The title of this post is pretty much our question. Our initial thoughts are to put them in our Rick Steves money belt. We are wondering about the weight of the phones in our money belts because we plan on doing lots of walking. We prefer to not to have our phones in our pockets due to the potential of pickpockets.
Any suggestions? What do other people do?
Thanks in advance,
Debbie
There are no more thieves in Europe than in your own town. Where do you keep your phone when out in your own town? I keep my phone in my crossbody purse, but mostly it's in my hand all day as I take TONS of photos with it while out and about touring. We go to Europe at least once a year and have never had an issue.
Do not put anything of value in your pockets or backpack. We follow that rule at home as well. I use a cross body bag also. If you use a money belt honestly the cell phone doesn't weigh that much.
As warned by our guide in Barcelona, "Don't place your mobile phone on the table at the cafe, especially outdoors. And don't hang you purse from the back off your chair." Other than that, don't worry.
Wear a small, cross body bag or satchel. Find one with a flap that goes over the top of it and that fastens at the bottom. Keep your phone and daily money in there. Easy to reach for you, and you don't have to take it off in restaurants or cafes.
It is what I wear year round living in Germany or while traveling.
No one really wants your phone that much, but don't let it sit on your table at outdoor cafes.
Something for a man or woman?
I use a tactical belt case like this which I can secure on my pants belt on the side of my waist.
I wouldnât follow the advice to do like you do at home. Most people at home (I.e. in the US) do not use crowded public transportation frequently, but rather travel in their own cars and when outside the car we tend to be at a safe distance from others, therefore we can all afford to keep our phone in our back pocket half hanging out or in a purse.
But when one travels to a European country we are likely to be in trains or buses, surrounded by people at a short distance often in very crowded situations. Also we tend to be distracted by our environs and professional pickpockets specifically target tourists for that reason.
Because of the above, when traveling one has to exercise more caution than at home.
Debbie, I am very careful with my valuables when traveling. Passport, credit cards, ATM cards and large Euro bills go into my money belt. But, I have never placed my phone in my money belt, and I donât think it would even fit.
I use my phone for taking photos. I have it inside a zipper in my crossbody purse that I never take off when Iâm outside. Yes, I even wear it when Iâm eating, although I will drop the strap down to be around my waist while sitting.
When Iâm in a metro or crowd, I grasp the top of the purse like Iâm pinching it to hold it from being pulled behind me.
When my husband is traveling with me, he puts it inside a front zippered pocket, or he has a fabric waist band he wears when heâs running that can hold a phone, keys, etc. that he brings for trips.
@Roberto. Your link doesn't work. I was preparing myself for a spit take.
I use a wrist strap on my phone. My phone is usually in my hand. I take a lot of photos. I use Google maps to check where I am going. I often use the phone as my audio guide at attractions.
For my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I bought a lanyard tether and lanyard so I could clip my phone inside my purse or wear it around my neck. They worked good and seem durable. I didn't drop my phone, leave it setting anywhere and it was readily available when I needed it for maps or photos.
I use a Bandolier phone case which includes a leather neck strap. I little pricey, but the neck strap also protects your phone from accidental drops when leaning out for that once-in- a lifetime pix.
Safe travels!
Wearing around your neck is safe and easy. If you are bumped and you drop it, the phone doesn;t fall to the ground, or in the water if you are on a bridge taking pictures! It's readily available for following notes or app info, like walking route info, metro info, etc. We saw many shopkeepers in France and Spain who had their phone on a neck lanyard. They could move around the store to help customers with their needs yet didn't have an unattended phone on a counter.
cell phone front pocket... if someone tried to take it, it would be borderline sexual assault.
I (59) am in Spain at the moment and blending in with the locals with my cross body phone strap like this - louve collection. My 20-something niece convinced me to buy it and having used it now for 10 days it's excellent. So easy to use my phone camera and for maps and no having to get it in and out of my pocket or crossbody bag. And no risk of dropping it. Love, love, love it!
I take extra care when I'm travelling and always use this, purchased at my local hardware store. Only $14.99 at the time, but that's inflation for you:
The beauty of this baby is that you can also put in a wad of euros, as well as a can of pop and a sandwich for a nibble on the go or for a little picnic on a park bench. It fits nicely in my wife's crossover bag, which has a metal strap (covered by synthetic leather to fool the locals). You may have two phones for all I know, in which case larger sizes are available.
Someone implied there are comparable numbers of thieves in EU as US. Not true. European thieves seem to use stealth and guile (sneaky) attacks rather than bold and potentially violent robberies. I know people in the US held up at gunpoint, but never heard of that happening in EU at all.
