Tips For European Travel: How To Avoid Thieves

Traveling abroad can be a very exciting and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, a pleasant vacation can turn into a nightmare if you get robbed or your valuables are stolen. The following tips will help you to keep you safe during your trip.

It is very unlikely that you become a subject of a violent crime abroad. To make sure to adhere to the statistical trend, visit only safe areas, and if you want to wander into remote areas of the town, do so with a local friend or guide who knows the area well. By having a buddy with you at all times, you are less likely to be the target of a crime.

Use a money belt when you travel. You wear the money belt around your waist and under you pants, so it is totally invisible and therefore hard to steal. Better money belts can hold not only your money, but your essential documents, such as your passport, ID card, too. Look into investing in a money belt before going on your travels.

You are likely to visit places, such as museums, restaurants and shopping centers where lots of people are present. Be vigilant at all times as these are the places where most valuables are stolen.

Try to blend in. Don’t buy fancy or expensive looking luggage. They tend to attract thieves as they might believe you are wealthy and you have more valuables inside of the suitcase. Don’t show off your valuable items such as your $2,000 camera. Store them where people can’t see them, so they are not tempted to steal them.

Be careful when you are on a train. Make sure your bags are attached to you or to something unmovable. Thieves will go for the easy targets. When they see a bag they can just grab and run, they won’t bother spending half a minute trying to unhook your bags.

Make sure you can describe your luggage. If you don’t trust yourself to do it quickly, take a picture of them. If they are stolen, a quick detailed description can help the authorities to identify your luggage and catch the thief. If it takes you 10 minutes to describe your newly acquired suitcase, don’t bother. By the time you finish, the thief will be on the other side of the town.

Be careful on buses and subways. They are usually very crowded during peak hours, which means it is much easier to mug you and it is much harder for you to notice you are mugged. Hide your valuables carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Rental cars in major cities attracting lots of tourists are common targets for thieves. Make sure you park your car in a well lit area. Don’t leave any valuables in your car where thieves can see them. Lock them in the trunk, or even better, take them with you to your hotel room. Try not to draw attention to yourself. Try to look like a local by leaving a local newspaper on your dashboard.

The above tips may be inconvenient sometimes, but can prevent major disasters. Always be careful, follow the tips above and your trip to Europe will be an enjoyable one.