Is a neck Wallet or money belt really necessary?

@James, Interesting (but appropriate) analogy! @Matt, It's up to you, but I believe a Money Belt / Neck Wallet is a reasonable precaution to take, and one that may prevent loss of your Passport, credit cards or other valuables. Losing a Passport will be especially problematic! The pickpockets in Europe are very skilled, and you may not even know that you've been robbed. One of my former colleagues lost a significant amount of cash from a zippered front pocket in his pants while on the Metro in Rome, and he didn't feel a thing! I suspect you'll notice the "scammers" in all of the places you'll be visiting. I've found Munich to be a bit "safer" but I try not to let my guard down anywhere. Happy travels!

Really need a money belt??? Depends on if you really need those credit cards or cash that otherwise would be removed from your pocket with you even feeling a thing.

Two things to consider: Likelihood and damage. It is more likely you will get pickpocketed in Europe than at home....but lets ignore that part. What would happen if you lost your wallet in Centreville? It would be a pain in the ass for sure. But would you have a place to sleep that night? Food to eat? Are there friends, coworkers or family that could loan you $100 until your replacement ATM and credit card came in the mail? Now answer those same questions for Munich, Paris, Venice and Rome.

Thank you all for the responses. This is good info to know. Do you typically wear the money belt under your clothes? Or would something like a neck wallet be better? I'm kind of green with all of this stuff. Thanks again!

I prefer the round your waist under your pants style. A few things... Money you need for the day go in your wallet in your front pocket. The money belt is for long term assets. Keep it light and comfortable. Most people who complain they are uncomfortable do so cause they have needless stuff in it. Like $4 worth of coins from home. That can go in zip lock in your luggage. The trip isn't gonna be a disaster if you lose $4 worth of lose change. Rick says you should think of it like you do your underwear you put it on in the morning and never think about it all day. And he claims he never thinks about either all day until he gets undressed at night. I think his analogy is good. But he is wrong about never thinking about it. I do think about my underwear a couple times a day and I do think about my money belt. In the exact same terms need to move them out of the way when using the toilet to avoid having them get dirty. :-)

Yes, you wear the moneybelt under your clothes. It's intended to be "deep storage" and you don't go into it except in your hotel room or possibly in the restroom. I used one while traveling in France and Portugal with my husband. Our train tickets for later in the trip, our passports, one of each of our credit cards (I carried a VISA, he carried an AmEx: his VISA and my AmEx went in the moneybelt), and most of whatever money we had recently gotten out of an ATM went in there. I wore a waist version and put the pouch in the small of my back. I usually had an untucked shirt that covered any bulge. That way the moneybelt didn't poke into my own bulgy tummy and as an added bonus, the knit fabric side of the pouch caught any sweat droplets trickling down my back!

What will you do if your small wallet is lost or stolen? You need to think about your backup plan if you choose to forego a moneybelt. I don't always wear a money belt in Europe. However, I always do something to reduce the risk of disrupting my vacation. For example, I have two credit cards. Sometimes, I will put one in an interior pocket of my purse with some cash for the day and leave the others in the hotel safe with my passport. I had my wallet stolen when I lived in London. It was a Saturday. Because I lived there I could just go home to my flat where I had food in my fridge so it was just a minor inconvenience. I lost some cash and waited until Monday to get my replacement cards. Had I been on vacation though, the theft would have been quite annoying and would have disrupted my trip. I once traveled with someone who lost their passport in Italy and had to make a detour to the consulate in Milan for a replacement. I was on a London Walks tour once where one of the participants had their wallet stolen while in one of those cattle gates in the middle of the road. A friend had her purse stolen from a German beer hall. Another friend set her purse down before getting on a boat and promptly forgot it. It is easy to get distracted while you are on vacation. One of the advantages of a money belt is that it is both hard to lose and hard for someone to take.

In Europe, thieves generally do their business by stealth and cleverness, e.g. pickpocketing or purse snatching. Hence the value of neck wallets and money belts when traveling abroad. In the U.S., they just stick a knife or gun in your face. Makes neck wallets and money belts of little use here.

