I bet you thought I was done with blog posts about Paris. I thought I was too! But a friend who is leaving for Paris this month reached out to me for advice and I realized there was one last thing I needed to share with all of you- how to avoid pickpockets.
Let me tell you, I was petrified of pickpockets abroad. I had heard of two co-workers who has been pickpocketed and became almost paranoid that it would happen to me. Here are my recommendations for avoiding losing your very valuable belongings while traveling abroad. I’d also like to preface this by saying that after a few days in Paris, I felt extremely safe. However, I’d like to acknowledge that I do say this as someone who currently lives in NYC.
It is always better to be safe than sorry. Photocopy your passport and leave one copy back at home and carry one with you in case you lose your passport or have to stolen.
The idea of carrying my passport around Paris made me feel very uneasy. If you’re staying at a hotel with a safe, this is a great option. Otherwise, we just kept our passports locked inside our suitcases at our airbnb and our passports were completely safe.
If you’re worried about someone breaking into your airbnb and stealing your passports, a money belt is a great option. I bought one but didn’t end up using it. But you can keep it at your waist and leave your passport there so that is always with you when you’re out and about. That way it’s always on you but in a place that pickpockets can’t readily reach.
For most of the trip I carried this crossbody and opted to hold it on my arm so that it was always in front of me.
Something unique that I noticed about Paris was the fact that everyone wore a crossbody bag or carried a backpack with a fanny pack. This was weird to me because I never saw anything like this in NYC. I think that wearing something to the front of you that you can see is the best way to make sure your belongings are safe. And if you’re carrying a lot a backpack is fine as long as you have a fanny pack to your front with your most important belongings.
I once had my wallet stolen a few years ago at work and wish I had thought of this idea before losing my wallet. I can’t take credit for it by the way, it was advised to me on one of the many blogs I read before traveling to Paris.
Don’t put all your important cards in your wallet. Keep some cards at home. When I lost my wallet I had to cancel all my cards. When you’re abroad, maybe just bring your debit card and one credit card without a foreign transaction fee. Limit how much cash you take out or carry so that even if something is stolen, you’ll be okay.
I caught myself a few times during the trip panicked because I left my bag unzipped in front of me and worried if something got stolen. Watch your belongings. Always zip it. Don’t leave things unattended. Don’t be dumb and I’m sure you’ll avoid the pick pockets.
I hope you enjoy your time abroad and as long as you’re careful, there’s absolutely no reason to worry.