Rick Steves Uses This Travel Essential To Keep European Pickpockets At Bay

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Rick Steves is a travel expert, the host of "Rick Steves' Europe," a guidebook author, and a purveyor of all sorts of travel wisdom, from how to pack for a European trip to finding the best places to stay. Knowing what to expect, whether it's good or bad, can make your voyage much easier, especially if you've never been to Europe before. To that end, Steves has a warning for travelers about how they carry their important documents and money. On his website, he writes, "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." In fact, Steves himself has been a victim of pickpocketing. It really can happen to anyone, especially when you're looking up at that beautiful rose window on a church edifice, or you're on public transportation, trying to figure out the right stop to get off at. However, the TV host has a recommendation for a travel essential that can keep those grabby hands at bay.

Steves says that we should wear a money belt when out and about. "A money belt is a small, zippered fabric pouch on an elastic strap that fastens around your waist," he explains. "I almost never travel without one — it's where I put anything I really, really don't want to lose." He's not talking about a fanny pack/bum bag/hip pouch here. Those are worn on the outside of your clothing, and they're just as vulnerable to sticky fingers as a backpack or purse. A money belt goes under your shirt and waistband. It's a flat bag that can also hold your passport if you don't want to leave it in the hotel safe, which does have some security issues.

A money belt is worn flat against your body, so it's not obvious that you have it under your clothing. That makes it harder for pickpockets to get to than something worn over your shoulder or strapped to your back. This is especially true in crowds (like on packed metro cars or trains), where you might not notice someone "bumping" into you to grab your belongings. To get to your money belt, a thief would have to lift the front of your shirt, unzip a pouch, pull something out, and get away quickly.

Money belts are pretty inexpensive, like the Venture 4th Travel Money Belt on Amazon, which also has RFID-blocking tech to help keep your cards from being scanned. For extra protection, you can put a twist tie or paper clip between the zippers to make it even harder to open for anyone with ill intent. (That's also a good idea if you're carrying a backpack or purse.)

There are a few other steps that Rick Steves says we can take to travel relatively worry-free. He reminds travelers that it's a good idea to have copies of your travel documents and ID, which you can put in a password-protected folder that you email yourself. He suggests turning on your "find my phone" app and securing your belongings (you can put a hand on your waist over the belt or hold onto your bag) when there is any sort of distraction, like a street performance, or a spot where tourists are all standing together, gawking at something old and magnificent. Finally, if the worst does happen, check out Steves' advice on what to do if you get pickpocketed while visiting Europe.