Crime/Safety in Rome & Florence?
 

I was wondering if anyone could provide some information on crime/safety in Rome and Florence. My fiance and I will be in both cities for four days for the first time in late October before moving on to spend 5 days in Tuscany. I've read a couple things on the board that seem to allude to or mention pickpocketing/tourist scams, but haven't come across anything specific or concrete.

For what it's worth, we'll be on one train (Rome to Florence) during our trip, but probably won't take the metro or any other public transportation during our time in Italy (we're big walkers and will cab it if we need to, and we'll have a car in Tuscany). We went to Paris last summer and didn't experience any issues or really even encounter any of the scam artists I'd read about, so I'm hoping that Italy is more of the same. :)

Also, I'm recently engaged and my engagement ring is admittedly rather large (sorry, I really hate the way that sounds, but I feel like it's somewhat relevant to the question I'm about to ask). I've traveled safely in many major US cities (San Francisco, New York, DC, etc.) while wearing my engagement ring, but I'm wondering if it's safe to wear it during our Italy trip as well?

Thank you in advance for any insights or tips you can provide!

Yes I think it's safe to wear your ring while in Italy, I always wear mine. Just make sure you don't take it off to wash your hands and leave it behind.

You will be safe although you may see some tourist scams. Just exercise the usual big city cautions. The Florence central train station is a bit of a haven for pickpockets, just watch all your things closely.

Enjoy it, Italy becomes addicting.

I worry more about leaving my jewelry behind in a hotel than theft.

Where there are tourists/crowds, there are pickpockets (including in big cities in the US). There have been some recent reports of a little more activity in Rome's train station. Shouldn't be a problem as long as you pay attention to your belongings/surroundings.

I have been in Rome 4 times and Florence 7 times. I have never experienced crime. However, both are cities and you should take the usual precautions. If you felt safe in NYC and DC (I live there and always feel safe), you will feel safe in Rome and Florence. Just take the same care you take in major US cities.

My sister was robbed in Rome.

We were advised by the hotel personnel to take the train to the airport instead of a taxi in order to avoid traffic,

at the entrance to the train/subway cart we were standing. I was standing with my back to the door facing my sister. there was a heavy woman standing next to me who blocked my view of the people in the cart, next to my sister was a lady carrying a baby and a young teenage girl.

When we got to the airport, my sister discovered that someone opened her pocket book and stole two small bags, one with her passport and one with her jewelry. her wallet was inside inner zipper .
The police in the airport were not surprised at all. They told us that the women were together in it.

So beware of young girls . I have seen an American girl in a shoe store trying on shoes, suddenly she realized that her pocketbook next to her disappeared.

you just have to watch out especially when approached by more than one person. If you take an overnight train, make sure that your valuables are on you.

I love Italy but one has to be careful. My son who studied in Spain told me that almost all his friends were robbed there.

I've been all over the world (including many trips to Italy, most recently in May 2014) and I've only been robbed once in my traveling life. That happened in Vancouver, BC in Canada which is hardly a place with a reputation for crime.

My point is that robberies happen everywhere, even in beautiful, pristine-looking cities like Vancouver. Just use the same caution and good sense you use at home and you will be fine.

In 2 trips to Rome I had one experience with pickpockets. I'm surprised in your Paris trip that you weren't at least accosted by the bracelet scam at Sacre Couer.
In Rome my friend and I were getting on a very crowded metro. We were quickly separated by 2 members of a group of about 5 kids. As we got on the train, one boy inserted himself between me and my friend with him facing my friend (very close) and his back to me. She had her hand on the pole, he reached his left hand around her neck and higher on the pole, seemingly for distraction. His right hand was hidden from me. I grabbed his left arm and he turned to me Very startled. He and his group then jumped off the train just before the doors closed. When my friend was able to sit down before the next stop, she found her cross-body zipped bag half open. I have no doubt he was on his way to taking her wallet and/or camera.
We were both quite shaken. It seemed that there was groups of kids who spent the day riding the metro. Moral of the story - be aware of ALL that is going on around you.

On the no 64 bus in Rome (aka the pickpocket express) I had one experience with a pickpocket. Fortunately I had my hand firmly across the zip on my cross body bag so the attempt was unsuccessful. It was somewhat unnerving to discover the zip partly open where someone had made an attempt to open it.

Apart from that, nothing. But we are extremely vigilant about our surrounds etc when on subways, buses or any crowded areas.

Would your fiancé be hurt if you wore a cubic zirconia of the same general sixes and shape as your engagement riing?

You will see scams if you are looking for them, but you are probably savvy enough to avoid them.

The issue is being pickpocketed, either in a scheme like this described by madi and wikoff above, textbook examples, of the kinds of things that happen on or near public transportation or major touris sites like the Trevi Fountain.

Worse is being swarmed by kids.

It is hard for Americans to scream at a group of urchins who jump between you and your fiancé and star grabbing at you. All our social conditioning is against it. But they know that. Stay away from groups of kids and teens.

The safest place for your jewellery is on you, not left at home, not left at the hotel safe, but wearing it.

