Money Belt -- Passports

Felix, money belts can be purchased at REI. I've also seen them at Target in their travel/luggage section. I actually prefer the Rick Steves' version, however, you are leaving too soon to order it from his Travel Store on this website. In ref to the passport, I prefer to keep it on my person in my money belt. However, many travelers do put it in their hotel safe. I just don't want to forget it at checkout. My husband carries the day backpack when walking around the cities. We put water bottles, snacks, etc. in this backpack. We'll also put our camera and netbook computer in it. To deter pickpockets, we wear it towards the front and position the zippers so that it's hard to open and reach in. Especially on the metro. Just be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine. The only time we've been pickpocketed was on a metro in Paris when my husband decided not to wear his money belt. He felt it would be safe in the pocket of his cargo pants. Since then he has always worn his moneybelt. Have fun on your trip!

Personally don't think the probability of pickpocket is any worse in Italy than any other European country. The vast majority of travelers never have problems. Just use some reasonable precautions and you will be fine. A properly worn money belt will never "bulge" out. If it does bulge out you got too much in it. I have always carried my passport for the past 25 years or so and never had a problem. The passport is the only thing that proves you are legally in the country. Some on this site seem to be paranoid about losing or having it stolen but that has never bother me.

Money belts can be purchased through this web site from the RS Travel Store which helps support this web site. I always carry my passport in my money belt on my yearly trips to Europe. That way, I know where it is and should anything tragic happen to me, someone would know who I was. As someone else has already said, it your money belt "bulges out" you have too much stuff in it. I carry my passport, debit and credit cards, some cash (but not my daily spending money that I carry in a zippered chest pocket), airline tickets, list of hotel/B&B reservations, and finally a "next of kin" list.
That may seem like a lot but it does not make my money belt bulge out. I also keep those things in a couple of different plastic zip lock bags so that they do not get damp. I have never had a problem with pickpockets but I do not put anything anywhere where it could be pickpocketed. Happy travels.

Returned August 3rd from Rome and Venice. I wore my money belt under my jeans/shorts everyday, no exception. I had two passports, debit, credit card, my USA dollars for emergency, my stash of euros. My daily cash supply was in a " wallet which I could attached inside my purse and would need to be cut or take the whole purse. I had absolutely no problems. I was approached minimally, once in the train station to buy a woman a sandwich and once in the metro by a woman holding a baby (everyone was approached). I did see a "college age girl" struggling with her bags at the train station and a woman tried to "help her" and the girl said "no" and would not the lady help. She was aware not to let go of her luggage; we spoke to her on the train. Peace of mind is why I always wear my moneybelt under my clothes. I do make copies of my reservations, credit cards, passports and emergency numbers but keep it in my luggage back at the hotel. I did purchase a new "purse" I could use as a day bag that I could wear across my body.
Go have a good time, buy and wear the money belt. Water and clothes are easy to replace if needed.

As to brands of moneybelts, Eagle Creek makes a very comfortable one. It is available at REI. I wouldn't worry about how you are carrying the water and spare clothes. That is not what a thief wants from you. Just don't put your money or passport in that bag.

Let me second the suggestion to make a copy of important documents such as passports, credit cards, etc. I leave copies with a relative back in the USA so they can be faxed anywhere if needed. Lucklily I haven't had a problem so far but I understand that it's much easier to get a replacement passport if you have a copy.

My husband and I have both the hanging from the neck type (me) and the belt type (him) from Rick Steves. We have never been hit in Italy, but I did see a woman getting her bely pack unzipped at the Coleseum.

We prefer to leave our passports in the hotel safe. But we do carry copies of the passports on us. I use a standard moneybelt and tuck it into my slacks or skirt. If I need to take cash out, I slip into a restroom.

As a guy, I've always liked the Rick Steves belt-loop type to wear under my trousers (except for the time it fell on the floor when I removed my belt at the English checkpoint for the EuroStar Channel Tunnel train). My additional investment for when I want to carry larger amounts (more than enough for a couple of beers or coffee and a treat or two for my wife and me) has been a couple of pairs of trousers with interior zipper security pockets (Magellan, TravelSmith, others). I'm willing to pay the extra cost of credit vs debit cards for the extra security (at least the rules are federal and more clear cut), and use those credit cards solely to pay hotel bills and to extract local currency from ATMs every two or three days. I prefer not to use my credit cards for purchases from merchants or at restaurants (as I like to say about organic foodsyou don't know where it's been). I transfer, usually in my hotel room, the day's estimated pocket money to a front pocket where it is at some small risk but is not a significant amount of money.

Do yourself a favor, purchase the Rick Steves moneybelt. It's nylon & lightweight. I carry my passport and bank cards on me at all times.