from a pickpocket?", "Am I holding my bag close enough to the front of my body for no one to access it", or worry about leaving it hanging on a chair in a cafe somewhere or on a train or bus.

I kept my passport, credit cards, all I.D. and cash that wasn't pocket change in that belt. And it gave me HUGE peace of mind. I would definitely do the money belt thing again.

I am a fan of Rick Steves as well and picked up a few of his books as I plan on visiting Europe next year. For anyone that's interested, he has most of his travel talks on YouTube which can come in handy-including sessions on pick-pocketing. I find the money belt to be very odd and silly as well but I agree that it does work and allows you to worry a lot less about your money and personal items. It's like a hidden fanny back but the only thing I dislike is it screams that you are a tourist.

 

[tlprice]

I’m finishing up my Mediterranean trip right now. I was worried about pick pockets, thieves, etc. a little bit before our trip. I have been amazed at how safe I’ve felt in every place here and never been the slightest bit worried about being robbed. I have been very aware of my surroundings and mostly just have done what I would at home. The people everywhere have really just been quite wonderful. The only place my daughter and I were uncomfortable was at the port in Naples when there were a bunch of guys out front when we got off the ship harassing everybody to take their taxis to Pompei.

 

[starvenger]

So thus far, I've never been pickpocketed while travelling (touch wood), however, my dad's friend has been pickpocketed frequently. I would say it's likely because he has a look that screams "distracted tourist" (Asian, lots of camera equipment, looks like he's lost, pants and vest pockets stuffed with things etc.). When I'm travelling I most certainly have a look that screams "tourist" as I habitually sport a Blue Jays or Expos cap (need people to know I'm Canadian ) but I try to stay aware of my surroundings while still keeping an eye on the kids.

In Barcelona, I don't think I did anything that I don't usually do - wallet, apartment keys and phone are in the front pockets, camera in the backpack, usually sandwiched in some jackets. Anything less essential gets put in the backpack side pockets or my extra cargo pants pockets. Wallet basically had a credit card, my driver's license, metro passes and Euros. My wife used an over-the-shoulder handbag. I believe it was a Kate Spade, so nothing travel-ready. But again, a minimal number of things in there. This is, I think, sufficient enough to protect us from conventional pickpocketing. If we were to encounter more elaborate schemes, like those cases where people have the bottom of their bags slashed, our stuff would probably be taken, but I think this is an acceptable risk as I don't expect it happens as often as conventional wallet lifting.

I can't say I've ever been hit with the "Speak English?" scam but being Chinese they probably just assume that I don't.

 

[3monkeys4me]

We have always just been aware of our surroundings and used common sense and have avoided any issues while traveling. We have traveled all over Europe and a good part of Asia and a bit in South America and have never had a problem, with one exception. I did have sunglasses stolen in Venice, years ago, but it was totally my fault for being distracted and I put them down and turned away. I should have not left them out in the open like that. But we do keep ourselves prepared, just in case. I have a small money pocket that clips into my bra and I keep a small amount of cash in there and use a small pacsafe cross body bag. Dh just uses a thin wallet in the front pocket of his pants and has some money hidden in a belt that is made by bull head belts, looks like a regular belt, but has a tiny zipper pocket that you can fold up some cash inside. It is difficult to get the money in and out of, but we don't usually take the money out. It is just there so in the event we do get our money stolen we have enough to at least get back to the hotel or cruise ship or whatever. We also make sure we leave a credit card and/or some cash in the safe back at the hotel or cruise ship or whatever.

 

[3monkeys4me]

double post

 

[Agent 86]

We recently returned from Europe (Rome, Athens, Barcelona and Paris). I think you've covered everything. The main one, which you've listed a couple of times, is to be vigilant.

Always walk with purpose (even if you're not entirely sure where you're going). Don't stop to talk to anyone or watch a street performance or anything similar. Try to use Google Maps or similar on your phone instead of an actual paper map - that way you look just like all the locals staring at their phones.

The biggest thing is to simply not carry (or wear) anything you'd be too upset about losing. We carried minimal cash and a single credit card each. We didn't carry our Passports. We did carry our camera, but backed-up the photos every night or two just in case it was stolen.