PS People in Europe have big diamond rings and Rolexes too.

How would you feel if somehow, it doesn't even matter how, you "lost" the ring?

Leave it home in safety deposit box. Why make yourself vulnerable?

I have traveled a lot -- big cities in US and Europe. I really never felt uncomfortable anywhere until I was in Rome and Naples, especially on metro between Spanish Steps and Colosseum a few other spots. Groups of Tweens, girls, young men, pushing up against you. I was constant aware of my surroundings and while nothing untoward happened, being on that high alert was taxing. No, nothing happened, but it did take a bit of enjoyment off my travels.

I've been in Italy four times in the past five years, and I've been here this year for six weeks by myself. I'm living in Bologna and have traveled by train to Venice, Florence, Modena, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Verona, and the only problem I had was in Modena. Italy is no more dangerous than any other place in the world.

That said, you have to be cautious and attentive. Ackislander is exactly right. It is in our nature not to be rude to beggars, especially children, but you have to ignore them. If they still bother you, then you have to yell at them.

FWIW, I wear only my anniversary band when I travel. Odin is right about people everywhere having big diamonds and such, but I don't like to call attention to the ring.

Have fun.

Rome and Florence are perfectly safe - much safe than most large US cities. There are pickpockets and purse snatchers (as there are everywhere - I saw a woman's purse snatched in VERY upscale Greenwich ct when she left it hanging on a chair in an outdoor cafe) but if you exercise the basic precautions you should be everywhere (NEVER let go of your purse or luggage) you will be fine.

I have been to europe more than 100 times and the only places I have seen scams tried are in Spain or Lisbon (the throw the baby scam and the take a rose scam). If you just ignore them you will be fine.

If you are used to the ring, wear it everywhere and it fits well then go ahead. If it's at all lost don;t (without having it sized) or if you EVER take it off - leave it home. It;s very easy to become momentarily forgetful on vacation and you don't want to lose it. (I wear mine - but then I have an ingrained habit of taking rings off at night and putting on in the morning before leaving the house - so it doesn't slip off when showering/shampooing).

"I have been to europe more than 100 times and the only places I have seen scams tried are in Spain or Lisbon"

You must be very lucky. We were in Nice for less than an hour, having just checked into The Negressco Hotel. We walked out the door and were approached with the "gold ring".

Thanks for the thoughtful responses! I really appreciate the additional insight and advice.

We're relatively savvy travelers (my fiance lived in NYC for years and is used to city life), but the posts above are a good reminder to stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings. It's helpful to think of Rome and Florence as any other large city - you just have to stay alert. I read about the "safety pin" trick someone used on their cross body bag in another post, and I think I may use that when we're out at the major tourist sites, just in case.

I will probably end up wearing my engagement ring on our trip, given it fits well and that I only ever take it off to shower/sleep. I agree with the advice that at the end of the day, the safest place for it is probably on me, rather than left in a safe somewhere else. I may look into getting a CZ or simple band to wear in the future, though.

Thank you again for all of the thoughtful replies!

IMO, crime on tourists are crimes of opportunity. If you provide the opportunity through inattention or carelessness, your chances of being a victim go up.

I have a fairly large diamond solitaire ring that I very rarely remove and certainly wear on trips. I don't take my ring off at night because I live in an earthquake-prone area and might have to leave the house quickly in the dark. I would feel the same way about an unfamiliar hotel. (P.S., Italy has earthquakes too.) When I'm in an area or situation that feels at all sketchy, I turn the stone to the inside of my hand.

My crossbody bag has a flap over the zipper. I wear the bag with the flap against my body which makes it nearly impossible to access the interior of the bag (even for me!).

I should add a caveat.

We are native New Yorkers and probably walk and act with a different attitude than many other people. I had perfected the "look straight through" people look and attitude before a was a teenager. And those people handing out flyers on the sidewalk never even TRY to give me one - it is apparent that I'm not interested in them or their nonsense.

I've noticed that a lot of tourists I've seen in europe, perhaps from smaller towns?, tend to walk around looking pleasant and approachable - even smiling at random strangers. This is a sure way to attract attention from scammers. The idea is to look as if you will be a PIA if someone bothers you. (And yes, I turn it on and off - at home I'm approached by tourists fairly often for directions - but not in areas where scammers are active.)

I don't take anything on trips with me that I would be devastated to lose. I have already lost my wedding ring once on a trip. That was a tough loss and put a serious damper on that trip.

Hello,
I have recently traveled to both Rome and Venice. I wore my three diamond anniversary ring and never thought once about losing it to a thief. I am always vigilant and aware of my surroundings, but had no issues inI taly with respect to crime.

The only place I have ever been a victim of crime was in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos when our villa was burglarized while we were out for dinner. This put me on a category of a "lucky" tourist, as I was not beaten or attacked with a weapon as other tourists have been recently on Provo.


You will be fine in Italy if you exercise reasonable caution. TCI, not necessarily.

nytraveler, could you explain "take a rose" and "throw the baby" scam for some of the novice beginner travelers like myself? Thank you .