Not Being Robbed In Rome
 

In preparing for my first trip to Rome (or Europe for that matter), I'm dangerously close to being paralyzed by pickpocket paranoia!

I am prepared to wear a moneybelt, but with all the warnings about not reaching into one at any time in public (which I understand), where do I keep a little cash (and how much?) for the day?

I assume I need to keep my ATM card and some Euros within reach so that I can buy things without touching my moneybelt, but if pickpockets are as nefarious and omnipresent as the case appears throughout my research, where can I keep my small day-by-day expense stash?

I've been warned that the back pocket isn't safe (which makes sense), the front pocket isn't safe (because pickpockets have no fear or shame), that zippers and velcro and even small locks are not much deterrent, and that I can't carry my money/ATM card in a bag or purse (not that I have a purse). Help!

On a related note, is my camera going to be safe? I was thinking about keeping my camera strapped across my chest under a jacket so it couldn't be pulled off... I don't want to not have any photos, but some things I read almost promise me I'll be robbed.

Should I duct tape my ATM card to my arm? Do I need to sew pockets with padlocks into my shirt fronts?

Thanks for any tips/advice/clarification.

I can't be of much help with the specific questions, as I have zero paranoia about traveleing in Europe and never wear a moneybelt of any other protective contraption, but I would like to point out that if you really are this concerned, you will almost certainly project that fear, thereby making you a very promising target.

Any fairly nice camera will attract attention and if you think strapping it across your chest will prevent a thief from trying to wrench it off think again. I'd buy cheap throw away one-time use cameras here or in Europe - nobody will want to steal those. I think you have become too paranoid. If you know there is a problem the problem isn't so bad. Just be careful of anyone coming up to you - even those in official looking uniforms as they probably are up to no good. I've been to Rome dozens of times and have never been pickpocketed, but i know the problem and am leery of anyone, especially gypsies and their little kinds surrounding you. If you see them coming, walk away. Relax and use a moneybelt that goes under your clothes and not some neck pouch that can be wrenched off. I think you reach into a moneybelt when needed by going into a cafe - not everyone in Rome is out to get you. I usually carry $20 or so in a wallet in my front pockets and in crowded areas keep my hand on it. I'd keep the ATM card in the moneybelt, using it only every few days for money. I don't think pickpockets in Rome are as nefarious and omnipresent as you believe. But, being in the European travel business, i do talk to many people who have been pickpocketed in Rome - usually by someone spilling something on them and then apologetically wiping it off whilst someone else is riffling their stuff. Or people offering to help carry your bags on trains and then running off with it - or trying to sell you a newspaper to divert you or asking you for instructions on how to read their map - a 1000 ruses so i say beware of anyone coming up to you but don't think everyone on the street is out to get you.

Hi Medea,

Relax.

We just got back from 3 weeks in Italy. We started off with similar feelings. We kept our credit cards and other important papers in travel wallets. My wife kept hers under a jacket, and I dropped mine down my trouser leg.

By the end of the trip, I had to remind myself that I was getting careless.

Keep your passport, ATM cards, credit cards and large denomination bills in a travel wallet under your clothes. You will not be using them often.

Keep no more money than you can afford to lose in a pocket and close the pocket off with a safety pin.

If you will need a CC while wandering, put it in the pocket with the money.

Wear your camera across your chest.

Most important: Be aware of who is around you. Keep everyone at arm's length. If you can't, cover up what's important to you.

Don't let little kids touch you.

If we went out late, I carried a pocket-size air horn that I got at a boat supply house. It can be heard a mile away, and draws a crowd. Never had to use it, but my lady wife felt safer.

Enjoy your trip.

BTW, your first trip to Europe should be Paris, not Rome.

my travel advice for you is DON'T GO! seeing as to how terrified you are now, imagine the horror you'll be put through in Rome!

if you have to ask where to stash a small sum of money, don't bother going to europe. the epcot center should suffice for you without all the worries.

keep safe! >)

Thanks for the advice! I proclaimed myself paranoid with a certain amount of humor, and was poking fun at myself by using words like "nefarious," but the core concern was still there and I appreciate the replies.

Jenny

If you go to paris watch out for the picpckets in the metro..They are very good at what they are doing..
By the way, I always feel safe in Rome and Paris, much more than here in the US. Both cities can be challenging at times, but like all the other posters have already said, just be aware of your surroundings,and keep your valuables in the hotel safe.
Buon viaggio,you will love Rome.

"Your first trip to Eruope should be Paris, not Rome"...that's a rather interesting response to someone you know nothing about aqnd who asked specifically about Rome..but given all the "precautions" you took on your trip, Ira, to include keepng everyone "at arms length" I'm surprised you went to Italy at all. Perhaps there are fewer pickpockets in Paris?????

My dear Intrepid,

I have, for over twenty years, believed that everyone's first trip to Europe should be Paris.

After all, you might die before you make your second trip.

