Joseph,<BR><BR>I had a client that took his entire family to Italy all 10 of them. <BR><BR>While touring some of the sights in Rome, they were approached by a group of "gypsy's". <BR><BR>He had 10 credit cards and almost $3000.00 dollars in traveler's checks....they got them all, and he is a policeman in a major metropolitian city...buy a money belt to wear underneath your clothes....leave all but maybe 2 credit cards at home, and when traveling, put them in your money belt....and buy american express travelers checks...keep the log of numbers seperate and if lost/stolen at least you will be able to get them replaced within 24 hours as a rule...better to be safe than sorry.<BR><BR>This was just this past summer.

Ok, I got picked in Dublin Ireland, too although it was in the city centre.<BR><BR>The street was Graftan Street and it's always full of window shoppers. One day I caught a woman who turned out to be Bosnian with her hand down in my rucksack, I grabbed her arm and drug her to the Gardi station where she was arrested, She was quite dirty and smelled terribly. A gypsy perhaps but a dangerous one. EXERCISE CAUTION!!!!

Is it safer to carry passports, airline tickets, all money and cc with you in a moneybelt or carry a little money and leave the rest locked in the hotel safe or your luggage? I have seen conflicting advice. Any suggestions?

Joseph<BR>Our Arch Bishop lived and studied in Rome for four years. Before we traveled to Rome, he taught me a verbal Italian curse and hand sign to use on the gyspy children who would steal from us. He swore it would scatter them. I never had the chance to find out as no one approched us! I was really kind of waiting!!

Joseph, <BR>Last summer I lived in Rome for a month and visited many of the other top tourist spots around the country. I never encountered gypsies myself, but a girl in my group had her wallet stolen from her purse on a bus. The best way to protect yourself is to try to not look like a tourist. This is easier said than done, but watch the Italians body language and just be aware of your surroundings. Gypsies work in teams and one will try to distract you while the other goes for your wallet. They are not above using their children to commit the crime either. Don't put valuables in a backpack if it can be helped. The safest thing to do is to keep your hand on your wallet/purse at all times when in public. Leave your original passport in the hotel safe and carry a copy with you. Other than pickpockets, there's hardly any crime in Italy, so have a great time!

Instead of a bulky money belt, I wore a "money sock", an elastic band around my leg, when wearing pants. It would be very hard to get to, even if someone knew it was there. They'd have to stick a hand up my rather narrow pants leg (lying on the floor?), rip open the velcro pocket, and withdraw without me knowing. <BR>And why carry large amounts of cash or traveller's checks, since ATMs are everywhere? And why carry a purse that needs to be set down sooner or later? We carried 2 credit cards, ATM card, passport, and a small amount of cash in our money belt/sock at ALL TIMES. On a couple of occasions the passports went into the hotel safe and we carried the hotel card with us. The backpack was for water, maps, guidebooks, as someone said. If carrying camera, camera bag went around the neck with flap strap threaded around camera as well, so no one can grab camera out of its case. We never had a problem.

The very thought of a money belt, fanny pack, neck pouch, trouser sock turns me off! I carry a large DEEP tote, with my credit cards inside the zippered pocket inside of another zippered bag, safety pinned to inside! To get in you would need 20" arms. 4 zippers then an inside carrying case, I have room for cameras , guide bookes, film, umbrella whatever! And I don't look like a Sherpa! I also leave pasport in room safe, never on over 50 trips have needed it , and we spread our cards around, I carry Atm and 1 credit , my hosband another credit, all in seperate places!

Can't any sort of a tote, no matter how deep, be grabbed away from you if you're distracted? And don't you ever put it down?

NEVER lock anything in your luggage and leave it in your room unattended, if there is someone desperate enough to break the locks of your luggage, they will find what you have hidden.<BR><BR>Lock any valuables in the safes at the front desk, period.<BR><BR>And when traveling Internationally, I have always been told to carry my passport with me, in the event law enforcement officials stop you for whatever reason, or in case you should have an accident. Saves the tylenol for some other headache.<BR><BR>And even though there are ATM all over the world, that can be precarious as well. There are people who stand close to watch and see who is pulling out money, not just in Europe but here in the US as well. Just be aware of your surroundings at all times, and keep one eye on the world around you. Doesn't mean you have to be paranoid, just observant.

I'm going to Rome in February and am going to use a belt while my girlfriend uses a neck pouch. Are the Hotel safes or in room safe REALLY "safe"?<BR>i've heard some bad things about leaving passports and credit cards in them. Should I be worried?

I, too, was targeted in Florence by the groups of gypsy children. [...actually it was a travel buddy]<BR>we were backpacking and my friend looked like a better target, i guess, so this little girl came up with what she made seem like the current newspaper, and she acted like she wanted some money for the paper. ..What they do is they place the paper over their forearm, and hold their other arm just underneath. The newspaper is then used as a shield so you can't see underneath, and they reach with their other hand for your pockets... Right away, another five kids appeared out of nowhere, and a 'feeding frenzy' took place with little hands everywhere. My buddy started yelling 'polizia!' [police] when we realized what was happening, and a store owner peeked out his door and yelled at the kids... they didn't take anything, but his hip pack zipper was almost fully opened, and he felt one kid's hand in his front pocket, too.<BR><BR>Be careful, and be firm, and you should be OK.