I personally wouldn't keep anything I cared about losing in a pant's pocket. A day's spending money, sure; a credit card or cash card, no way! When I'm in tourist mode in touristed places, I wear my money belt. When I'm in Europe on business or off the beaten tourist track, I use the same precautions I do at homekeeping my wallet in a shoulder bag in a zippered compartment but no money belt. Incidentally, a reasonable alternative to a money belt for me has been a blazer with an inside zipped full-length pocket extending from breast bone down to the bottom of the jacket. Dropping my passport wallet into that pocket and then zipping it shut means that a pickpocket would need to first unzip my inside pocket and then stick his/her arm up to the elbow into the pocket to get to my stuff. For me, that level of protection is as good as a money beltthough I admit that in Barcelona I amped up its protection by pinning the pocket shut with a large safety pin as extra security. (Aside: Travelsmith stopped making this model of jacket some years ago, unfortunately. Anyone know where I can get another one? I'm seriously thinking of having another one handmade for me in Hong Kongthat's how handy they are!)

There has been more than one posting here from folks who have lost it from that famous front pocket where no one can get it without my knowing it -- but they have. Have a good friend who made four successful trips to Europe using the front pocket till the fifth trip when they go it all -- and he knew it but could do anything about it. So only carry what you can afford to lose in your front pocket.

I think of it as insurance, like James's comparison, just slightly less colorful. Think about how much money you're spending on the vacation and how much you've been looking forward to it. Do you really want to spend a day of it doing something like getting a new passport or calling overseas to cancel your credit cards and trying to figure out how you're going to pay for the rest of your trip? My husband though he had a great plan with his wallet inside a velcro-closed pocket with a rubber band around it (supposedly that was supposed to slow things down somehow). He knew exactly when he was pickpocketed in Prague, but didn't know who did it (there were a group of them who surrounded him) or who it got passed to. These people were professionals who probably make a half decent living doing this. You can't completely outsmart them, the best you can do is to cut your losses.

If you're walking around my neighborhood, no, you don't need one. I can almost guarantee you won't get your pocket picked in my village. But because you're going to large cities that attract a lot of visitors, I would wear one.

Matt, When I first got to Germany in 1971 and spent seven weeks there alone, I didn't have a money belt, didn't even know about it. But the valid point made here is if you're in places where the chances of pickpocket are much greater and are well known, such as Italy, Prag, even though in 1973 I didn't have one on either there...maybe they didn't dare during the commie days, and Paris, generally eastern Europe, I absolutely would use the money belt and neckpouch. In Germany now, whether in big cities or small towns, I don't use either one. After all these trips there, one had better develop a feel for the place, whether you're in Potsdam, Saarbrücken, Minden, or Hamburg and Frankfurt. otherwise are you an experienced traveller there.

It can't hurt. Rather wear it than deal with the hassle of losing everything. It's a little inconvenient, but great place for the passport and cards. Carry cash in your pockets.

"In the U.S., they just stick a knife or gun in your face. Makes neck wallets and money belts of little use here." If the common criminal HERE knew to frisk me looking for my moneybelt, I'd faint from sheer shock! Perhaps we should ALL wear them 24/7...;-) Matt, take - AND WEAR - a moneybelt. Put a day's worth of cash in your wallet - nothing you can't afford to 'lose'. Although I'd just carry bills...why bother with the wallet?!? Most men don't keep coins there. All of your credit cards aren't in there. Just bills. Making a big bump on your hip...

I prefer the moneybelt to a neck pouch. And I have to admit that I didn't wear it at all on my last trip to Europe because it was very hot and I was staying with friends so I felt okay leaving it at their apartments. Nothing happened, but was it a stupid idea? Maybe.

None of our European family or friends use either. We've been to Europe numerous times without them and had no problems. I believe that the chief advocates in all the world of money belts and neck wallets inhabit RS forums, so you'll not get a balanced view here.

I can sometimes be a scatter brain with too much on my mind, and even more so when I travel with all the distractions. Over the years I can think of 5-6 times in the US where I've left my purse or wallet behind in a grocery cart, restaurant, restroom, etc. Believe it or not, I either found it where I left it, or it ended up getting returned to me (after high level of panic). The most I've lost was the cash in my wallet. But never in a million years would I expect a left behind purse to be recovered on a trip to Europe. So I'm sold on the money belt idea and am looking at the ScotE vest to act as my purse for things like camera, daily money, phone, lip stuff, sunglasses, pen, etc.

