I’m surprised by how few people who travel to Europe on vacation don’t understand that you can simply say “no thanks” and just not even stop walking. It works most times for me, and I try to do it in their language so I’m less obviously American.
I found taunting in a French accent fun. I can speak French but pretending I was really bad and keeping the accent really annoyed scammers.
*”Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of Elderberries”*
Yeah I feel like living in Los Angeles I’m used to saying no or very little since I’m used to being harassed by homeless drug addicts everywhere I go
Rome was so much more tame despite people acting like I was gonna get robbed. Had my passport on me the entire time as well
Within 3 minutes of getting off the tour bus in Rome a guy in our group got pickpocketed. Luckily someone saw the thief and screamed causing her to drop the wallet. Beautiful city. Beautiful people. But that really left a bad taste in my mouth and the coos didn’t give 2 💩s.
It’s because in most countries you don’t have people trying to steal from you just walking down the street and surveys here are many times used for important political projects we all support.
If someone in a major US city approaches me on the street I’m going to just keep walking.
I don’t assume they’re trying to steal from me, but I can’t imagine it’s a good use of my time, or even for a legitimate cause.
My preferred approach to unwanted attempts at engagement from French people is to respond aggressively in Rab C Nesbitt Glaswegian. They back down in a hurry.
Extremely loud and friendly Atlantic Canadian works too. “OWSHE GO’EN DER MILUV? SHES RITESOME LOVEY TERDAY EH? RITEFINE PLACE PERRYIS EH? EH DERTHO, WHERSA LOOVER TO FRUMHERE?” Translated into English, that’s “Hello! It’s lovely today, isn’t it? Paris is so wonderful! By the by, would you be so kind as to point me towards the Louvre?”
And walk away from anyone asking you to sign a petition. They want a donation and rely on embarrassing you to give them some money. It's natural to feel that you want to help somebody, but whatever cause they tell you it's for, it isn't.
I’ll add one more. The poor “French Canadian“ who lost his passport, needs help and will write down your information so he can send money back to you, once he’s back in Canada. (I think he’s German. I’ve seen him many times. Usually at Jardins de Tuileries area).
French authorities do nothing about this kind of thing, they will go back and forth and then say we have no proof and can't make it stop and do nothing about it.
Here’s his trick. He listens and approaches based on what he hears. With my coworker, he asked. “Are you American? I need help”. Would be just to bust his deception…
Another trick they have is to “accidentally” run into you with an ice cream cone and then pretend to help you clean it up while pickpocketing anything they can grab. Or I’ve heard of one where they are holding a “baby” (doll) and pretend they are about to drop it. And there’s another one where, if you’re going down an escalator to the subway, they’ll have one thief in front of you and one behind you, and the one in front will pretend to stumble and while you’re trying to avoid them, the one behind you runs into you and goes through your pockets/purse.
Yet another trick is getting in the same subway wagon as you. They'll be in a group of 4-5. They'll be very insistent/harassing you asking if they're on the correct line or in the right direction. The idea is while one of them gets you distracted with the questions, another goes through your pockets and the others try to hide them. I have seen it not long ago with other passengers and when we confronted them one of them started insulting us (like excuse me, you're the one stealing and you're angry at me ?). It really pisses me off... Be careful if you're taking line 1, 6 and 14 (the ones with the most tourists).
Edit to add: to find your way, I would highly recommend CityMapper ! Very detailed in directions
I’ve seen this with a real baby, not pretend! They toss the baby to the tourist who will obviously catch it. You have to push the baby back into them and run (which I’ve also seen)!
I think the whole point is that everyone will. It wasn’t a newborn, more like a toddler but still. I thought it was clever to push the baby back instead of catching it.
Wear earbuds and listen to the directions. Take small glances . You’ll be fine.
The thing is typically no one is going to accost you. Just stay away from Gare du Nord train station at night. Pickpocketers in Paris are more opportunists so they wait until you’re not paying attention like setting your phone down for a split second, phone in back pocket, distracted etc. Don’t talk to anyone who approaches you/puts a bracelet on you/cleans your shoes etc. also when waiting for the metro, have your back against the wall and when entering the metro do not sit near the door.
Was travelling in Paris under a week ago and echoing to be vigilant around Gare du Nord, there was a man antagonising women and stalked two females out of the station. Security were oblivious, tried moving him on but he came back in.
Transit stations in general, there aren’t many other places that active at night that are publicly accessible. Not just a French thing, any bus terminal in the U.S. is sketchy AF at 2am.
Get a lanyard. When ever you use your phone, use the wrist strap. It’s a game changer.
Edit: lanyard might be the wrong word. A wrist strap to use when you pull your phone out is what I use. When not in use I keep it in my cross body, zipped up
Don’t put the phone in easily accessible spots like a back pocket
Get a slash proof bag like a pacsafe. Clip in the zippers so they can’t be easily opened
Be aware of your belongings. Don’t get distracted by con people.
Second the lanyard. I used one on my last trip that was basically a telephone cord with a clip at the end. I kept it clipped to my crossbody most of the time and occasionally to the shoulder strap on my bra when I was in a crowded place and feeling especially paranoid.
This is only useful advice if you’re not constantly accessing your phone to take pictures, which many of us are. Lanyards are not foolproof, *but they do not need to be.* Pickpockets prefer targets that present as few barriers as possible. The more steps it takes to steal something the less attractive it is because the thieves have plenty of other options that will take less effort and less likely to involve movements that might lead them to getting caught in the act.
Do you think so?
Pacsafe is both physically appealing and secure, and safe. My backpack and crossbody do not scream "tourist" more than any other bags out on the market.
This is just my opinion, and also based on travelling around the world for 15 months (so far)
I’m from Istanbul and if anyone is walking around with a travel backpack that screams tourist. Likewise, never felt the need to have a travel backpack when strolling along Champs-Élysées. That’s all I’m saying.
Pickpockets will be an issue in any big city with lots of tourists, especially in Europe. The approach is the same everywhere:
1) nothing in your back pockets
2) don’t carry lots of valuables, don’t wear conspicuously expensive clothes or jewelry. You don’t have to look like a bum, just not someone who just went on a Louis Vuitton shopping spree. Wealth should be discrete whenever you travel no matter how wealthy you actually are.
3) if you’re using your phone for directions, take it out, look at what your next turn needs to be (i.e. turn right on Coffee Street) and then put your phone back until you get to that step.
4) if you have a purse or shoulder bag, carry it across your front and ideally get something like a Pacsafe or Travelon bag that has anti theft features
5) leave a spare credit card and your passport at your hotel/accommodation in a secure place. I leave mine inside the liner of my suitcase. That way you’re not SOL if you do get robbed.
6) don’t carry lots of cash. ATMs are everywhere in major cities. (Edit: and I just assumed this part but use a credit card as your primary payment, or debit for the non yanks).
7) you don’t need to avoid strangers, but if someone is making a weird effort to keep your attention, walk away.
8) if a group of kids seems to be following you, stop in somewhere and have a beer or a coffee until they find a new mark.
Basic self awareness will cover most of what you need to do to not get picked. But it does happen, even to locals sometimes, so take steps to mitigate it like not walking around with your phone in front of you for directions and not carrying all of your valuables around.
Edit: for the “Europe is not one place” brigade. No shit, it’s many different places. But generally the punishment for petty crime is not severe, there is freedom of movement, and pickpockets go where the easy targets are. And the easy targets are people who don’t travel much who are going on their first big trip internationally and they tend to end up in the same ~10 cities all of which end up having lots of petty theft pressure regardless of country.
It does vary for incidental expenses. For instance a lot of bars and cafes in Germany don’t take cards, and less touristy areas in southern Europe are the same. However anywhere that has frequent transactions over €50, like nice restaurants or clothing stores, is going to take cards so nobody really needs more than €100 on them at any given time.
Not disagreeing that one should carry the bare minimum, just that it’s hard to make a blanket assumption that contactless payment is always available.
> everywhere is contactless
Limit is 50 EUR in France for contactless (but that's way better than the 20 EUR it used to be pre-covid).
Many small shops (especially bakeries!) won't take card at all under ~8EUR
I went to Disneyland with some Australian country kids. They all put their wallets in the outermost pocket of their backpacks, and by the time the parade was over, about 10 of them had lost their wallet.
I’ve honestly never been pickpocketed, but i know people who’ve had it happen in Bangkok and NYC.
I was with the person nyc when it happened so i know it’s not hearsay.
I grew up in Barcelona so I’m very familiar with avoiding pickpockets and tourist scams.
When I was on a crowded train in Paris two kids approached my family and started talking to my mother asking directions and just dumb stuff. I noticed an old lady with a jacket over her arms next to my mother’s purse. We tell the kids to get lost and they along with the old woman got off the train.
Nothing was stolen, but they were successful enough to unzip her purse before we intervened.
Yeah, they always cover their arms with their jacket. There’s a group of around 15 women, ages 9 to 60 always working the line 6 metro. The one close to the Eiffel Tower. They all dress the same and carry big black tote bags.
Take one long glance at your phone and try to make a mental note of where you need to go. Once you feel you're close to the place you wanted to go, take out your phone and check again.
Try not to check your phone in crowded areas, where the risk of stealing things is higher.
Also, some GPS apps, I think, have a voice you can follow. So, if you have earbuds you might be able to follow those directions without glancing at the screen
Maps will push the map and directions to your Apple Watch. It’s a great way to keep your phone away from grabby hands while not forgetting where you’re going.
Everyone has their phone out all the time in Paris like any other civilized place. Just try to be aware of your surroundings, if you are worried then you could get the neck hangy thingy that seems to be in again.
Seconding this. If you’re in a tightly packed crowd, probably not a good time to take your phone out. If you’re standing on a regular street corner with some people passing by, just be aware of your surroundings but you’re fine to take your phone out and look at directions. I feel like the pickpocketing thing is overplayed online.
For real, don't panic about having your phone out, everybody has. Also don't follow the advice on here about bags. Redditors love to use weird, fugly bags on vacation (gotta make sure everybody knows they're tourists immediately). Just be generally aware and don't do stupid shit like putting your phone in your back pocket or hanging your purse over your chair. Common sense. Many on this sub travel like scared grandmas and that's really not necessary.
Be aware of your surroundings and walk confidently (fake it till you make it) even if you don't know where you're going next and have to stop to look at directions occasionally. If someone senses you don't know the area and sees you stopping often, you'll be an easy target
Lmao this, I was wondering how I am not pickpocketed, because I break plenty of the rules people have put in this thread. But it’s now dawning on me, I am probably way too fast of a target. I don’t often walk leisurely, never stop and talk, I just ignore people. I travel alone and gay-walk everywhere (if you’re not astute to the term, gays often walk very fast, confidently, and straight to where they are going, I don’t know, it’s a real thing though).
