I have found that a purse only gets in the way and becomes a magnet for pick pockets. I don't want to have to worry when I'm trying to enjoy my trip. Several years ago, I discovered the light weight travel vest that Magellen Travel Stores carry. It has lots of zippered pockets. I use that and take a small safety pin to pin closed the zippers, and I would imagine a thief would have difficulty knowing which pocket money or credit cards were in.

I do have a travel purse which has an across the body strap AND an around the waist buckle. So it would be hard to snatch, and its easy to keep on me when sitting and eating.
However, I would probably only use that purse now for guide books or as a decoy.

Sorry, but I think those travel vests are very ugly and scream tourist. Who else would wear them? Maybe going on safari but certainly not to Europe and safety pinning the zippers closed, I can just imagine what that looks like.
I wear an across the body purse and have never had a problem.
I also make sure to be aware of my surroundings.

And I will in turn disagree with MarthaT and say that travel vests are not necessarily unattractive. I've got one made by a company called Scottevest (that I purchased from Magellan, but is also availabe directly from the manufacturer) that is actually quite attractive: pockets to the interior, vertical zippers hidden within princess seams, etc. If you don't put bulky items in it it's positively slimming (if a bit more sporty than I'm likely to wear in town).

And since it's all I can do to keep track of what I've put where (seriously, I've lost stuff in this vest) it would seem like a nice option for keeping pickpockets guessing.

To each his/her own.

I've seen the Scottevest online that Therese mentioned. They not only have vests but also pocketed jackets w/sleeves. The pics online are quite attractive but I haven't seen it in person.

I carry a purse (just like the ones I carry at home) if I'm in a city that I'm familiar with, which means that I can walk down the street knowing where I'm going and not looking "lost".

In places that I'm not familiar with, I tend to carry a daybag which has a strap I wear across my chest.

At times when I'm tired (eg just got off a long flight) and/or when my hands are full (eg with luggage moving from one town to another); I always keep my vaulables in a moneybelt underneath my clothes - regardless of whether I'm carrying a purse or a daybag.

A chacun son gout.....I think those travel vests are the equivalent of painting a tourist bull's eye on your back.

I wear a regular purse so I look like a regular person.

I agree with you, StCirq. The purse that I use for my vacation has to have short straps so that I can I can drape them over my shoulder and the purse is in my arm pit. However, I split money and credit cards in another place which one has to kill me to get to it. I don't wear good jewelry at all. Another item that I like a lot is taxi wallet. I can put it in my pants'pocket. I can put enough cash in there for small expenses during the day so that I don't have to open my purse several times.

I usually carry a messenger bag with a long strap that I can wear across my chest. You have to go through a flap and at least one zipper to access the contents. No problems so far.

Here's a link to the Scottevest. It's not like one of those safari-type vests with pockets everywhere. This one is slim with almost no visible pockets except for a couple of zippers. I don't have one but I wouldn't be opposed to wearing one in the right environment.

http://www.magellans.com/store/Cloth...rsMV128?Args=#

and the similar jacket:

http://www.magellans.com/store/Cloth...ersWO814?Args=

Yes, sharona, your second link is exactly the one I've seen online, which I find relatively attractive. I think Fodorite Challiman did buy the jacket one though I could be wrong...

When I travel, I dress pretty much the same way as I would dress at home. There are pickpockets and scam artists in the city where I live, so I take the same precautions abroad as I would at home.

I carry a big tapestry purse, but it doesn't contain money or credit cards. I keep that stuff in my money belt. In 2006, I did carry a wallet containing my driver's license but little else. Somewhere along the way, the wallet disappeared, so I may have been pickpocketed. On the other hand, I may have just been goofy enough to just lose it.

I dress pretty much as I would at home, so I don't think I'm especially easy to identify as a tourist, unless in Spain or Italy, when my pale Irish/Danish skin color gives me away. In Germany, I'm occasionally asked for directions by natives.

I have lived in Europe for over sixty years, and have travelled in many European countries. I have never worn special clothing or money belts and have never been pickpocketed. I know it happens to some people, and I am concerned about the consequences of being far from home without money, credit cards or identity documents. I therefore buy clothing with zipped and internal pockets, but this is more to reduce the risk of losing valuables than having them stolen. I wear them everyday, not just when on holiday.

There are places where pickpockets may gather - sports stadia, racecourses, wherever crowds gather and will be engrossed in whatever is happening. At other times, I think the risks are small.

I did leave my credit cards in a French telephone box once. They were returned to me by the local mairie.

I hate stuffing my pockets even if there's a "product" that's made for that purpose. The Scottevest looks okay in the picture but I'm sure there's absolutely nothing in the model's pockets. I use a Bagallini across-the-body bag that I carry in front (although I'd like to carry the same purse as I use at home, I don't because it's too heavy to carry all day -- at home, most of the day it's under my desk or on my car seat).

http://www.baggallini.com/product1.a...ct='ZPC369'

It's big enough for money (which is in a change purse that is clipped to the inside of the purse), camera, glasses, and miscellaneous items.

When I'm traveling, I carry my Alviero Martini bag. The world map (geophilosophy) pattern is jaunty but it's not a "tourist" bag.
http://www.alvieromartini.it/

I think you don't realize that no matter how one thinks one dresses to blend in, we look like tourists. If one lives in Europe, one can usually spot who is a German, who is French, who is English, etc. etc. So that being the said, why not dress for comfort and convenience? I prefer to wear a travel vest, that I do NOT stuff with junk, only a bit of cash and a credit card, because then I have my hands free and don't have to worry about putting my purse down somewhere. As for the little safety pins, they are almost invisible, tucked in either under a zipper flap, or hidden by an inside pocket. But in the end, to each his own.

I live in Basel where about one-third of the residents are expats and many are multi-national couples (German married to French, Swiss married to British, Swedish married to Czech etc). It's not as easy as you think to tell at a glance who is from where.

Although if I saw a woman wearing one of those vests, I'd bet my last franc she wasn't Italian!

I also travel with a normal pocketbook same as I use at home. I think you are more likely to lose something, when you start switching everything around from what you are used to. I have never been pickpocketed (knock wood) but I have on occasion mixed myself up by hiding money or credit cards or whatever different places among my own luggage! No way would I be comfortable with my stuff all in a bunch of pocket of a vest.

I only bring a purse that I can wear across my body.
I carry alot of crap so I need something.

Camera
water
lipstick
mirror
map
guidebook
notes
wet-ones
glasses
a days worth of cash.

I wear money belt with more cash and credit card...

Passerine, what do you mean about the Italian? I am just curious. Hope you find it is a dumb question.

I shouldn't answer for Passrine but I am sure she meant Italian women would not be seen wearing one of those vest georgiegirl.

<i>"..I would imagine a thief would have difficulty knowing which pocket money or credit cards were in.."</i>

- until they see you take money / card out of pocket and then put it back in.