 

[angelinaxox]

Unfortunately, I can tell you about a first hand experience in a train station. I was on a land based trip to Rome, Paris and London a few years ago with my brother, his family, and my parents. On our first day in Paris, we headed down to the metro and just purchased our tickets. My dad put my mom's, his and my ticket in his wallet and stuck it in the front pocket of his shorts. We boarded a crowded train and some teens boarded right after us.

I had my wallet in a backpack and was very uneasy but noticed my mom was right behind me. At the next stop, the teens hopped off. I made a comment about how I was nervous about being pickpocketed and my mom said the same thing so she had repositioned her fanny pack. My dad then checked his pocket and sure enough he was hit. They took his wallet that was filled with cash, our train tickets and his credit cards. He had been holding the rail above him and couldn't move. They must have watched us in the station because they knew exactly what pocket to hit as my video camera was in my dad's other pocket and not touched.

We got off at the next stop. My brother had an international plan on his cell phone and my dad called the 3 credit card companies right away (my mom had the same cards with all the numbers.) By the time the third one was called, there were already charges.

We did go to the police station to file a report and we weren't the only ones there with this issue. My sister in law speaks French (thank goodness) so she helped my dad in communicating with the police.

This wasn't our first time in Europe (my parents' seventh time) and had previously been in tourist spots where they kept warning of pickpockets. We also had been on a cruise excursion in Poland a few years before this trip where others had been hit, but when you finally experience it first hand yourself, it can really dampen your vacation.

Ever since that trip, I now make sure I always get an international plan on my phone when traveling outside the country so I can make phone calls right away. I make sure I have the numbers I need to call handy and somewhere separate.

I have been back to Europe twice since that trip (both on Disney cruises) and am going back this summer to Venice and doing a RCI cruise. I know the experience with my dad being pickpocketed really has made me more on edge in Europe especially when I visit cities such as Barcelona, Athens, etc. that rank high for pickpocketing.

On a slightly humorous note, this actually led to my first disagreement with my husband when we were on the start of our honeymoon in Barcelona as he thought I was overdoing it and I thought he was undergoing it. But I explained to him, I had experienced that vulnerability with my dad, and my family had spent a day of a vacation at a police station in which only one person in the group spoke the language. It wasn't something that I wanted to experience again.

Since that trip, I do try to mentally prepare myself for the possibility. I would rather be over prepared and have no issues. Thanks for posting this list as a reminder to be vigilant. I know it will be helpful to me and I will definitely be referring to it before I travel later this summer.

I wish you a happy and safe vacation.

 

[southerngirl528]

but when you finally experience it first hand yourself, it can really dampen your vacation

I would rather be over prepared and have no issues.

Agree! Thank you for sharing this experience, Angelinaxox. That must have been an awfully rough day for you and your family.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Welllllll.....I’ve never been to Europe.....and from the sounds of it, not a place I think I *want* to go. Just does not sound relaxing at all....

 

[MelSpees]

Welllllll.....I’ve never been to Europe.....and from the sounds of it, not a place I think I *want* to go. Just does not sound relaxing at all....

This thread will make you think that things are terrible. You're hearing all the negative and little of the positive. Many people will write of their negative experiences, whereas few write about their positive ones. You need to be careful, like you would anywhere. You don't need to think someone is out to get you all the time. Do you travel in the US? Use the same caution as you do in big city, crowded conditions here.

 

[olafLover]

Have either of you actually toured Barcelona?

Barcelona: Pickpocket Capital of the World

Btw: the "street performance shows" I referred to are little side-shows (such as human statues, games, etc.) performed on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. They're typically rackets to distract tourists while fellow thieves steal from them.

I wouldn't worry about larger, organized performances in other cities, aside from being careful with belongings as always.

I have toured Barcelona, twice. And Rome, twice also. Didn't have a problem in Barcelona, but in Rome I prevented my then boyfriend to be pickpocketed by standing in between him and a suspicious looking guy in the bus. He got my attention because you couldn't see his arm because of a coat he was carrying (you really didn't need one that day), so I positioned myself in between them. The rest of the trip the man tried to get me to move so he could get close to our backpack. He was really using force to get me to let go of the bar I was holding. Same trip my mom prevented my dad to be pickpocketed by walking behind him when a group of roma woman with babies in carriers tried to surround him. In Rome they also send out the kids, on the other (school)trip a teacher prevented a theft because she saw the kid going for somebodies backpack.