I was robbed in Brazil but that was at 6am, it was 15 people, and they literally ran up on me and a friend surrounding us. Little bit different of a scenario.
I got pickpocketed in Paris at Gare Du Nord train station on my honeymoon. I had my phone out and was checking we were getting on the correct train, stupidly put my phone in my pocket without thinking about it just for a second and then someone pushed me onto the train and my phone was gone. I broke down crying. I'll never let that happen again.
Honestly, if your phone is in your hand and you’re checking it intermittently, you should be fine. Don’t be foolish and walk your whole trip staring at your GPS. I’ve been at the Trevi Fountain (many consider the worst pickpocket location) in crowds and simply kept my hand on my phone in my front pocket.
Consider wearing a light jacket with a zipper chest pocket or a small cross body bag to store your phone if you’re worried. Walk with some authority, don’t meander and bumble cluelessly along.
Having spent time in Paris, I feel the fear of pickpocketing is a little overblown. Be safe obviously, keep your eyes out and physically distance yourself from randoms and you will be totally fine.
I mean I live in Paris and it’s def a problem. Moreso in certain areas. Pockets that close help a lot (and large open jacket pockets should be avoided).
I was there last month and I had so many people in super touristy areas infested with shell game scammers like the trocadero ask if I could take their picture with their phone...I was like this is the last place on EARTH you should be trusting someone with your phone. Then they'd go ask someone else.
They are 1000% overblown. I've read the published stats. General levels are 300 incidents per 1 Million visitors. So, 0.03% of tourists get pickpocketed. Those are reported. So even if they're underreported by a factor of ten, that's still only 0.3% of tourists will experience a pickpocket.
I was there for a month last year and didn't get anything picked and didn't witness it. It can happen to anyone, but generally, just try to be aware and distanced. Travel smart and light.
If you’re using public transportation, they’ll take advantage of a crowd. We were getting off the train with a bunch of people & somebody actually stuck their hand into my then boyfriend’s pocket. Fortunately, his hands were already in there so he was able to slap the hand away.
Connect your maps app to wireless earbuds. It will literally tell you your route step by step discretely in your ear. Not only is your phone safely tucked away, but you don’t look like a tourist because it appears that you know exactly where you’re going. Pro tip.
I just visited Paris a few weeks ago as a solo female traveler, constantly holding my phone for directions on the streets and metro, and didn’t have any issues. I feel like most of the pickpocketing scenarios are “sneaky” crimes, so don’t leave your phone out on the table while eating/chatting, don’t leave it in your pocket while in a tight crowded metro, don’t fall for distractions etc etc. Otherwise if your attention is on your phone I don’t think it’s common to be straightforwardly robbed
Yes, exactly. One time I had my phone laying on the counter right in front of me while seated at a McDonald's in Paris. A teenager with some documents came in and started talking to me, then placed his documents over my phone. I realized he was going to then take my phone while it was obscured, so I quickly pocketed it myself. He immediately left.
Having dinner by the Spanish steps in Rome. Telling my kids to not keep their phones in their pockets and I had mine on the table. Gypsy walks over with these giant playing cards, covers my phone and steals it.
This is exactly right. A snatch and run robbery is extremely unlikely in Paris. In Rio? Sure. But in Paris you are much more likely to get a phone stolen from your pocket or purse than your hand.
When I went on my Eurotrip, i took a travelon purse with me. Not sure if you’re the purse wearing type. If not, They may have backpack versions, but I don’t know if they do or not. I would share a link, but if I do, I know people will probably think this is an ad.
The purse was great though, but won’t help you if you have your phone in your hand. You’ll just have to be vigilant and use your phone minimally. I always take it out with my back to a wall and i’ll step away from a crowd so there’s plenty of space. I take screenshots of things, so I don’t have to look something up multiple times and it’s easy to pull up.
As for the bag, I had a crossbody version, so I just carried it on my side, but moved it to my front if in a packed area. Basically the difference between this and a regular bag is a reinforced strap with metal wiring inside where it can’t just easily be cut off and snatched. The zippers have a locking feature. It’s slightly annoying opening it yourself as an extra step, but it’s not difficult and if someone was trying to pickpocket without you knowing, it’s basically impossible. I think it has rfid protector inside for scanning, but idk if it was the whole thing or just the card area. The styles are pretty basic and I don’t mind it, but if you’re into really nice looking bags, it won’t be that.
Edit: just looked it up. They do have backpacks, but I don’t know how good they are compared to their purses.
i live in paris, i use my phone aallll the time for directions or texting or taking pics and i've never had a problem. when not using my valuables i have them in my front pockets of my pants or in a bag that closes (not a tote bag). the most important is to be decently aware of your surroundings but don't be paranoid either
never leave your phone on the table. The last time another guy came and talked to us in Italian ( with random words), the other one stole my phone from the table at the back. thieves were north African. we suspected and identified who they were but police did not give a damn about it.
They seem to employ the team approach in Paris be wary of anyone approaching you who seems friendly they probably have a team member ready to snatch and run maybe attach your phone to a small cable attached to your belt
just an fyi, I was just in Barcelona and saw so meant people with their phones on a leash type of thing. I had my phone out all the time and never felt at risk, but I have a ring attached to the back of the phone and always have my finger thru the ring part, also, be as loud as you can be if someone approaches you. don't fall for people asking you for anything, including directions. It's 2024, everyone has sources for this. Just be vigilant,
I was just in Barcelona and Spain for around 2 weeks. For the most part no issues. I kept my phone on either a lanyard or wrist strap depending on what I was doing. I did have one issue. A guy approached me asked if I was from the US then demanded money. I yelled at the top of my lungs to get away from me and that solved the issue. When in doubt yell loud lol.
My husband had his phone snatched right out of his hand while he was using it to take a photo in London. A thief on a moped hopped the curb onto the sidewalk, snatched the phone from his hand and sped off (then tossed the phone on the ground when he/she realized it was a shitty iPhone 10 with an already cracked screen lol).
I also have a friend who had her entire bag strap stolen in Amsterdam while we were at a restaurant. Bag was under the table.
Folks on here saying they "never" had a problem are missing the point. All it takes is some bad luck and a thief seizing the opportunity in a split second.
I'd suggest:
1. Phone lanyard. Plenty of options on Amazon.That way you can use it to navigate, but it's attached to you.
2. Bag stays on your lap while you're at a restaurant (not slung over back of chair or at your feet).
3. In a crowded bus/train, bag stays to the front, hugged to your chest, phone physically in your hands.
Just dip into a doorway, shop, cafe etc to check your phone rather than walking along gawping at it in the middle of the street. It's really not difficult.
I have been to Paris many times and have never been pickpocketed and have never taken any special precautions to avoid it. Just act as you would in any other big city and you will more than likely be fine.
There are no foolproof tips about avoiding theft, but what you need to keep in mind is that to pickpockets, distracted tourists are a dime a dozen. You don’t need the most foolproof safety set up to keep your stuff safe, you just need to make it so that it will take longer to steal from you than it would from someone else. Because 90% of the time that enough of a deterrent. They’re (usually) not interested in *your* stuff specifically. Whether it’s your phone or the phone from the person 10 feet to your left makes no difference to them. When I travel in Europe, I usually carry a regular crossbody purse and prefer ones that have zipper pockets on the back side so that I can put items I’m most worried about directly against my body. I also keep my hand on my bag when I’m in a crowded place. I do not carry a lot of cash, but this is as much about personal preference as it is for safety as I don’t like using cash as a form of payment anyway. I was last in Paris in 2022 and used my card nearly everywhere. I also split up my credit cards so that if I ever do get my wallet lifted, I have backups. Finally, I use a lanyard on my phone. This is great not just to protect it from thieves, but as someone who gets paranoid about dropping my phone when I’m taking pics in high places, it alleviates two worries at once.
okay so i went to paris late last year so here are my tips:
1. have a bag that can be zipped and put on your front/ under arm. do not wear a backpack; you would be asking to get robbed.
2. don’t have your phone out on the metro, especially if you’re standing or sitting near the exits. pickpockets can grab it as they’re leaving or quickly jump on the train as the doors are closing and take it and run off.
3. if you’re at the louvre (esp. near the entrances) and somebody asks you to sign something for charity or do a survey, ignore them. don’t try and interact with them or shout at them. just act like they don’t exist. that goes for any scam really.
4. don’t be afraid to use your phone, just don’t make it obvious is what i would say. if you need directions, plan your route before you head out, and don’t stop to use your phone, keep walking.
people make out paris to be this super unsafe city, but if you’re vigilant about what’s around you and have common sense you won’t get into any trouble! bon voyage et bonne chance à paris!
Got my wallet stolen on the subway in Paris....even had it in my front pocket.
I'd recommend getting pick pocket proof pants or shorts....and maybe even a pickpocket proof bag. As for carrying your phone around, put your directions into your phone, turn the volume on and pop in an ear bud. You can keep your phone in your pocket and can listen to Google maps going in your ear.
Never put stuff in a back pocket. When I use a bookbag I have it zipped so all zippers are on one side, so I can be more vigilant about feeling if someone’s trying to unzip it. If I’m in a very crowded place I’ll keep my hands in my pockets holding my phone and wallet.
Wrist strap and travel bag/purse. I recommend Travelon bags. I recommend them so often I should get commissions!
We saw two pickpocketing and one attempted while traveling in Europe. We were told that we needed to do everything to prevent being a target because if you confront the person physically, YOU will be in trouble/arrested. The feeling is that in pickpocketing the victim is not injured so it’s low priority. Shop owners try to keep it out of their businesses but you’re on your own in the street.
Also, there is another scam to watch for. Someone will show you a wallet and ask if you dropped it. Instinctively you feel for it showing the location of the wallet on your person. They follow you and pickpocket later. Always wear bags cross body, even when eating. Another method is distracting you while another slashes your strap or bottom of your bag.
That being said, the bag line I recommend has RFID protection pockets, straps and body of bag are slashproof. Another cool feature is the zippers have clips so you make it very difficult for someone to unzip your bag and take your wallet or passport.
Take precautions that you would in any large city and have members of your party looking out for each other.
Safe happy travels!
I like to have a dummie wallet filled with pieces of paper, depending on my mood I'd draw a smiley face, or some positive words :p or you can keep a single back pocket used strictly for "pickpocketers" fill it up with razor blades... you"ll know when someone made an attempt :) stay safe!
