"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" Benjamin Franklin...
These words ring true for many situations a traveler may run into while abroad, but the one that could transform your dream trip into a nightmare is being caught unprepared for theft or scams. Europe, just like any major tourist destination, has its share of petty crime. However, there are several steps you can take to make yourself more knowledgeable before you depart, that could save you money, time, and personal sanity.
The first measure of prevention is to make sure you have backups or copies of all your important travel documents, such as passports, reservations, trip insurance paperwork, credit card numbers, contacts, and itinerary. I personally like to scan all of these items and then email them to my personal email address and load them onto a password protected device such as my iPad or Android phone. That way, if any of the originals are lost or stolen, I have the copies. If your passport is ever lost or stolen, immediately report it to the local US Embassy to either obtain an Emergency Passport or a transportation letter to fly home on a direct flight. Make sure you write down the contact number for all local US Embassies in the countries or cities you will be traveling through before you leave and add this to your copied travel documents.
When possible, store these important travel materials in a lock box in your hotel or at the least, within a locked bag in your room. Pacsafe makes some great products that can provide some measure of protection, when a lock box or safe is not available. I also prefer to bring my driver's license with me to use when purchasing alcohol or proving my identity. If that is lost, the replacement cost is pretty cheap and can be done immediately when I get home.
The second measure is to wear a money belt and only access it in complete privacy. Keep your large denomination currency, spare credit/ATM card, and important documents (that you have elected to carry instead of leaving in a safe) in the money belt and have small bills and change in your pocket. This will reduce your chance of losing everything if you are pick pocketed. Also try to be alert to your surroundings when you are in cramped quarters with others, such as a metro/subway train or bar/pub.
The third preventative measure to take before traveling is to be aware of the many tourist scams practiced in Europe. Once you have been informed, you will able to recognize and avoid falling for typical scams (set up, ring drop, slow count, etc...). The following articles provide descriptions of the multitude of tourist scams being practiced abroad and the potential actions you can take to prevent theft:
Tourist beware Europe's latest travel scams
Tourist Scams in Europe
Summer Travelers: Avoid These Common Travel Scams
Legal thievery: The scams & rip-offs built into nearly every hotel bill
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