When we travelled to Barcelona, we were warned about pickpockets. The youth unemployment rate was over 25%, and it is easy money. Many of the European big cities were same, low on violent crime (phew) but lots of tourist pickpocketing. The locals are probably savvy to the required cautions. For us Munich was a lovely relief from those stresses - thousands of bikes at the train station and very few locks.
One lady on our cruise from Barcelona had a cyclist pickpocket grab the necklace off of her neck - it had sentimental value only, so big loss for her and probably a disappointment to the thief. Another had her suitcase scooped up in front of her hotel.
I have some lively fantasies about booby traps … which wouldn’t be difficult, expensive or dangerous to the user…but would certainly get a pickpockets attention. With any luck, that attention would be given with one less finger.
When we were in Barcelona I carried a Travelon backpack. Wore it to the front. with my arms folded around or on top of it. Looked like a total tourist goober. But no one was going to get my schtuff!
We always carry a backpack (but no purse) in Europe. I call it the “decoy backpack” because it only has coats, water, maps - replaceable stuff.
I did recently hear a story about 4 women in Paris. The only one who did not have her passport stolen out of her purse was the one with a lockable purse. I’d be too stressed carrying a purse - I’m small/weak target. Plus I’m ever so absentminded (not just in older age - don’t worry).
I just rather wear my passport & CC under my clothing and not worry about it at all. I do use my vest pockets for things like tissues and glasses wipes. I keep a small amount of cash handy in a pocket that I won’t be too distraught if it is stolen (as it was in crowded London tube). H was being bombarded with babies thrust at him in Italy until he stopped having wallet in his pants pocket and put it in hidden pouch under clothing.
H and I do not carry our passports when we travel abroad. We always leave them locked in the hotel safe.
I carried my Lululemon belt bag on our last trip to Europe. H usually will carry a small backpack, but his wallet is always in the front pocket of his pants when we travel abroad. We have been on crowded subways with no issues.
Check on parking before you decide to drive to a spot. Some places have limited parking, and it can be a pain to park in the boondocks and walk, especially if the weather isn’t great.
In less developed places, ignore shortcuts you see on maps. As much as possible, stay on the main roads. We tried a shortcut on St. John, and it ended up being about a 12-foot-wide road carved into the side of the hill – uphill on one side and a steep dropoff on the other, with little to no shoulder. Of course while on this road in our 4x4 Rav4, we ran into a dump truck coming the other way. They drive on the left on St. John, which put us on the “roll downhill” side of the road. I nearly lost the left mirror to a tree branch, and the right mirror to the dump truck. It was awful. The driving on the main roads on St. John is frequently white-knuckle – uphill, downhill, around 90-180 degree curves, narrow and/or bad pavement, etc. – but that moment was the worst, and why I will henceforth ignore “shortcuts” on maps
Also, don’t assume main roads are paved. We rented a VW Jetta in Cabo – which was fine for the city. But driving about 60 miles to a beach destination on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja took over two hours because more than half of the drive was on a deeply rutted/bumpy dirt road. I figured the car had sustained frame damage, but we got out of there with no extra charges. lol
To save a few bucks, make a grocery store one of your first stops. We spend like $30-$40 on bread, PB/J, meat, mayo, chips, and water… and that likely saves us well over $100 vs. going out for lunch for a week. Maybe much more.
Finally, when you are coming back through US Customs, never tell them that the pasta salad you are carrying has ham in it… like I stupidly did. “But… it was Oscar Mayer ham, from the good ole USA!” They weren’t having it.
This tip I am about to share won’t work for customs, and apologies if its been mentioned (this thread has been around for a while), but if you are wanting to take something liquid (eg water, smoothies, iced tea, etc) , or semi-liquid (like yogurt) through TSA security, FREEZE IT before coming to the airport and it will go right through security with no problem.
DH had his credit card stolen when he was in line purchasing food items. He had it in his pants pocket as he was getting ready to use it. It had been in his money belt a few minutes before. Someone saw him take out his cc and he felt a bump which he thought was from a woman right behind him. He didn’t take notice until it was too late.
Friend had his very expensive camera stolen right out of his backpack when he has walking. Chased the thief but lost him in the crowd.
This all happend in Santiago Chile.
Watch out for distractions. We once saw two men pretend to fight and of course, a crowd watched and as they watched, a group of girls went around and picked pockets.
I wear a neck pouch and my husband wears a money belt. He also carries a wallet with some cash in his front pocket. My phone is tethered to my wrist.
I have worn that with phone, CC, cash, eye glasses, sun glasses tucked safely on the inside pockets. I like to wear some sort of jacket - appropriate for the climate - over this vest. Keeps things safe.
We do not keep our passports on our person. We keep a hard copy. The PP’s stay in the hotel/cruise ship safe.
I have traced to many European countries for over 35+ years and I haven’t had any issues with pick pockets or theiefs. I don’t think any newbie travelers should be that concerned.
Risk of being a pickpocket victim might be low-ish… but the vacation impact would be high. For some travelers like me who are prone to stress, it’s worthwhile to keep passport / credit card under clothing.
In this article he talks more about the raew time he did not wear a money belt and lost his wallet on the train in Paris.
I agree with this. We have also traveled extensively through Europe and have never had any issues.
We take normal precautions (as we would in any city) and are very aware of our surroundings. There will always be ne’er-do -wells in crowded areas, trains, etc., - just keep your head on a swivel and carry small amounts of cash in front pockets/crossbody bags.
We also never carry our passports with us - they stay in our room. I am unsure what the purpose of this is?? We do have copies of them in our luggage but never have those on us either
The problem with passports is when you are in transit (airports, train stations, etc)—can’t leave them in the hotel safe until you get to the hotel!!! There is no choice but to carry them on your person somewhere. My pocket that slips below the waistband is as safe as I can make it—stealing my passport under those conditions might constitute a sexual assault, TBH.
I actually feel safer having my passport with me than leaving it in my room. I use my passport to get VAT (yes, I probably could use a digital version). Maybe it’s crazy, but I also think if there is an emergency (to evacuate) I would have my passport with me.
I think the US Passport office recommends you carry a copy with you. If your passport is lost or stolen it is easier/quicker to replace if you have a copy of it that shows the number. The cruise lines often suggest you carry a copy in case you miss the ship while in another country. We have extra copies we have with us on a trip, plus photos on our phone, but don’t keep a copy in our pockets/purses very often.
