I guess this would work? I guess thieves are less likely to walk off with a suitcase, but who knows!. I do know that your insurance probably wouldn't pay out for theft unless valuables were locked in a safe. Denny

I always pay for the safe, but it's never big enough to put everything in, so this is what I do:
Categorise the valuables according to "valuable-ness".
Put the "very valuables" in the safe, and anything else small enough to fit.
Put the "other valuables" in your small suitcase and lock it, then put the small suitcase inside the medium suitcase and lock that. Then put the whole lot inside the biggest suitcase, and leave it casually unlocked with your pile of dirty washing gathering on top. Put it all in the bottom of the wardrobe, and make it look messy so nobody will want to bother with it.
Of course, this only works if you have a set of suitcases with graduated sizes, and I always zip the lock round to the back of the smaller suitcase(s) so they aren't noticed from the front of the unlocked one.

Not a bad idea but if anyone ever did run off with your suitcase full of valuables, you'd have a hard time persuing an insurance claim if there was a safe available and it wasn't used. The trouble with padlocks, especially the small ones is they are relatively easy to break and if someone was determined to get at your valuable, to the extent of breaking in to your room, I'm sure they'd be able to get the lock off easy enough.

I'd stick with a safe although having said that, there was a crime sprea in Lanzarote a few years ago and the apartments my dad were staying at had things go missing out of safes in rooms. It turned out the maintenance man was on the fiddle and taking bits and pieces out of safes while people were out during the day It was reported to the police and the insurance paid up. A suitcase full of valuble in that example would have left you out of pocket.

Darren

You'll find that if you don't hire a safe (where the service is available) then your insurance policy will/can become void, as the insurance "people" will interpret this, as you not having taken all reasonable measures to safeguard your valuables.

I guess thieves are less likely to walk off with a suitcase, but who knows!.

Oh don't you believe that, people walking in/out of an hotel with a suitcase are not going to attract anybodies attention, and don't you think that the thieves know that too.?

One hotel that I stay in had a spate of burglaries a few years ago, they took the safe !
The safe was bolted to a wooden shelf in the wardrobe, so they just knocked out the shelf, broke the wood away from the safe and put the safe in an holdall and casually walked passed the reception and out of the hotel.

Another thing, the hotel itself will insure their safes and you have a case to address the hotel, if anything is take from it.

It baffles me when people spend thousands of pounds on a holiday, clothes and whatever, then skimp on the cost of a safe, which is around £1.50 a day. but of course it's never going to happen to them, is it.?
Sorry, but I think some people just need to get their priorities right and I have no sympathy for anyone who doesn't hire a safe.

Yes, it seems like an added expense that we could all do without, it's money we could all spend on other things, but the number of times people come on this forum bleating about how they had their passport nicked/lost because they walked around with it every day, instead of taking advice from the TO's, the Passport Agency and the Home Office to keep it in the safe, or when jewellery from their room goes missing because they left it in full view for temptation.

They waste the best part of their holiday getting the crime reported and arranging another passport to fly home, plus the emotional upset. If I couldn't afford a safe, then I can't afford to go on holiday.
IMO: It's just not worth the hassle and if I've put everything that I value in a safe, then I've done everything that anyone could ask of me to safeguard my valuables.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I have an annual policy with Nationwide and valuables are covered provided they are in a locked safety deposit box or "locked accommodation".

I am really loathe to use a safety deposit box as we have been to several hotels and apartments where it was the people who had used them that had their stuff stolen. One was at a hotel in Cambrils, Costa Dorada where there was a spate of safety deposit boxes being ripped out of the wardrobes.

luci

I kind of agree with Luci, I've read so many reports about valuables going missing from the actual safes themselves that I'm put off using them. I sort of see it as the theives know exactly where to look! But I always make sure that the insurance we have states that they are coverered against theft from a safety deposit box OR a locked room! Cash wise I always use the ATM's so never have more than 200€ in cash and it's always on me anyway!

its the second place thiefs go for, have been aware of far too many people avoiding using the safe deposit box and thiefs know next place is the suitcase. Just remember that insurance will probably try to find a way out of paying. IF the deposit box is stolen from (or just plain stolen!) at least you know you are covered by your insurance AND the hotels insurance (which is why it normally has a charge).

I think its a neccesary evil, just like insurance!

Using the hotel room or reception safes always makes me feel better.I would never take a chance of not hiring one and using suitcases.
Plus as previous posters say,insurance will not cover theft if you don't take the necessary precautions.

No worried in the US, or Vegas at least, as all the safety deposit boxes are free!

luci

We always use the safe. In Egypt, they come with the room anyway and there is no surcharge. Electronically controlled, you invent your own password.
We have also found this to be the case in Malta and Gozo.
If safe facilities are not available as standard, we always hire them. We would not want to take the risk that we get owt nicked.

Saw these - bit gross but might deter a would be thief!!!

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060410/fake-soiled-underpants-for-home-security/



Carmel

Would never chance leaving any valuables in a case, since I heard of a girl who got back from the beach in Benidorm, to find that her case had been ripped open with a knife and her cash taken!

We were in an apartment block in Ibiza last year and the safety deposit boxes were in the foyer. A number of people were concerned that when they went to the boxes their stuff seemed to have been moved, I have to admit I didn't actually hear anyone say anything was missing, it turns out that the master key was behind reception where any of the staff could get hold of it!