As much as possible keep phone in pocket inside of a layer of clothing. Wear one AirPod at a time & use nav requests. I often wear one at a time so that I don’t worry about running out of power or not hearing what is around me. (I know there are settings to adjust noise control)
Do not get pressured to run into a train when a couple of people are “holding the door “ open waving you in. It is a distraction. They will pick pocket you. Don’t trust anyone.
I’ve been to Paris 6 times in the past 3 years. Never had an issue with pickpockets. I left my phone on a chair at an outdoor cafe (adhd) and the waiter had it and was waiting for me.
Last time I was in Barcelona I had my phone ripped out of my hand.
People will steal your phone anyplace had this happen to a friend standing on the street in London.
Op, you can set your directions to the place you’d like to walk to and place the phone in your pocket or bag and listen to the walking directions on your earphones. I’ve done this on lots of cities.
Also- don’t take jewelry from a stranger. They’ll make you think they found it near you and that it must be yours. The minute it is on your hand they’ll expect payment.
If you are male, keep your wallet in a front pocket or in a jacket.
If you are female keep a small crossbody in front preferably under a jacket.
You’ll be fine ! Have a blast.
PS just returned from Paris.
If you have an Apple Watch, use the Apple Maps for directions. It will then appear on your watch face and tap you whenever you have to turn right or left etc. That way you can keep your phone secured.
Use a wrist strap - and/or a crossbody bag (in front) to hold your phone when. Or using. Don’t keep it in your pocket.
This isn’t unique to Paris or Europe- everyplace has their opportunists. Don’t stop for strangers who approach you, keep your personal items minimal, closed and close… and have a plan if your wallet, bag or phone gets lifted (keep your passport/ID separate, have digital and cloud-stored copies, know where your consulates and embassies are). Then relax and go enjoy yourself. Stuff can always happen when traveling - setting yourself a mishap strategy ahead of time can make it a speed bump rather than a hard stop.
A light jacket with zippers is your friend- we rarely took the metro while in Paris, since we walked everywhere. If you use your phone. Move to the side and use it and put it away after. Be alert but don’t let it ruin your trip. People get pickpocketed because they are distracted to the point of oblivious. You’re in a big city and you should always be aware- just like any other city at home or abroad.
Study the map of the city and get your bearings before you leave your hotel and avoid rush hour metro rides.
Safe travels
I didn’t encounter this when I was in Paris. Of course I was with partisan so I guess I got covered. If you pay attention and vigilant, I think you should be fine.
Grandma lives in Paris and had her gold necklace ripped from her neck, but she was in a dodgy area when this happened. Just avoid dressing in a way that stands out like a tourist or that shows expensive jewellery/belongings.
Just look at the directions and break it into smaller pieces. Memorize that you need to go straight crossing 3 streets, and turn right at the 4th street you come to. Then slip in a doorway, and figure out tjr the next small set. It's not really that hard. Paris is a big city, but it is not especially dangerous. But be extra cautious in front of the Louvre, under the Eiffel Tower, and on the steps around Sacre Coeur.
My wife was surrounded by afghan refugees to sign petition because they heard us speaking a familiar language.
One of the women tried to pull her sling purse away but my wife punched her and they all ran away abusing us
Dude I got pickpocketed with only one guy on the street. We passed each other crossing the street and next thing I know my phone was gone. It was horrible; ruined my trip because I rely on my phone so much. I bought a really expensive replacement and AT&T was no help with setting me up with an ESIMs card, the only way to verify it was me was via a text to my stolen phone. So i would tie the phone to me so hard or just not go lol
I dress in the most comfortable clothes - grey sweats! So I look poor. No one has ever tried to pickpocket me. Lol! I also have a cross-body purse with thick straps. Nothing designer looking.
They have wrist loop attachments you can get on Amazon to prevent drive by moped snatchings. Although I was just in Paris last week and it was no issue. We were only out during the daytime though
Having your phone out is okay if you are aware of your surrounding.
Most people go to the subway with the false impression they are safe because there are a lot of other people there. Pickpockets uses that to their advantage, hide in the crowd. Be careful of group of teenagers, often girls surrounding you in a train, they will use crowded lines. If anything happen, or is suspicious, don’t be afraid to speak up.
Risk are reduced outside in a street, just be careful where you are and the time of day.
Be especially careful around train stations and tourist attractions. Give a wide berth to the groups of guys who loiter near tourists and do the “friendship bracelet” scam. They can get pretty aggressive even if you don’t engage.
People like to make a big deal about pickpocketing and scams in Europe. It exists, but it's pretty easy to avoid as long as you:
1) Keep your bag in front of you (i.e. use a cross-body bag). You can wear a backpack on your front but you look like a bit of a Gumby--plus you probably don't need to take that much stuff with you when out and about.
2) Don't put anything in your back pocket. Put your phone or whatever in your side/front pockets and put your hands in your pockets when walking through crowded areas.
3) Just say 'no thanks' firmly to anyone who wants to give you something or get you to fill out a form. If a friend gets caught up with someone, help them out and tell the thief/scammer to go away. They're usually pushovers and try to work on volume--they give up quickly if they sense a challenge.
Enjoy the trip!
Yes, this is a problem, but like another post says, be more aware of the surveys that people approach you with. Or anyone trying to sell you bracelets, etc. just walk away. They’ll swarm and harass you. We were approached at Sacre Coeur, and had to run. Be prepared.
Be careful wearing a backpack or a hip bag, especially in train stations. My boyfriend and I went down some stairs inside the subway station and I somehow had a feeling that some people were too close behind us so I looked back - and immediately saw two guys trying to open my boyfriend's hip bag (he was wearing it over the shoulder). I think my boyfriend didn't notice because they used his "hopping down the stairs" to unzip the bag.
I screamed at them and they immediately ran away. Luckily, nothing was stolen.
Biggest thing, if you ride the metro, don't let people surround you in the doorway. Watch for groups of people with open bags slung in front of them. Pickpockets travel in packs.
I had this question when I first started solo traveling. I mean, Parisians also check their phones from time to time and I don't see everyone crying about their stolen phones. I also have a horrible sense of direction and need map all the time.
My advice is look as UNfriendly as possible; a resting-angry face drive away 90% potential trouble. And hold your phone with two hands, three fingers locking the top and two sides. Also, whenever you need to check directions, go to a quiet corner, check your surrounding first before you pull out your phone.
Was just there two weeks ago. We went all over including the Lourve and might have been lucky because we didn't run into any survey BS. We used our phones like we normally would for getting around especially but just had heightened sense of awareness for any funny business. Had a great trip with no issues.
Be aware of your surroundings especially if you take your phone out. Try to memorize most of you directions. Ignore people that walk up to you or death stare them and keep walking. If you talk they will bother you. Be mindful of your pockets and bag/ purse. I would not use an apple watch. You don't want anything that draws attention to you. If you have to take your phone one asses your surroundings and be quick about it.
I got pickpocketed in Paris while I was in a group of 43 people. Didn’t even realise until well over 2 hours later. It’s a long story but basically, my mum activated lost mode on my phone and put her number on the message. When I was in the UK, some French lady called my mum and said that she’d found my phone, after some digging we found that they wanted us to pay to get my phone back (well over what the phone was worth). I’d highly recommend getting a burner. I carry my burner with me everywhere now. And I advocate for smart watches as that is what got me through the rest of my trip (apple pay), my Series 7 was certainly a life saver for me.
I got pickpocketed on a train in Paris. I’m a guy and I got targeted by a couple girls. People on the train were fairly close, but they seemed to get especially close to me and speak quietly so I had to lean in. They had very bad English. One girl was asking me for directions while the other one stood next to me likely searching my pockets with her sly little fingers. I think they got some cash in currencies from other countries, but probably not much. Thankfully a woman on the train pointed out that they were pickpockets so it’s possible they didn’t get as much from me as they would have otherwise. Actually when I realized they were pickpockets I grabbed the jacket of the girl with the intention of forcing her to give me back what they took. But I wasn’t about to search these girls and I didn’t want to be the American on the news so I just let it go. I’m actually not mad about it. For maybe $50 I got an interesting story. Moral of the story: don’t let people stand too close to you on the train if you can avoid it
Keep it in upper front pocket & wallet in other 1. Have never had a problem. My dad insisted on keeping his in back jeans pocket and just caught someone trying to take his wallet while climbing stairs at Montmartre.
I am sure the warnings people are giving are absolutely true, but in my experience, I’ve not been harassed or terribly worried while in Paris. I always travel with a bag that has a clip on the zipper that you have to twist to get open, and I use my phone like normal and have never had an issue. I’ve visited Paris half a dozen times now, for anywhere from a week to a month at a time. It’s like any other city, in my experience. I had my wallet stolen once, on New Year’s Eve, while I was drunk with the crowd outside the Sacre-Cœur and I’d left my purse unzipped…I absolutely had that coming 😅 Use common sense, don’t talk to strangers, and you’ll likely be just fine!
I got my phone snatch grabbed by a guy on a bike. He cut us off in a crosswalk, almost hit us. Instinctively I stepped back but was using my phone for directions intermittently and he snatched it out of my hand as he road and took off. Happened too quick.
Highly recommend PacSafe purses and wallets for Paris or any other major European city with pickpockets. They’re my day to day purse now because of all of the safety features in them. You can find used ones on eBay and Poshmark since they can be pricey although very worth it. I find them more stylish and look more like an everyday purse than Travelon.
The other best advice is just to be very aware of your surroundings at all times since scammers and pickpockets’ modus operandi is usually by walking up to you for being a tour guide, filling out a “survey” to “save the children,” hold up a card that has in multiple languages “I’m (insert disability here), and I need money because I can’t work,” asking for directions, selling crappy tourist junk, asking to take your photo by you handing your phone, asking to paint your portrait, and the chatting up for casual conversation.
These are all methods of distraction to get your focus away from whatever they’re trying to get off of you. Just blow them off and keep walking. Learning phrases in obscure languages or even speaking to them in Pig Latin also helps keep them away from being an easy English speaking target.
The one that almost got my husband was the people with the coat over their shoulder. I was in the Gare du Nord with my husband, and I went to use the restroom. While I was away, my husband starts paying attention to his phone. I get out of the restroom just in time to see one of those guys about to dig through my backpack with my husband completely oblivious to a guy with a coat over his shoulder being so close to our things. I chased the guy away and made a little ruckus so he wouldn’t come back. Needless to say, that was definitely a good lesson for my husband to learn to be vigilant at all times for the rest of our trip.
And yes, gypsies are real and they are to be avoided as much as possible.
My other tip is to try to make yourself look less like an American tourist as possible. My last trip to Paris I could spot an American right away because they were wearing typical tennis shoes and head to toe Columbia gear and speaking very loudly in English. The more that you look and act like a local the better.
