What about bringing pepper spray?

Illegal on airplanes and in most countries.
Salt shakers are okay.

Nope...against the TSA rules and also illegal in many countries. Even if you could, why do you think you would need it?

I thought that if someone was trying to rob me, then I could spray them and get away. It sounded like a good idea to bring it with me, but I guess not. Ha!

Pickpockets...maybe if you're not traveling in a smart way. Muggers/robbers...chances are infinitesimally small and not likely. Why do you think someone would try to rob you?

Much more likely somebody would try to rob you here in US than in Europe. In Europe they would skillfully pickpocket you, you would not even know about it so pepper spray would be to no help.

Megan, That question has been asked before on the HelpLine, so I'll reiterate some of the comments I've used in the past. Taking Pepper Spray to Europe IS NOT a good idea! In addition to the TSA restrictions for flights, it's illegal in many countries in Europe. The regulations on this vary by country, and in some it's considered a prohibited weapon. It is allowed in a few countries, but must conform to a specific formulation / strength, which again could vary by country. If you decided to use it, you could very easily be arrested and face prosecution. I'm not quite sure why you think that sort of thing would be necessary? Europe is generally quite safe, aside from the risks posed by pickpockets and other scammers. You may find it very helpful to peruse THIS SECTION of the Graffiti Wall or THIS WEBSITE. Cheers!

Oh ok. I have never been to Europe and the only thing I have to go on is those over exaggerated movies and the media. I guess I have a lot of research to do. I feel as if my "Americanized" way of thinking has kept me in the dark to the outside world. Thank you all for your help and advice! I will keep searching the internet for answers.

Europe is an amazing place to visit. If you travel smartly (see the "Safety" section on this site) and imagine that you are in your own town not a dangerous U.S. city, you will have a Wonderful and Safe trip. You are going to keep your passport, credit cards and money safe in a Money Belt. You are going to leave your jewelry at home. You are not going to go down dark alleys or go anywhere with strange men. If you poled all the people who write into this site, I would think you would be Very Pleasantly Surprised to hear how Few Problems have been had.
Travel Smart not Scared.

Megan, I've been watching. You're sitting around worrying yourslef into a corner. Travel is easy. You grab your passport, check your wallet, toss somee clothes in something and leave. I might be a bit extreme, but if I'm going out alone I usually take off around seven-thirty in the evening. As the six o'clock news starts I call a taxi and start gnawing on a sandwich while fishing out a hunk of luggage. By the time the sports segment starts I've packed, cleaned up the kitchen mess, and walked out to the road. I've made no reservations anywhere, nor will I. I do the car reservation and call the credit card companies at the gate. I deal with two small banks who are used to me so they don't mess with my atm cards - - had I to deal with somebody else, that'd be a during hours call. Another example from the female side: I just came in late Sunday morning. My wife picked me up and we went to brunch on the way home. She had a pre-booked trip, but hadn't packed. An hour after we got home, we left headed back to the airport. She's in Antarctica. I'm sitting here dorking around on the computer waiting for a couple of things to get taken care of. If they do, I'm heading to europe to squish in some hiking before she gets back - - I'm not sure exactly where I'll go. Meanwhile, I'm working on the March joint trip - - the 'work' consists of trying to find a four-wheel drive vehicle with two spares, otherwise we'll figure it out as we go along. Dig around in the Trip Report section for a thread called 'No Place Special'. I wrote it to let people see how easy things are. Quit worrying about the junk and concentrate on what you want to see. It works a lot better.

Also, especially relevant for young women.... Be vigilant if out in Bars or Clubbing. DON'T leave your drink unattended and preferably be in a group of two or more so that you watch out for each other. Cheers!

Megan... You just need to get this first trip under your belt...ignore the scare stories (probably from people who have not traveled...or are just paranoid) and just jump in. It really is no different than hopping on a plane here, and getting off someplace else...except this time you will be in a city where some of the people don't speak your language and they use Euros. Good luck... and try not to overthink the whole thing...some of us do figure it out as we go along (and it's okay)

So I have been reading and being amazed at all of Megan's posts but the pepper spray one is the last straw. I now believe Megan is not a serious poster ( hesitate to use the "t" word) but if she is, she should never leave Wilkesboro. The big old world is just too full of fearsome things for people like Megan.

I think Megan is a serious poster. She is just inexperienced, and in her own words, her "Americanized" way of thinking, along with probably a little nervousness about the whole undertaking, is leading her to question everything she has read or been told. One trip will solve most of those problems. We were all once novice travelers, too.

When I was a student in Austria wayyyy back in the late 1970's, my host family was convinced that Chicago was full of gangsters with tommy guns, just like they had seen on TV.

Thank you everyone for helping me out on all my questions. I am firm believer in asking questions. I was never trying to start a riot or cause any harm. I guess you could say that I am a real young person who's just starting out, and I never had any guidance on major events such as this. My parents never had the money or opportunity to do something like this, and so they can't help me. I like how every single one of you are positive and wise! I appreciate the advice, I really do. I guess I just have to quit over thinking and live life. It's when I think of the world, I feel so small compared to it. And, if I can't ever manage to go beyond the limits of my own home town, then I'll never go anywhere or do anything with my life, and I don't want that. I want to be brave, strong, and experience the world. I will stop posting from now on and just go with the flow. Thank you all for being so kind. You have really made this easier. I wish you all luck and joy for years to come!! Farewell.