I brought a money belt on my trip, but never actually wore it. Nothing happened. If you don't feel like wearing one (some people, myself included, just don't find them comfortable), just be aware of your surroundings and keep your eyes/limbs on your belongings. That said, it WAS a handy little bag to keep all my credit cards, documents together and more or less waterproof. I still use it to stash away things like my SS card and green card.

There are places where I would wear a neck pouch and others where it wouldn't even cross my mind to wear something like this - Germany, Scandanavia, Belgium or the Netherlands, the UK, and anywhere in France except Paris. The pick-pocket hot-spots, yes, then I will have a neck-pouch on with my money, etc. inside. I wear one when I am flying too, keeps my tickets, money, and passport handy as well as safe. I don't carry my passsport unless I am going from one country to another or traveling on trains or planes, as it stays in my hotel room. Since I wear a messenger bag cross body on a daily basis, it is like it is part of me. I don't hang it on chairs in restaurants, so never fear leaving it somewhere. I have the type that zips then folds completely over itself, fastening at the bottom. It just looks like a normal handbag though. Edit: I also disagree with Karens post that her purse would be gone in Europe. Maybe some places, but over all, most people are honest, no matter where you are in the world.

Before I leave for europe I only take essential things in my wallet like my medical insurance card,visa card,atm card,and money. While at my hotel room I leave whatever I will not need in the hotel safe. When in a crowd I put my wallet in an inner pocket of my jacket or in my front pants and keep my hand on the wallet at all times. I do not use a neck or money belt.

I ALWAYS wear a money belt when traveling. I also wear it at home on the rare occasions I'm carrying a lot of money and/or my passport. I recently caught a pick pocket with my hand in my husband's backpack in Madrid--fortunately we wear wearing our moneybelts. Family members report similar experiences. Why risk it?

As a European, I find Karen's post insulting. Why does she think that Europeans in general are any less honest than Americans? If you leave something on a cafe table, or drop it in the street, it will generally be treated as lost property by whoever finds it. And that has certainly been my experience in most parts of the world, including both Europe and the U.S. "Never in a million years". That's bit strong.

Tex, If I was a European I wouldn't use one in my hometown either. But would if I traveled to NYC or DC. For the reasons in my earlier post that it is not the increased chances of losing your wallet, but the greater problems if you do. I agree with Bob. Karen's statements is unfounded. And show horrible bias. Karen - If you feel Europeans are so much less honest than Americans why vacation there? I won't travel half way around the world to be with people who I hate and don't trust, But based on my own personal experience would have lower expectations of recovery. Not because of a difference in honesty but in the ease of returning it. I have found several purses and wallets all but one got returned to their rightful owner. The one that didn't had a very small amount of money and a couple of credit cards and an address and phone number of the owner which was in French. After several long distance phone calls and getting put on hold and transferred several time while trying to contact the French Embassy and the credit card companies I gave up. A month later my phone bill came in and the cash in the wallet covered most of my expenses but I ended up costing me money to attempt to return wallet, so I kept the cash and cut up the credit cards and threw them away. All other returns to people who live in the US involved one quick phone call and an arrangement to have it returned. Either by the person coming to meet me and get it or by me deducting the cost of postage from the cash and mailing it to them.

One reason I do not post more often on these pages – other than competing obligations and lack of time – is fear that a passing remark will lead to me being exposed as a politically correct, misogynistic, xenophobic, self-righteous, ignorant, egghead, redneck, anti-American, Rick Steves-bible-thumping liberal, Nazi racist who hates Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, witches, gypsies, whites, blacks, trains, buses, drivers and everyone and everything else. Welcome to the club, Karen. There are a lot of us out here. No, I am not serious, but I do get tired of people being so easily offended and quick to condemn.

"If I was a European I wouldn't use one in my hometown either. But would if I traveled to NYC or DC." Ed, my meaning was that the Europeans we know don't use money belts or pouches at all, not in their home cities, when traveling around Europe or when traveling abroad to the States or elsewhere. I also don't know any Americans who use them when traveling. These forums are the only place I've come across where some people are so fanatical about using them.