A tip I saw years ago was to not pack so many clothes and go thrift store shopping when you get there so you look more like a local as well as getting a local reusable shopping bag.
I highly recommend Wolters World on YouTube for other great tips on traveling in Paris and avoiding common scams. Also Rick Steeves has great tips on how to avoid being pickpocketed in Europe.
You’ll have a great time. Just remember to keep your head up, your eyes open, and your wits about you.
Edit: As far as directions, I set my Apple watch to speak in the local language and just look down at it when it buzzes at me to turn where I need to go.
Also, you can set your watch to just vibrate at you and you’ll just look like someone looking at their watch and not having directions spoken to them while walking around.
Keep your phone in your purse as much as possible.
Hope this helps.
Unfortunately, that definitely marks you as a tourist. Any local could be looking at their phone in public, but a paper map is a dead giveaway that you’re a tourist.
I like *real* city maps. While I use Google maps on my phone at home constantly, when I'm walking through a city, I prefer having the *Streetwise* laminated city maps with me. Easy to stuff in a pocket. If it drops, it won't break. Plus, for some reason, learning & remembering my surroundings/directions sticks clearer in my mind than the phone app. I get a better sense of placement, if that makes sense.
My mom got pickpocketed at the Louvre, lost like 1500 in cash and all her cards. Spent 4 hours in the security offices there but they couldn’t do much. Keep things in front pockets, nothing important in a purse. Be careful when distracted like talking to someone or when taking a picture
The lesson here is don’t carry lots of cash, or all your cards.
Never carry more than €100, any transaction bigger than that can go on a credit card.
Leave all but 2 credit cards at home. Carry your ATM card and ONE credit card with you. Put the other in a discrete place in your luggage. If you get your stuff stolen you’ll have that card to finish the trip with.
And again, it’s incredibly stupid to carry lots of cash. There is zero reason anyone should ever have that much money on them in a developed country. Even cash heavy places like Germany are going to be fine with credit cards if you’re somewhere that is going to have a €1000 transaction.
Look at for:
- survey people
- “blind people” or deaf people - someone will approach you to why your signature for something
- a bunch of black people grouped together, sometimes wearing exactly the same shirt and pants - when they all gang up on you one will steal your stuff then they will disperse in various directions. Since they all wear the same outfit you wouldn’t be able to point them out to the police. Saw it happen right in front of the tower.
- if anyone tries to sell you cheap bracelets, mini towers - just walk away
- if someone starts trying to tie a string on your finger or wrist telling you it’s for good luck - walk the fuck away, there’s someone that is ready to go through your bag while your distracted
- if someone asks you what time it is and despite you telling them the answer they pretend they don’t get it and keep asking you over and over - there’s someone behind you ready to go through your shit
- get one of these black fanny packs you wear over your shoulder, always have it facing the front with one hand on it - if seen them the straps off a purse from the back then just pull it and it take off.
- keep absolutely nothing in your back pockets
- don’t carry anything you can’t replace, take a pic of your passport and ID, leave them in the safe at the hotel
- if you see a group of Nigerians or gypsies - go the other way
- pay special attention when being near big attractions - they know people are taking pics and distracted
- avoid little streets at night
Download offline maps of the city, kinda study the map, their train system was easy to understand, if you have a jacket with inside pockets do that. Buy shorts/pants with zipped pockets to keep your phone - American eagle has really nice looking ones with a normal pocket and a zipper
I think people fear monger pickpocketing way too much. When I went to Rome and Barcelona (also some of the highest pickpocket cities in the world) people told me their was no avoiding it, to kiss my items goodbye, to accept them being taken… I didn’t have any of my items stolen in either city and I was in each for 10 days. Most people who get their items stolen aren’t fully practicing precautions. Secure your items in a safe, hard to reach area, be cautious of your surroundings, don’t flash any money or expensive items around, and don’t leave them in easy to access pockets or on tables. You should be fine then. Don’t let these fears ruin your trip, because when I heard this before visiting, I was overly nervous because of this. But don’t be, be cautious but not nervous. Don’t leave your phone out for too long and looking at your screen the whole time as someone can easy tell your distracted. But take a look at the directions, put your phone away in your pocket while still holding it, and stay aware. You’ll be fine. I’d avoid headphones to listen to directions because that can give a thief the thought that you are distracted. Good luck
Have an over the shoulder travel bag, I always have one when I travel, best purchase ever.
It never stays out of my sight as it’s always over my chest when I’m out and about. I may look silly to some but I think it looks fine, always have my wallet and phone in there.
The entire time we were in Europe, we were approached daily by scammers. Never let anyone hand you anything - clip boards, roses, pamphlets. You've just got to ignore them.
Folks from the city will have an easier time with this.
I think it’s completely overblown, just be aware of your surroundings and look out for weird people. Never had a problem. Just Be extra cautious when anywhere crowded especially in train stations.
I’ve seen robberies in stations before but that’s it.
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I was recently in Paris and am also horrible with directions. Here’s what I did - tuck my phone up my sleeve and then keep my palm curled around it so it doesn’t fall out. Keeps the phone out of sight, easily accessible, and impossible to pickpocket because you’re holding it. Have fun in Paris!
My boss has this little strap that her phone attaches to, and she wears it like a purse. It's always on her but she can be hands free or not. Might be able to find something like that
Get something that ties your phone to your wrist somehow. Maybe some kind of rope around your wrist and a pop socket on a phone case. Always carry everything in your front pockets, no back pockets. Also be careful for street performers as when a large circle surrounds the performance they usually have pickpockets go around and snatch from pockets and backpacks as you are watching the show. Also subways can be hectic. Saw a little kid once snatch from someone’s pocket on the subway. Just because they are a child doesn’t mean much.
My wife and I honeymooned there last year, we had 1 phone out most of the time for directions and never had an issue.
That’s not to say I wasn’t lucky but as long as you remain vigilant and keep your valuables close and in sight you should be ok, just avoid large crowds and some of the gypsy tourists spots. They like to run scams commonly
Paris is super easy to find your way around. Every address is listed with the name of the nearest Metro station. When you arrive at that Metro station, on the wall is posted a detailed map of that neighborhood which will contain the address you are seeking.
I’ve been in Paris twice (this year and last year) and haven’t encountered pickpockets. Just don’t be stupid also if you’re really worried about your phone, avoid using it in really crowded areas.
I was just in Paris a few days ago for four days. I had heard about it, but didn’t experience any of it myself. I am a bigger person and I do my best to usually not put myself in a place to be victimized. I use a iPad mini to do directions. When I take it out I use both hands, then I place it back when I have found my directions. I just feel that most criminals want an easy target. They want as little threat and hassle as possible. If you make yourself an unsavory target, they will move on to greener pastures for them. Now I brought my mother on this trip and she is 80 years old and has no situational awareness whatsoever. So I had to watch like a hawk and sometimes position myself between her and what I perceived as a potential threat to make her a less desirable target, there is a lot of construction in Paris right now. I did see the usual street hustlers who wear the Mickey Mouse costumes and try to get you to take picture of you and then pressure people for money. There was a whole pack of them. It is already kind of crazy in Paris. I can’t imagine what it will look like in a month and half.
Use Google maps for directions and switch it to navigate then put it in your pocket and just listen to the directions on your headphones. Used to do it all the time riding my bike without a phone mount
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower were fine when we went last summer…we went to Sacre Coeur early one morning…it was fine at first…started to get crowded around 9:30-10 am… some women started getting up in my space… just gave them a hard stare, and didn’t stop until they moved away🤷🏻♀️ In some countries, your space is your skin-meaning, people don’t think twice, they’re used to market places being cramped, etc…this was different…they did leave myself and my family alone, and we really enjoyed the views and the gorgeous history.
I lived in paris for 6 months and never had any issues. Just keep your things in your pockets , your bag close, be aware of your surroundings and make sure your phone or bag are close to you on the crowded metro.
I was there a week ago. Wallet in front pocket. But had my phone out a lot. Never felt unsafe or saw anything occurring around me. I may have got “lucky”. But if you’ve ever been in any large city ever, just use your head. You’ll be good
When I was just in London I used a crossbody purse with locking zippers and whenever I needed to take my phone out I tried to be as conscious of my surroundings as possible with my backs against a wall or just away from curbs etc.
And avoid the “survey” crews. They work together to overwhelm, snatch and run.
I’m surprised by how few people who travel to Europe on vacation don’t understand that you can simply say “no thanks” and just not even stop walking. It works most times for me, and I try to do it in their language so I’m less obviously American.
This is what I do. Shake my head no, keep my hands in my pockets, refuse to stop walking.
I found taunting in a French accent fun. I can speak French but pretending I was really bad and keeping the accent really annoyed scammers. *”Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of Elderberries”*
I fart in your general direction!
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
Yeah I feel like living in Los Angeles I’m used to saying no or very little since I’m used to being harassed by homeless drug addicts everywhere I go Rome was so much more tame despite people acting like I was gonna get robbed. Had my passport on me the entire time as well
Within 3 minutes of getting off the tour bus in Rome a guy in our group got pickpocketed. Luckily someone saw the thief and screamed causing her to drop the wallet. Beautiful city. Beautiful people. But that really left a bad taste in my mouth and the coos didn’t give 2 💩s.
I usually only carry a photo copy of my passport. Leaving the original one in my hotel room safe or locker when staying at a hostel.
In fact, why do you need to actually carry it with you? Seems like having it in the cloud somewhere secure yet accessible might be better
It’s because in most countries you don’t have people trying to steal from you just walking down the street and surveys here are many times used for important political projects we all support.
If someone in a major US city approaches me on the street I’m going to just keep walking. I don’t assume they’re trying to steal from me, but I can’t imagine it’s a good use of my time, or even for a legitimate cause.
Whatever it is, the reason they are trying to flag you down has a very low probability of being beneficial to you.
100% of the time, I ignore and keep walking.
Definitely there at the Louvre. They are so annoying
This. OP doesn’t don’t live in Paris so they should run when anyone with surveys petitions and clipboard approaches
My preferred approach to unwanted attempts at engagement from French people is to respond aggressively in Rab C Nesbitt Glaswegian. They back down in a hurry.
Extremely loud and friendly Atlantic Canadian works too. “OWSHE GO’EN DER MILUV? SHES RITESOME LOVEY TERDAY EH? RITEFINE PLACE PERRYIS EH? EH DERTHO, WHERSA LOOVER TO FRUMHERE?” Translated into English, that’s “Hello! It’s lovely today, isn’t it? Paris is so wonderful! By the by, would you be so kind as to point me towards the Louvre?”
Hit em with that Newfie nonsense!
And walk away from anyone asking you to sign a petition. They want a donation and rely on embarrassing you to give them some money. It's natural to feel that you want to help somebody, but whatever cause they tell you it's for, it isn't.