Personally, I try to stay away from anywhere that requires me to arrive "packin" a weapon. Is that how they get down in Wilkesboro? :) In all seriousness, take the necessary precautions to be safe, as you would anywhere. IF (if!!!!!!) someone wanted something, they would more than likely cleverly (but safely) pick your pocket/purse/backpack. I have spent months in Italy/Spain/Portugal and have not once been a victim of that. However, if in the worst case scenario I were to get robbed (which isn't impossible, just not very likely if you travel smart and safe), I personally would just give the guy what he wants, get away with my life and make my way to the police. If the person has a gun, knife, whatever, do you really want to fiddle through your pocket or purse, trying to get spray that you hope in the stress of the moment you aim at HIS eyes and not your own?

Megan, Assault is a very rear crime in most of Western Europe, so much so that it is likely to make the front page of the newspapers on a slow day. If you are going to encounter crime then it will be either a pickpocket or a purse snatch and pepper spray will be useless in both cases. As someone else posted, the carrying or use of pepper spray is illegal in most European countries and those that allow it, only allow it for protection against dogs and bears. The use of pepper spray on a human by a private individual is almost always a criminal offense and you could get into series trouble if you were carrying or using it. I've lived in Europe all my life and don't know nor have I heard of anyone who has been mugged - is not at all common. And I've only once ever been pickpocketed and even then all they got was a broken mobile phone! That is not to say that crime does not exist, but if you follow the tips given out here, you should be just fine.

Megan the answer to your question is no, pepper spray is not needed. your most likely to be pickpocket so therefore pepper spray is useless in that case. From a woman who has travelled solo.Your best "weapon" is common sense.

Megan, I believe you should ask questions in planning your trip and that afterwards undertake to go on that trip. As pointed out above, I say also that pepper spray in your possesion is a bad idea, even if it WERE not prohibited by TSA..still a bad idea, ie., don't consider it. I never thought of such a thing. Plan the trip, don't hesitate on going out of fear. Lots of women European, American, Asian, Austrailian travel on their own in Europe, solo and in pairs. If they can, so can you. Go to England first, after a while you'll see how easy it is to get around, that fear of the unknown will dissipate. Then Holland or Germany, at least the western part. They like speaking English and are good at it. I think the "system" is easier to follow in Germany than is the case in France if you don't know the language. German train ticket machines (DB) take US magnetic stripe credit cards, not so in France. Regarding crime: Petty crime such as pickpocketing, your falling for scams, eg., "Do you speak English?" is the type of nuisance you could run into. Just don't givr them any attention, period. Wear a moneybelt if it gives more confidence/reassurance. I don't, but a new traveler has enough on his/her minds without the extra concern for security.

Thanks everyone. You really have been so sweet to me. I again wish you all the love in the world. Peace. ;)

"Crime does happen in Europe, ask the family of the woman killed in Turkey." Well, that does not prove that crime happens in Europe. Turkey is overwhelmingly in Asia and one third of Istanbul is in Asia. Nevertheless crime happens everywhere. Only likelihood of it is much smaller outside of the USA.

As I said in my other post, I used to carry pepper spray myself. It was pretty common for young women to carry it for self-protection. I don't know if it still is, but the question was not out of place ( like some of the answers were).

When I visited Paris in 1998 I saw pepper spray and collapsing billy clubs for sale at a surplus store. It suggests to me that Paris is not all that safe. There must be demand for these items; otherwise the stores would not waste valuable shelf space on them. Keep in mind that what is legal in one country might be illegal in another.

Lots of those items for sale, like billy clubs and pepper spray are for official security guards and postal workers, and they aren't meant for the general public. Postal workers have the pepper spray because of danger from dog bites. In Germany, they are about the only people allowed to carry it. People checking tickets on metros in the city for example, don't usually carry fire arms, but they may carry a billy club.

The first time I visited Paris there wasn't an RER or a monstrosity at Montparnasse. History don't count. There's also a differnce between selling stuff and owning it. I can walk down and buy a gun - - my grandkid can't. The store is full of guns, it'd be shut down if they sold one to somebody they shouldn't. Conclusions based on bum/incomplete scoop ain't so good.

Since I'm from Louisiana, I always bring a travel-sized bottle of Tabasco in my checked luggage. Its pretty worthless as a defensive weapon, but it gives the schweinbraten and gulaschsuppe a nice little kick.

Jo, In Germany, they are about the only people allowed to carry it. That's not true. German law somewhat bizarrely distinguishes between OC (pepper) spays intended for use against animals and sprays intended for use against humans. Sprays intended for use against animals like the ones the postal workers carry aren't -- legally -- weapons at all but tools, and can therefore be owned and carried by anybody. There isn't even an age limit. Sprays intended for use against humans are banned weapons, because German law has created a "Catch 22" type situation with regards to licensing OC as an irritant agent for private use. The only people who can carry these are law enforcement and the military. Of course these two spays differ mainly in what the label and manual says, but I wouldn't carry an American one which advertises its use as a self defense tool against people...

Laws and laws: Until a few weeks ago when they banned the whole mess, you could buy synthetic marijuana (labeled as incense) at every convenience store in Florida - - as long as it had a 'not for human consumption' sticker, had a yet-unbanned goofey incredient, and was described as a particular fragrance rather than a flavor. A French military aviator can roll in on the ranges at Cazaux with enough ordnance hanging to blow half of Bordeaux to kingdom come, but can't get his pistol out of the armory without a note from mommy, and can't have bullets for it unless he's flying out of the country. But the army dudes wandering the airports tote full magazines. For the record: info for the first paragraph comes from the newspaper.