> Why drag up a post from 1998?

In this case it's still relevant. :)

While researching a trip to Europe I came across a helpful website: http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap08/money.htm

The section linked to above is helpful for this topic; The rest is helpful in general for European travel.

Get a money belt and use it for your big money and your credit cards.

I once let some credit cards in the hotel safe and then forgot about them until I was 100 miles away. Fortunately I was staying at a Goethe Institute for a month, so the hotel sent me the cards.

In the Boqueria in Barcelona, we were dining at a sort of outdoor restaurant, when my sister's purse was stolen by a clever thief pretending to be a waiter.

For the only time in our ten years of traveling together, Mary had given me her debit card and passport to put in my money belt. She lost a good camera, but not her debit card, cash or passport.

I love Daymakers bags and have 4 of the medium size, across-body bags with straps reinforced with steel cable to make them slash-proof. They are quite comfortable.
www.daymakers.com (I own no stock in this company!)
I carry money and credit card in a small, secure wallet, also from Daymakers, which attaches to the inside of the purse.
The purse holds this wallet, a small amount of touchup makeup, emergency OTC meds, tissues, notepad and pen, and glasses. My flat-fold umbrella goes in the open back pocket. I carry this easily on all-day walks and the purse is nice enough to be a "dress" purse in the evening.

For my recent trip to Italy and Paris, I bought one of these:

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php...n=detail&id=57

It held money, credit cards, passport, camera, cell phone, maps and guidebooks and I felt totally secure wearing it with the cross-body, steel-reinforced strap. An umbrella wouldn't fit, however, but they do make larger ones.

I always wonder what happens to those people with steel-reinforced straps when a thief attempts to steal their bag. A wrenched and twisted shoulder? Sprained? Just some bruises? I'll stick to my money belt.

This really old post was topped by the advertising/spammers, comment now removed.

One thing that I take with me when going to a place that could be dodgy is a second wallet. In it there is an out of date credit card, some low denomination dollars and some used bus tickets. In the unlikely event that I am pulled into a dark alley and asked for my wallet, I'll 'reluctantly' hand it over.

http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/England_1.htm