"I also don't know any Americans who use them when traveling." I use a neck wallet when traveling abroad, mainly as a secure way to carry my passport when I'm moving from place to place.

I should have thought it was clear that I was speaking of people whom I know personally. It's obvious from this forum that some Americans use them.

As regards to honesty among Europeans in general, this is a true story, though dated, in which I helped out not only linguistically. I had just gotten to the DJH hostel in Heidelberg in Aug. 1971, checked in, etc. and since a ton of American backpacking college age kids were around, I got to talking to some of them. One, in particular, was this girl who was pretty distraught, complained of being homesick after only being a few weeks in Europe, which I was pretty insensitive to, but, most importantly, she had lost her bag, which served as a purse carrying her valuables, wallet, etc. And, this was in Heidelberg and she was frustrated with the language since spoke no German. She didn't know where to turn. Don't recall whether her passport was in the lost bag. So, I suggested going to Hbf. to the lost and found and I would translate for her. I told her that she may have to pay a finder's fee, something which the German kids in a hostel had told me, if someone turned it in. When we got to the HBf, I asked where the Fundbüro (their lost and found) was, the woman at first didn't get it, so I explained, was directed to go another counter. I gave a description of how the bag looked like and when it was lost...that was the determining factor. The attendant goes in the back and comes out shortly after with the girl's bag. I could see she recognised it right away, naturally was elated and relieved when she saw nothing had been taken...everything was there. It was a good ending. I don't think she had to pay a "finder's fee."

I'm lost in James' analogy. Which did you wear in Dresden and Berlin? I always wear my (money belt) in crowded cities where pickpocketing is likely on subways or packed tourist sites. I keep the essentials of travel, such as passports, in the money belt at all times. It's a matter of knowing that whatever disaster may fall, I can go on with my trip without having to spend a few days at the US consulate.

Whatever you do not put into a money belt, or neck wallet,
be prepared to loose. That way if you are lucky and do not get pick-pocketed, you will still have that stuff. I do not want to run the risk of loosing things like my passport, credit and debit cards, itinerary, big money bills, etc. so that those kinds of stuff stay in my money belt that I start wearing when I leave home for Europe. Better safe than sorry.

Yes Tom, SOME Americans do use money belts or neck wallets when traveling. Like the "some" 10,000 (+/-) or so who take RS tours every year. Again, better be safe than sorry and my oh my, how loosing everything could ruin a vacation.

Has this thread gotten off track a bit? If we assume that pickpockets are more prevalent in Europe than in the U.S., then carrying valuables in difficult to pickpocket places makes logical sense. Does that mean that Europeans are less trustworthy? Not to me. I take it to mean that theft by stealth is more likely in some places than others, for lots of reasons. As someone else wrote in this thread (or another), in the U.S. I'd expect to be mugged long before my pocket was picked, so it is arguable that wearing a money belt here offers less protection. I don't have the same feeling about Europe. I don't expect someone there to stick a gun in my face and demand my money. The reality is probably that both things happen over here and over there. I haven't used a money belt when traveling because I am just not that comfortable with them. I am obsessive about being aware of my surroundings and I figure that increases my odds. Having been mugged once at knife point (in the U.S.), I go on alert when anybody gets close to me. I fully understand that it does not guarantee I won't be a victim. I appreciate all the stories about someone being robbed without knowing it, or by being distracted by the thief's confederates, or knowing they were being robbed but being unable to do anything about it. I weigh the risks and have opted for a degree of protection with which I am comfortable. I don't keep everything in one place, though, so to have a complete loss, they'd have to pick all my pockets and steal my backpack or messenger bag to boot. For me, it is a balance. I may live to regret it, but it isn't a character flaw, at least I don't see it that way.

Tex. I have worn a waist type money belt since my first trip to Europe in 1995. I'm an Aussie and had never heard of Rick Steves in 1995!!! On that trip a South African bloke had his cash, credit cards, and passport, lifted from his bum bag in Cologne. Had no idea he had been done. Better to be sure than sorry, that's my motto.