Carry an umbrella. Anyone comes too close to you waving his or her arms, whack away. My experience in Italy is that families of gypsy women and children will try to surround you. The umbrella really works. The things they will say about your mother aren't nice, but you know they aren't true, either.
My husband had his pocket picked once, in Rome. He wasn't about to put up with it. He ran after the kids, grabbed them by the collar, and held them for the police. He got his wallet and money back.

Hi VC,

Great advice. An Italian woman next to me on a bus whacked a pickpocket with her foldup umbrella. Very effective.

I take my hat off to your husband for being able to catch a kid in Rome.

Spent 2 weeks in Rome over the summer, and the only place I was robbed was at the restaurants near the Vatican - WAY overpriced...! I just carry a big purse with all my stuff in it (including a small camera that takes great pictures, but that is not valuable), and walk confidently down the street. Just use caution on the busses, or other crowded areas, as those will be the places where someone could get close enough to steal something. I sometimes leave my ATM card in the hotel safe, so that I will always have access to $, if my other stash of cash is ripped off.

It is smart to be aware of your personal safety as you plan any trip abroad. Not sure why Rome has received more attention than other places on the safety issue. It's a big city and all big cities have people who look to take advantage of tourists. But there is no need to let your concerns overwhelm you to the point that you can't enjoy yourself. Rome is by no means a dangerous city. I was there last summer for the second time and I can't wait to go back. If Rome is your first stop overseas, you will be very tired and disoriented when you arrive and this will only enhance your sense of paranoia -- but try to get a feel for the neighborhood where you are staying and make it your own. Look at a city map and understand where your hotel is in relation to major attractions around the city. Rome is a magic place, enjoy it!

Thanks again, everyone. I think I have my paranoia pretty much under control now. :)

Like I said, I was using hyperbole to make fun of myself. Every travel website I've visited posts dire pickpocketing stories about Rome and I wanted to get some more opinions.

I'm from NYC, and I use the "don't mess with me" determined walk on a daily basis. I think I'll be just cautious enough.

I don't think my trip will be spoiled by my true level of concern. I'm looking forward to Rome.

Jenny

There are pickpockets in any big city and Rome has it's share. I warned the people traveling with me this past summer that there were more in Italy than the other countries we had visited in the past. Limoservice Rome picked us up at the airport and the driver warned us and my brother-in-law talked to him about it. My daughter and I looked at each other because we knew he would be the one that it would happend to! Guess who was pickpocketed the first day??

Watch out on the subway. The pickpockets ride the subways all day and watch for tired, careless tourists. They know all the metro stops and grab and jump off. My brother-in-law had his wallet in a front pocket but was holding on to the bar above his head. He knew the minute they jumped off that they had his wallet but they were too fast for him. Luckily he left his passport and other money in the hotel safe but they did get 1 credit card and about $300.
It's not something you need to worry about 24/7 but you do need to be street smart and aware of your surroundings. In the subway or on buses just keep your hand on your pocket or purse and be extra careful when there are stops.

As an aside, I agree with ira that Rome is not the ideal destination for a first-time visitor to Europe. It's too chaotic, too sprawling, too unmanageable, too fast, too over the top. I've been to Rome a bunch of times and it still hasn't grown on me, and I love Italy. I think if my first trip to Europe were to Rome, I might have second thoughts about European travel.

I don't necessarily agree - although I'm inclined to - that Paris should be the first destination for a first-time European traveler, but it would certainly be on my short list. Rome would not.

Medea, if you like arts , fountains, beautiful churches, Rome has more than 900, the Spectacular Colosseum , the ancient glory of the Roman Forum, the majestic Vatican City, and we must not forget the modern romans,people that are full of life, noisy at times but they love , cherish and enjoy life so much, then Rome and Italy is the place to be.. The country of Italy is a jewel, the seas, the mountains, parks, the Amalfi coast, cinque terre,Florence, small charming village perched on cliff, Venice and the list goes etc.. is very hard to the describe the beauty and the magic of Italy, it will bewitch you , i am certain..

I think the pickpockets frequent the subway systems almost everywhere. We visited Rome a couple of summers ago when it's high season so there were many crowds. We were somewhat like you-wary-and were on the lookout for pickpockets. However, we had no problems even though like I said it was really crowded. Of course, we wore the money belts and carried only our water and necessities in our backpacks.

I believe if you use a money belt to store your important things then you will be allright. We did not use the subway in Rome however.

Take the same precautions that you would take if you were visiting New York City.

Don't worry so much about it, before I first went, I was also starting to get paranoid when reading all the posts, but then I decided, to just ignore them.

I brought my expensive camera, I carried a credit card, my ATM and some cash and NEVER came close to fearing being attacked by all these pickpockets.

Use common sense, be aware of your surroundings and enjoy your trip. It's not any worse than being in any big cities in the States.

Although we're in Europe frequently and feel one should always be cautious (and hey, NYC is the same), Rome was the city in which we felt we had to be a little more on guard.

The suggestions of how you use a money belt, etc. are wise, but we personally experienced other types of scams/theft of which you should be aware:

The limo-guys in suits with walkie-talkies who preempt your progress to the taxi stand outside the airport. Rates are 20 to 40 dollars above taxi.

