I keep reading posts about pickpockets, gypsies, thieves etc and was wondering what the best way to carry money is in the major European cities. <BR> <BR>I do not want to carry a purse all day - my back will be killing me before lunch. I will not wear a fanny/belt pack. <BR> <BR>Is money and a credit card in a pocket safe enough - I am thinking not. For a man is a wallet in a front pocket sufficient? <BR> <BR>What are other alternatives that people have used? <BR> <BR>Thanks. <BR> <BR>Donna

My husband uses the zippered pocket that hangs on your belt. I use the neck pouch wehich I leave long so it tucks into my skirt or pants. Anything in a pocket is more vulnerable than these two options.

I don;t know if it matters but I forgot to say we will be there in the summer so most likely will not be wearing jackets etc. <BR> <BR>Thanks.

I use a device from Eagle Creek that I wear around my neck and under my shirt. <BR>I carry my valuables there. <BR> <BR>On the plus side, it would be very difficult to take my money without my knowing about it. <BR> <BR>On the negative side, I find it difficult to get to my money and credit cards when I need them if they are around my neck. I don't like to haul that thing out in public so to speak. <BR> <BR>As a result, I compromise. I bought a pair of slacks that has two zippered pockets, one in the front and one in the back. I attempt to anticipate my money needs, and carry a little local money, paper and coin forms, zipped up in my pocket. <BR> <BR>I don't know if a skilled pickpocket could unzip the pocket and take my money without my knowing it, but he would not get much. <BR> <BR>Most pickpockets use a distraction ploy like bumping into you. The fellow who fingered my pocket on a Paris subway car used the old ploy of bumping into me while pretending to read the route map posted over the door. Whether the zipper foiled him, or he thought my skinny wallet was unworthy of his efforts, I don't know. <BR>

I have read that always keep it in your front pocket NOT your back one. My husband and I always split up the money. Be sure to take a lot of $1, 5. 10 most places don't like 20s. The places we have been like US dollars. Always ask if you can get a hotel discount if you don't use the credit card.

Just back from Italy and must say that all my fears about pickpockets didn't materialize, but perhaps that's because of the good advice I got on this web-site - Search for my posting "Pickpocket-proof in Rome" for some great advice from very kind Fodorites. This was our first experience using money belts and I found that, as a women, I still preferred the kind that looped through my pants belt and hung inside my pants, slightly off center over the 'round the neck type. Though this didn't flatter my figure, required I bring not-too-tight trousers, and people could see where my money was stored when I pulled it out...there is NO WAY a pickpocket could have gotten to it. Also, we found that those hotels with in-room safes provided a great service so we didn't have to carry passports and plane tickets in when we were out touring the city. I did carry a purse, but only for make-up, city maps, and my small camera..I bought the lightweight (non-leather)kind with a wide, long strap so I could wear it across my chest. This was much more comfortable than my past, overloaded travel purses.

Hi Donna. Personally, I never carry anything in my pockets -- front or rear -- that I can't afford to lose. That translates as change, and maybe a few small bills. I would NOT recommend that a man (or, for that matter, a woman) keep a wallet in a pocket, even if it's a front pocket as I'm sure that, to a skilled pickpocket, a front pocket poses just a slighly greater challenge than a back pocket. <BR> <BR>I used to use a "money pouch" that hung around my neck and was accessible under my shirt but I found the strap around my neck quickly became annoying. So my girlfriend sewed a couple of custom "money belts" for both of us which have a simple, but strong, strap that goes around our waist (under our clothes), with a small pouch that tucks inside of the front of our pants. We only carry cash & a credit card in them...and an ATM card if we're planning to get any additional cash that day. <BR> <BR>I'm sure I haven't traveled in Europe nearly as much as some people here but, in all the times I have traveled there, I'd had no problems whatsoever. The only time I came close to having something stolen was on my very first trip to Europe, in 1979, when I wasn't aware of precautions to take. I had my camera in a small daypack on my back and, when boarding the Tube in London, felt a small tug on my backpack. Luckily, I turned around in time to see a hand just about to reach into my pack. Furious, I kicked at the guy, but then the door closed and I remember him standing on the platform, smirking. I vowed that I'd never be so careless, or unaware, again.

Donna: <BR> <BR>Here's a simple, inexpensive means of protecting your wallet, if you like to keep it in a pants or skirt pocket: Wrap a couple of heavy rubber bands around it. It makes it very hard for someone to pull it out of your pocket without you noticing. Of course, it makes it harder for you, too, but nonetheless not as hard IMO as pulling one of those around-the-neck contraptions out of your clothing.

Donna <BR>Hi <BR>I just returned from Naples where I had my wallet stolen from my buttoned breast pocket. I agree with the others who responded to you. I would carry my passports etc: in a waist belt tucked under my pants and use a belt loop type that is concealed under your clothing for your daily needs. A woman may prefer an around the neck type you can place next to your skin. It may be inconvenient but it's better than losing your money. I was wearing an around the neck holder but in a moment of carelessness I didn't replace my wallet in it and thought my buttoned pocket was safe. I was wrong. I observed that many Italians carried their small currency in a money clip. <BR>Good Luck Don

I always keep my credit cards, plane tickets, passport, and money in a money belt worn inside my pants. I keep a day's worth of spending money in a coin purse in my daypack for small purchases and entrance fees. <BR> <BR>This is from Rick Steve's website: <BR>http://www.ricksteves.com/faq/faqtips.htm#money <BR>"How do I keep my valuables safe while traveling? <BR>One of the most important travel accessories you can have is a money belt. It's a pouch that fits comfortably under your clothes, with room to stash all your valuables including your passport, plane tickets, railpass, credit cards, traveler's checks, and extra cash. If you use it properly, stealing your valuables becomes as difficult as stealing the underwear off your body, and feeling a street urchin's hand in your pocket becomes just another interesting cultural experience. Keep nothing more in your pockets than a day's worth of cash."

Don't carry money - seriously, there's no reason to carry more than a day's walkin' around money. Two ATM cards and two credit cards are the most you'll need, and your passport. There are little zippered minipurses on a long strap worn across the chest which are just the right size with no excess weight (make sure the strap is long enough the purse rests on your hip; it means you can tuck it inside your waistband in crowded subways) . For maps, umbrella, etc., get a small backpack (like for a little kid).

Hey Bob, <BR>those crafty urchins in Italy have been known to use a razor blade to slice open the underside of zippered back pockets. <BR>Just put a hand below the pocket and let the contents slide out. <BR>They've been known to razor the visible types of money belts as well. Obviously the concealed type are as safe as you'll find. <BR>

I am also travelling to Europe and want to ask a bit more.. <BR> <BR>Just to put things in perspective for me - I visit NYC often - should my precautions abroad be more than they are in NYC just because of the language barrier - because of the difficulty of replacing passports etc? <BR> <BR>I guess I want to know should a be as vigilant abroad as I am in NYC or more so?

for susan

Susan: <BR>In Italy in particular your level of alertness and preparedness should be much greater than in NYC. The number of people in Italy's major cities who make a living as pickpockets is dramatically greater than in NYC and the authorities tend to be rather blase about trying to solve the problem...which allows it to fester. <BR> <BR>A very useful suggestion: always tuck a photocopy of your passport inside your wallet and another in the lining of your suitcase. Makes replacement easier should the dreaded occurrence occur.