In Paris I sat next to guy in a restuarant who lost 2000 euros before he got out of CDG. I watched a guy remove a fellow's camera from his front pants pocket on the subway in Rome and literally could not believe my eyes. (He got it back BTW). If we had a subway in Columbus, OH it would happen here as well. We like the neck pouch, comfortable, easy, and peace of mind. Have a good trip.

It's hard to argue that there is any strong reason why you SHOULDN'T use a money belt, so naturally, almost every reply you get will suggest - to one degree or another - that you should. As for myself; I'm a creature of habit. I've never misplaced my wallet or my keys (and rarely anything else, either) because I always put things in the same place. My wallet goes in my left front pocket. It's small. I've never been a back pocket guy and it's been 15 years since I carried around a checkbook. When I'm in Europe, my wallet goes in the same place. The only change; I use the little nylon clip-on "valubles pouch" that came with my RS carry-on backpack, clip it on a belt loop and put my wallet inside. It's not very visible for the casual observer and the clip is very stiff (sometimes it's hard for me to get off) so there is no way a pickpocket is going to get my wallet out of there without my knowing it. First hour in Paris - on the RER metro into the city - I felt a strong tug at my waist and looked down to see three scrubby looking 10-year-olds looking guilty. They got off quick at the next stop. 110 nights in Europe so far and that's my only pickpocket experience. Don't keep everything in one place. If you have a lot of cash (why?) put most of it somewhere safe and discreet. You should have at least two credit cards - keep one somewhere else discreet. It's pretty easy to not be stupid. I, for one, am thankful when I visit, to not feel at risk of violence or getting caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. Relatively speaking, you are very safe in most of Europe.

Thanks for the support Roy. I am not biased against any culture and do not hate or are prejudiced against people from other countries. "In the U.S., they just stick a knife or gun in your face. Makes neck wallets and money belts of little use here." Noticed the U.S. posters didn't take offense to this comment. Bob and Ed, I apologize if my comment sounded like Europeans were not trust worthy. That is not what I said or meant. Attempting to locate a misplaced purse near my home is entirely different than experiencing the same in a foreign country. My statement was based on the fact that recovery of a lost purse would very low due to the fact that I'm half way around the world in a foreign country, the person finding the lost object may not take the effort that Ed took, the logistics to retrace my steps (I may not remember where I left it behind), the language barrier, not to mention there's no easy way to contact us while traveling. Leave a message on the answering machine at home, I'll listen to it when I get home. No where in my comment did I state that that misplacing my purse would result in dishonesty, it was about the extremely low probability of recovering (in my opinion) and about me taking steps to protect myself against my own bad habits by using a money belt.

I can't believe I have to worry about someone going through my front pockets, if I go to France in a few months.
Has anyone used those wallets that chain to your belt? I prefer a wallet to a money belt but I wouldn't want to lose my $$ for sure.

Matt, Rick sells something called a Hidden Pocket which I have used once in a while, such as when I know I'm going to be on public transit. I usually put my passport and a spare credit card in it in case my wallet goes missing. I cannot bring myself to wear a moneybelt. Part of it depends on your own comfort level with big cities. Having evaded pickpockets for years in Brooklyn and Manhattan, I think I can deal with a couple of weeks in Europe. But you'll have to decide what's right for you.

Way back before I'd ever heard of the guru Rick Steves, we used money belts. For a variety of reasons we took all our vacation money in cash, so I've worn it in little towns and campgrounds in Michigan and Canada. I always pack it in my suitcase and when I have more cash than I want in my wallet, I wear the money belt. Tex, perhaps this site has become a support group for the addicted money belt users?

Any thoughts on the regular belts that have a zippered pocket on the inside where you can slip in some cash? I feel I'm much more likely to be comfortable with one of these than with the type that is sold on this website.