I was in Rome last summer and did not had a problem. However, I had to use extreme caution not to became a victim. As for ZZZZ maybe you were asleep the whole time and did not notice them. The big deal is that even if you are not robbed, it's very annoying to be always in high alert for the gypsies and it takes away some of the pleasures of vacationing. As Micia was telling us yestarday, Carabinieri are not interested in stopping this type of crime, they are too busy harassing the smokers.

We did not have any trouble in Italy; although we know others who have. Our only incident was in Paris. I wear a neck pouch under my clothes; but my husband would never wear his money belt ("too uncomfortable"). Although he should have known better, he was sure that if he kept his wallet in his front pant pocket, he could feel anyone trying to get it. WRONG!! We were using the Paris metro when two male gypsies targeted him and got his wallet. He noticed it immediately, and he caught the older man and I went after the younger man. I don't recommend this and am not sure why we reacted the way we did. However, he was able to get his wallet back from the gypsy. Needless to say, he now uses a money belt.

My tote has a very long strap that crosses over the chest and provides a place to rest your hand! And Of course I put it down , I just don't hang it over the back of a chair or anything else foolish. Usually put it on floor between my feet!

Carry a copy of your passport and leave the original in room or hotel safe, a pickpocket is just as likely to steal your passport as your wallet! it is really more valuable to them.<BR>And just be aware , if you are going to spend your whole trip worrying you might just as well stay at home.

I was also a victim of the Bosnian gypsies in Dublin.<BR><BR>They divert your attention on the premise of purchasing a supposedly Homeless magazine from them and then they rob you blind.<BR><BR>When I gave my report at the Garda station I was told many of them are a health hazard as well since they are infected with contagious TB.<BR>Those that surrounded me were quite dirty and very forward and rude.<BR>I hope the irish will soon do something about this problem.

Traveling with our two toddler grandchildren, we use our backpack to carry items such as toys and other items to occupy them during a restaurant meal. We were in London last year when an attempt was made to pick my husbands backpack. As he does in every city we visit, he was occupied doing his favorite thing- bending over restaurant windows to check the menus. Being Chinese- American, he must have looked like the proverbial Japanese tourist.<BR><BR>My daughter, grandchildren and I were walking in front of him on the sidewalk.As I turned to look back at him, I saw two young arab men slowly reach to unzip his backpack zipper.<BR>I toally lost it and went ballistic. I ran down the street, grabbed one by the neck and lifted him by the shirt collar up against the building, screaming obscenities and punching him. (To explain the picture this made- I'm almost 60 years old, 5'1" and was nicely dresed with highheels, a hat and the proverbial black dress coat. To explain even further, I'm also an Italian-American.) <BR>The other fellow ran for his life. The man I held up against the building finally got away from me. However, he never realized my daughter was further in front of him. She tackled him and wrestled him to the ground again in a side alley. By this time, people had started to gather to se what all the commotion was about. My husband and I were screaming for my daughter to let him go for fear he would hurt her. This fellow was totally confused. Two different people, an old white woman and a young girl with two children had just given him the scare of his life. My daughter let him go and he ran. She was furious that she had broken a nail and we were relieved that was the only sequelae. <BR>In speaking to some of the english police officers, we heard that this has become a real problem in London. I watched the next day as a young man cased the gift shop at the cathedral. He particularly was watching to see tourists who were distracted by their search for souvenirs.<BR><BR>As everyone has said, wear your important items in money belts. Never put anything in a knapsack that you can't afford to lose. <BR><BR>And try to reign in your instincts to lash out. We were lucky. This man could have had a knife or gun and hurt the person most important to us in the whole world. Money, credit cards and passports can be replaced.

Just a word of warning. One of the people I work with had his passport stolen from a hotel safe in Rome. The front desk personnel told him that was not uncommon in Rome.

Recently returned from a Christmas trip to Germany.<BR>BEWARE the Bosnian (female) gypsy pickpockets throughout Germany.<BR><BR>Very skilled thieves.<BR>Also, very dirty and some mentally ill.<BR>Scary street people that the police seem unable to control.

Hi Joseph,<BR>I live and work in Rome as a tour guide and and I have met many people on my tours who have experienced being pickpocketed. It definately is a problem here in Rome particularly in the high season when there are many tourists around. <BR>Even though I know to be careful, it has happened to me as well. the last time was 2 days before I was due to leave on holiday myself. I was in a store, a woman bumped me and stole my wallet out of my bag. You must pay attention to where your wallet is and who is around you.<BR>That is not to say that you must become paranoid but just that you must pay attention. <BR>If a group of gypsiescomes up to you with a piece of cardboard asking for money - don't let them anywhere near you - they will rob you!! Also when you use the metro to go to the Vatican or the Number 64 bus from Termini to the Vatican you must be extra careful. The pickpockets know the routes used by tourists and actively work them. <BR>Don't feel sorry for young children begging because they will most definately rob you as well. Mothers with babies in their arms are there to distract you from the others who are ready to rob you!<BR>I guess you get the picture YES it is a problem!!! and you have to be careful. I meet people at least 3/4 times a week who have been robbed!!<BR>Just be careful, leave the most important things in your hotel safe and only carry what you need and make sure it is in a safe place. Men do not put your wallet in your trouser pocket - you won't have it for long.<BR>Having said all of the above you can get through a trip here without experiencing it, but if you do it can really spoil your trip. So be aware.<BR>Any other help or insight that anyone needs please feel free to email me direct.<BR>Marianna