kct

Sounds like pickpockets are a real problem.....is this true just in Rome or all over the country? Is this really a major concern or is it just isolated incidents? We leave in a few weeks....

Regarding luggage, we each have a suitcase on wheels with a handle. What size is appropriate? We will be traveling mostly by train and we hope to only pack in 1 suitcase each and maybe a shoulder bag/backpack. Suggestions are welcome....size of suitcase etc.

Nlingenfel

Please don't carry anything in your purse or backpack that you cannot do without (money,passport,tickets,etc.).
Just came home from Rome, Florence, Venice early March. 2nd day there a lady in her late 40's from England was in our hotel lobby crying because they had pickpocketed her and took all her debit cards, credit cards and a large amount of cash. I had been telling my teenagers about this, but that really got the message home to them. Size of suitcase depends on how much you can lift. You will have to place it on the train yourself and depending when you board may have to lift it to 2nd rack. I usually take the smaller size that you can carry on to the plane if you want to.

debby_fish

My husband came home today with a similar story from someone at work. They were a couple travelling on a train in Florence 2 weeks ago. Originally they were sitting across from one another on the train. A kind man offered his seat so they could sit next to one another. Inadvertantly they left their bag under his seat. When they got to their stop to retreive their bag it was gone. It contained some of their credit cards and cash - fortunately not their passports. By the time they reached their destination and placed call to the various credit card companies etc. and approx 3000 E was already racked up on their cards.

I am passing this story along 3rd party, so I am not sure how much is accurate or not but one thing is for certain..... always be aware of your bags/handbags/backpacks etc. Keep them in your sight and be conscious of those around you. And take copies of passports, credit card numbers and phone numbers and keep those documents in a separate place. There was a great piece of advise in a prior thread to e-mail vital information to yourself so in the event your items were stolen you could log on in an internet cafe and retrieve those important numbers.

yk

Hi kct-

Both your questions have been brought up many times on this board.

My take:
1) Yes, there are lots of pickpockets anywhere there are lots of tourists. I personally use a money belt, that way I can enjoy sightseeing without always worrying about my purse.

2) Pack light. Most people recommend a 21" roller-on plus a day bag. For the train you have to be able to lift your luggage up several steps onto the train, and sometimes you'll have to lift your luggage over your head to the racks on top.

Here are 2 recent threads: one about pickpockets and one about luggage in Italy.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34485683
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34482567

francophile03

Agree that you should use a 22" rolling suitcase. Pack lightly too. You will be the one to lug your luggage up and down the train's steps.

Pickpockets are mostly in tourist areas and subways. They're not limited to Rome but I'm sure some places don't have as many.

RufusTFirefly

Suitcase depends on how strong you are. We normally take a couple of 26-27" with no problem, but only you can judge what you can handle.

Also depends on how often you change locations while traveling. If you tend to stay in one place only one or two nights, then you'll be hauling the suitcases around just about every day. If you stay in one place 3-4-5 nights, then suitcase size isn't as big a deal.

Some other factors--time of year you are traveling; will you use public transportation or taxis; how long you will be long; tolerance for dirty clothes or doing laundry while on vacation.

Singletail

Has anyone here ever heard of someone using a moneybelt being pickpocketed of the contents within that moneybelt?
'nuff said.

BTilke

Singletail,
Actually, yes. It has happened several times in the Gare du Midi in Brussels. There are some amazingly slick thieves out there. A moneybelt helps a great deal, but no system is absolutely foolproof.

JJDave

We too were concerned about pick pockets especially around the Colleseum. Watch for the group of kids. They will walk up to you to see if you are interested in buying newspaper. While one hand is outstretched to show you the newspaper the other hand is searching for your wallet. To combat (well really challenge) pickpockets I always carry a dummy wallet in plain view. I usually stuff it with Canadian Tire (coupons) money. While I have not yet lost my dummy wallet I kind of chortle to myself when I imagine the lucky pickpocket trying to cash the bills at the bank.

Sunnyboy

TO JJDAVE: I'm curious - what if on day one someone grabs your dummy wallet? Do you go buy another one so you'll feel save for the rest of your trip? Wouldn't it be better to just protect your real valuables? It would be amusing, however, to see the look on the pickpocket's face. Don't get offended, my tongue is planted firmly in my cheek.

Travelnut

Excuse me, but it would have to be one DANG slick thief to reach under my turtleneck, pull out my Cuddledud chemise and reach down into unmentionables to unzip my moneybelt.

Moneybelts go under ALL the clothes, not outside like a belt-bag/fannypack/whatever term you use.

yk

Travelnut-

I think I have read here on this board regarding the money belt incident. If I recall correctly, the traveler had a "neck pouch" style money belt which he wore underneath his button-down shirt. Some slick pickpockets walked up to him, distracted him with something. Next thing he knew, the top few bottons of his shirt were open and the pickpocket was trying to unzip his neck pouch.

I think that incident is very unusual, considering there are many other unsuspecting tourists who are easier targets.

Travelnut

okay... I was just having a time picturing it...

sol_veracruzano

2 Pickpocket stories

1.- My dad was taking photos of Michael Angel's Moses, and as you know you have to put tokens in the light machine so you can take good pics. In the moment while I was putting money in the slot and he moved forward to take a good pic. He got pickpocketed (his wallet was in his front pocket only had some pesos and ID)He didn't feel a thing .

2.- We were standing in line waiting to get into a Museum when one of the ladies in my group felt somebody searching her purse, there was no one apparently but the people in line, but... we found some of our purses and backpacks open. Nobody lost anything because it had been raining and our jackets were on top of everything, so it was really difficult to rummage around.

Underhill

My wallet was stolen out of my purse on the London underground. The staionmaster suggested that I do as his mother did: keep an old, empty wallet on top of the real one, which should be shoved to the bottom of the handbag. He also advised my husband to keep his wallet in a front trouser pocket, with his hand inside the pocket.

In Nice my husband was accosted by a group of gypsy women outside a large bank in Nice. They began patting him down for his wallet to get the cash from the ATM, but he had it stowed in an under-the-pants money belt. One of the gypsies got his change purse, but at that point I ran up and yelled "Va t'en," and they were so horrified by my pronunciation that they ran off.

We always leave photocopies of our passports and credit cards at home with a friend, justin case.

JJDave

Sunnyboy....your right of course. The first priority should be to protect your valuables, which we do. Example: when out and about we only bring a photocopy of our passport with us. The thought being that if the photocopy presents a problem to whomever asked to see then we would simply have them return with us to our hotel to see the original copy. My wife usually travels with a limited number of costly jewelry. For the most part she brings 'glass' rather than gems. We also never bring both a VISA and an ATM card out with us at the same time. Now back to my dummy wallet. Firstly street urchins usually don't approach me given the fact that I am 6'3" and ah...fully framed. I think I scare them. However, if I were to lose my dummy wallet then we would lessen even more the valuable items we carry on our outings rather than purchase another dummy. By using the dummy I am just tempting them to try it, and if they do get it, good luck explaining to a bank teller what kind of currency it is. On a more postive note. My wife and I sent into the McDonalds near the Trevi Fountain. My wife left her wallet on the counter and walked away. At least 15 mintues passed before she realized what she had done. We ran back to the cash in a panic, of course it wasn't there. When we asked the manager if anyone had turned it in lo and behold there she be, fully intact. Quite a surprise.