I would not put a phone in a money belt - because you will want to take pictures with it, look at a map, etc. I have tried several variations of tethering the phone. There is a device sold in REI or on the streets of some EU cities, where you put a little tab in the case, and a little loop of ribbon sticks out of the hole where you charge the phone, and then you hook that to carabiner. (I wish I could post a photo here). Then that is attached to a wrist band, a neck band, or a coiled cord hooked to a fanny pack (an anti-theft one like those made by PacSafe). This sounds complicated but the whole thing is sold in a kit for $5-15, and you could probably make one yourself. Indeed, my current set up is almost all home-made. I bought some elastic rope, and attached that to a stainless steel carabiner, and I use that back in the US too.
However, if you are on a crowded metro or tram, I would secure the phone in a bag. I could write a long post about securing a bag but when I am in EU, I assume thieves are all around (after 8-10 run ins with them). But if you are aware, there is little they can do. Their main weapon is your own inattention.
I wear my phone around my neck on a lanyard purchased from Amazon. It looks dorky, but it's always at hand for taking photos, consulting a map, using an audioguide, or reading this forum when I'm cooling my heels somewhere. The phone is heavy enough that it's a happy moment when I return to my room in the evening and take it off. Still, it's the best option for a klutz like me, and the idea of fishing the phone out of my purse to take over 5000 photos a month Is laughable.
For me I use a finger strap that loops through the notches on the bottom of the case:
http://tinyurl.com/4f8ykfu4
I'm not so much afraid of someone taking it from my front pocket as I'am dropping it or having it snatched when actively using it.
My wife carries her cell phone in her bra. She finds it easily that way.
After I retired, I retired from talking on a cell phone. The wife uses her's enough for both of us.
Lol Gunderson. Even I, who packs everything but the kitchen sink in my purse, would balk at putting that monster in my bag. Over 13 pounds! But we do have a very similar one that lives under our bed at home for important documents.
DH carries his in the breast pocket of his shirt. He has quite a few travel shirts that all have a zippered breast pocket that is also under a buttoned flap. I rarely need my phone on vacation, since I'm usually with DH, and I prefer my camera for photos. My phone lives in a zippered inner compartment of my cross body purse.
I'm so sorry, I have no idea how to shrink a link!!
Anyway, I used this on my last trip to Italy.
It's a plastic stretchy coiled keyring/lanyard .
I got mine from the Dollar Store.
They were just to clip my phone and my wallet into my crossbody bag.
That way, I couldn't put either down and forget to pick them up again.
It wouldn't stop a determined thief, but it would stop me from dropping or forgetting stuff.
Cellphone: Wife: I wear the following "neck wallet," whenever I am out. I never take it off, even when I am sitting in a restaurant or on public transportation. My phone fits under the front flap. Inside the zippered part I have 1 credit card and the equivalent of $50 in local currency. I also use the wallet locally whenever I walk to the store or park. I don't like to have my phone in my pants pocket.
https://www.mywalit.com/zip-round-multi-purse-with-shoulder-strap-sangria-multi.html. I know, it is pricy, but costs less if bought in Italy.
Husband: Someone on this Forum recommended "pickpocket" proof pants from Clothing Arts. My husband has worn their pants for our last several trips. They can even be sink-washed!
https://www.clothingarts.com/collections/pickpocket_proof_business_travel/products/explorer-travel-chino. So, when walking through crowded areas like the metro or train station, his phone is in one of the "secret" pockets.
Several years ago, while getting off the metro in Barcelona, he was targeted when 2 men tried to prevent him from getting off, and stole his phone from the cargo pocket of his pants.
On our trip last year, he added a wrist tether to his phone...which he really liked, only to have it come apart halfway through our trip.
Of course, we both have our additional credit cards and passports in (me) Money belt (neck); and (him) Hidden Pocket from Rick Steves:
https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/hidden-pocket
I have this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074XW58HB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and it gets connected at the end by a carabiner into a loop inside my crossbody.
I do use my phone to take pics (I also have a small dslr) so this prevents someone from stealing it but also prevents me from dropping it off the top of a bridge or the eiffel tower or whatever.
"There are no more thieves in Europe than in your own town."
Not sure about that, but pickpocketing never seems to take place in our county of 88,000 people on coastal Georgia.
We have a lot of tourists and the crime report in our local paper lists lost of shoplifting, DUI, burglaries and yes, some shootings, but NEVER a pickpocket.
When in Barcelona (have been there 4 times in the past 12 years), every time I go, people that I have dined with or been on tours with from our cruise ship have been victims of pickpocketing. The news reports that I have read (around 8-10 years ago) explained a big part of the problem was that pickpocketing is not considered or treated as a crime, like it is just about everywhere else.
When in Rome, having been there twice, one of my daughters was the victim of a pickpocket on the METRO, despite my briefing warning the family. She was a teenager, so perhaps she just wasn't prepared to be a victim? That was the second time in Rome, the first time, a member of our party of 7 had her wallet snatched out of her purse at a sidewalk restaurant.
