J_Correa

Obviously pickpocketting and petty theft is an issue in Europe - I am just wondering how prevalent it is in Germany. In all the threads, there seems to be a lot of talk about Italy, Spain, etc. but I haven't seen much mention of Germany.

We will be in Munich and Nuremberg, and then rent a car to drive from Nuremberg along the romantic road to Fussen, across to Reutte in Austria and then after a few days back to Munich.

Obviously we will guard our passports, money, and cards well and when we have the car make sure not to leave valuables in sight.

I am just wondering how high the risk is in Germany compared to other countries.

logos999

"Medium" risk The grocery stores at the corner all have signs posted "Beware...", but I've never been pickpocketed in my life. So as everywhere: It all depends on your behaviour.

alanRow

"Obviously pickpocketting and petty theft is an issue in Europe"

You mean it isn't a problem where you come from?

P_M

Touche, Alan. I have been to 51 countries worldwide but I've only been robbed once in my traveling life. Can you belive, that happened in Canada?? Europe is like anywhere else. Be aware of your surroundings, protect your valuables and you'll be fine. Aside from valuables, do not leave ANYTHING in sight in your car. We left an umbrella, a sweat jacket and a road atlas in our car when visiting Canada and that's why we got robbed. The theif could tell we were tourists and presumed there was more to steal in the car. Thankfully there wasn't.

Enjoy your trip.

victoria_reynolds

I don't think this is a big deal in these countries, EXCEPT watch the crowds. I was trying to explain to my daughter why we need to be so vigilant in Italy --after all, the Italians survive the pickpockets, don't they? But then they don't carry around valuables like Passports and airline tickets and cash for an extending period of time. Depending on your accommodations, you may be able to leave the money belt items at the hotel or apartment. There is always a risk, but in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, it felt pretty unnecessary sometimes. Weigh this risk, cause it would be a big pain to have to deal with losing your CC or passport. Prepare by having the #s and copies and all that. but you'll have to judge which precautions are necessary and which are overkill in your situation. Fussen and Reutte will seem pretty tame to you, I imagine.

Christina

actually, it isn't a problem where I live in the US, nor has it been in any major US city I've lived in. I don't know the statistics, but I think this definitely is a more common crime in some European cities and countries than in the US. I don't know why, you'd think petty thieves would find it a reasonable trade here, also, but I have never heard of it being a major problem in the city where I live, nor on its metro system, either, nor have I ever heard of anyone who has had it happen to them where I live.

No, I am not claiming it never occurs, but my perception is that it is more prevalent in Europe.

vegaslocal

Just returned from Germany. Myself and three other family members have had pockets picked in Spain on different trips, so I understand why you are asking this question.

Germany is a completely safe country. The liklihood of having a pocket picked there is no more likely than it is in the US.

When walking through crowded train stations, pedestrian zones, and places where tourists congregate, I just kept my wallet in my front pocket with one hand on it as I walked - just as a precaution.

Not once did I feel threatened or out of place anywhere in Germany. My personal feeling is that pickpocketing is not nearly as prevalent in Germany as it is in Spain. Of course, this is purely anecdotal.

Maire

The OP never said there wasn't crime here. But, regardless of what the crime situation is in our different cities at home, that does not alter the fact that, according to reputable, reliable sources, pick-pocketing is indeed an issue in many areas of Europe.

I think it's smart to know what to expect so you can take whatever precautions are reasonable.

J_Correa

Thanks - the answers confirm what I suspected. It is a risk, but not a huge risk. We will, of course take precautions because like someone said - it would be a major hassle to have to deal with a stolen passport on vacation.