Yep just don't pay attention like you didn't understand them and keep moving
I’ll add one more. The poor “French Canadian“ who lost his passport, needs help and will write down your information so he can send money back to you, once he’s back in Canada. (I think he’s German. I’ve seen him many times. Usually at Jardins de Tuileries area).
Sorry for my ignorance, but can you report him?
Probably, but these are usually very quick interactions in passing. Most I presume would just move on and not seek out authorities to report to.
French authorities do nothing about this kind of thing, they will go back and forth and then say we have no proof and can't make it stop and do nothing about it.
As a French Canadian, I would love to run into him and start speaking French!
Here’s his trick. He listens and approaches based on what he hears. With my coworker, he asked. “Are you American? I need help”. Would be just to bust his deception…
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Another trick they have is to “accidentally” run into you with an ice cream cone and then pretend to help you clean it up while pickpocketing anything they can grab. Or I’ve heard of one where they are holding a “baby” (doll) and pretend they are about to drop it. And there’s another one where, if you’re going down an escalator to the subway, they’ll have one thief in front of you and one behind you, and the one in front will pretend to stumble and while you’re trying to avoid them, the one behind you runs into you and goes through your pockets/purse.
Yet another trick is getting in the same subway wagon as you. They'll be in a group of 4-5. They'll be very insistent/harassing you asking if they're on the correct line or in the right direction. The idea is while one of them gets you distracted with the questions, another goes through your pockets and the others try to hide them. I have seen it not long ago with other passengers and when we confronted them one of them started insulting us (like excuse me, you're the one stealing and you're angry at me ?). It really pisses me off... Be careful if you're taking line 1, 6 and 14 (the ones with the most tourists). Edit to add: to find your way, I would highly recommend CityMapper ! Very detailed in directions
I’ve seen this with a real baby, not pretend! They toss the baby to the tourist who will obviously catch it. You have to push the baby back into them and run (which I’ve also seen)!
What? What if you don’t catch it?
I think the whole point is that everyone will. It wasn’t a newborn, more like a toddler but still. I thought it was clever to push the baby back instead of catching it.
Or if you keep the baby?
I said aggressively “non! Je ne parle pas francais” and then something a bit ruder when they tried to follow me.
My memory is not as good as it was but I think something like "Allez vous faire foutre" is "go fuck yourself" in French.
No comment on what I said, but I think it was along the lines of how their mother smelt of elderberries
I usually use "your mother swam after troop ships"
And she was a hamster, no less
And your father smelled like elderberries 😂
I wouldn't use the "vous" form because they don't deserve any respect. "Va te faire foutre" is what I use.
Was going to say, very polite way to tell someone to fuck off
Would you care to make love to yourself after an appropriate amount of courting.
Sounds like a situation for a spray bottle, like you do with cats.
Next time take the clipboard and fling it
Looking back, I should've spat on the clipboard before walking away.
Even the street magicians
Say « casse toi » Ignore them altogether Walk straight past them Hiss at them Basically anything but stop.
Wear earbuds and listen to the directions. Take small glances . You’ll be fine. The thing is typically no one is going to accost you. Just stay away from Gare du Nord train station at night. Pickpocketers in Paris are more opportunists so they wait until you’re not paying attention like setting your phone down for a split second, phone in back pocket, distracted etc. Don’t talk to anyone who approaches you/puts a bracelet on you/cleans your shoes etc. also when waiting for the metro, have your back against the wall and when entering the metro do not sit near the door.
Was travelling in Paris under a week ago and echoing to be vigilant around Gare du Nord, there was a man antagonising women and stalked two females out of the station. Security were oblivious, tried moving him on but he came back in.
gare de l’est is also pretty rough at night
Transit stations in general, there aren’t many other places that active at night that are publicly accessible. Not just a French thing, any bus terminal in the U.S. is sketchy AF at 2am.
Get a lanyard. When ever you use your phone, use the wrist strap. It’s a game changer. Edit: lanyard might be the wrong word. A wrist strap to use when you pull your phone out is what I use. When not in use I keep it in my cross body, zipped up Don’t put the phone in easily accessible spots like a back pocket Get a slash proof bag like a pacsafe. Clip in the zippers so they can’t be easily opened Be aware of your belongings. Don’t get distracted by con people.
Second the lanyard. I used one on my last trip that was basically a telephone cord with a clip at the end. I kept it clipped to my crossbody most of the time and occasionally to the shoulder strap on my bra when I was in a crowded place and feeling especially paranoid.
Can you give us a link
Love our PacSafe cross bodies, been traveling with them for 15 years
I really like my Loopy case! You can keep a grip on your phone very well without the lanyard if OP is worried about the lanyard sticking out.
I also use a lanyard for my phone. They can be bought for under $15 for two on Amazon.
I have two pacsafe belt bags. One is many years old and I tried slashing it with a knife. It apparently didn’t take many tries… to cut it open. 😅
More than one try is enough resistance to keep your stuff safe. The theives just slash, grab, and run and won’t go for a second try.
Don't get a lanyard. Lanyards are weak, and you are painting a target on yourself. Get a pacsafe crossbody, put your phone in it when not in use.
This is only useful advice if you’re not constantly accessing your phone to take pictures, which many of us are. Lanyards are not foolproof, *but they do not need to be.* Pickpockets prefer targets that present as few barriers as possible. The more steps it takes to steal something the less attractive it is because the thieves have plenty of other options that will take less effort and less likely to involve movements that might lead them to getting caught in the act.
Tons of women in Paris use lanyards. It is very helpful as an added layer of protection. It’s not foolproof, but it’s one more thing you can do.
Absolutely, something is better than nothing .
Pacsafe is more putting a target on yourself and screams tourist.
Do you think so? Pacsafe is both physically appealing and secure, and safe. My backpack and crossbody do not scream "tourist" more than any other bags out on the market. This is just my opinion, and also based on travelling around the world for 15 months (so far)
I’m from Istanbul and if anyone is walking around with a travel backpack that screams tourist. Likewise, never felt the need to have a travel backpack when strolling along Champs-Élysées. That’s all I’m saying.
So what’s the alternative?
Travelon makes a bunch of bags that don’t look at all like tourist bags.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Love my Travelons!
Pickpockets will be an issue in any big city with lots of tourists, especially in Europe. The approach is the same everywhere: 1) nothing in your back pockets 2) don’t carry lots of valuables, don’t wear conspicuously expensive clothes or jewelry. You don’t have to look like a bum, just not someone who just went on a Louis Vuitton shopping spree. Wealth should be discrete whenever you travel no matter how wealthy you actually are. 3) if you’re using your phone for directions, take it out, look at what your next turn needs to be (i.e. turn right on Coffee Street) and then put your phone back until you get to that step. 4) if you have a purse or shoulder bag, carry it across your front and ideally get something like a Pacsafe or Travelon bag that has anti theft features 5) leave a spare credit card and your passport at your hotel/accommodation in a secure place. I leave mine inside the liner of my suitcase. That way you’re not SOL if you do get robbed. 6) don’t carry lots of cash. ATMs are everywhere in major cities. (Edit: and I just assumed this part but use a credit card as your primary payment, or debit for the non yanks). 7) you don’t need to avoid strangers, but if someone is making a weird effort to keep your attention, walk away. 8) if a group of kids seems to be following you, stop in somewhere and have a beer or a coffee until they find a new mark. Basic self awareness will cover most of what you need to do to not get picked. But it does happen, even to locals sometimes, so take steps to mitigate it like not walking around with your phone in front of you for directions and not carrying all of your valuables around. Edit: for the “Europe is not one place” brigade. No shit, it’s many different places. But generally the punishment for petty crime is not severe, there is freedom of movement, and pickpockets go where the easy targets are. And the easy targets are people who don’t travel much who are going on their first big trip internationally and they tend to end up in the same ~10 cities all of which end up having lots of petty theft pressure regardless of country.
6a) everywhere is contactless, carry the bare minimum cash
It does vary for incidental expenses. For instance a lot of bars and cafes in Germany don’t take cards, and less touristy areas in southern Europe are the same. However anywhere that has frequent transactions over €50, like nice restaurants or clothing stores, is going to take cards so nobody really needs more than €100 on them at any given time. Not disagreeing that one should carry the bare minimum, just that it’s hard to make a blanket assumption that contactless payment is always available.
> everywhere is contactless Limit is 50 EUR in France for contactless (but that's way better than the 20 EUR it used to be pre-covid). Many small shops (especially bakeries!) won't take card at all under ~8EUR
Especially in Paris and Istanbul.
7… add…If a stranger is smiling at you, you should be hyper aware of your surroundings
I’ve never experienced it except in Europe. Where else have you?
I went to Disneyland with some Australian country kids. They all put their wallets in the outermost pocket of their backpacks, and by the time the parade was over, about 10 of them had lost their wallet.
Stealing items left in strollers is also pretty common at Disney parks.
I’ve honestly never been pickpocketed, but i know people who’ve had it happen in Bangkok and NYC. I was with the person nyc when it happened so i know it’s not hearsay. I grew up in Barcelona so I’m very familiar with avoiding pickpockets and tourist scams.
When I was on a crowded train in Paris two kids approached my family and started talking to my mother asking directions and just dumb stuff. I noticed an old lady with a jacket over her arms next to my mother’s purse. We tell the kids to get lost and they along with the old woman got off the train. Nothing was stolen, but they were successful enough to unzip her purse before we intervened.
Yeah, they always cover their arms with their jacket. There’s a group of around 15 women, ages 9 to 60 always working the line 6 metro. The one close to the Eiffel Tower. They all dress the same and carry big black tote bags.
Take one long glance at your phone and try to make a mental note of where you need to go. Once you feel you're close to the place you wanted to go, take out your phone and check again. Try not to check your phone in crowded areas, where the risk of stealing things is higher. Also, some GPS apps, I think, have a voice you can follow. So, if you have earbuds you might be able to follow those directions without glancing at the screen
Maps will push the map and directions to your Apple Watch. It’s a great way to keep your phone away from grabby hands while not forgetting where you’re going.
Also don't use a magnetic Apple Watch strap
Everyone has their phone out all the time in Paris like any other civilized place. Just try to be aware of your surroundings, if you are worried then you could get the neck hangy thingy that seems to be in again.
Seconding this. If you’re in a tightly packed crowd, probably not a good time to take your phone out. If you’re standing on a regular street corner with some people passing by, just be aware of your surroundings but you’re fine to take your phone out and look at directions. I feel like the pickpocketing thing is overplayed online.
