jbm

I have searched several posts on pickpockets in Rome. We will be in Rome and Florence next month. Is is not safe for my husband to carry a small amount of cash and a few credit cards in his front pocket? That is what he usually does. Do they steal from your front pocket?

I plan on carrying a purse with enough room for a couple guidebooks, my small camera and putting cash and credit card in a zippered compartment inside it. It has a short strap and I'd carry it toward the front of me. Should this be a problem or am I being crazy.

Finally, there seem to be differing views - can I just take a copy of my passport with me and leave the original in the room/safe? I'd take my driver's license around with me or should I even do that? We will be driving to Tuscany area for a few days and know I will need it then.

We travel often but have never used a money belt. We have been to some countries where it has been advised to take off my diamond jewelry so we are pretty aware travelers, but for some reason I'm worried about Rome! Thanks for any advice.

ira

Hi J,

>..we are pretty aware travelers, but for some reason I'm worried about Rome!

No worse than most, better than some.

>Is it not safe for my husband to carry a small amount of cash and a few credit cards in his front pocket? <

Why more than one CC?

I close my pockets with safety pins.

wliwl

Well, the only people who really regret not wearing a money belt, or similar device, are those who finally get pick pocketed.

So, who's to say?

dandj

I only carry around $100.00 cash in my pocket and rest in my moneybelt.

my trip wont be ruined if i lose it.

jbm

wliwl, I was waiting for that deserved response. I have never heard of anyone being pickpocketed out of the front pocket so wondered if it happens. If someone tells me, "I had my cash stolen out of my front pocket," then it wouldn't be a good choice for us.

Ira, would need to take both bank cc for cash/ATM and another for non-cash purchases. If we didn't need cash that day, wouldn't need to take it.

SUMMAGOLD

I have to admit, even though we stayed at some really nice boutique hotels that had safes in Europe, we still carried our passports in our money belt. If something or anything were to happen, I want to be with my identity. And not have to say "But Officer, its true, I am an American... its back at my hotel.....".

With that thought, it leads me to ask, Has anyone have had any incidents with missing passports from their hotel rooms? from hotel safes?

And whats this I hear that they hold passports at the checkin desk, until you check out?

I might be a tad much with identity. but you never know!

Suki

I would leave the passport in a safe at the hotel. My husband and I use the same system you describe as your usual one. Unfortunately, we walked away from our car on the top of a deserted mountain (Mt. Subasio outside of Spello)and though we thought it was locked, it was not and my purse with credit cards was stolen along with my BlackBerry and his Garmin. I almost hyperventilated when I got back in the car because for a few days, I had been carrying the passports in my purse. Luckily, by that point in our trip, we were staying with friends, and I had left them in our bedroom. Do have copies of your credit cards with you so that you can call immediately if anything happens to them.

toni_g_b

We just returned from our second trip to Rome and although we bought a money belt for our first trip we have yet to use it - it was bulky, awkward. We were on crowded buses, in lines, in crowds and had no problem. My husband carried his valuables in a velcro pocket on the front of his pants; I carried a bag similar to what you describe. In fact the only reference to pick pockets was in Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi when one of the brothers walked through the immense crowd advising "Guarda il tuo portfolio!"

And as an aside, you mentioned drivers' licenses in Tuscany. Are you aware you need an International Driver's Permit to drive in Italy? About $15 from AAA.

annhig

hi, jmb,

before I started reading this forum, it had never occurred to me to use a money belt. I think that some threads can make one a bit paranoid.

that being said, i did use a money belt in rome and felt very liberated. i usually use a handbag and end up as the repository of all the crud the family wants to carry - guide books, dictionaries, my purse, their purses, the passports, bottles of water..

now I jsut carry what I need and they carry the rest.

IMO your passport is best left in the hotel safe, either their or in your room, with you carrying a copy. unless you are driving, you can leave your driving licence there too.

your husband's wallet should be safe in front pocket, unless the pickpockets get really up close and personal; but he shouldn't put it in a rear trouser pocket - that's really asking for trouble.

the main thing is - don't worry - if you are sensible, then unless you are very unlucky, you should be fine.

regards, ann

cruiseluv

I never carry either my pasport or a copy when I'm walking around. Is there a need for that?