Man in car who stops you, asks if you're American, talks about how much your country means to him, and then starts on a "I have these suit samples I would be honored to give to you..."

Pickpocket routine of falling into you on subway

Con man who gathers change, saying he only needs a few more euros to make bus fare--he's been robbed. He is so good he can guess nationality of approaching tourists and adapt. Seemed to alternate between the Forum and the Pantheon.

This is not a generalization about Romans or Italians. Indeed, we experienced more moments of sheer bliss in Rome than in any other city in Europe. And we don't ever recall feeling physically threatened.

amelia cautions against

>Con man who gathers change, saying he only needs a few more euros to make bus fare--he's been robbed.<

I met his cousin on a subway platform in NYC. Guy held out a handful of change and told me he needed another quarter to get off the subway.

I told him that I might be a hick, but I knew that you paid to get *on* the subway, not off.

i just returned from two weeks in italy and just kept my purse to my side and my husband kept his wallet in his front pocket. i never felt unsafe. just use common sense. be aware of the guys giving you flowers because they want money and even if you give them change, they wont be satisfied. just tell them no thanks from the get go. i had bought a money belt and never used it. the only time i needed my passport was at the airport and when checking into a hotel. i even carried my camera on my shoulder and wasnt worried either.

Maybe I'm blaise, but I live in a small mid-atlantic city in the US. We have pick-pockets. We have "muggers" who have knocked down women and steal their bags. We have beggers. Sadly, its the human condition...
so be on one's toes everywhere.

Alright Medea, take a deep breath and relax. We just got back from 2 weeks in Italy, including Rome, and had 0 problems. My hubby wore a money belt the first day in Rome, decided that it was too itchy and that was the end of that. I carried an oversized, 2 pocket purse that zipped on the top with money on one side and camera & none money stuff on the other. I held on to my purse like I would here at home (Chicago)in touristy areas or in any other big city (including Paris). Keep copies of your credit card numbers in the room, don't carry too much cash and once and for pete's sake, relax!!!! Otherwise your trip will be totally unmemorable except for the death grip you kept on you money.

Hear hear, Swalter! Same thing with us--two weeks in Italy, including the "nefariously pick-pocket infested" Naples (LOL!!!) and we felt perfectly safe. We ditched the itchy money belt within days. And I bought a pocketbook because I quickly realized I was the only woman in Rome without one, and I missed carrying one as I normally would. No problems at all in any of the train stations anywhere. Or on any streets, Rome or Naples, even late at night. Keep your wits about you and you'll have a great time. We did!

Jenny:

Take a deep breath, relax and take it from A) a fellow Jennie :) and B) an EX-fellow New Yorker (lived there for 5 years during/just after grad school at NYU):

You will be FINE in Rome.

I just returned from my first visit to Rome and I was ALMOST as worried about it as you seem to be. I mean, I was actually kind of dreading it, if you can believe that!! Our stop in Rome came at the end of a three-week European vacation and for about the last week prior to getting to Rome, I would literally have myself in knots whenever I'd think about it.

HOWEVER, I just used my NYC street-skills/common sense and I was just fine. Yes, it's a big, intense city, but it's fine. I mean, you will be just fine if you're used to living in NYC. Just be aware of where you are and the people around you. Keep your stuff where you can put your hand over it when you're in a crowd and you'll make it through. I didn't even end up using my money belt in Rome, to tell you the truth. I had a small purse (maybe 6 inches wide x 5 inches tall x 3 inches deep) that I wore girl-scout style across my chest. I have a tiny camera that fit in my purse and I just kept it in my purse along with one ATM card (the other was left locked in my suitcase in my room) and about €40 in cash--give or take--at any given time. The purse was small enough that I could put my hand over it in a crowd (i.e. on the subway, in the Vatican museum, etc.) and trust me, NO ONE was going to get that bag out of my hand! Ha-ha!

In addition, I had a little backpack (one of those little nylon things that zips up into a little pocket, but zips out into a good sized day bag. I highly recommend something like this. You can get a good one on the Rick Steves site) that I carried my water bottle, postcards I picked up, guidebook, map, umbrella, etc. in. I only put things I wouldn't mind terribly losing in that backpack and I let it kind of serve as my "decoy" if you will.

Like, on the subway . . . I figured if someone's going to rob me, they're not going to try to reach around my hand to try to unzip my tiny little purse that I am holding tightly against myself . . . they're going to unzip the unguarded little daypack that's out of my sight . . . so let 'em. I can always buy another map or umbrella, you know? IF I ever did have anything even remotely valuable (I used the pack to hold souvenirs, too) in my little pack, I just turned it around and wore it in the front.

As for people walking up and spilling something on you . . . well, I just really didn't worry about that. As a New Yorker, you know that kind of "6th sense" you have about someone who's standing too close or eyeing you up or whatever? . . . well, it works just fine in Rome, too. If someone's sizing you up as a mark, you'll know. It's no different from being in NYC.

Hope that helps. You will love Rome!!!

Jennie :)