Theft from vehicles while parked

I live in nice area in the rural part of a rather small town (USA)...even cars in our neighborhood were broken into within the last year. I think you may need to reconsider your thoughts that in the USA such crimes are not so common. If you want to reduce your chances of car breaking and entering then do NOT leave valuables in the car and especially do not leave them in plain sight.

I'm a non-Londoner and neither me nor my family have ever had their cars broken into. I'd say the chances of being broken into are extremely slim unless you make yourself a target by leaving valuables in plain sight. If it can't fit in the boot, take it with you if you can, and if you absolutely can't then stash it away out of sight e.g. under the seat or in the glove compartment. The fact that you'll have an ordinary car will help deter potential thieves as well.

Sorry to disappoint you, but those types of crimes are VERY much more common in the US than you believe. Criminals would prefer to break into cars parked in "not a bad area" because the chance of finding something of value is higher there.

The best you can do is not leave anything in sight while the car is parked and hope for the best.

If an Astra really has an isolated trunk/boot, I'd take a chance on fitting all the luggage there. But the risk is not zero.

Since you have chosen to keep your home city and state a secret (see underneath everyone else's names) we can't evaluate your naive statement about "In the USA ... not so common." It used to be quite common to see punched-out trunk locks in urban and suburban areas in the US. And drug addicts are now in every part of the USA, in areas of every character.

Twenty-five years ago, when break-ins were a serious problem in NYC (they are not, today) it was also considered wise not to be seen putting stuff in the trunk or under the seats at the time you took a parking space. Back in those bad old days, I had my grimy Toyota Corolla broken into near Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. They had the courtesy to smash the vent window, so the repair was relatively inexpensive. They got my parking meter quarters from the console.

We live on coastal South Georgia, but prior to moving back to Georgia, we lived in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC and Southern Maryland. Never heard of anyone having their car broken into. When I read the local newspaper, occasionally, I read of someone breading into a car, but it is in an area that has a much higher crime rate, that I don't visit.

I expect that we will be able to cram most everything into the boot of the Astra. However, I don't relish having to carry stuff while touring. Most of our touring with luggage will be between cities and towns where we are staying. For example, on leaving Bath, we are going to Cardiff and plan to visit Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey on the way to Cardiff. After two days in Cardiff, we will go to Tenby and stop at St. Fagan's National History Museum. I expect that those places may not be so risky.

Most of the rental cars with hatchbacks have a retractable vinyl cover that blocks the view of the trunk area.
Just go and enjoy the day and not worry about something you have no control over.
Beware that many rental car companies will try to slip a personal belongs theft insurance on you. If someone happened to take your personal belongings, most travelers' homeowners coverage back home would cover the theft.

in our area of Canada, it's usually a crime of opportunity - people leave their cars unlocked and lose their stuff (yes, people still don't lock their cars!). Or at Xmas time, people leave many purchases in the back seat and someone makes off with them.

Best you can do is lock the doors, keep hidden what you can, any gadgets (GPS, phone, etc) out of sight and park in well lit/travelled areas. Hopefully the glove box has a lock. You'll lessen your odds greatly.

We've never been hit at home or away, but my husband's boss had his window smashed (and he now leaves his car unlocked and keeps valuables on his person, because he'd rather not have his window busted again). When we were in Nimes, we saw a car by Tour Magne with the window busted...I'm like...someone is gonna be upset!

I bought my first car 50 years ago, and in that time my cars have been broken into perhaps three times. Once was to steal the radio, once to steal a coat which I had left on the back seat, and once to try to steal the car itself. Lijke Emma, I avoid leaving anyting tempting on show in the car, and would not leave anything really important inside like a phone or cash. I think the chances of a thief breaking open a car to steal luggage is extremely remote, and I leave bags in the boot without a second thought.

It is now ten years since the last theft, so the chance of you being a victim on a 28-day visit is not very high.

And so as not to undermine the whole purpose of having your belongings in the trunk (boot) for safety, make sure that you've stowed everything in the trunk BEFORE you park your car. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen someone pull into a parking lot, get out, put their backpack or whatever in the trunk, and then lock the car and walk away. I'm sure they're thinking "there, that's safe now" but opportunity thieves will be scoping out the parking lots to see who does just that. I know it's a pain (and forgive me if I'm stating the obvious) but pull over and stow your belongings before you get to the place you'll leave your car.

I hope you have an enjoyable trip!

Sometimes you will see notices like this:
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/B08HD7/police-sign-warning-of-car-thieves-in-the-area-B08HD7.jpg

They are usually in "remote" places like car parks at beauty spots and forests but I have seen them in car parks often used by tourists in towns and cities.

I live in a low crime area of a major city.

Two weeks ago 5 cars in our parking lot were hit. (And no, you wouldn't have seen it in the paper or on the news, it's not worth reporting!)