Actually, I lump together (and some others here do, too) 'moneybelts/neck wallets/Hidden Pockets' as one giant moneybelt family... I assumed Karen was in a typically touristy part of town when she left her goodies behind; I wouldn't have expected to ever see them again, either. Doesn't mean I think Europeans are thieving rats LOL. The USA isn't known as a hotbed of pickpockets and babydoll-throwing people accompanied by 10-year-old kids going through your pockets and bags. If I were a foreign tourist visiting the USA, I might not wear a moneybelt, but I know plenty that do. It's just not a big deal. If you're wearing one properly, you're not even aware it's on your body. Doug - I, too, was curious about what James was wearing in Berlin and Dresden and thought about asking him, but I was afraid he might tell us LOL! Dylan, it's awfully hard to fit your passport in one of those belts ;-)

Anthony, here's a comment from the "Graffiti Wall" located on this website: "We just returned from a one week trip to Paris. Before leaving, I got money belts for everyone in the family, to carry ID, passports and cash. My oldest son decided that he was also going to carry his wallet, mainly to keep his day cash and his museum pass. I warned him that Paris, particularly the Metro, was full of pickpockets. However, he said that his wallet was attached to a lanyard, so they would not be able to take it without him knowing. Despite my warning, he insisted that he was fine. Everything was fine till the sixth day of our trip. We were going out to dinner, but the subway cars were very crowded since it was the last weekend before Christmas. My wife, other son, and I got into one end of a subway car. Because it was so crowded, my oldest son had to get in at the other end of the car, so we were separated from each other and could not watch out for each other. After we got off the car, he sheepishly said that he had been pickpocketed. Apparantly, he had to reach overhead to hang on. His lifting of his arms exposed his lanyard, which showed the pickpocket exactly where his wallet was located. During the bumping and movement in the subway car, the pickpocket was able to skillfully extract the wallet from his pocket, open it, and extract the cash. My son found the wallet dangling by his side, still attached to the lanyard, but minus 35 euros. Luckily, the bulk of his cash, passport and other important documents were safely in his money belt. I told him that keeping his day cash in his front pocket was safer since the pickpocket has to guess where to look. The lanyard told them exactly where to go. My son is now wiser and more respectful of the skills of Paris pickpockets. So, it was a modestly expensive lesson."

Matt, I am totally unfamiliar with Rome, Venice, and any other place in Italy, and given its reputation for pickpocket occurence in tourist frequented areas, I would change my ways and wear the neck pouch and money belt. But, in James' Ansbach (former Prussian territory), or Tom's place in Hessen, I would not think of wearing a moneybelt if I were a tourist visiting the sites....no need for it, the same applies to Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt,... just be alert. I've been in villages, which are just a pin point on the map, on foot, solo or otherwise, in the Westfalen, Hessen, Lower Saxony, Niederrhein, Brandenburg areas and definitely did not get the "on guard" feeling as in the Paris metro, telling me to put the money belt on.

Well thanks eileen. It looks like I will go with a neck wallet. Putting my items around my neck and under my shirt should be the way to go. http://www.letravelstore.com/RSK-80-NAT_116.html

I'm a big believer in the waist money belt. It's thin, you hardly know it's there and it just provides peace of mind. I always keep a small amount of local currency in my front pocket (loose; I think it attracts less attention that way) and 1 credit card in the other, so that I have quick access to it. But in my belt, I always keep: back-up credit card, passport, return airline ticket to States/printout of airline res and any additional cash I have on me. My feeling is that in a severe emergency (I'm mugged, my luggage is stolen or some other unlikely, but not entirely impossible situation!), I can get myself to an embassy/consulate, etc. or directly to an airport, and get by butt home! I've always felt perfectly comfortable in all of the cities you mention above (then again, I live in a very large city, NYC, so I'm used to big city life/crowds, etc.), and especially so in Munich and Paris. While I wasn't "nervous" ever in Rome, I DID notice pick-pocketing (sadly, by gypsy children, right near the coliseum!), so that's a city where you want to take extra special care and leave NOTHING accessible in your pockets or day pack. Just my 2 cents on the matter, but I hope it helps.

Anthony/Matt, I threw away my neck purse and money belt and went to an "inside the pants" wallet. Just like a money belt, except it is no bigger than a pants pocket. It has a small strap that attaches to your belt (or you could pin it to your whatever), and it tucks safely away. I wear it directly under my front pants pocket. It is not chafing like the neck wallet, and not another belt around my waist a la money belt. I bought mine at REI. Magelan's has the same thing. http://www.magellans.com/store/Safety___Security___Security_Wallets___Money_BeltsSV627