Tips from Rick Steves on coping with being pickpocketed during travel in Europe
Rick Steves, a renowned travel expert and author, offers valuable advice for travelers seeking to stay safe during their European adventures. Steves, who spent five years living in Europe, emphasizes the importance of being alert, especially when entering busy areas such as festivals, public transport, flea markets, or anywhere with loads of people.
Steves urges travelers not to travel fearfully, but rather travel carefully to stay safe. He shares a personal anecdote about his only experience with phone theft, which occurred during a large festival with many people. Thieves, according to Steves, are not as wealthy as their targets, and stolen items are sold for a week's wages on their scale.
To avoid becoming a target, Steves advises against keeping phones or wallets on tables in busy areas. Instead, he suggests attaching a lanyard or using a hair-tie to loop around your phone and secure it to your wrist. For bags, he recommends clipping them to your seat, luggage rack, or yourself on public transport, or looping them around your leg or chair leg while at a restaurant.
If you have a travel day, Steves recommends keeping important documents and electronics in an extra bag with you at all times. He also advises leaving valuables behind in your hotel room in a hotel safe or locked in your luggage.
In case of a pick-pocketing incident, Steves suggests quickly moving on, viewing it as a material loss that should be kept in perspective. He recommends backing up your phone's data to prevent loss of important information.
Steves particularly recommends European cities such as St Andrews in Scotland and Prague in the Czech Republic for travelers to feel more secure during their trips. He also suggests setting up the "find my phone" app as a preventative measure.
Today, there are many preventative measures one can take to keep personal effects safe and avoid theft. Exercising adequate discretion, staying aware of belongings, and avoiding risky situations can make travel as safe as hometown grocery shopping, according to Steves. So, pack smart, stay alert, and enjoy your European adventure!
