Jin Travels in Europe

Thieves . Pickpockets

France Paris Louvre long queue at the glass pyramid entrance

France . Paris . Le Louvre . Entrance
- Beware, where there are tourists, there are pickpockets. People with unlocked daypacks are easy targets. Google Maps: Louvre

Italy Rome Fontana di Trevi many people taking photos

Italy . Rome . Fontana di Trevi
- Be careful when you take photos and selfies. Many people visit the Trevi Fountain. Google Maps: Fontana

Greece Santorini Thira people at crowded market

Greece . Santorini . Thira . Tourists from cruise ships.
- Pickpockets are often several people working together. Be aware of who is around you. Many are also dressed to look like "tourists”. Google Maps: Thira

France Tours train people getting onboard a train

Metro . Bus . Tram . Commuter Train
- Take off your daypack or wear it on your chest. Never keep anything in the back pockets of your pants.

+ Click on a photo to enlarge it +

France Paris Lafayette women taking selfies on the roof

France . Paris . Galeries Lafayette
- If someone asks to take a photo of you with your phone or camera, be cautious. He or she may run away with it, and likewise if you ask a stranger.
- These ladies had no such problems on the roof of GL. Google Maps: Lafayette

Italy Milano Centrale tran station tourists with luggage

Italy . Milan . Milano Centrale
- You have to be on your guard at train and bus stations in most big cities in Europe. Google Maps: Milano
- In Rome, outside Roma Termini at the local bus stops, thieves may spray something on you or your clothes to distract you. Google Maps: Roma

France Paris Metro stairs woman carrying luggage

France . Paris . Metro: Louvre-Rivoli
- The woman on the right has control over her handbag and suitcase.
- But when you're looking for directions to your hotel on your phone, it's better to stop walking. Then you have a better view of what is happening near you. Google Maps: Metro

Italy Milano Navigli man holding a glass of Aperol Spritz at Bistro Monaco

Italy . Milano . Navigli . Bistro Monaco
- Never place your phone, camera, or wallet on a restaurant table outdoors. Keep them hidden!
- Put your backpack or handbag on your lap or an empty chair tucked in under the table (not facing the street). Google Maps: Monaco

Important! Never keep your credit cards near your phone, and absolutely not in your phone's wallet case.

- The people in photos on this page have not lost anything, as far as I know.

Protection: Get hold of a luggage tag with a metal ring. Unscrew it and use the metal ring as a lock on your day backpack or handbag.
- Yes, it's this simple to get basic protection from pickpockets. More on Accessories.

England London Oxford Street bus lane traffic

England . London . Oxford Street
- Don't walk near the street. Thieves on motorbikes may try to steal your phone or handbag. Other areas are Soho, Covent Garden and around transport hubs like King's Cross. Google Maps: Oxford

Italy Venice Venezia carnival face mask of a woman

Go to Accessories on Jin Travels in Europe for information about protecting you and your luggage from Pickpockets.

Portugal Porto Cafe Majestic people having coffee

Portugal . Porto . Majestic Café
- Expensive, but it’s a very nice and popular tourist cafe.
- Never leave your phone on the table if you are sitting near the entrance or outdoors at any cafe. Google Maps: Majestic

Smartphone Stolen !
A friend of mine had her iPhone stolen in Athens after she got off the airport bus to collect her luggage.
- Make sure you know how to lock your phone and its SIM card. Since the phone is lost, one will have to do this on a computer or in my friend's case on her iPad at the hotel. It's also possible to do on a friend's phone.
- Note: You will need your login name or email, and password.
- Check with your SIM card provider how to block phone calls to foreign countries - before you start traveling.
- My friend received a phone bill of 400 euros for calls from Greece to Somalia and Morocco.