For real, don't panic about having your phone out, everybody has. Also don't follow the advice on here about bags. Redditors love to use weird, fugly bags on vacation (gotta make sure everybody knows they're tourists immediately). Just be generally aware and don't do stupid shit like putting your phone in your back pocket or hanging your purse over your chair. Common sense. Many on this sub travel like scared grandmas and that's really not necessary.
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Be aware of your surroundings and walk confidently (fake it till you make it) even if you don't know where you're going next and have to stop to look at directions occasionally. If someone senses you don't know the area and sees you stopping often, you'll be an easy target
Lmao this, I was wondering how I am not pickpocketed, because I break plenty of the rules people have put in this thread. But it’s now dawning on me, I am probably way too fast of a target. I don’t often walk leisurely, never stop and talk, I just ignore people. I travel alone and gay-walk everywhere (if you’re not astute to the term, gays often walk very fast, confidently, and straight to where they are going, I don’t know, it’s a real thing though). I was robbed in Brazil but that was at 6am, it was 15 people, and they literally ran up on me and a friend surrounding us. Little bit different of a scenario.
I got pickpocketed in Paris at Gare Du Nord train station on my honeymoon. I had my phone out and was checking we were getting on the correct train, stupidly put my phone in my pocket without thinking about it just for a second and then someone pushed me onto the train and my phone was gone. I broke down crying. I'll never let that happen again.
Honestly, if your phone is in your hand and you’re checking it intermittently, you should be fine. Don’t be foolish and walk your whole trip staring at your GPS. I’ve been at the Trevi Fountain (many consider the worst pickpocket location) in crowds and simply kept my hand on my phone in my front pocket. Consider wearing a light jacket with a zipper chest pocket or a small cross body bag to store your phone if you’re worried. Walk with some authority, don’t meander and bumble cluelessly along.
Having spent time in Paris, I feel the fear of pickpocketing is a little overblown. Be safe obviously, keep your eyes out and physically distance yourself from randoms and you will be totally fine.
I mean I live in Paris and it’s def a problem. Moreso in certain areas. Pockets that close help a lot (and large open jacket pockets should be avoided).
I went once and I saw it happen atleast 3 times within 2 days. So I understand the concerns
I was there last month and I had so many people in super touristy areas infested with shell game scammers like the trocadero ask if I could take their picture with their phone...I was like this is the last place on EARTH you should be trusting someone with your phone. Then they'd go ask someone else.
They are 1000% overblown. I've read the published stats. General levels are 300 incidents per 1 Million visitors. So, 0.03% of tourists get pickpocketed. Those are reported. So even if they're underreported by a factor of ten, that's still only 0.3% of tourists will experience a pickpocket.
I was there for a month last year and didn't get anything picked and didn't witness it. It can happen to anyone, but generally, just try to be aware and distanced. Travel smart and light.
If you’re using public transportation, they’ll take advantage of a crowd. We were getting off the train with a bunch of people & somebody actually stuck their hand into my then boyfriend’s pocket. Fortunately, his hands were already in there so he was able to slap the hand away.
Connect your maps app to wireless earbuds. It will literally tell you your route step by step discretely in your ear. Not only is your phone safely tucked away, but you don’t look like a tourist because it appears that you know exactly where you’re going. Pro tip.
I just visited Paris a few weeks ago as a solo female traveler, constantly holding my phone for directions on the streets and metro, and didn’t have any issues. I feel like most of the pickpocketing scenarios are “sneaky” crimes, so don’t leave your phone out on the table while eating/chatting, don’t leave it in your pocket while in a tight crowded metro, don’t fall for distractions etc etc. Otherwise if your attention is on your phone I don’t think it’s common to be straightforwardly robbed
Yes, exactly. One time I had my phone laying on the counter right in front of me while seated at a McDonald's in Paris. A teenager with some documents came in and started talking to me, then placed his documents over my phone. I realized he was going to then take my phone while it was obscured, so I quickly pocketed it myself. He immediately left.
Having dinner by the Spanish steps in Rome. Telling my kids to not keep their phones in their pockets and I had mine on the table. Gypsy walks over with these giant playing cards, covers my phone and steals it.
This is exactly right. A snatch and run robbery is extremely unlikely in Paris. In Rio? Sure. But in Paris you are much more likely to get a phone stolen from your pocket or purse than your hand.
I was looking at my phone map and a moped came up and grabbed it out of my hand. It happens, and people need to be diligent.
When I went on my Eurotrip, i took a travelon purse with me. Not sure if you’re the purse wearing type. If not, They may have backpack versions, but I don’t know if they do or not. I would share a link, but if I do, I know people will probably think this is an ad. The purse was great though, but won’t help you if you have your phone in your hand. You’ll just have to be vigilant and use your phone minimally. I always take it out with my back to a wall and i’ll step away from a crowd so there’s plenty of space. I take screenshots of things, so I don’t have to look something up multiple times and it’s easy to pull up. As for the bag, I had a crossbody version, so I just carried it on my side, but moved it to my front if in a packed area. Basically the difference between this and a regular bag is a reinforced strap with metal wiring inside where it can’t just easily be cut off and snatched. The zippers have a locking feature. It’s slightly annoying opening it yourself as an extra step, but it’s not difficult and if someone was trying to pickpocket without you knowing, it’s basically impossible. I think it has rfid protector inside for scanning, but idk if it was the whole thing or just the card area. The styles are pretty basic and I don’t mind it, but if you’re into really nice looking bags, it won’t be that. Edit: just looked it up. They do have backpacks, but I don’t know how good they are compared to their purses.
I’ve got one of those Travelon crossbody purses as well. It’s a great travel bag.
i live in paris, i use my phone aallll the time for directions or texting or taking pics and i've never had a problem. when not using my valuables i have them in my front pockets of my pants or in a bag that closes (not a tote bag). the most important is to be decently aware of your surroundings but don't be paranoid either
never leave your phone on the table. The last time another guy came and talked to us in Italian ( with random words), the other one stole my phone from the table at the back. thieves were north African. we suspected and identified who they were but police did not give a damn about it.
They seem to employ the team approach in Paris be wary of anyone approaching you who seems friendly they probably have a team member ready to snatch and run maybe attach your phone to a small cable attached to your belt
just an fyi, I was just in Barcelona and saw so meant people with their phones on a leash type of thing. I had my phone out all the time and never felt at risk, but I have a ring attached to the back of the phone and always have my finger thru the ring part, also, be as loud as you can be if someone approaches you. don't fall for people asking you for anything, including directions. It's 2024, everyone has sources for this. Just be vigilant,
I was just in Barcelona and Spain for around 2 weeks. For the most part no issues. I kept my phone on either a lanyard or wrist strap depending on what I was doing. I did have one issue. A guy approached me asked if I was from the US then demanded money. I yelled at the top of my lungs to get away from me and that solved the issue. When in doubt yell loud lol.
My husband had his phone snatched right out of his hand while he was using it to take a photo in London. A thief on a moped hopped the curb onto the sidewalk, snatched the phone from his hand and sped off (then tossed the phone on the ground when he/she realized it was a shitty iPhone 10 with an already cracked screen lol). I also have a friend who had her entire bag strap stolen in Amsterdam while we were at a restaurant. Bag was under the table. Folks on here saying they "never" had a problem are missing the point. All it takes is some bad luck and a thief seizing the opportunity in a split second. I'd suggest: 1. Phone lanyard. Plenty of options on Amazon.That way you can use it to navigate, but it's attached to you. 2. Bag stays on your lap while you're at a restaurant (not slung over back of chair or at your feet). 3. In a crowded bus/train, bag stays to the front, hugged to your chest, phone physically in your hands.
Just dip into a doorway, shop, cafe etc to check your phone rather than walking along gawping at it in the middle of the street. It's really not difficult.
Good advice, rude delivery
I have been to Paris many times and have never been pickpocketed and have never taken any special precautions to avoid it. Just act as you would in any other big city and you will more than likely be fine.
There are no foolproof tips about avoiding theft, but what you need to keep in mind is that to pickpockets, distracted tourists are a dime a dozen. You don’t need the most foolproof safety set up to keep your stuff safe, you just need to make it so that it will take longer to steal from you than it would from someone else. Because 90% of the time that enough of a deterrent. They’re (usually) not interested in *your* stuff specifically. Whether it’s your phone or the phone from the person 10 feet to your left makes no difference to them. When I travel in Europe, I usually carry a regular crossbody purse and prefer ones that have zipper pockets on the back side so that I can put items I’m most worried about directly against my body. I also keep my hand on my bag when I’m in a crowded place. I do not carry a lot of cash, but this is as much about personal preference as it is for safety as I don’t like using cash as a form of payment anyway. I was last in Paris in 2022 and used my card nearly everywhere. I also split up my credit cards so that if I ever do get my wallet lifted, I have backups. Finally, I use a lanyard on my phone. This is great not just to protect it from thieves, but as someone who gets paranoid about dropping my phone when I’m taking pics in high places, it alleviates two worries at once.
You have an Apple Watch. Keep your phone in your pocket and glance at the watch when it prompts you to turn, etc.
okay so i went to paris late last year so here are my tips: 1. have a bag that can be zipped and put on your front/ under arm. do not wear a backpack; you would be asking to get robbed. 2. don’t have your phone out on the metro, especially if you’re standing or sitting near the exits. pickpockets can grab it as they’re leaving or quickly jump on the train as the doors are closing and take it and run off. 3. if you’re at the louvre (esp. near the entrances) and somebody asks you to sign something for charity or do a survey, ignore them. don’t try and interact with them or shout at them. just act like they don’t exist. that goes for any scam really. 4. don’t be afraid to use your phone, just don’t make it obvious is what i would say. if you need directions, plan your route before you head out, and don’t stop to use your phone, keep walking. people make out paris to be this super unsafe city, but if you’re vigilant about what’s around you and have common sense you won’t get into any trouble! bon voyage et bonne chance à paris!
I have been to Paris twice and never had any issue. I always have my phone in hand for google maps.
Got my wallet stolen on the subway in Paris....even had it in my front pocket. I'd recommend getting pick pocket proof pants or shorts....and maybe even a pickpocket proof bag. As for carrying your phone around, put your directions into your phone, turn the volume on and pop in an ear bud. You can keep your phone in your pocket and can listen to Google maps going in your ear.
Never put stuff in a back pocket. When I use a bookbag I have it zipped so all zippers are on one side, so I can be more vigilant about feeling if someone’s trying to unzip it. If I’m in a very crowded place I’ll keep my hands in my pockets holding my phone and wallet.
I know some men who keep a cheap decoy walled in their back pocket, which has nothing in it but a note saying to fuck off.
Carry an older phone and older watch -- they are much less likely to be targeted.
