Without wishing to offend anyone but I find the idea of people having large sums of money and credit cards "Lifted" bizarre. In all the years I have been going on foreign holidays the only time I take my cards with me is when I know I will be going to use them. The same goes with surplus cash. They stay in the safe - which we always make a point of renting at check in. If I take my cards then they are returned to said safe ASAP.

Now as far as keeping things safe I carry my wallet in my trousers pocket and walk with my hand in my pocket. Clutching said wallet. I have tried money belts. I have several but have found them to be a nuisance and the very act of accessing them only draws attention to the fact.

I have never been robbed to date (touch wood) but can well understand how people feel when it happens. The only advice I can give is only carry what you need and leave the rest back in the hotel/apartment. Having said that I am often surprised when I see how much some people actually carry around. I respect those who steal, it is there profession and some are very good at what they do. I will also admit that should I find someone trying to steal from me I would be equally professional about it. I would kick seven bells out of them.

fwh

I don't tend to carry large sums of money, but I am 'at risk' on the day of travelling of course when I have about 300 Euros and have my passport tickets debit card (no credit card) on me in my handbag. As soon as I am booked in I get a safe and put everthing of value in it including my camera if the safe is big enough and I cam not taking it with me.

Miss Pink's post could have been written by me except when I go to Cuba there is little alternative to carrying a lot more than just 300 Euros in cash - I usually have at least £500 on me, but often quite a bit more for a longer trip. Once there I only ever carry the minimum necessary for immediate needs. And during Carneval I stash the cash in a little fabric pocket in my bra because carrying a hand or soulder bag is real no-no! One does of course have to be discreet about fishing it out!

However, when travelling between overnight stays on a tour you have no option but to carry everything with you so I find a moneybelt I bought at Gatwick a few years ago invaluable. I think it is by Trip or some such obvious 'travel-gadget' name. It's in a fine lightweight microfibre fabric with two zipped pockets on an adjustable elastic waiststrap and is designed to be worn inside your clothes. I find that it's just big enough to take passport, cash and cards and is invisible under anything but the tightest of clothes. As long as you are wearing separates and not a dress (big mistake - only did it the once and learnt my lesson!) you can access the contents fairly discretely because the zips are at the top and hence at waistband level.

I've never been in a situation to find out personally whether it works or not but I have also often followed the advice of a friend who always carried his cash in similar belt but also always made sure that he did have a wallet with some cash in it in a pocket so that if he was mugged he could hand that over and get away with the mugger thinking that this was all he had on him. And it did work for him in New York where he reckoned that it was worth losing $20 dollars to just be able to walk away leaving the mugger with te impression that UK tourists were strapped for cash!

SM

Thanks for telling me what an idiot I was not to have put everything in the safe. However, as I pointed out, we'd been in the country all of 55 minutes, were in the train from airport to destination, and so putting everything in the safe wasn't really an option for us as RENFE haven't yet provided safes on their trains.

Thanks to Sma for some sensible advice re: dummy wallet, will definitely consider that. In the meantime, I've bought a moneybelt off Amazon.

As pickpocketing has become more prevelant in many places here are some tips from things that I do, & some that others have come up with, many are common sense, but a few adjustments to your normal routine can help a lot:
The vulnerable time is travelling, when you have to have everything with you. Treat it exactly the same, only carry the cash you need on your person, bury all other cash/cards/valuables at the bottom of your hand luggage, you don't need it all in your pockets, if it's not easy for you to access, it's not so easy for them either!
Never, ever have wallets in back pockets or side pockets on cargo pants, far too easy a target for the experienced.
For women using a handbag, wear it across the shoulder & choose one that has a zipped back pocket that sits against your body, in crowds keep your arm across it. I have one that is not at all fancy or trendy, but perfect for travelling, every pocket in it is difficult to get into!
The hotspots are public transport, crowded areas, tourist spots etc, which is obvious, but there are a few times when you can be less attentive & open an opportunity for the pickpockets. The first is anywhere that is a photo opportunity. You have your arms raised holding your camera up, concentrating on what you are watching & filming, this leaves ALL pockets & handbags vulnerable. Exactly the same in busy shopping areas, particularly markets, you are leaning over, looking at, or examining items, again a free access to those pockets & bags you have been so carefully guarding.
Sitting at outside bars & restaurants (even some indoor ones!) a bag is best placed on your lap, otherwise tied to your chair, strap around the leg of it, or if it's a camera bag, bum bag etc with clip straps then undo them & clip around the chair. In sight, or on your lap is best of course, straps can be cut, but just make it more difficult than slinging over the back of a chair where you can't see it!
For those that don't like the money belts against your body, try using a small camera bag that clips to your belt, you wear it in front, easy to rest your hand on, & the right size for a few essentials such as cash, mobile & cards when you do need to take them with you.
Some of these things seem more hassle for you, but remember, it makes it more hassle for them too, they will always look for the easiest target first, don't be one!
Lastly, the advice about taking out only what you need is sensible & logical, if you haven't got it with you they can't steal it.
Stay safe everyone & take care.