In the USA these crimes are very common. you don't hear about them because our other crimes are so much more "if it bleeds it leads" worthy. (Trust me I have relatives in DC one of the above "crime free examples" , it's happened to them LOL!)

Now for my rental cars anywhere

1. Peel off that loud obnoxious sticker saying "hertz, Europacar etc..."
2. Do NOT accept SUVs or cars that don't have some type of cover over the cargo area. (I can't tell you how many of my coworkers have lost laptops this way when dining at "nice' restaurants even in the middle of small town America)
3. EVERYTHING is out of site... just like the sign at your local mall suggests!

And I agree.... you do this before you even head off to wherever you are going. My local gym has been hit a lot and it often is the woman who dutifully locked her purse in the trunk, in front of the gym! If I am going there after work my purse goes in the trunk before I leave the office!

Whatever the odds may be, it only takes one thief to spoil the fun. Reconsider taking any valuables that are too heavy to carry with you (e.g. maybe you can make do with a smart phone and not a heavier tablet). If something has to go in the open part of the car, make it something of obviously little value - like a pair of muddy shoes or a six-pack of Coke.

The majority of the places you intend to visit are low crime areas. Whilst nothing can ever be ruled out the chances of having your car broken into in those places are quite slim. That's not to say you should be complacent but as long as everything is out of sight you should be ok.

The important point to remember is that items NOT in the boot/trunk may not be insured for theft. It's too easy to break a window and grab something. And if you leave something in view and an opportunist thief takes an interest and breaks a window you also have the problem of damage excess with the rental company. Why leave anything in the car if at your overnight stop?

Don't bring suitcases so rigid they could be armoured, you won't be able to make the most of boot space!

The only place on your list that rings an alarm bell with me is Cardiff - it has good parts and it has bad. If parking for the day try around the Bay on the south side. This is where the Government is and therefore the police are more awake. Or at Central railway station (where the police are also awake) although it will cost more. Some of the parking garages in the central commercial area are a bit dark and the police don't patrol inside.

Thieves do target cars at beauty spots - particularly those that are a little isolated - because that's where tourists park with their cars full of luggage. Don't assume that because it's a "nice" area that it won't happen.

It's an opportunistic crime in one respect, though, in that they'll break into the car with something on show, whether it's luggage or a satnav (GPS).

Don't leave any baggage on show, or anything that indicates you're travelling far (with luggage). I'd tend to close up the road atlas and not just hide the satnav but also take the satnav holder off the windscreen.

Most beauty spots will have warning signs about not leaving luggage on show. I'm sure you'll be fine with it in the boot, but it's not a rare crime and most British people are wary of it.

Like many people, I've had a car window broken by thieves looking for anything to take.

geovagriffith, I live in northern Virginia a few blocks from the river, and we're always being cautioned against break ins. You may not have heard of it, but it does exist, and I live in what's considered to be a "nice" area. It's the same old issue mentioned here, don't leave your doors unlocked, don't leave electronics sitting out, don't leave anything of value in view. Near where I live there are wooded areas and plenty of cars sitting all day long while their owners are elsewhere, perhaps commuting by transit. Plenty of opportunity!

I live near L'Enfant Plaza, and auto break-ins are far from rare. I'm sure the only reason it has never happened to me is that I don't own a car. My father's small side window (the triangular one) was smashed on my street about 30 years ago; he had left toll-booth change visible.

A tidbit from our host, Rick, filtered through my experience. When we went from Carmona, Italy to Italica, an ancient city, nearby, there was no real parking lot. We parked along the curb by a strip of retail stores, most of them closed, maybe for siestas. There was (Rick's term ... ) Bogus Parking Warden, meaning an elderly pensioner in a ragged fluorescent vest. I cheerfully gave him 2 Euros to make sure the car wasn't touched. He was there when we came back, chatting with his buddies. We waved to him. Same thing the next day in Arcos de la Frontera, but in the municipal lot.

I've travelled extensively in Western Europe, always renting a car, and have never had the car broken into. However, I leave nothing that might tempt somebody in plain sight; not even a couple coins. Leaving a small suitcase may be tempting for somebody and should be avoided if possible. Minimize suitcase size and maybe get a slightly larger car since boots in European cars are generally smaller than in the U.S. While you say you rented an Astra, it's really an Astra or equivalent.

Living in England I can say that this type of crime is not that common. Do try to put everything in the trunk an astra has quite a sizable trunk for it's overall size. Do park in busy areas. Many car parks have cc TV these days. The trick is to not look like a tourist so don't leave guide books etc on display.