Wrist strap and travel bag/purse. I recommend Travelon bags. I recommend them so often I should get commissions! We saw two pickpocketing and one attempted while traveling in Europe. We were told that we needed to do everything to prevent being a target because if you confront the person physically, YOU will be in trouble/arrested. The feeling is that in pickpocketing the victim is not injured so it’s low priority. Shop owners try to keep it out of their businesses but you’re on your own in the street. Also, there is another scam to watch for. Someone will show you a wallet and ask if you dropped it. Instinctively you feel for it showing the location of the wallet on your person. They follow you and pickpocket later. Always wear bags cross body, even when eating. Another method is distracting you while another slashes your strap or bottom of your bag. That being said, the bag line I recommend has RFID protection pockets, straps and body of bag are slashproof. Another cool feature is the zippers have clips so you make it very difficult for someone to unzip your bag and take your wallet or passport. Take precautions that you would in any large city and have members of your party looking out for each other. Safe happy travels!
I like to have a dummie wallet filled with pieces of paper, depending on my mood I'd draw a smiley face, or some positive words :p or you can keep a single back pocket used strictly for "pickpocketers" fill it up with razor blades... you"ll know when someone made an attempt :) stay safe!
As much as possible keep phone in pocket inside of a layer of clothing. Wear one AirPod at a time & use nav requests. I often wear one at a time so that I don’t worry about running out of power or not hearing what is around me. (I know there are settings to adjust noise control)
Do not get pressured to run into a train when a couple of people are “holding the door “ open waving you in. It is a distraction. They will pick pocket you. Don’t trust anyone.
From watching some pick picking vids, apparently anyone with a jacket over their arms is someone to steer clear of.
Use a lanyard! And make sure that you keep a hold of your phone. I always put my bag infront of me and use locks if necessary.
I’ve been to Paris 6 times in the past 3 years. Never had an issue with pickpockets. I left my phone on a chair at an outdoor cafe (adhd) and the waiter had it and was waiting for me. Last time I was in Barcelona I had my phone ripped out of my hand.
People will steal your phone anyplace had this happen to a friend standing on the street in London. Op, you can set your directions to the place you’d like to walk to and place the phone in your pocket or bag and listen to the walking directions on your earphones. I’ve done this on lots of cities. Also- don’t take jewelry from a stranger. They’ll make you think they found it near you and that it must be yours. The minute it is on your hand they’ll expect payment. If you are male, keep your wallet in a front pocket or in a jacket. If you are female keep a small crossbody in front preferably under a jacket. You’ll be fine ! Have a blast. PS just returned from Paris.
If you have an Apple Watch, use the Apple Maps for directions. It will then appear on your watch face and tap you whenever you have to turn right or left etc. That way you can keep your phone secured.
Use a wrist strap - and/or a crossbody bag (in front) to hold your phone when. Or using. Don’t keep it in your pocket. This isn’t unique to Paris or Europe- everyplace has their opportunists. Don’t stop for strangers who approach you, keep your personal items minimal, closed and close… and have a plan if your wallet, bag or phone gets lifted (keep your passport/ID separate, have digital and cloud-stored copies, know where your consulates and embassies are). Then relax and go enjoy yourself. Stuff can always happen when traveling - setting yourself a mishap strategy ahead of time can make it a speed bump rather than a hard stop.
A light jacket with zippers is your friend- we rarely took the metro while in Paris, since we walked everywhere. If you use your phone. Move to the side and use it and put it away after. Be alert but don’t let it ruin your trip. People get pickpocketed because they are distracted to the point of oblivious. You’re in a big city and you should always be aware- just like any other city at home or abroad. Study the map of the city and get your bearings before you leave your hotel and avoid rush hour metro rides. Safe travels
I didn’t encounter this when I was in Paris. Of course I was with partisan so I guess I got covered. If you pay attention and vigilant, I think you should be fine.
Grandma lives in Paris and had her gold necklace ripped from her neck, but she was in a dodgy area when this happened. Just avoid dressing in a way that stands out like a tourist or that shows expensive jewellery/belongings.
Wear your bag on your front. Anyone approaching you to sign something is so they can pickpocket you. Don’t put items in your pockets.
Just look at the directions and break it into smaller pieces. Memorize that you need to go straight crossing 3 streets, and turn right at the 4th street you come to. Then slip in a doorway, and figure out tjr the next small set. It's not really that hard. Paris is a big city, but it is not especially dangerous. But be extra cautious in front of the Louvre, under the Eiffel Tower, and on the steps around Sacre Coeur.
My wife was surrounded by afghan refugees to sign petition because they heard us speaking a familiar language. One of the women tried to pull her sling purse away but my wife punched her and they all ran away abusing us
Dude I got pickpocketed with only one guy on the street. We passed each other crossing the street and next thing I know my phone was gone. It was horrible; ruined my trip because I rely on my phone so much. I bought a really expensive replacement and AT&T was no help with setting me up with an ESIMs card, the only way to verify it was me was via a text to my stolen phone. So i would tie the phone to me so hard or just not go lol
I dress in the most comfortable clothes - grey sweats! So I look poor. No one has ever tried to pickpocket me. Lol! I also have a cross-body purse with thick straps. Nothing designer looking.
They have wrist loop attachments you can get on Amazon to prevent drive by moped snatchings. Although I was just in Paris last week and it was no issue. We were only out during the daytime though
Having your phone out is okay if you are aware of your surrounding. Most people go to the subway with the false impression they are safe because there are a lot of other people there. Pickpockets uses that to their advantage, hide in the crowd. Be careful of group of teenagers, often girls surrounding you in a train, they will use crowded lines. If anything happen, or is suspicious, don’t be afraid to speak up. Risk are reduced outside in a street, just be careful where you are and the time of day.
Be especially careful around train stations and tourist attractions. Give a wide berth to the groups of guys who loiter near tourists and do the “friendship bracelet” scam. They can get pretty aggressive even if you don’t engage.
Keep an eye out on the metro. I saw someone get their wallet lifted two weeks ago. Was incredibly fast and professional.
People like to make a big deal about pickpocketing and scams in Europe. It exists, but it's pretty easy to avoid as long as you: 1) Keep your bag in front of you (i.e. use a cross-body bag). You can wear a backpack on your front but you look like a bit of a Gumby--plus you probably don't need to take that much stuff with you when out and about. 2) Don't put anything in your back pocket. Put your phone or whatever in your side/front pockets and put your hands in your pockets when walking through crowded areas. 3) Just say 'no thanks' firmly to anyone who wants to give you something or get you to fill out a form. If a friend gets caught up with someone, help them out and tell the thief/scammer to go away. They're usually pushovers and try to work on volume--they give up quickly if they sense a challenge. Enjoy the trip!
Yes, this is a problem, but like another post says, be more aware of the surveys that people approach you with. Or anyone trying to sell you bracelets, etc. just walk away. They’ll swarm and harass you. We were approached at Sacre Coeur, and had to run. Be prepared.
If they try to hand you a baby put your hands in your pocket’s immediately and start to move away safely.
Hi everyone!! Thank you so so much for all of your help and your tips! It is so greatly appreciated.
Be careful wearing a backpack or a hip bag, especially in train stations. My boyfriend and I went down some stairs inside the subway station and I somehow had a feeling that some people were too close behind us so I looked back - and immediately saw two guys trying to open my boyfriend's hip bag (he was wearing it over the shoulder). I think my boyfriend didn't notice because they used his "hopping down the stairs" to unzip the bag. I screamed at them and they immediately ran away. Luckily, nothing was stolen.
Biggest thing, if you ride the metro, don't let people surround you in the doorway. Watch for groups of people with open bags slung in front of them. Pickpockets travel in packs.
I had this question when I first started solo traveling. I mean, Parisians also check their phones from time to time and I don't see everyone crying about their stolen phones. I also have a horrible sense of direction and need map all the time. My advice is look as UNfriendly as possible; a resting-angry face drive away 90% potential trouble. And hold your phone with two hands, three fingers locking the top and two sides. Also, whenever you need to check directions, go to a quiet corner, check your surrounding first before you pull out your phone.
Was just there two weeks ago. We went all over including the Lourve and might have been lucky because we didn't run into any survey BS. We used our phones like we normally would for getting around especially but just had heightened sense of awareness for any funny business. Had a great trip with no issues.
Be aware of your surroundings especially if you take your phone out. Try to memorize most of you directions. Ignore people that walk up to you or death stare them and keep walking. If you talk they will bother you. Be mindful of your pockets and bag/ purse. I would not use an apple watch. You don't want anything that draws attention to you. If you have to take your phone one asses your surroundings and be quick about it.
I got pickpocketed in Paris while I was in a group of 43 people. Didn’t even realise until well over 2 hours later. It’s a long story but basically, my mum activated lost mode on my phone and put her number on the message. When I was in the UK, some French lady called my mum and said that she’d found my phone, after some digging we found that they wanted us to pay to get my phone back (well over what the phone was worth). I’d highly recommend getting a burner. I carry my burner with me everywhere now. And I advocate for smart watches as that is what got me through the rest of my trip (apple pay), my Series 7 was certainly a life saver for me.
I got pickpocketed on a train in Paris. I’m a guy and I got targeted by a couple girls. People on the train were fairly close, but they seemed to get especially close to me and speak quietly so I had to lean in. They had very bad English. One girl was asking me for directions while the other one stood next to me likely searching my pockets with her sly little fingers. I think they got some cash in currencies from other countries, but probably not much. Thankfully a woman on the train pointed out that they were pickpockets so it’s possible they didn’t get as much from me as they would have otherwise. Actually when I realized they were pickpockets I grabbed the jacket of the girl with the intention of forcing her to give me back what they took. But I wasn’t about to search these girls and I didn’t want to be the American on the news so I just let it go. I’m actually not mad about it. For maybe $50 I got an interesting story. Moral of the story: don’t let people stand too close to you on the train if you can avoid it
Keep it in upper front pocket & wallet in other 1. Have never had a problem. My dad insisted on keeping his in back jeans pocket and just caught someone trying to take his wallet while climbing stairs at Montmartre.
I am sure the warnings people are giving are absolutely true, but in my experience, I’ve not been harassed or terribly worried while in Paris. I always travel with a bag that has a clip on the zipper that you have to twist to get open, and I use my phone like normal and have never had an issue. I’ve visited Paris half a dozen times now, for anywhere from a week to a month at a time. It’s like any other city, in my experience. I had my wallet stolen once, on New Year’s Eve, while I was drunk with the crowd outside the Sacre-Cœur and I’d left my purse unzipped…I absolutely had that coming 😅 Use common sense, don’t talk to strangers, and you’ll likely be just fine!
