Crime, Safety, and Sleaze

Europe is extremely safe on the whole - probably much safer than home if you come from a big American city and a world away from South Africa. Nevertheless, petty crime against tourists does happen, has happened to me several times, and has increased greatly in only the last few years. You should know that the odds of having your purse or daypack snatched or your pocket picked are fairly high. Crime is something you should be aware of but not afraid of; be prepared, but not paranoid. Rather than gloss over the problem for fear of frightening you, I’ll give you all of the gory details. In all cases, an ounce of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure.

Notice how many of the problems discussed below are prevented by using a money belt or neck wallet inside your clothes. This is your first line of defense, and it is very effective. To avoid having to snake-charm your way into your money belt every time you buy a drink on the street, carry a cheap wallet with ten or twenty dollars in it in a front pocket. This prevents you from having to flash the location of your cash in public places.