Travel safety / Am I just asking for trouble

You might be asking for trouble. But if you buy your kids some cheap digital camera, and they happen to get lost or stolen, monetarily you've lost what 50 bucks? It's not the end of the world or your trip. I would assume the pictures will be stored on laptop or CD, so most of your pictures would be still be safe. IMO, if you loose one of your cameras it won't ruin your trip....there's more to travel than taking pictures.

Good that you are asking, be espec aware in Rome,Naples, Cairo at least. suggest you get them a disposal type pt and shoot camera. Pick pockets are notorious in places you are going.Any criminal activity to your family can ruin your vacation and scare you for a long time. Take escorted tours as much as possible.

They don't need all the bells and whistles of pricy cameras and probably wouldn't use them anyway. I'd buy them the absolute cheapest digital cameras possible, mainly because they may well lose them or drop them or perhaps get pickpocketed. And I'd download the pictures daily, just to be on the safe side. I am assuming that you aren't going to let your kids roam free in these places, so you don't need to worry about their being robbed. Forcible theft is a lot rarer in Europe than in the US (though I cannot speak for Cairo or Messina), and when it does happen, the robbers are unlikely to want a digital camera--they'll be after money, which children tend to have in tiny amounts. Since you are on a cruise, I assume that shore-time will likely be with fellow cruise-niks. Robbers don't operate where there are other people as witnesses and intervenors, so you'll all be fine.

Dear Dennis:

The earlier posters have given you sound advice. I can only add my personal experiences. Last year my wife and I took our 12 year old daughter to Italy, and last month my wife and I visited Athens, Rhodes, Cairo, and parts of Turkey [although not Kusdasi]. We did not have any problems in any of those places. Considering the ages of your children, I assume that they will not be wandering about without at least one parent in their company. Just be aware of your surroundings and what may be going on around you and you should be just fine. Of course, this also applies if you were going to Los Angeles, New York, or any other place you might care to mention.

One "warning" I would like to pass on, given that you are travelling with young children: keep an especially close eye on them when crossing the street in Cairo. Traffic there is an absolute free-for-all, lane markers and traffic control devices appear to be advisory-only, and pedestrians are permitted to cross anywhere. It makes traffic in Rome seem quite placid. My wife described the traffic and driving in Cairo as "bumper cars on meth."

What a fantastic trip for you and your family. Enjoy!

My technique for the small digital cameras is to replace the wrist strap they come with with a neck strap from a thumb drive. They can keep them around their neck and are much less likely to lose them or have them stolen.The thumb drive straps attach the same way the wrist strap does. Other neck straps don't work on the small cameras.

I carry only a small camera and keep it around my neck and tucked into my shirt or jacket when I'm not taking a picture.

It's always hard to get kids to think about security. I have my kids wear a neck pouch with their passports and some money. We don't usually travel peak season to major tourist areas. If we did, I would have been more concerned and kept their passports myself.

At the ages you are talking about, they are unlikely to consider the consequences of losing something until it's gone.

Personally, when I give them the cameras, I'd give them the lecture about keeping them safe and not setting it down and forgetting it. Make sure you tell them if they lose it, it's gone and you aren't buying another. On your trip, if one gets lost or stolen, I would simply say, "That's why I warned you," and let it go at that rather than turn it into a bigger downer than it needs to be.

Also get them each plenty of memory so they can literally take pictures of bugs and cute cats they see along the way without worrying about running out of pictures.

I agree the kids won't need a lot of features. A large viewing window will be good because they will want to show their pictures off to each other and you during the trip.

Why not just buy them disposable cameras?

We made six European trips with our two sons starting around 7 and 11. Never had any problems with security. I don't think pickpockets are going to bother kids. They don't have anything to steal and their pockets are too low. The suggestion for low price camera on a neck strap is excellent.

WHy not buy them disposable cameras?

Because disposable cameras use FILM.

This:

1. Restricts the number of photos the kids take.

2. Kids take photos that do not come out.

3. You pay for processing all photyos, regardless of quality.

4. Losing a digital camera could well be chump change compared to the cost of the above!

Agree about the disposable cameras. Have met people with them and they have seen things they wanted to photograph, but gee, they only have 5 pictures left and so they "saved" them for really important things. For kids this is awful dilemma.

