When I'm in a foreign city, I typically carry my wallet in a hard to reach pocket of my backpack. Recently, however, I've been experiencing quite a bit of back/shoulder pain and would rather carry my smallish purse instead of the backpack.
Do you think it would be safe enough to do this in downtown Malaga? Or do I run the risk of being pick-pocketed/purse-snatched?
Money belt. Or neck wallet. Daily money in your bag, maybe one credit card. And DO NOT hang your purse over your chair back or put it at your feet. That's my advice for ANY city, not just Malaga.
Can you wear your smallish purse as a cross-body bag? That, and keeping a hand on it at all times, is what I always do when I'm traveling. Knock wood, but I've never had any problems, including in (supposedly) lousy-with-pickpocket St. Petersburg, Rome, Paris, and my native New York.
Caroline
I always use a small Marucka purse that I wear cross body. It holds my money, passport and credit cards. If I really felt threatened, like on a crowded bus, I can just shove it down my shirt. While I felt very safe in Malaga, and I hate scare stories, I do have to say that a few of the women we traveled with were trying on clothes in a nice dress shop, and left all there purses, etc. laying around near the dressing room and a few young girls came in and ran off with their purses.... fortunately the owner of the store chased them down and got the items back, but this is a place where I think you don't worry about theft.
small cross-body bag does the trick for me. If the weather is cool or rainy, I wear it cross body under my coat/jacket.