I think break ins may be less common in Britain because it has a reputation for a lot of security cameras all over the place, but I'm not sure where I heard that. We took a chance with our 25" bags making the hatchback bulge on our 2013 trip, and this was after they "upgraded" us to a midsize car from a compact. Car trunks keep getting smaller so that they can fit more gizmos on the oversize dash. Now we travel with 22" bags especially when we are renting a car. Break ins happen where I live, at the YMCA in San Mateo, CA south of S.F., I have witnessed an SUV with the window smashed. I knew someone who had a laptop stolen from their trunk at a nearby grocery store too. Some business colleagues from overseas had all their luggage stolen from a rental car in Orange County as few years back. My wife had a car stereo stolen from a park and ride because she left the car unlocked. The key when driving a rental car, bring a smaller bag and make sure your carry on is not rigid and can be squished down to fit whatever space remains, or take it with you. I have left my Eagle Creek carry on at home on recent trips an just taken a day pack as a carry on.

Contrary to what has been stated previously rural beauty spots are not areas that are at high risk from thieves. As a police officer I am well aware of the areas that do suffer such crime and the people who commit it. The vast majority of theft from cars is committed in inner city areas and the vast majority of thieves are drug addicts who prefer to commit crime close to home in order to limit the length of time they are in possession of stolen goods. The police are well aware of who their local criminals are and seek to stop and talk to them at any opportunity, it's not in the interests of the criminals to be lugging stolen goods with them. You can guarantee that they won't have access to a vehicle, most travel around on cycles (stolen) and don't move far from home, they are a rarity in out of the way beauty spots.

"The vast majority of theft from cars is committed in inner city areas"

I doubt that the people who have their cars broken into at old Winchester Hill and West Meon beauty spots would agree with you there. It's got so bad at Winchester Hill that a bloke sits in his car some days of the week, keeping an eye on the parked cars. He says that as he's retired and now on his own (wife died) he's happy to do it, it also helps him socialise but I won't mention his response to police interest in past car theft in that car park because this post would probably get removed!!!

Hello,

We traveled in France for 16 days and had our luggage with us most days as we moved each night.

I was worried about the same thing.

What I did to put my mind at ease was place everything in the trunk and leave nothing out in the open but I also made it even more difficult if we were broken into.

We had hard sided luggage, we had bicycle cables that we used to attach all 3 bags together (150 lbs is hard to move when it's all attached) and then another cable attached the 3 suitcases to the car itself (tied around a seat bottom, or another tie down spot in the car trunk......)

We did not need this, we did not get broken into but it made me feel safe and I thought that it would at least frustrate the hell out of any thief....LOL

Planning on doing the same this fall in England Wales and Scotland

If I was driving about, I would prefer hotels that had their own free car parks. Such hotels are not usually found in city centres. Hotels in suburbs with only street parking can also be a problem for those with cars. (You might find only those with residents passes can park or the parking hours are restricted - that is if you can find a space. If I was travelling about by public transport, I would prefer hotels that were near to rail stations / bus stops.

Of course, nothing to stop travellers with cars from staying out in the country on farms etc.

Always locate any planned accommodation on Google Maps or Google Earth and use Streetview - grab the yellow man. Please note that Tenby bans private cars from within the medieval walls during the summer. Here is the map of Tenby - grab the yellow man & have a look around - Google were not their peak season. The streets in summer are packed with people.:>https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6712248,-4.6999887,765m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1

https://www.visittenby.co.uk

Thanks for all the helpful comments.

We have already booked our overnights, we are staying in B&Bs close to the city center, except for Cardiff. Parking will be free in all places except Cardiff and there is a parking garage next to the hotel.

After analyzing our trip more closely, there are four transit days when we will have all our luggage in our rental car. Those places will include Tintern Abby and St. Fagan's as well as later on Hadrian's Wall.

We will try to pack with luggage that will fit in the boot, but we are on a 28 day tour and don't want to do laundry every five days. DW and I each have a 26 inch suitcase on rollers that will likely take up most of the Astra's boot. I usually carry a small fabric briefcase that I can stuff in the suitcase and DW will have a small bag as well that we will do the same.

If I tried to take smaller luggage, like to bags that would qualify as carryons, not sure space in the boot would be better.

Thanks again.

The car parks at St.Fagans Museum/Castle & at Tintern Abbey are safe - well, I would be very surprised if your car was broken into at these locations. Depending on where you are staying in Cardiff can alter the way you reach the car park for St.Fagans Castle/Museum. Parking fee is £5 - pay at machines. Entry is free.

If you are also going to Castle Coch - in north Cardiff, theft warning signs are in the car parking area. (This could be an over reaction by the police who wish obviously wish to reduce the risk of crime). So, if you do visit this castle, do not go into the first parking bays you see but drive right up to the castle and park in the area on the right - if space available. If no space, just start going back down the drive to find available space in the parking areas. Parking is free but you pay to enter the Castle. However, you can drive up to it, take some photos of the outside - without paying. http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/castell-coch/?lang=en

I live in the UK and have never been the victim of any kind of crime.