Also, in our throw-away world, a disposable camera just adds to the trash heap for no good reason.

Digital camera prices just aren't that much anymore either. Most kids are going to be thrilled with a camera of their own and will take care of it.

But I have trouble imagining that a 6 year or even an 8 year would have that much interest in photography. Or least our sons did not until they were teens.

We just returned from most of the places you will be traveling to. We had no problems in any of the places but we were on guard anyways. I did purchase a camera strap from pacsafe in case someone wanted to cut it off but no one even cared. We stuck to the tours hosted by our cruise company especially in Egypt. This is not the place to do it yourself. We were warned by the guide not to give your camera to anyone. The locals will says no charge to take a picture of you beside the prymids then hold your camera for ransom and you will have to pay 50 euro to get it back. We never had any other problems in the other places your are going.

My kids have a lot of interest in photography.

So far I've lost a digital camera and a video camera because my kids borrowed mine and forgot where they left them. :)

4 years ago my hubby and I made the mistake of taking a city bus from Trevi fountain area back to our hotel...about 7 at night (April)...in Rome.
Husband had his camera (digital, NOT fancy, trust me) stolen. It was in the case, case was zipped shut, case strap crossways across his bod, UNDER his jacket, which was also zipped shut. He never had it out on the bus ride.
The thief got it, case and all, anyway.
They are good...they are VERY good.

I work with elem. kids...not sure I'd give the 6-yr-old his/her own camera...one more thing to lose or forget someplace, or want YOU to haul around.

Would think twice about the 8-yr-old.

Definitely would get one for the older kid, tho, plus a little spiral notebook to write down what each photo is.
You can take almost any photos the littler kids would want.

There's a tiny little shop in Rome, near the Trevi, where they sell Pinocchios (sp?) of all sizes. Outside the shop is a bench with a large wooden Pin. on it. Kids can sit there and have you take their pics.

If you go to the Mouth of Truth (no charge there), be sure to watch "Roman Holiday" first.

Be extra careful in Naples train station...it's filthy and every 5 min. they broadcast an announcement warning about pickpockets (in 4-5 different languages).

The history in Rome will knock your socks off, especially the Colosseum.
Take LOTS of photos of your kids...they are so young they won't remember as much as you'd like.
And, for heaven's sake, keep a daily journal--there is no way to remember everything. I have never, ever, been able to keep a diary, but I did on that trip and am SO glad I did! I can even tell you which flavors of gelato I tried!
What fantastic parents you are, to take them on such an amazing trip. I hope you have a wonderful time!

My own kids have cheap (under $100) cameras. Nothing wrong with going that direction.

However, if I had it to do over again, I would buy the new iPod Nano from Apple, which is a video iPod, so it plays music and videos (including full length movies) the children will want to help pass the down times on vacation with, especially car and train trips. But the newest version also takes decent video recordings with a little built-in camera (no still photos, though).

The iPod is tiny and not likely to be noticed much by theives, though it would be just as easy to misplace as anything else.

We have found that the children take lots of the same pictures that we do, except not as well or with as good results, so when our vacation DVD gets put together after we're home, their photos often get left out. But what the children DO do that turns out to be useful, is take quirky little movie clips with their cameras, some of which are priceless. We love using those on the family DVD.

So with kids, photos are fine, but video clips are even better, and the iPod is multi-functional, smaller, easier to power and store memory, and more sturdy. You can drop it and it will probably still work.

2 models; 8gb $139, 16gb $179 available in many happy colors and can be had for a few $ less on holiday sales.

When my 11 yr old dd and I were in Europe last year she did have a cheap digital camera with her. I did have to supervise quite a bit,, she did tend to set it down and forget it etc.. She was ok,, but honestly,, I think 10 or 11 is the earliest I would expect a child to be responsible for such an item. I think a six year old is too young .There is quite an age difference between your oldest and youngest, so youngest can't expect to always get same things as oldest.

And, yes, pick pockets will watch the kids,, if they have money or camera there is no honor system about not stealing from kids...

On a side note,, 6 yr old will enjoy having free hands,, carrying a case etc is not that fun to a little kid.