Did you carry your passport on you at all times in Italy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did. I had a backpacked and stayed at hostels, so there was nowhere safe to leave my valuables in a hotel room. I had my passport and money strapped to my body with a travel bag.

This is the only situation where carrying it makes sense.

[Anonymous]

We were in Italy over Christmas and I seem to recall that if we had our passport on hand it would have saved us a certain % off at a clothing store

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I don't, and thank goodness -- I was pickpocketed on our trip to Italy over Christmas but my passport was sitting safely in our AirBnB when it happened. The pickpockets got cash and credit cards but not my phone (which was on me, but not taken) nor my passport. Losing credit cards was inconvenient but it would have far worse if they had lifted either the phone or passport.

Ugh.

I’m trying to determine how worried to be about pickpockets.

Did it happen on or near public transportation? Or was it just in a crowded area?

My plan is to avoid the train.

I’ll carry a crossbody, and I’m thinking about getting that travel underwear with a cellphone pocket for my husband and teenage boys. I’m encouraging my husband to carry a crossbody.

We had not been on public transportation between the time that I last had my wallet and when I discovered it missing. We were in Venice and had been on foot -- sometimes in crowds, sometimes not -- through San Marco and Dorsodouro. I assume it happened while in a crowd but cannot pinpoint when it happened.

[Anonymous]

Don't carry your passport with you unless you want to spend all day at the US consulate and hundreds of dollars getting your passport replaced. I've known people who had to do this in Rome, and it's a bummer. Carry a photocopy. If for some reason you don't have a safe place to leave it, carry it under your clothes. I have a small fabric pouch that hangs around my neck for this purpose.

FWIW, I'm a city person and pretty savvy. I once had someone try to pickpocket me on the Metro in DC and I caught them. I had a cell phone pickpocketed on the Metro in Paris. I thought I was being super careful. The pickpockets in Europe are next level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I don't, and thank goodness -- I was pickpocketed on our trip to Italy over Christmas but my passport was sitting safely in our AirBnB when it happened. The pickpockets got cash and credit cards but not my phone (which was on me, but not taken) nor my passport. Losing credit cards was inconvenient but it would have far worse if they had lifted either the phone or passport.

Ugh.

I’m trying to determine how worried to be about pickpockets.

Did it happen on or near public transportation? Or was it just in a crowded area?

My plan is to avoid the train.

I’ll carry a crossbody, and I’m thinking about getting that travel underwear with a cellphone pocket for my husband and teenage boys. I’m encouraging my husband to carry a crossbody.

I have a cross body bag with theft deterrent features, and we keep extra CCs, cash, and passports in the in-room safe when we are not moving from one city to another. There are pickpockets in large cities everywhere --in DC too! 0-- but the stakes are higher when you have a lot of valuable documents on you. You don't need to be paranoid but be mindful especially in crowds. It was ever so obvious that loitering men were calculating which bags might be easily separated from their owners in the Naples train station, for example.

Yes, Naples is notorious for pickpockets and legit robbers…particularly by the train station. My relative had their crossbody cut off them when exiting the train station (and she is a seasoned traveler who lived in Italy for many years, and she was traveling with her burly boyfriend).

I’m not planning to go anywhere near public transportation.

Don’t those have cables in the straps, to resist cutting.

Then again, wouldn’t you get sliced in the attempt? 😳

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I don't, and thank goodness -- I was pickpocketed on our trip to Italy over Christmas but my passport was sitting safely in our AirBnB when it happened. The pickpockets got cash and credit cards but not my phone (which was on me, but not taken) nor my passport. Losing credit cards was inconvenient but it would have far worse if they had lifted either the phone or passport.

Ugh.

I’m trying to determine how worried to be about pickpockets.

Did it happen on or near public transportation? Or was it just in a crowded area?

My plan is to avoid the train.

I’ll carry a crossbody, and I’m thinking about getting that travel underwear with a cellphone pocket for my husband and teenage boys. I’m encouraging my husband to carry a crossbody.

I have a cross body bag with theft deterrent features, and we keep extra CCs, cash, and passports in the in-room safe when we are not moving from one city to another. There are pickpockets in large cities everywhere --in DC too! 0-- but the stakes are higher when you have a lot of valuable documents on you. You don't need to be paranoid but be mindful especially in crowds. It was ever so obvious that loitering men were calculating which bags might be easily separated from their owners in the Naples train station, for example.

Yes, Naples is notorious for pickpockets and legit robbers…particularly by the train station. My relative had their crossbody cut off them when exiting the train station (and she is a seasoned traveler who lived in Italy for many years, and she was traveling with her burly boyfriend).

I’m not planning to go anywhere near public transportation.

Don’t those have cables in the straps, to resist cutting.

Then again, wouldn’t you get sliced in the attempt? 😳

She wasn’t wearing a theft resistant bag.

[Anonymous]

I carried my passport in several cities during a Mediterranean cruise, just in case something happened and the ship left without us. I used a travel backpack that zips against my back, not on the front.

[Anonymous]

Passports have been stolen from hotel rooms in Italy.

[Anonymous]

Mine fit in my crossbody/fanny pack sling. I also didn’t open it very often so I wasn’t concerned about losing it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have a cross body bag made by Bagallini. It holds my cell phone, a couple of credit cards and my passport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I have a cross body bag made by Bagallini. It holds my cell phone, a couple of credit cards and my passport.

Ok…. But what about those of us traveling with our families? I’d have 5 passports to hold which isn’t practical. Plus you don’t need to carry your passport (unless you’re in transit or staying in a hostel) so it’s really best to leave it in the safe in your room.

[Anonymous]

Why would I not leave the passport in the hotel? Isn't the risk of it being lost or stolen in public greater than it being stolen by someone at the hotel?

[Anonymous]

God no. I kept mine in the safe at the hotel and thank god I did because I was pickpocketed. Luckily I had my passport, cash and a backup credit card in the safe at the hotel.