Alan - actually, no - pickpocketting is not an issue where I come from. We have crime, but it is more likely to be drug and/or gang-related, theft of cars, burglary and robbery - things of that nature. Smash-and-grab crimes are on the rise and of course if you leave a bag or something valuable unattended, someone is very likely to steal it. Bike theft is common also. But pickpocketting and purse-snatching - no. People cutting the bottom of your bag to steal your stuff - no. People snatching your purse as you eat lunch in an outdoor cafe - no.

logos999

There may be a simple explanation for all this. If you drive around in your car most of the time don't walk in congested places and small streets where many people assemble, who on earth has a chance to snatch your purse... This might be different in places like downtown New York?

walkinaround

germany is very safe for crime. overall the police are very ...well, "proactive".

however, contrary to what we hear here, the EU has more of a crime problem than the US.

the crime rate in the US has been steadily decreasing over the last few decades but rising fast in europe.

any talk of a virtually crime free zone is living old myths, i'm afraid.

logos999

It'll still take a long long time for crime going up to reach US levels. Read the WHO report, I posted the link 2 days ago.

RufusTFirefly

Although I haven't seen data for 2005 yet, the overall crime rates in several western European countries have been higher than in the USA for several years now. In the rest of Western Europe, the numbers are similar to the USA.

Murder is an exception--the USA still has a higher murder rate than any country in Western Europe.

Theft, robbery, simple assault, and home invasion all increased rapidly in much of Western Europe while they were declining rapidly in the USA.

logos999

Don't invent your own numbers, but read the report: There isn't much to add

walkinaround

logos, i scanned your report yesterday and i don't see any hard crime figures. just a weak reference to germany vs the US. We must compare the whole of the EU with the US. Unfortunately these data are hard to get. picking and chosing countries or states is not fair. check this out from the UN. the figures for the US total crime are lower in 2000 than just about all the EU nations listed. this shows that western europe does not even compare well with the US....nevermind some parts of EU like the baltic states that have a murder rate and overall crime rate many times higher than the US (they are not listed in the study however).

of course, i would never include russia or other non-eu european nations in any comparasin...it should be EU/US.

from the united nations:



http://www.unicri.it/wwd/analysis/ic...2000i/app4.pdf

table seven page 190. sobering reading for anyone with old myths of a crime free europe. btw, i have no agenda, i wish it were not true as i live in europe. but the crime rate here is increasing and it is out of control in far too many places here. not being alarmist just trying to correct your misleading assertions.

J_Correa

I lived downtown for years - walking just about everywhere and never had a problem with purse snatching or pickpocketing. We frequently go to street fairs and festivals, concerts, and so on where many people are congregated close together. We stand in line on the street to get into a comedy club or walk in a dense crowd of people after a hockey game. Hang out in a crowded bar. We are definitely not the type of people who drive everywhere and hurry from our cars to our destination. We take public transportation on a daily basis. And never had a problem. I have witnessed plenty of other crimes, just not pickpocketting and that sort of thing.

I am not saying that pickpocketting and so forth is not a problem anywhere in the US. Europeans seem to have made it an artform though.

nytraveler

I agree that pickpocketing and petty theft are not a european issue. They are a city/pedestrian issue.

there are lots of pickpockets in Times Square- and other major tourist desstinations in NYC - and a friend of mine was pickpocketed on the subway in San Francisco.

Those people who say it doesn;t happen in their city - aren't really in a city - they're in cars going from house to office complex to mall. Naturaly they're not pickpocketed.

And in fact, it's much more of problem in parts of Latin American and Asia than anywhere in europe.

And - as someone else said - just follow normal city precautions and it's not a problem anywhere.

harzer

You must remember that there are millions of immigrant workers in Germany from those very countries where you claim that pickpocketing rates are high, so why are the rates in Germany lower?

Maybe it's because they abandon their nefarious trade once they begin to enjoy the fruits of working in a well-regulated and prosperous industrial society.

Harzer

nessundorma

pickpocketing in the US just isn't cost effective. it's not a profitable trade to learn. Drug selling, gun selling, armed robbery. Most people in the US don't carry large amounts of cash on them, and although it is possible to spot tourists on the streets in New York, they really aren't so noticeable as they are in Europe. We've got so many people who look Italian, German, Irish, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, etc that we don't notice foreign tourists. In fact, the only people who really stick out as tourists are from the midwest. They're the only people not wearing black. ;-)

annw

In San Francisco they're shivering in their pastels!