When in Paris, my ex-wife had her wallet stolen with some cash and a credit card in a department store. Months later, I received charges from Peru of about $2000. I wasn't responsible, since I had reported the theft to AmEx.
Years later, my other daughter was in Paris (not with me) and had her wallet stolen from her purse at the RER near CDG Airport.
When in Madrid, with my ex-wife and other family members (same 7 as mentioned in Paris) were sitting in the Plaza Major drinking wine and soda (kids) when we were distracted by a man asking us if we wanted to rent a car. A woman snuck up and took a purse of one of our group. Fortunately, the thief was nice enough to turn in the purse as well as a passport inside (no money or credit cards) to the US embassy. That was a thoughtful thief?
yes, we have thieves, but for some reason pickpocketing is a huge concern in some cities in Europe. I lived in Germany for four years and it didn't appear to be a problem there.
I also used a neck lanyard in Italy (Rome, Florence, and Arezzo) and mostly kept the phone in my front pocket for easy access for photos and Google maps. I was concerned about dropping it more than being stolen. When I knew I wasnât going to use the phone for a while, or rode the bus/train, I kept it zipped up in my cross-body day bag and kept my hands on it the whole time. Hereâs what I got from Amazon.
Common sense is about 90% of what takes to protect your phone.
I used to travel continuously throughout Europe and Northern Africa literally going country to country, city to city on business. I travelled by plane, train, car, whatever. I was in and out of airports, train stations, restaurants, trade shows, customer sites. I went to touristy things from time to time. I never worried about my phone there any more than I do when I'm in NYC.
Keep it close, don't leave it laying around, don't show it off.
Don't put your things in a bag that you leave laying around, or in a jacket pocket if you are going to remove it and hang it on a rack. Don't leave it (anything) in a car.
The idea of a special purse or a lanyard is pretty comical to me.
I never had a phone stolen except once in Penang Malaysia. I had a spare phone with me that I had packed in my bag. After my bag was run through an airport scanner it was gone. It was not my primary phone so no big deal.
I remember taking an inexperienced young engineer to the train station in Shenzen one morning. As we waited for our train I told him not to flash that new iPhone around. ... Too late, he had already attracted some attention. When we pushed through to board our train (It's China, that how things work) he lost that nice new phone.
If it's in your hand, no one can take it.
We get tons of tourists along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. English, German, Nordic, you name it.
Nobody is stealing phones or pickpocketing according to police records.
Also, like geogriffith, no issues in Germany over 8 years.
Here in Switzerland and the rest of Europe we have the exact same issues with phone theft as you have in the USA. So do the same thing you'd do if you were traveling to some big city such as New York, Boston, LA etc.
Thanks to all for helpful responses.
We went ahead & purchased a belt bag & a tether from Amazon. When we get them we will try them out at home & let you know if we like them.
We have had our own experience of being pickpocketed, but it was because of not using our money belt. Lesson learned.
âDebbie
I do exactly what I do at home. I pay attention and use common sense. I donât chain my phone to my body at home and Iâm not going to do it in Europe. If itâs stolen, thereâs an Apple store in every major city in Europe.đ
And yes I take Public transportation in Atlanta Of course there was a recent robbery at a gas station near me where somebody in their âsafeâ car got held up at gunpoint. Public transportation is dangerous?
honestly, youâre probably not going to be shot for your cell phone in Europe, which is more than you can say for the United States. Why are we pretending like itâs only Europe thatâs dangerous.
But playing devils advocate, if somebody tries to grab your phone from you and you chained it to your body and theyâre on a bicycle or something, theyâre going to drag you into a street. your phone is worth being run over by a car because your phone is valuable! . Really?
I travel with a satchel that rests against my left leg, never behind me. So my iPhone is either in there or my front left pocket like at home. My mother keeps her phone in her cross shoulder purse and keeps it in front of her. When sitting outside (Cafe/Parks) or during transit (Bus, Metro/RER) the bags are on our laps, not resting on the either side of us. Have had no issues of stolen items. Knock on my wooden head. :)
Trying to keep your valuables safe is not "comical".
Everyone has "stuff", and it's a pain in the neck to try and replace it when you are thousands of miles from home.
I will carry on tethering my phone and wallet to my crossbody bag.
The other thing is, when you are traveling solo, you have no travel friend to help you if an incident or theft occurs to you, so in my view it's wise to do whatever you can to keep your things safe and enjoy your trip, because you took extra precautions for yourself.
We are all different, and travel in different ways.
Unless you have the latest model iPhone, no one wants your phone. Youâre much more likely to drop it or lose it.
I carry my phone in my hand or in a pocket, mainly because I use it constantly for Google Maps and for the camera.
These day's I don't think cell phones are big targets for pick pockets.
But depends on where you are going; Barcelona. Paris maybe deserve a little extra care; crowded metro too.
