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