Athensfan - good advice. eviljock - please don't think you are an idiot - you are just like the rest of us who trust people....
We were in Barcelona for a day trip from Cardiff so we had our passports, cards, cash - everything with us.
We were the main avenue - you all know where - a 'lady' had her hand down the front of my bag quicker
than my husband could (!) - I said 'please go away' or something like that(!!) - but one of her 'hands' was still in my bag - her other two hands were still on view, showing off her table clothes = 3 hands. Luckily, she released her grip - we were left with a very scary situation but we still had our valuables etc - it could happen to anyone, eviljock (not sure about your name though!!!!).

3 weeks later - even after we advised our friends who were travelling on the train to watch out
for unsavoury characters - he was dipped - he chased after them, leaving his wife on the train with
no husband, no money, no cards and passports - the train set off from the station and she had no idea where or when she would meet up with him again. A nightmare - they have learned a lesson BUT would still go back - don't know if we would!.

When the advice is to leave all valuables in the safe - what is the point of owning/taking cameras/phones/nice and special items with you if you cannot use them? I would love to hear the advice from fellow frequent travellers. x

this I know you will laugh at......I only carry a small amount of cash in my purse....the rest and my cards are in a strong plastic bag and pinned with a nappy pin to the inside of my knickers....soon as I can my cards go in a safe.....or large notes I may need when going out for meal and an evening entertainment.....or a special day out ect....goes in a plastic bag inside my tight fitting bras....when Im running low on ready cash I go the loo and transfere some more cash into my purse .....tweetie

Suppose you could call this personal banking

what is the point of owning/taking cameras/phones/nice and special items with you if you cannot use them?

None at all! I think that you have to be sensible and accept that at some times and in some places, it's just too risky to take decent stuff away with you. For example, I leave the Blackberry at home and take a very basic old Nokia with me to Cuba rather than put temptation in the way of people who have very little. It does all I'll ever need to do whilst there, that is send txts and make phonecalls in an emergency. Similarly, I leave the SLR and lenses at home and take a very compact Canon Ixus - it slips into the side of my bra under my arm and can't be seen through a moulded/padded one. And when I'm using it, I use a wrist strap that can be tightened so it can't just be easily taken out of my hand.

Barcelona has such an awful reputation for street crime that I would take similar precautions - just as I do in London which can be just as bad. Like Tweetie, I think that the closer you keep any cash to your body the safer it is - hence the moneybelt etc. And I never realised when I was teenager that having lopsided boobs would turn out to be such an asset when travelling

SM

Hi Tweetie and SMa.

Thanks for making me laugh. Just a pity I am but a mere male and don't have the bra option available. All hints and advice taken on board anyhow.

Best wishes,

Jock.

I could come up with an alternative suggestion for your 'personal banking' EvilJock but you could only use it if you weren't wearing your kilt the traditional way

SM

hi eviljock.....pin the plastic bag to the inside of the waist band of your trousers...tweetie

Eviljock was going to suggest you insert summat in your pants but...

hi....have been thinking....which is dangerous.....my lad does sport....and he used to have a jock strap....there was a pouch in it where you put a hard plastic elongated cup to protect the future family allowance......this would be ideal peice of kit for eviljock to hide away his cash in ....tweetie

Ladies, ladies!! I am blushing with all this talk of nether-garments. And as to the wearing of the kilt...

Believe me, I have considered jamming all the valuables down me nether regions. But just a tad embarrassing to get them out at Passport Control or whatever.

Seriously though, the incident has made us think about what do you actually need on your person while travelling and what can be stuffed at the bottom of a bag. If you think about it, we just need the passports up until we leave the airport so they can be put back in the bag before we hit the outside world. And we then only need a bit of change and a few euros to get us to our destination. So from now on the cash and credit cards will be well out of reach until we need them and then they will be taken out secreted in dark places.

But I am still tempted by the thought of travelling in a kilt. If any pickpocket wants to have a feel for me valuables, he'll be in for a right shock...

Jock.

the incident has made us think about what do you actually need on your person while travelling and what can be stuffed at the bottom of a bag.

All joking aside this is the best frame of mind. On an everyday basis at home I'm guilty of toting around a large handbag with everything but the kitchen sink in it (and I try and get round that by always having wetwipes in in it!) but when out and about in Cuba at night I manage perfetly well without one because all I really need is 20CUCs max (and you all know where I keep that now!) a couple of tissues (tucked under a bra strap) and possibly the Ixus camera (but only on Carnevale parade nights) and a fan (no need to stow it because it's in constant use and has a wrist strap for for hopefully elegant dangling when not.

SM

Don't think hotel safes are are good for valuables. I heard yesterday of someone who has just had all his holiday spending money taken from the in room safe. Happened on the first evening and no signs of forced entry or damage to the safe. He suspects inside job as all digilock safes can be accessed using a key.

Police, hotel management and rep not really concerned and advised him to claim on his insurance!

Tamper evident tape is available as a possible solution.

the unsafe safe issue was discussed in the past....maybe a mod can find and put a link to it...tweetie