Graceful585

I was just reading a post and someone mentioned watching out for pickpocets in Brussells, especially around the Grand Place area. Anyone have any additional info we should be aware of. I'm typically not to alarmed by stuff like this, but I also don't want to be ignorant either.

ChevyChasen

i felt very safe touring these places. just take the usual precautions you would back home and you will be fine.

annhig

Been to lots of places and certainly I felt as safe in Brussels as anywhere else. It's not a particularly touristy place, so doesn't attract the "types" that usually target tourists. Be sensible and you'll be fine.

BTilke

Yes, there are pickpockets in Brussels (a lot more than in Bruges!), and some do work the GP area, but they are more likely to be lurking around the Rue Neuve on a Saturday afternoon (when it's very very crowded) or the Gare Centrale or Gare du Nord. They used to be a huge problem on the Gare du Midi but after several high profile EU officials were pickpocketed and mugged, that train station got serious police attention and is now patrolled pretty heavily, including canine patrols. So the petty thieves have moved on.
FWIW, many of the thieves are young men and they're after mobile phones. If you have one, try to avoid using it in the areas I described above. (not long ago, a 17 yo was stabbed to death at rush hour in the Gare Centrale by two Polish youths after his mobile).

Brussels does have a crime problem but it's more along the lines of organized crime, car thefts, etc., something that most tourist wouldn't notice or be affected by (one study said that Brussels has more organized crime gangs operating in town than anyplace else in Europe, and that's NOT including EU hijinks).

thomascookie

I wish to mention that it is important to keep your belongings in a safe place (certainly not on your back as I see many tourists do). Just ask in your hotel what precautions to take in the neighbourhood.
And this Joe got stabbed because of his MP3 not his mobile. Train stations and metro's aren't always the nicest places to visit in the evenings when it's less crowdy.
But do enjoy your stay!

francophile03

We visited both Brussels and Brugge. For Brussels we took the train from Paris so went through the Gare du Midi station (I think this is the correct name) in Brussels. The station was very crowded but we were aware of our surroundings. We also took the tram from the train station and it was fine with no problems. Grand Place we had no problem with pickpocketing also. In Brugge there was no problem as well. Both cities are just like anywhere else. You just need to be aware of your surroundings and secure your belongings.

BTilke

You're right, it was an MP3 player. I mixed that up with the guy who was stabbed to death on the rue Neuve for his mobile.

nytraveler

There are pickpockets and scam artists everywhere excedpt your backyard.

Just follow the usual precautions you do in any place crowded with tourists (which do draw pickpockets) and you should be fine: hang onto your belongings and know who is around you at all times.

DAX

To a certain degree, the pickpockets stand out in Brussels. They tend to be younger immigrants and they work in teams inside old town. Exactly as BTilke mentioned, it was most obvious along Rue Neuve ( peppered with several teams in the afternoons). My wife will always remember being followed or distracted by these young thieves in the mid to late 90's but not so much on our more recent visit. We figured they moved somewhere else.

walkinaround

a few years ago we did a project in brussels. on three separate occasions team members were robbed by force in or near Gare du Midi. that was a few years ago so nice to hear it's been cleaned up (or rather just moved along). two of the people hit were large males and all three are very experienced travellers.

hanl

Although the security presence has definitely been stepped up inside Gare du Midi (as BTilke says), the surrounding area is still pretty dodgy.

I agree also that mobile phones are a big target for thieves here.

Just the other day I saw a couple of teenage girls pretending to sell newspapers to people eating at outdoor tables on Place Jourdan, when in fact they were using the papers to shield their hands as they filched mobile phones off the tables.
Luckily the party at the table behind us realised they'd been robbed, ran after the girls and got the mobile back.