Rick Steves

You can judge the safety of a European parking lot by how it glitters

Europe is safe when it comes to violent crime. But it's a very "dangerous" place from a petty purse-snatching, pickpocketing point of view. Thieves target Americans — not because they're mean, but because they're smart. Loaded down with valuables in a strange new environment, we stick out like jeweled thumbs. If I were a European street thief, I'd specialize in Americans. My card would say "Yanks R Us." Americans are known as the ones with all the good stuff in their bags and wallets. Recently I met an American woman whose purse was stolen, and in her purse was her money belt. That juicy little anecdote was featured in every street-thief newsletter.

If you're not constantly on guard, you'll have something stolen. One summer, four out of five of my traveling companions lost cameras in one way or another. (Don't look at me.) In more than 30 summers of travel, I've been mugged once (in a part of London where only fools and thieves tread), had my car broken into six times (broken locks and shattered windows, lots of nonessential stuff taken), and had my car hot-wired once (it was abandoned a few blocks away after the thief found nothing to take). But I've never had my room rifled and never had any money-belt–worthy valuables stolen.

Remember, nearly all crimes suffered by tourists are nonviolent and avoidable. Be aware of the pitfalls of traveling, but relax and have fun. Limit your vulnerability rather than your travels. Leave precious valuables at home and wear your money belt on the road. Most people in every country are on your side. If you exercise adequate discretion, aren't overly trusting, and don't put yourself into risky situations, your travels should be about as dangerous as hometown grocery shopping. Don't travel afraid — travel carefully.

Money Belts

More secure than a travel wallet, money belts are your key to peace of mind. I never travel without one. A money belt is a small, zippered fabric pouch that fastens around the waist under your pants or skirt. You wear it completely hidden from sight, tucked in like a shirttail — over your shirt and under your pants. (If you find it uncomfortable to wear a money belt in front — as many women do — slide it around and wear it in the small of your back.)

With a money belt, all your essential documents are on you as securely and thoughtlessly as your underpants. Have you ever thought about that? Every morning you put on your underpants. You don't even think about them all day long. And every night when you undress, sure enough, there they are, exactly where you put them. When I travel, my valuables are just as securely out of sight and out of mind, around my waist in a money belt. It's luxurious peace of mind. I'm uncomfortable only when I'm not wearing it.

Never leave a money belt "hidden" on the beach while you swim. It's safer left in your hotel room (nicer hotels have safes in the room, and sometimes the front desk will keep valuables for you). In hostel or dorm situations, where your money belt shouldn't be left in your room, you can shower with it (hang it — maybe in a plastic bag — from the nozzle). Keep your money-belt contents dry (sweat-free) with a plastic sheath or baggie.

Packing light applies to your money belt as well as your luggage. Here's what to pack in your money belt:

• Passport: You're legally supposed to have it with you at all times.
• Railpass: This is as valuable as cash.
• Driver's license: This works just about anywhere in Europe and is necessary if you want to rent a car on the spur of the moment.
• Credit card: It's required for car rental and handy to have if your cash runs low.
• Debit card: A Visa debit card is the most versatile for ATM withdrawals. (I no longer use traveler's checks.)
• Cash: Keep only major bills in your money belt.
• Plastic sheath: Money belts easily get sweaty and slimy. Damp plane tickets and railpasses can be disgusting and sometimes worthless. Even a plain old baggie helps keep things dry.
• Contact list: Print small, and include every phone number or email address of importance in your life.
• Trip calendar page: Include your hotel list and all necessary details from your itinerary


• Source: Rick Steves.

Tips on Avoiding Theft

Thieves thrive on confusion, crowds, and tourist traps. Be vigilant anytime there's a commotion — it's likely a smokescreen for theft. Here's some advice given to me by a thief who won the lotto.

Keep a low profile: Never leave your camera lying around where hotel workers and others can see it and be tempted. Keep it either around your neck or zipped safely out of sight. Luxurious luggage lures thieves. The thief chooses the most impressive suitcase in the pile — never mine. Things are much safer in your room than with you in a day bag on the streets. Hotels are a relative haven from thieves and a good resource for advice on personal safety.

A crowded train station...it's enough to bring tears to a pickpocket's eyes.

On trains and at the station: On the train, be alert at stops, when thieves can dash on and off — with your bag. When sleeping on a train (or at an airport, or anywhere in public), clip or fasten your pack or suitcase to the seat, luggage rack, or yourself. Even the slight inconvenience of undoing a clip deters most thieves. Women shouldn't sleep in an empty train compartment. You're safer sharing a compartment with a friendly family. Be on guard in train stations, especially upon arrival, when you may be overburdened by luggage and overwhelmed by a new location. Take turns watching the bags with your travel partner. Don't absentmindedly set a bag down next to you while you wait in line at the train station; always be in physical contact with your stuff. If you check your luggage, keep the claim ticket or key in your money belt — thieves know just where to go if they snare one of these.

Public transit and flea markets: Crowding through big-city subway turnstiles is a popular way to rip off the unsuspecting tourist. Imaginative artful-dodger thief teams create a fight or commotion to distract their victims. Crowded flea markets and city buses that cover the tourist sights (such as Rome's notorious #64) are also happy hunting grounds. Thief teams will often block a bus or subway entry, causing the person behind you to "bump" into you. While I don't lock my zippers, most zippers are lockable, and even a twist-tie or key ring is helpful to keep your bag zipped up tight.

Your rental car: Thieves target tourists' cars — especially at night. Don't leave anything even hinting of value in view in your parked car. Put anything worth stealing in the trunk (or, better yet, in your hotel room). Leave your glove compartment open so the thief can look in without breaking in. Choose your parking place carefully. Your hotel receptionist knows what's safe and what precautions are necessary.

Make your car look as local as possible. Leave no tourist information lying around. Put a local newspaper under the rear window. More than half of the work that European automobile glass shops do is repairing windows broken by thieves. Before I choose where to park my car, I check if the parking lot's asphalt glitters. If you have a hatchback, leave the trunk covered during the day. At night take the cover off the trunk and lay it on the back seat so the thief knows you're savvy and can see there's nothing stored in the back of your car. Many police advise leaving your car unlocked at night. Worthless but irreplaceable things (journal, spent film, etc.) are stolen only if left in a bag. It's better to keep these things with you, or if need be, lay them loose in the trunk. In major cities in Spain, crude thieves reach into windows or even smash the windows of occupied cars at stoplights to grab a purse or camera. In Rome, my favorite pension is next to a large police station — a safe place to park, if you're legal.

If You are Ripped Off...

Even the most careful traveler can get ripped off. If it happens, don't let it ruin your trip. Many trips start with a major rip-off, recover, and with the right attitude and very light bags, finish wonderfully.

Immediately after a theft, get a police report if you intend to make an insurance claim.

Before you leave on your trip, make two sets of photocopies of your valuable documents and tickets. Pack a copy and leave a copy at home. It's easier to replace a lost or stolen passport, railpass, car-rental voucher, or plane e-ticket, if you have a photocopy proving that you really owned what you lost. Some people like to scan these documents and email them to a Web-based account for easy access from the road (though there are security risks with having electronic copies floating around in cyberspace). A couple of passport-type pictures you've brought from home can expedite the replacement process for a passport.

American embassies or consulates are located in major European cities. They're there to help American citizens in trouble, but don't fancy themselves as travelers' aid offices. They will inform those at home that you need help, assist in replacing lost or stolen passports, and arrange for emergency funds to be sent from home (or, in rare cases, loan it to you directly).

Source: Rick Steves