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Locking stuff in your luggage is not a the same as using a SAFE!

Hi, just read a post over on Italy board about someone who had CC stolen, possibly out of a piece of luggage , that was left in hotel room. ( I do find it interesting when posters are not sure where item went missing from, makes me wonder, maybe they LOST it and it wasn't stolen, I know I have left my CC at a restuarant before here, )

I have often read about people saying they "lock things in their suitcases in their hotel rooms" and I just do not see how they think this is safer then using the hotel safe, ( ask at front desk if they have guest safes if there is not one in your room) or, by keeping such an item in your money belt.

A locked suitcase in the room, well, first you have now proclaimed to anyone in room and finds case locked, that there is something valuable in it, and second, many locked cases are easy to pick.

Use the safe, or wear it in moneybelt.

Posted by
199 posts

I am planning to have my credit cards, Debit cards and passports divided between my son and myself in our moneybelts so they are with us at all times. I tend to be a little absent minded and will be afraid that I will leave items behind in safe, plus I don't know who has access to safe. I am probably being a little paranoid, but I will personally felt better knowing that all my valuable are safely on me. If someone wants to rummage through my suitcase, depending on how far I am into my trip, they may only find dirty clothes. I agree with you, if you lock your suitcase, potential crooks will believe something worth stealing is in it. You can see on youtube.com just how easy it is to break into any suitcases.

Posted by
2792 posts

Those suitcase locks... Do a search. There are "how to defeat" vidoes on YouTube! Not exactly "secure" is it?

Posted by
1568 posts

All travelers whether in the US or anywhere else in the world should go with with one rule..anything you cannot afford to lose...keep it with you at all times.

Leave only items you can afford to lose in your luggage.

Posted by
135 posts

Just be aware that a hotel or a room safe is not 100% safe either. There's usually a second key or card code that hotel personnel has access to. I'm with the poster that said "keep it on you if you don't want to lose it".

Posted by
11507 posts

Brianna, I 'm the poster who keeps stuff in their safe, and has for years and years, for mulitple trips. If you honestly feel the hotel you are staying in employs such shifty staff that you are afraid to leave stuff in the safe,, then why sleep in the room either, they have keys you know!

I feel a hotel safe is as safe as a money belt, in fact I always am happy to leave stuff in my safe and not worry about my money belt, I have worried about the strap snapping, or someone snapping it. I also worry that when I am assessing it something may slip out, like a CC while I am trying to be discreet. I know that is highly unlikely though, so I do use a money belt while I am travelling from city to city , but I think the safe is pretty safe.

Posted by
1003 posts

Certain things (aka a laptop) don't always fit in hotel safes. Locking it in the luggage is the only reasonable option. That said, as a previous poster said, leaving things in hotel safes are not exactly fool-proof. I've read tons of reports in hotel reviews, anecdotes on message boards, etc., about people having things stolen from hotel safes. There's no 100% foolproof method, except maybe the money belt.

Posted by
2792 posts

There are other options for laptops...

I use a cable lock. You use this to lock the laptop to a large immoveable (or hard to move) piece of furniture. If you have to take a laptop go buy one of these. Having had to had one "broken" off I can tell you that they will discourage all but a dedicated thief and are MUCH harder to break then a luggage lock!

It might now work in Hostels, but its MUCH better in your basic hotel room.

Posted by
11507 posts

Debra,, have you really,, I have not read about one safe being broken into and stolen from yet,, and I have been on this and other forums for years.. people always say "they heard " or "they read" but I have yet to see it myself. Of course I am sure it DOES happen, but I do think the risk is too small to worry about.

I should qualify this, I have never read about it in France, Germany , Italy , or UK,, maybe it happens more in some places then others?

Posted by
17 posts

I always carry my debit and credit cards on my person (in a money belt) at all times. I also don't lock my luggage. I only have things that are of value to me (clothes and such) and I don't want to give people the false impression that I have anything worth stealing.