Can we safetly leave luggage in the trunk?

My experience with car theft is thusly: It was Christmas Eve. Our car was broken in to in Venice (Mestre). The thief could not find the GPS unit which was located underneath the driver's seat. hahaha.

As far as other options go, I suppose you could get a locker at a bus or train station, but it seems like a lot of extra work to move your luggage from one place it might get stolen to another place it might get stolen.

I'd leave it in the trunk. Don't leave anything else at all that looks tempting in plain sight.

Some friends of mine had their car broken into and suitcases stolen out of their trunk near Naples. It is unlikely, but it happens. If you are sightseeing during daytime hours and you can park in a lot that is guarded, you should be fine!

Good advice from When In Rome. This is a dilemma we all face at some time in our European travels, if we rent cars. There are no guarantees. You either leave it in the trunk or haul it with you. Many people follow this rule: Don't leave in the car or trunk anything you absolutely gotta have to complete the trip, like the obvious: passport, credit cards, etc. Tourist cars are easy to spot and are targeted. You'll probably be okay, most of us are lucky most of the time, when it comes to this. But anyone who implies there's some kind of guarantee are not being straight with you.

In the past couple of years there has been a spate of thefts from tourist cars parked at autostrada rest/refreshment stops in Italy. Because of this one of us stays with the car until the other(s) get back.

Unfortunately this appears to be a worldwide problem. We have seen signs warning about this in visitor car parks in places as far apart as the UK and New Zealand.

This begs a question.

Are ALL trunks pf All Cars opened by thieves looking for goodies?

If so, how are they getting in said trunks with out leaving a trace?

This begs a question.

Are ALL trunks of All Cars opened by thieves looking for goodies?

If so, how are they getting in said trunks with out leaving a trace?

A few years ago in Lucerne I watched as a gang of young Eastern Europeans broke into the trunk of a parked car in the centre of the city. First 3 or 4 girls tried with various keys and when that failed their male cohorts arrived with a huge bunch of keys. Finally, after trying various keys, success! They got in and stole all the car owner's shopping from what appeared to be expensive shops.

I asked Swiss people who were watching with me why someone didn't call the police. The lady closest to me grumbled about "immigrants" but would not do anything. I found the nearest police station and reported what I was seeing to a disinterested, blond, giant of a gendarme. Eventually, a motorcycle cop arrived at the scene of the theft, the thieves having now all fled. He asked me if it was my car and when I told him it was not, he shrugged and took off.

I was bemused by the whole event because I had been assured by an older Swiss woman only days before that
"There is no criminality in Switzerland" !

So, Francis of Eugene, that is one way that thieves can get into the trunk of your car ... with a key.

I would leave things in the trunk. Don't leave anything of value visible to someone who might be prowling the parking lot. Don't park, then visibly put everything in your trunk where someone can observe. Load everything in your trunk at least at the stop before you get to the lot.

I heard of a technique of leaving a copy of the local paper (in local language) on the dash to make the car appear not to be a tourist car. I'm not sure if that works or not.

A more reliable technique is to park carefully. Any parking lot that has broken glass, graffiti and loiterers isn't going to be safe. I chose to park near the Navy base in La Spezia rather than near the station because the parking didn't seem safe.

We paid extra in Venice to avoid the main parking lot rather than park where all the tourists are parking (we should have parked on the mainland and trained in).

Non-violent theft like pick-pocketing or car prowling are the more common crimes in Europe. We travel outside of tourist season to avoid a lot of it and use situational awareness to try to avoid the rest.

Our first trip to Europe I spent hours worrying about this. (should we find train stations in cities to leave our luggage in lockers, etc) Now, we put everything into the trunk where it can't be seen and go. We have left our luggage in the car at Pisa (twice) Chateau St. Chillon (twice) Assisi, Orvieto just to name a few. We take all important credit cards, passports, etc. in our moneybelts and our camera and a few other valuables are in our daypack. We also have a travel insurance policy with luggage theft coverage (we get it for the medical insurance and car insurance but theft insurance comes with it). So far, we have never been broken into. Does that mean I can gaurentee it won't happen to you? Of course not. Some of life is just a risk. But for us, it would more of a hassle than a tragedy since we don't even buy new clothes for our trips. To gauge your comfort level with the risk, ask yourself whether you would leave suitcases in your trunk in a major city here at home (Chicago, Seattle, Philly, etc) The risk is just as great in those cities. I knew of someone who got their trunk cleaned out in Philly. They parked in a car park right at the tourist area that was even manned. Came back to find everything they had brought on their cross country trip gone...contact lenses, toothpaste, clothes, etc. It wasn't fun...but they haven't stopped traveling.

I learned a valuable lesson on my second trip to Europe long ago...

In Brussles, I casually placed my baggage with all the other luggage in the lobby of the hotel for the tour guide to load into the bus, and went in to the dining area for a quick breakfast. When I came out to collect my coat and camera bag, the camera bag was gone. I had my passport and other valuables on my person, but unfortunately my airlines tickets were in the case.

After the hotel apologized, asked the other tour buses if anybody accidentely picked up my camera case, and wanted to call the police, I declined, thanked them, and got on my tour bus. If I had waited for the police I would have missed my tour bus, and potentially the rest of the tour, unless I could have found a way to reconnect with them later in the route.

All during the remainder of the tour I had to call my airlines, go to the local office, and try to get new tickets. Without the police report, many of the offices would not help me. I missed a lot of the "tourist" time having to search for the local airline offices, while everybody else on the tour was looking at cathedrals, museums, etc.

Eventually, at the end of the tour and two days before I was to return home, I was generously and kindly helped at the Paris office.

However, the biggest lesson was learned at the Amsterdam airline office (the first local office I had visited). The clerk kept me there for over an hour yelling at me for being stupid, and wondering why Americans thought that Europe was crime free. She was quick to ask me if I would have left my bags unattended in the USA, and before I could answer, she told me that certainly I wouldn't, and so why did I do it in Brussels?

Bottom line... Crime is everywhere. Theft will happen. Don't leave anything irreplacable unattended. Be prepared in case it does happen to you. But most important... Do what you personally need to do to enjoy your trip.