To my utter amazement I have just read in Karen Brown's Ireland that one should leave larger luggage in the car overnight rather than shlep (she didn't use that term) it into one's bed and breakfast. We started traveling in Europe by car in 1985 and my steadfast rule has always been that one can leave anything in the car overnight that one is willing to lose. On our first trip to Ireland in 1996 I have a vivid recollection of standing in front of our restaurant in Dublin and watching, along with one of the valet parkers, a lad walking up and down the street looking into each parked car in search of moblie phones.

Have I missed something? Is the advice given in this book really sound? Are B&B car parks really safe in Ireland? Hotel parking lots?

Cheers,
BigBlue

She was probably referring to rural Ireland, where the homes/farmhouse-style dwellings mightn't have that much space inside. I would readily leave big bags locked in car overnight, as long as it was out of view, in a boot.

I, too, might leave things in a car out of sight in a rural area where the place I was staying was the only one in sight and parking was well off the road. But I wouldn't dream of leaving anything in an unattended car in any size town. I think it's a good habit to have.

The solution might be to not have "larger luggage" but to have carry-on sized pieces that are easy to take in anywhere.

While I agree with those who say your belongings locked in the trunk of your car parked in a rural B&B car park are probably safe, why chance it? My steadfast rule has been the same as yours BigBlue and I also never take anything larger than a carry-on bag when I travel.

I have been known to leave a Totes type folding bag with dirty clothes in the trunk or boot of a rental car, in situations where I felt it was safe, or safe enough.

I certainly wouldn't leave anything I needed on the rest of my trip in the trunk.

I had a one-night stay in Assisi. I threw what I needed for that night/next morning into a small bag and left my larger bag in the car trunk (out of site).

Did this when packing/checking out of my prior hotel... not in the parking lot in Assisi.

I also backed my car into the parking space in the public lot so that the trunk was up against a wall. Didn't have a problem.

OK, maybe we are idiots, I don't know. But we do this a lot. Usually when travelling to or from a holiday cottage, where we need to break the journey along the way. We take just an overnight bag, plus a bag of valuables, in with us, even in big chain hotels, and leave the rest in the car.
We've done it in the US too.
I seriously believe there is more chance of your car being broken into during other stops along the way, than at a hotel/B&B at night.

Most streets in European cities, towns and villages have cars parked in them. Sometimes, cars are broken into. If there is something valuable in the car, it is likely to be taken, but thieves don't randomly attack cars in the hope that there will be something of value inside, unless it is visible.

The main message is not to leave anything of possible value visible from outside, including coats and bags. Don't let anyone see you put something valuable in the boot and then walk away.

We try not to leave maps and other travels brochures in view in our rental cars. These just announce that we are tourists, which I feel makes us more of a target, since tourists might have more electronics and other valuables in the car than the average local person would carry around.

We generally do not leave anything of real value in the boot overnight.

Never met Karen Brown, no idea etc..

Don't take stuff on holiday you will miss.
If you have stuff that is valuable put in the safest place.
Don't draw attention to your stuff, so don't leave documents in your car.

Based on this even in the countryside I would schlep stuff into the house. Over the years I've been to some pretty odd countries and monitor the environment around me. I have a code word for those traveling with me. If I feel uncomfortable we speak the word and make a significant change of direction. So far I've only lost two bicycles in France and camera case (sans contents) in Romania. On the other hand I have had to keep a bicycle in a bathroom!

I'm in Ireland most days of the year. I never worry about leaving things in the boot of the car, whether I am near home or away from it. But I am always careful not to leave anything visible in the car that might attract the attention of thieves, be that property or documentation that might suggest that I am a visitor. Never had anything stolen from a car (but once had a car stolen).

I wouldn't do this in the US, and I wouldn't do it abroad, either, unless the car was in a place where it is not visible from the street, like an enclosed farmyard. And even then, I wouldn't leave anything valuable or critical to my trip.

So...you stand at the trunk every day and transfer items between the big suitcase and a small bag you take in?

If you're in the countrside and parking in someone's driveway I wouldn't hesitate to leave larger bags in the trunk - as long as nothing is visible inside a car. I would never do it on a street or in a lot anywhere in the world.