In certain cities , like Barcelona, I don't carry a purse. I carry one CC in one front pocket and some euros in another. No point risking being hurt by a thug pulling at your purse.

annhig

hi, cruisluv,

well in certain european countries, it's actually compulsory to carry passport of ID eg Germany.

and if you leave your passport in your room, adn it burns down or is burgled, you then have your copy to assist you in obtaining a replacement.

we used ours in Rome to get our kids into the vaious attractions for free/cheap as EC kids don't have to pay or pay less at some museums and other places [eg the colosseum].

regards, ann

cruiseluv

Hi Ann,

Thanks, I didn't know about the need of having a compulsory ID on you at all times. What countries does that apply to? Do people get stopped in the streets by the police and asked for an ID? I guess anything is possible, I have never seen it. I usually do have my driver's license and has shown that as ID if asked when using my CC .

I do keep a separate copy of my passport separate from the original.

FainaAgain

"would need to take both bank cc for cash/ATM and another for non-cash purchases" - you mean ATM card, not credit card for cash and credit card for non-cash purchases?

If you take money out using your credit card, you'll start paying high interest right away. I hope you know that, but just in case you don't...

Quiz

I had my wallet pick pocketed from my front pocket this last July in Rome.
I also had a neck pouch that I had my passport in. I removed my wallet from the pouch and put in my front trouser pocket out of habit. 5 min. later it was gone. I was in the Termni stationin Rome. I made a police report and several other men were making reports at the same time about the same kind of crime. One man had his wallet in a buttoned cargo pocket but the thief had used a razor to slice the bottom open and slide the wallet out. I spent almost 4 weeks in Europe and never felt unsafe. But I would be most careful in Italy. I talked with many other people who got ripped off in Rome. To me it did not seem as bad in London and Paris. And after talking with my landlord and his Itlain friends who host visitors from other countries they informed me that theives are increasing and acording to the TV news more of a problem for their tourist trade. Most of the theives do not look like "thugs' and may apear like bussines commuters ie. suite and tie, coat or breifcase For the most part we always felt safe and did enjoy our trip. Just take percautions. Out of 20 years of travel this is the first such incident so beware of becoming too confident.

annhig

hi, cruiseluv,

yes I know that there are countries in the EC besides germany that this applies to - france and italy i think - there have been other threads about this as well.

but in practice, in the normal course of events you'll never be asked for ID unless you are of "unusual appearance" so if you look gipsy or arab or are black/coloured you'd probably want to carry some form of ID. I'm in no way justifying this, but I'm afraid that it's the way it is.

regards, ann

Nikki

My husband did have his wallet taken from his front pocket at the Naples train station, so it can happen. That said, he still carries it there.

I do not carry my passport on me unless I am traveling to a new place. I leave it in the hotel and keep a copy with me.

In my most recent experience, hotels that require you to give them a passport only keep it for a short while so they can record the information. When I traveled in Europe 35 years ago, I remember having to turn it over in many places for the length of the stay.

ira

Hi Summa
>And whats this I hear that they hold passports at the checkin desk, until you check out?<

I fear that you have been misinformed. They hold it only long enough to copy the info on the front page.

Some hotels give you the form to fill out yourself.

pittpurple

Some hotels do require you to leave your passport at their desk for the duration of your stay - this happened to us for the first time when we were in Italy last month and it was really disconcerting. We always carry our passports with us and have copies at the hotel - we feel safer knowing they are with us than relying on the hotel staff.

Re moneybelt - my DH has a really small moneybelt he carries sometimes, just thin canvas and it goes around his waist under his jeans. It's where we put our cash if we're travelling somewhere that we need a lot of cash. He always carries his wallet and our passports in his front pockets.

In Israel we were asked for our passports a few times, but no where else - although I heard that you have to have it on you in Italy.

Ralphie

I always carry passport, most cash and both credit cards in a money pouch inside my waistband. I have change and some currence in front pocket. I don't have a typical tourist appearance apparently, and have never been a victim of any pickpocketing. In fact I sometimes think I'm overdoing it with the pouch---until I read stories like some of the posts in this thread, which inspire me to continue playing it safe.

One time on a bus in Rome, during a sudden stop, an attractive girl bumped into me. To this day I can't tell if it was an innocent collision due to the bus braking suddenly, or if she was trying to pick my pocket (I didn't feel any hands). If the latter, I hope she enjoyed herself, because she got nothing from me but a smile.

Pago

My DH (dumb husband?) always wears a money belt and neck pouch. Make copies of your tkts/passports/credit cards.
Don't carry anything.