Germany Rental Car Break-Ins

The risks are generally low for such crimes, but no one can predict your experience. If you are already doing everything possible to prevent theft, you have no reason for further concern. You have no alternative. There's nothing more to do. Worry will not impact anything but your fun time. If something happens anyway, that is the time to awaken your concerns and channel them into action.

May your travels be uneventful.

edit: You might get it all in the trunk if you pack as Rick instructs: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light/packing-smart

As long as you have your irreplaceable items (phone, IDs, $, meds) on your person, all they can steal are your clothes.

I have not traveled with a car in Germany but have in Sicily which has a reputation for break ins. We had one situation we could not avoid leaving luggage in the car. This is what we did.

1. We all (there were four of us) had on our person in our backpacks ect. everything difficult to replace. This included passports, credit cards, medication.
2. We had four suitcases which we put in the trunk (like books on their side) and covered the trunk before we left in the morning. We did not revisit the trunk upon arrival.
3. We left nothing in the car.

I would be reluctant to leave things visible in the car even covered with a coat but maybe I am just a bit paranoid. And admittedly Germany is not Sicily.

In over twenty trips to Europe, I have rented cars 11 times from 5 days to 22 days. Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Portugal. If the car was a hatchback, I’d use the cargo area cover. If it had a trunk, I’d put everything in the trunk. I’ve also hidden small items under the passenger side floor mat. Two things I do: make sure the interior of the car is not littered with stuff indicating that I am a tourist, don’t park in dodgy areas. And, yes, don’t leave anything that is not easily replaced in the vehicle. On all those trips, I have never had a vehicle broken into. One other thing. If parking in a public garage, back your vehicle up to a wall which prevents access to the back.

I always hope for the best and prepare for the worst. So I would follow the suggestion of keeping everything important on your body, and putting everything else in the trunk. Squash if necessary. With 2 people (I'm assuming that's how many there are), you should easily be able to fit your luggage in the trunk.

Thanks so much for the input.