In crowded places I generally keep it in my hand, otherwise my front pocket; in over 50 trips to over 80 countries and 15 years associated with tourism in one Eyropean city I have yet to meet anyone who lost a phone, or anything else to pickpockets (but I am aware of a few failed attempts ... Paris street and Eiffel Tower and Vienna tram).
I guess if I did anything it would be a neck strap so I could continue using it.
Watch where the locals put their phones .. purses and pockets.
Itâs not the phone itself thatâs valuable but all your personal and banking info held on it.
You should set up your phone to auto backup and set up "find my phone" or "find my device".
In the event the phone is lost or stolen, you can search for its gps location on another device. You can also remotely set off a loud alarm to help you locate it or scare off the thief. And you can remotely erase all your data. Finally, you can have the IMEI code of your phone blacklisted which should prevent it being used by the thief.
Then buy another phone and restore all the data from backup.
I know all of this, but have never had to do this, yet. Whenever I use my phone, I have it strapped to my wrist.
What I should have added is that its your holiday, and nothing you do that puts your mind at ease and makes the trip more pleasurable is excessive.
I know betterâŚveteran travelerâŚ.but this past May while in Athens on Mars Hill nxt to Parthenon I was struggling with footing on rocks. To not drop my phone I spontainously placed in my purse outer pocket. And I know not to leave it exposed!!! Unfortunately there was a very sneaky manâŚlikely watches for older people struggling on these rocks. I had a glimpse of him and nxt realized my phone was nabbed! And we had just gotten there from our long flights! I was more mad at myself. Better if I had the strapped phone case someone mentioned. Had to use some precious time on my husbands phone to cancel cell phone plan. I did not however let it ruin our trip! Loved Athens and all our travels anyway! Lesson learned.
Everyone in Germany seems to be using the neck cords, lanyards or whatever you want to call them. Some wear them in a cross body style, others simply around their neck, but they are really popular. Thinking about getting one now too, as they look really practical. Have always kept it in a certain pocket on my messenger bag that is made for phones, but now reconsidering.
Sadly, pickpockets have recently "discovered" the rich territory of throngs of parade goers in New Orleans. Perhaps because so many of us have never been pick-pocketed in the US, there were a large number of iPhones stolen during Mardi Gras parades over the last week or so. The news headlines included this today: "More than 150 stolen phones at New Orleans Mardi Gras parades tied to Colombian theft ring." Some of the phones were found because one guy tracked his stolen phone to an apartment in a town an hour away by using his "find my iPhone" feature and then notifying the local police. Over 40 phones were found there, and more later. And so it goes...
I use a purse with lockable zippers as my daily anyway, which gives me peace of mind everywhere. Only difference is when we travel I carry my husband's phone as well.
Wow so much security stuff for a phone, including a safe!
I put my phone in my front pocket of my pants or shorts. I wear pants and shorts that have deep front pockets that sit tightly against the front of my thighs. Nobody's getting down into my front pockets, not even the slickest bump and grab artists. In more than two years spent touristing in Europe I've never had anything stolen.
Granted for most of that I've been a large man who could chase down all but the fittest thieves. I'm sure a lot of thieves pass me over for softer targets.
But I am certainly becoming a softer target with every passing year! Maybe before long a safe will be on my packing list đ
We just got back from London; one of our tour members had her credit card stolen by a "helpful" local helping her get the machine to read her card. And the local who led our food tour had just had his pocket picked on the metro.
I like Roberto's comment:
But when one travels to a European country we are likely to be in trains or buses, surrounded by people at a short distance often in very crowded situations. Also we tend to be distracted by our environs and professional pickpockets specifically target tourists for that reason.
We have never been pickpocketed in the States, but have been twice in Europe, both times in the Paris Metro. And we had a near escape once in a decidedly un crowded neighborhood in Palermo, where we caught a fellow trying to unzip Stan's backpack. (I have a good story about that; ask me about my "guardian angel" story sometime. )
The common advice is to use common sense and be aware of your surroundings, but when you're on a packed bus or metro, or agog looking at the sights, it's hard to do. Having a tether, or a cross body wallet, or anything that makes people less apprehensive and more comfortable, is a good thing.
I have had to restore my phone not because it was stolen because I lost it. I left it on an airplane. It was never found. I lost it. It was small. It was in a black case. It couldâve been days before anyone noticed that phone
restoring it was easy. Go to the Apple store buy a new phone and log on. Iâm not worrying about it.
Curious after my phone was stolen in AthensâŚwhat do thieves do with them? Is there a stolen phone marketâŚreused? We instantly cancelled my plan. Our cell phone carrier said how quickly my SIM card had been removed. Lost nothing. Everything is always saved and no data or info for thief to steal. It was a newer Apple phoneâŚdarn it. The case was okâŚ.not expensive. One more thing to hide or protect.
