PacSafe Items for Paris

Yes, yes and generally no. I have a part time home in Europe and have gotten pretty comfortable but i still feel most comfortable with my passport around my neck. If you do, get a light comfortable one. Then you just don't have to worry. How bad is it? I sat under the eiffel tower one morning and watched the police watching the pick pockets. No, they didn't protect the tourists. i ve also had my backpack unzipped by a gypsy girl....while i was walking and wearing it. Have fun.

I leave my passport in hotel safe, or when I rented an apartment I left it there. I feel safer not carrying it about.
Pacsafe bags are total overkill in my opinion. I have managed without one for the last 35 years or so of my visits to Paris( and other places). I have a comfortable wide strapped purse I wear cross chest, it has a zippered top with a flap that covers the zipper and clicks shut, I keep one days money in and inside zippered pocket.

You can do a search and find many answers on this subject. I personally think the PacSafe products are heavy and overkill. I do have a neck wallet that I shorten up and wear over one shoulder, under my clothes of course. It hits just under my armpit. I safety pin the strap to my bra strap for additional security. I never even notice I am wearing it. I also have a purse that zips closed and then has a flap that goes over the zipper and is latched. I wear it cross body and NEVER take it off until I am in my hotel or apartment for the night. When you travel, especially for the first time, it is easy to get distracted. I was careful, but thought it was not necessary to take the precaution of a money belt. On my second trip to Paris my wallet was taken out of my purse on a very crowded RER train. I never knew it until it became less crowded and I saw my purse had been opened. I don't mean to scare you, but it does happen. I've been back to Paris since though. It's my favorite city, how could I not!!

I think you should spent some time with quality guidebooks and not necessarily all the travel web sites since, IMO, they tend to hype the extreme. Solve the problem. Don't carry a purse. It took a number of trips but wife no longer carries a pursue. Everything in a small, shared day bag. Personal preference - I carry my passport in a m money belt all the time as it is the only thing that proves I am legally in the country. How many times have I had to prove that - just once in 18 years. But still think it is good practice - some do not. I don't like the neck things as prefer money belts - again personal preference. PacSafe markets fear and is over kill. "Scanning" is another fear drive market. It practically does not exist. Your passport cannot be scanned as it contains no information. Pickpockets are possible but in 18 years of travel in major pickpockets capitols I have never had a problem or seen a pickpocket though others will report daily sightings. Relax, I was more uncomfortable recently in Phoenix than I have ever been in Paris. Too many, old, shady, characters in Phoenix.

Frank how is a "daybag" any different then a purse, its still a bag, you still put stuff in it, there is no difference. So if you want an ice cream cone , do you carry money in your moneybelt, I hope and assume not, since a moneybelt should NEVER be accessed in public, it is deep storage. So you still have a wallet. Your wife not carrying a purse means nothing really , since it seems you still carry a bag, and I am wondering if you realize many people do not tour around with their partners all the time, if at all? What do you suggest a solo person do, even if on vacation with my mate I still go off on my own, we are not joined at hip, so who carrys the "daybag" then ? Being aware of your situation is number one thing people can do to keep their stuff safe, crowds are hard, remember, if you can keep people more then an arms reach from you they can get your stuff( can't get what you can't reach) and thats exactly why pickpockets love crowds! So, since its not always possible to avoid crowds one does have to be aware and keep their hand on their bag, and do not let themselves be distracted. I have carried a purse for over 35 years to Paris and have only had two attempts on it, and both times I foiled it! The first time I was only 23 too,, but one really needs to clue in a bit. The second time was just 5 years ago, it was so obvious, the man was too close to me in a deserted metro passage and I was totally distracted ( was a bit lost and kept stopping to look at metro maps, just what picks look for ) it was being AWARE that saved my stuff, not having to wear a safe on my shoulder, and not having to stash all my stuff in pockets!

There is some degree of criminal mischief in every large city. Paris is the only city where I actually was an attempted victim and a witness; not on one but on two occasions. One event occurred on my first visit and the other two on my second visit. I am not doubting that it might be antidotal, but then again it did happen and if someone asks, I answer. Among the other large cities I've visited (London, Rome, Florence, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Cairo, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Athens) and the longer list of smaller towns and cities I have never witnessed a crime or at least an event that I recognized to be a crime. Again, antidotal. My mother had her purse cut off her by two guys on a moped while visiting Rome that's where the Pacsafe might have worked. But I wasn't there (too young at the time) and never saw it so don't know. On leaving passports in your hotel room or rented apartment I have heard of them being stolen out of both. But again, how many times? Probably not too often. If I get run down in the street I like the idea of having my passport on me. Some countries require you to carry it, not that they will arrest you if you don't. The US Government recommends that you carry it, not that they will deny you service if you don't have it. Will crime ever become a problem for you one way or another? Naa. Odds are 1 in 10 in your favor according to the Daily Telegraph back in 2008; and only one in 100 had anything to do with violence. Same article said the only place where Brits were victimized more than France was Spain. Here is the US Embassy's take on the subject: http://france.usembassy.gov/traveltips.html

Odds are you won't have any issues but wearing a money belt and not having valuables in your purse will let you relax. My wife was so paranoid (by my and other's warnings) that she only carried a lipstick in her pocket and let me carry the money in my belt. She even had to ask me for a Euro to go to the pay toilet but said that she never felt so liberated and carefree.

I was trying to be a little sarcastic. The honest answer as you point out is a little simple common sense tempered with what ever makes you feel most comfortable. When i am in Budapest i tend to be a little more relaxed because i have a support network there and i am familiar with the lay of the place and know about my safety with some certainty . When in Moscow i do everything short of hiding valuables in body cavities. My wife would much prefer that i carry everything as well and i do in places like London, Budapest and yes, even certain places in Paris. Its vacation for goodness sakes so relax! What would be the worst outcome if a little cash got lifted? Just hang on to that passport and one credit or atm card and life goes on!

Wow! Thanks for the detailed responses. As always, when traveling you have to be aware of your surroundings and use good common sense. Great advice. Thanks all appreciate it.

Toby, there are probably cheap options for little travel bags, money belts, etc. at Target, no need to get fancy. Always keep bags on your front side. Also Eddie Bauer had some nice small travel bags, got one there for my boyfriend.

Toby a really simple pickpocket deterrant is if you have a bag with double zippers, simply have a supply of those free paper coated twist ties( they wear out after a few days) and just twist tie the zippers together. Its not that a determined theif couldn't get through them, its just that when they see them they just look for another target, you have made your bag a hassle.. and they want easy, and there are always easy marks around.. Don't be one .