Pick me not: Pro tips to avoid Europe’s pickpockets
Pickpocketing in Europe has become so bad, even Reels are full of warnings. Here’s how to stay a step ahead of gangs
On the internet, some rabbit holes run deeper and richer than others. The one with the pickpocket videos draws you in slowly. A travel influencer might upload a confessional about how she was “Omigawd, almost robbed” while backpacking through southern Spain. Then, the algorithm will cue up six videos featuring young women in Venice nimbly reaching into tourists’ backpacks and quickly hiding their faces as an old woman calls out “Attenzione, pickpocket!” That sets you up perfectly for videos titled “How I outsmarted bag snatchers in Paris using this one tip”. Then, of course, an ad for a shoulder sling and a concealed wallet.
Don’t choke on your croissant. This is what prep for Europe vacations has come to. More people are travelling, more young people are vacationing abroad, more of them are abandoning protective Boomer bus tours for indie itineraries. They’re carrying expensive cameras, phones and cash. They’re travelling with friends, so unlike family trips, everyone’s lugging their own valuables. And of course, they’re dressed like tourists for the photos and the vibes, so they’re easy to spot on the Metro and at major attractions.
It makes pickings easy for local gangs – one member will identify a hapless traveller, another will distract them with a sound or a question, a third will brush up against them in a crowd and smoothly undo a bag clasp to get at the cash pocket and pass it to a fourth, who’ll slip away so there’s no evidence of the crime. “We have this tendency to think ‘it’s Europe’, and drop our guard,” says Jinal Inamdar, 33, founder of Talkin Travel. Being robbed in the supposedly richer nations has got to hurt more.
Local police are rarely of help. But the algorithm goes where the long arm of the law doesn’t. See how tourists are stepping up their game as they take in another overbooked, overpriced European summer.
Drawing on the data
A 2024 study by UK-based travel insurance company QuoteZone has the numbers to prove what reel watchers have long suspected: Europe is crawling with pickpockets. Italy is the worst hit, with 478 pickpocketing mentions per million British visitors. It’s not surprising, given that the Trevi Fountain in Rome also sees 18,000 visitors per hour in peak season (perfect for sneaky fingers to fish through bags unnoticed). Jinal adds that the Colosseum and the Pantheon are the city’s prime pickpocketing zones. In France, the mentions stand at 251 per million, in all the usual places: The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame.
“Indians have a built-in radar. We’re familiar with pickpocketing,” says Prranav Vashistha, 33, a tech entrepreneur from Gurgaon. “I’d heard stories about Europe, but I wasn’t ready for what I saw.” He was in Paris with his family, en route to Disneyland, when a woman almost got him. “I saw a tiny blade in her hand. That’s how they slit bags open.”
Aakanksha Monga, 26, a travel content creator, recently posted a Reel featuring anti-theft hack — a slim, RFID-fitted pouch that tucks neatly under shirts, skirts, and dresses. It’s racked up over 3.7 million views. She recalls how her friend’s phone vanished in Seville, Spain a few summers ago. “They stole it from right between us while we were distracted,” she says. Spain has 111 pickpocketing mentions per million visitors, while The Netherlands follows with 100, particularly in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. In Germany, reports are concentrated around train stations and tourist zones.
“Theft is especially common on cross-country trains,” Monga warns. “The thief alights before you reach the next country and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Tips and thieves
Some hacks work. “Do not take the local cabs — the drivers are hand-in-glove with the pickpockets,” warns Vashistha. “Book Ubers instead.” Jinal recommends scanning train platforms, staircase landings and other crowded areas – moments rush and confusion are exactly when thieves strike. “Stay alert at all times, don’t listen to loud music, and keep your bag close.”
Play the zone, travellers advise. “Split your valuables — cash, cards, ID, passport — and stash them in different spots. A concealed pouch under your clothes is a good idea. And avoid putting anything important in your rear pocket or bag that would be strapped onto your back,” says Surina Sayal, 41, former editor of Jetwings magazine, and Lonely Planet guidebook author. In 2023 alone, more than 52,000 smartphones were stolen, earning London the title of phone-snatching capital of Europe.
Guard rails
Bag makers are watching Reels too. At luggage stores, anti-theft design is the new sign in the window. Fanny packs and backpacks now come with zippers on the inside, closer to the wearer’s body. Nylon messenger bags advertise that they have slit-proof Kevlar mesh. In most bags, the space for passports and cash is on the inside – outer pockets are for cards, in RFID-proof casing. Phone cases are designed to be secured to belts or suspended from the neck so they can’t be grabbed from your hand.
There are slim belts with thin compartments for keys and valuables to wear with Bermudas on the beach. And for those who tend to hang their bag from a chair while seated, the straps are detachable so they can loop through the chair’s arm or a table’s leg, so a thief can’t carry it away. Hidden compartments and lockable zippers are everywhere.
How you pack and how you carry it can make a difference. Monga has seen even jackets stolen from trains. “Don’t carry anything flashy, keep your phone on a lanyard. Tether your bag to your belt loop with a strong hook. For beachy destinations, carry a waterproof pouch. It’s better to have wet things than have them go missing.”
But here’s the silver lining: Not all of Europe is out to rob you. Cities across Eastern Europe, the Nordics, Switzerland, and quieter towns still offer that magic without the side of street scams. Live your Euro dreams — just keep your wits about you and don’t argue at Immigration or Customs.
From HT Brunch, May 3, 2025
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