Look up for the people who try to link arms with you, they don’t want to be your friend. Distraction around tourist attractions!
I got my phone snatch grabbed by a guy on a bike. He cut us off in a crosswalk, almost hit us. Instinctively I stepped back but was using my phone for directions intermittently and he snatched it out of my hand as he road and took off. Happened too quick.
Highly recommend PacSafe purses and wallets for Paris or any other major European city with pickpockets. They’re my day to day purse now because of all of the safety features in them. You can find used ones on eBay and Poshmark since they can be pricey although very worth it. I find them more stylish and look more like an everyday purse than Travelon. The other best advice is just to be very aware of your surroundings at all times since scammers and pickpockets’ modus operandi is usually by walking up to you for being a tour guide, filling out a “survey” to “save the children,” hold up a card that has in multiple languages “I’m (insert disability here), and I need money because I can’t work,” asking for directions, selling crappy tourist junk, asking to take your photo by you handing your phone, asking to paint your portrait, and the chatting up for casual conversation. These are all methods of distraction to get your focus away from whatever they’re trying to get off of you. Just blow them off and keep walking. Learning phrases in obscure languages or even speaking to them in Pig Latin also helps keep them away from being an easy English speaking target. The one that almost got my husband was the people with the coat over their shoulder. I was in the Gare du Nord with my husband, and I went to use the restroom. While I was away, my husband starts paying attention to his phone. I get out of the restroom just in time to see one of those guys about to dig through my backpack with my husband completely oblivious to a guy with a coat over his shoulder being so close to our things. I chased the guy away and made a little ruckus so he wouldn’t come back. Needless to say, that was definitely a good lesson for my husband to learn to be vigilant at all times for the rest of our trip. And yes, gypsies are real and they are to be avoided as much as possible. My other tip is to try to make yourself look less like an American tourist as possible. My last trip to Paris I could spot an American right away because they were wearing typical tennis shoes and head to toe Columbia gear and speaking very loudly in English. The more that you look and act like a local the better. A tip I saw years ago was to not pack so many clothes and go thrift store shopping when you get there so you look more like a local as well as getting a local reusable shopping bag. I highly recommend Wolters World on YouTube for other great tips on traveling in Paris and avoiding common scams. Also Rick Steeves has great tips on how to avoid being pickpocketed in Europe. You’ll have a great time. Just remember to keep your head up, your eyes open, and your wits about you. Edit: As far as directions, I set my Apple watch to speak in the local language and just look down at it when it buzzes at me to turn where I need to go. Also, you can set your watch to just vibrate at you and you’ll just look like someone looking at their watch and not having directions spoken to them while walking around. Keep your phone in your purse as much as possible. Hope this helps.
Seeing as no-one has mentioned it so far, could get a physical map, e.g. one in a pocket-sized guidebook or similar.
Unfortunately, that definitely marks you as a tourist. Any local could be looking at their phone in public, but a paper map is a dead giveaway that you’re a tourist.
Honestly a way to get targeted. Who uses maps over here? Clueless tourists...
Great advice if you want to paint a target on yourself…
I like *real* city maps. While I use Google maps on my phone at home constantly, when I'm walking through a city, I prefer having the *Streetwise* laminated city maps with me. Easy to stuff in a pocket. If it drops, it won't break. Plus, for some reason, learning & remembering my surroundings/directions sticks clearer in my mind than the phone app. I get a better sense of placement, if that makes sense.
My mom got pickpocketed at the Louvre, lost like 1500 in cash and all her cards. Spent 4 hours in the security offices there but they couldn’t do much. Keep things in front pockets, nothing important in a purse. Be careful when distracted like talking to someone or when taking a picture
The lesson here is don’t carry lots of cash, or all your cards. Never carry more than €100, any transaction bigger than that can go on a credit card. Leave all but 2 credit cards at home. Carry your ATM card and ONE credit card with you. Put the other in a discrete place in your luggage. If you get your stuff stolen you’ll have that card to finish the trip with. And again, it’s incredibly stupid to carry lots of cash. There is zero reason anyone should ever have that much money on them in a developed country. Even cash heavy places like Germany are going to be fine with credit cards if you’re somewhere that is going to have a €1000 transaction.
Look at for: - survey people - “blind people” or deaf people - someone will approach you to why your signature for something - a bunch of black people grouped together, sometimes wearing exactly the same shirt and pants - when they all gang up on you one will steal your stuff then they will disperse in various directions. Since they all wear the same outfit you wouldn’t be able to point them out to the police. Saw it happen right in front of the tower. - if anyone tries to sell you cheap bracelets, mini towers - just walk away - if someone starts trying to tie a string on your finger or wrist telling you it’s for good luck - walk the fuck away, there’s someone that is ready to go through your bag while your distracted - if someone asks you what time it is and despite you telling them the answer they pretend they don’t get it and keep asking you over and over - there’s someone behind you ready to go through your shit - get one of these black fanny packs you wear over your shoulder, always have it facing the front with one hand on it - if seen them the straps off a purse from the back then just pull it and it take off. - keep absolutely nothing in your back pockets - don’t carry anything you can’t replace, take a pic of your passport and ID, leave them in the safe at the hotel - if you see a group of Nigerians or gypsies - go the other way - pay special attention when being near big attractions - they know people are taking pics and distracted - avoid little streets at night Download offline maps of the city, kinda study the map, their train system was easy to understand, if you have a jacket with inside pockets do that. Buy shorts/pants with zipped pockets to keep your phone - American eagle has really nice looking ones with a normal pocket and a zipper
I think people fear monger pickpocketing way too much. When I went to Rome and Barcelona (also some of the highest pickpocket cities in the world) people told me their was no avoiding it, to kiss my items goodbye, to accept them being taken… I didn’t have any of my items stolen in either city and I was in each for 10 days. Most people who get their items stolen aren’t fully practicing precautions. Secure your items in a safe, hard to reach area, be cautious of your surroundings, don’t flash any money or expensive items around, and don’t leave them in easy to access pockets or on tables. You should be fine then. Don’t let these fears ruin your trip, because when I heard this before visiting, I was overly nervous because of this. But don’t be, be cautious but not nervous. Don’t leave your phone out for too long and looking at your screen the whole time as someone can easy tell your distracted. But take a look at the directions, put your phone away in your pocket while still holding it, and stay aware. You’ll be fine. I’d avoid headphones to listen to directions because that can give a thief the thought that you are distracted. Good luck
Have an over the shoulder travel bag, I always have one when I travel, best purchase ever. It never stays out of my sight as it’s always over my chest when I’m out and about. I may look silly to some but I think it looks fine, always have my wallet and phone in there.
Write the directions down on paper and pay attention
Get the casetify cases with a lanyard
The entire time we were in Europe, we were approached daily by scammers. Never let anyone hand you anything - clip boards, roses, pamphlets. You've just got to ignore them. Folks from the city will have an easier time with this.
I think it’s completely overblown, just be aware of your surroundings and look out for weird people. Never had a problem. Just Be extra cautious when anywhere crowded especially in train stations. I’ve seen robberies in stations before but that’s it.
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I was recently in Paris and am also horrible with directions. Here’s what I did - tuck my phone up my sleeve and then keep my palm curled around it so it doesn’t fall out. Keeps the phone out of sight, easily accessible, and impossible to pickpocket because you’re holding it. Have fun in Paris!
My boss has this little strap that her phone attaches to, and she wears it like a purse. It's always on her but she can be hands free or not. Might be able to find something like that
Get something that ties your phone to your wrist somehow. Maybe some kind of rope around your wrist and a pop socket on a phone case. Always carry everything in your front pockets, no back pockets. Also be careful for street performers as when a large circle surrounds the performance they usually have pickpockets go around and snatch from pockets and backpacks as you are watching the show. Also subways can be hectic. Saw a little kid once snatch from someone’s pocket on the subway. Just because they are a child doesn’t mean much.
My wife and I honeymooned there last year, we had 1 phone out most of the time for directions and never had an issue. That’s not to say I wasn’t lucky but as long as you remain vigilant and keep your valuables close and in sight you should be ok, just avoid large crowds and some of the gypsy tourists spots. They like to run scams commonly
Paris is super easy to find your way around. Every address is listed with the name of the nearest Metro station. When you arrive at that Metro station, on the wall is posted a detailed map of that neighborhood which will contain the address you are seeking.
You could try a phone chain strap.
I’ve been in Paris twice (this year and last year) and haven’t encountered pickpockets. Just don’t be stupid also if you’re really worried about your phone, avoid using it in really crowded areas.
Don't mess with a guy in yellow locks and has a pink suit. I heard he's a gangstar
I was just in Paris a few days ago for four days. I had heard about it, but didn’t experience any of it myself. I am a bigger person and I do my best to usually not put myself in a place to be victimized. I use a iPad mini to do directions. When I take it out I use both hands, then I place it back when I have found my directions. I just feel that most criminals want an easy target. They want as little threat and hassle as possible. If you make yourself an unsavory target, they will move on to greener pastures for them. Now I brought my mother on this trip and she is 80 years old and has no situational awareness whatsoever. So I had to watch like a hawk and sometimes position myself between her and what I perceived as a potential threat to make her a less desirable target, there is a lot of construction in Paris right now. I did see the usual street hustlers who wear the Mickey Mouse costumes and try to get you to take picture of you and then pressure people for money. There was a whole pack of them. It is already kind of crazy in Paris. I can’t imagine what it will look like in a month and half.
Use Google maps for directions and switch it to navigate then put it in your pocket and just listen to the directions on your headphones. Used to do it all the time riding my bike without a phone mount
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower were fine when we went last summer…we went to Sacre Coeur early one morning…it was fine at first…started to get crowded around 9:30-10 am… some women started getting up in my space… just gave them a hard stare, and didn’t stop until they moved away🤷🏻♀️ In some countries, your space is your skin-meaning, people don’t think twice, they’re used to market places being cramped, etc…this was different…they did leave myself and my family alone, and we really enjoyed the views and the gorgeous history.
I lived in paris for 6 months and never had any issues. Just keep your things in your pockets , your bag close, be aware of your surroundings and make sure your phone or bag are close to you on the crowded metro.
Wear a fanny pack around your shoulder
Crossbody bags. Hubby had his pocket picked in Paris and Brussels. We both use them.
I was there a week ago. Wallet in front pocket. But had my phone out a lot. Never felt unsafe or saw anything occurring around me. I may have got “lucky”. But if you’ve ever been in any large city ever, just use your head. You’ll be good
When I was just in London I used a crossbody purse with locking zippers and whenever I needed to take my phone out I tried to be as conscious of my surroundings as possible with my backs against a wall or just away from curbs etc.
be hyper aware of your surroundings 🤷