Rick Steves' Essential Tips For Outsmarting Pickpockets In Europe

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You've probably been warned about pickpockets in Europe. It's one of those things that always comes up when you tell someone you're heading overseas. However, you may not know how to prevent it beyond keeping your wallet out of your back pocket, and making sure to carry a bag with a zipper closure. Suddenly, while you're marveling at the incredible architecture of a famous building, your ID and credit cards are taken from inside your purse. It can happen to anyone. Even travel pro Rick Steves has been pickpocketed in Europe a few times. However, he's got some practical advice for us, with the experience to back it up. On his website, Steves tells us, "While Europe has little violent crime, it does have its share of petty purse snatching, pickpocketing, phone grabbing, and general ripping off of tourists — especially in places where tourists gather." One essential tip he gives us is to wear a money belt whenever you're traveling.

If you're not familiar, a money belt is a zippered pouch that you wear under your clothing, like the Alpha Keeper Hidden Money Belt on Amazon. You can store your ID, passport, cash, and credit cards in a money belt. Some are large enough for your phone as well (though if you're using it as your camera, you may want to have it on a strong strap around your wrist instead). Pickpocketing is a crime of opportunity, and if a thief can't see or grab your possessions without alerting you, they're likely to move on to the next person. 

Steves has some great ways to avoid pickpocket hot spots as well. For instance, if you see a crowd around a street performance, a big fight, or any other sort of scene, this might be a planned distraction for thieves. Even if it's not, they may take advantage of the situation. Distraction is the best gift a thief can get, and avoiding spots like this can help keep you safe. That also goes for someone distracting you with an offer of a "free" rose or bracelet that they later demand money for (while someone else grabs your valuables). Another spot Steves says is a hotbed for pickpockets is public transportation, which is one of the places it happened to him. So, when you get on any sort of public transport, always keep your hand on your bag.

In fact, the bag you use and how you use it can be a deterrent as well. In addition to having zipper closures, you may want to consider locks. If that makes it too hard to get the things you need during the day, you can even secure two zipper pulls together with a paper clip or a twist tie. It's one more layer of deterrent that might make an opportunist look elsewhere. Another thing he suggests is looping the strap of your bag around a table or chair leg, or even your own leg, when sitting down at a restaurant or in a park. If you have your phone on a strap, that's great — but it's also a good idea to turn on your "find my phone" app as well, just in case. 

Steves has more than just tips in terms of pickpocket prevention. He also has steps you can take to make it less likely to happen in the first place. To start, he cautions that dressing up in your expensive finery might not be the best idea. On his website, he reminds travelers to, "Leave your fancy bling at home." 

He also recommends making copies of important documents and storing them online. A great way to do this is to take pictures of things like your ID, passport picture page, plane reservations, tickets for sites and events, and anything else you need, and put them in a password-protected folder that you email to yourself. That way, you have the details to get them replaced if they are stolen. (You may also want to email yourself the international number for your bank, airlines, the U.S. consulate in the country you're visiting, and anything else you might need in a pinch.) It's also good practice to know what to do if you lose your passport, and have the country's equivalent of 911 programmed into your phone. 

Steves suggests looking into mobile payments so you don't have to carry your credit cards with you. He also says you should consider travel insurance if you're bringing something with you that you absolutely can't afford to lose. Finally, if you're someone who tends to lose things while out and about, you might want to consider putting a note inside your wallet or on the lock screen of your phone with your email address and the phone number of anyone traveling with you, in case the person who finds your item wants to return it to you.