Those street performance shows can be great fun to watch! And really aren't only to distract people (are they also used like that, probably), just be vigilant and do enjoy them! The one thing I did tell my husband to not do in Barcelona is the game where they have 3 cups and a ball and you have to guess in which one the ball is. They have conspirators win the game so it looks like it's fair and when you play, they pull some trick. My husband is high sensitive so I knew he'd have the feeling he'd manage to do that. In the end we didn't spent that much time on Las Ramblas (our AirBnb was close, so we did cross it often, but didn't hang out) so we didn't even see them do that.

I always carry two purses on holiday. One in the backpack which has enough money for a meal or a few souvenirs, but I won't mind if it's gone. The rest of the money I think I might need that day (plus a bit extra, just in case) is in a moneybelt. After we spent some money, I'll transfer some from the moneybelt to the purse in the toilet. Or at least, that's my plan, a lot of the time I feel so safe that that moneybelt also ends up in the backpack. Oh and btw, to DLP I never bring a moneybelt, even though I know there are reports of pickpockets there too (we also hardly carry any cash, but pay by card, so that might help)

 

[Shanti]

This thread will make you think that things are terrible. You're hearing all the negative and little of the positive. Many people will write of their negative experiences, whereas few write about their positive ones. You need to be careful, like you would anywhere. You don't need to think someone is out to get you all the time. Do you travel in the US? Use the same caution as you do in big city, crowded conditions here.

Yes, I've traveled extensively in the U.S. and never found pickpocketing to be a concern the way reports indicate it is in ceratin cities in Europe. As I said in my original post, I think European cities are safer from violent crime than U.S. cities, but some of them are apparently much worse for theft.

This thread is just about keeping money and property intact while traveling in Europe, not about warning people not to go. I'm very excited about going to Europe and encourage others to, as well. I just don't want myself or others to have to spend any part of a hard-earned trip crying over theft or filling out forms at a police station or embassy.

 

[mevelandry]

I have based this list strictly from first-person accounts of tourists who have been stolen from in Europe, particularly Barcelona, which seems to be the theft capital of Europe. I'm not dramatizing anything. I was shocked at so many mentions of being stolen from, in so many ways, when researching hotels and activities in Barcelona in particular (and I was researching expensive 4 & 5 star hotels, not cheap hotels...) None of the theft I read about was violent, as I said, but theft is reportedly extremely common in Barcelona, everywhere tourists will be, not just or even mostly in the "seedy areas" like in the U.S. All of the things I warned against, I read about happening to normal individuals who described their own experience. And I read similar experiences multiple times from different people.

Granted, I don't know that many people who went to Barcelona, but all of them were pick pocketed.

 

[Shanti]

Granted, I don't know that many people who went to Barcelona, but all of them were pick pocketed.

Yikes! I don't really like that, but I "liked" the comment because at least it's refreshing to not be told I'm paranoid. Some of the people who read my first post seem to think I just made that list up using my imagination...

 

[Pooh2]

Good post, OP. I marked in for future use!

My daughter was mugged within an hour of landing in Barcelona for her honeymoon. Her small purse was tucked down into her backpack, which was sitting snuggly on a bench between her and her husband. One person distracts, they never even saw the second person behind them. These guys are good at their craft.
They spent over an hour standing in line with other victims at the police station to fill out a report that they needed to continue their travels (lost her passport, wallet, military id, cash, phone, credit cards).

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

I think it is a lot about attitude and how 'touristy' you behave.. isn't it common sense to keep you valuables hidden and in a place near to you?
I mean, I'm European and I literally travel the world (within Europe, the US, Asia etc) and the only two times they' ve 'explored' to steal from me was in the subway in NY and in the port of Naples right when we got of the ship..
But sometimes, esp at airports when I see people take naps with their bag wide open next to them, all I can think of is 'close the damn bag and sleep on top of it'