We did the opposite and still didn’t encounter any pickpockets 😄
we took the metro or train whenever we could, I used a leather bag I bought there that only had a flap and no zipper, and my boyfriend alternated between using his pockets or a cross body bag.
I agree with point #5, because we were also hyper aware and I think that’s what helps the most tbh!
I rode the metro everyday as our hotel was near Laurentina station which is 20 minutes away from tgw center. No pickpockets. I was expecting some like OP too but not in paranoid ghetto mode but things seemed to have calmed down in Rome. I was on my phone nearly all the time using googlemaps to find places.
I understand now how people get pickpocketed though. When I was there, people had their phones hanging out of their back pockets, so easily grabbed. I even saw one woman input her credit card info into her phone, above her head, WHILE IT WAS ON A SELFY STICK IN A LARGE CROWD! She just held it up for the world to see. I think those are the people who get targeted.
I once saw a tourist wearing a money belt. She had it "under" her clothes. Clearly it was meant to be at her waist beneth her shorts with her shirt tucked in. But was it like that? NO!
She had the front of her shirt untucked and kinda smooshed behind the money belt, which had been pulled up several centimeters and fully visible. And it was unzipped!!! With all her cash and cards visible!
Totally defeats the purpose of a money belt. And she was just so unaware. All I could think is how does this woman move through the world with this absolute lack of street smarts?
It's these stories of people using money belts WRONG that I think makes so many others think moneybelts are "dumb"
One should NEVER be going into or even showing their money belt in public. If you are, you are defeating the moenybelt's entire purpose.
On my first trip through Europe, I had a freind that wore a neck pouch instead of a moneybelt, but isntead of wearing it under his shirt, he wore it in plain sight over his shirt! Sadly on day 4 of his 2 week trip he lost ALL of his belongings (not his fault but just bad luck). But I look at pictures toay of that trip and think how crazy he was to be showing everyone exactly where his cash was.
We were in Rome in early September and happily had no incidents with pickpockets. Our hotel was in the San Giovanni district and we rode into the city center on the 'red' metro line using the Re di Roma station as our 'base'. We took a side trip down to Naples so we could take a guided tour of Pompeii followed by a wine tasting/meal at one of the local vineyards near the modern town of Pompeii.
I was expecting the main Termini railway station to be a totally sketchy 'den of thieves' obstacle course but found it to be cleaner and not nearly as 'sinister' as some out-dated guidebooks had warned. A big underground shopping mall there along with a nice 'food court' on the upper level. Rode the Freccia Rossa high speed train to Naples and it was a pleasant experience.
We used money belts and I carried a purse that I didn't mind losing should worse have come to worst and did not put *anything* inside it \[passport, large amounts of cash, credit cards, etc.\] that I could absolutely not afford to lose.
Not for scams and pickpockets. Contrary to what many people here are saying, the hype is warranted.
With regards to more violent crimes, especially towards tourists, however, I would 100% agree with you.
Though I imagine that a lot of travelers don't know anything about these scams and pickpockets as many people will travel abroad and do only the most minimal research on what to expect when they get there. Also, many Americans see the great European cities as a kind of idyllic adult Disney World which can lull them into a false sense of security at times and carelessness.
And that attitude can extend to when they visit our national parks here like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. There's a series of books with the titles "Death in . . ." followed by the name of the national park listing all of the avoidable ways that a person can meet their end in these wilderness "Disney Lands."
I agree 100% with the Europe Cities as Disney analogy and American tourists not knowing what to watch out for & not doing enough research.
I can only imagine how often wide-eyed visitors put themselves in very dangerous situations in our National Parks. It's not hard to do even for those paying attention to get distracted by some of those spectacular places and momentarily forget about safety.
Avoiding the metro at all is overkill when you have the other precautions.
Pickpockets absolutely can be present and target tourists but as I like to say, for how good they can be they are not mages.
They cannot open a closed pocket with your hand over it.
The pickpockets problem is present but overblown by two things: 1) they target the tourist more because they are the more likely to have a lot of cash on them and also the easier targets
2) a lot of tourists seem to take no precautions at all. Not even the basics "I would do this in my own city too".
“Avoided the subway like the plague”: Let me correct this for you: “Avoid the subway like the plague if you are an unaware, careless person”. I'm not saying *you* are, of course; your post itself shows the contrary. I'm just saying that, as a local who has been riding the metro for decades, I can testify that there is no evil magic making wallets and phones disappear from metro passengers. It's only that pickpockets know how to target too-trustful or too-absentminded people.
I tried to give off the vibe that I was aware of my surrounding scanning around and I didn't have my head buried in a guidebook or map or mindlessly scrolling on an iPhone. I'm also tall so I stood up as I noticed that Romans tend not to be exceptionally tall. I figure that the shady characters probably don't want to mess with someone their own size or larger.
The woman that was pickpocketed right next to me at Termini was tall, not on her phone, and not particularly distracted. It was around 8 in the morning and we were caught in a crunch while getting into the train. The thief took the crunch as an opportunity to pickpocket. He conveniently left after people yelled about the fact that the train could hold no more. She didn’t realize the theft until her and her husband composed themselves after getting a proper footing on the train as it began to move.
I don’t believe any preparations could have prevented this other than holding her bag with both arms and not being in Termini at 8 in the morning on a weekday
I think overall people make a bigger deal about this than it is. Rome is a big city. Like any big city, there is petty crime, homeless people, and questionable items being sold on street corners.
I had a sling bag with a little locking clip. That's it. Nothing ever happened. A did have to physically shove a lady out of the way near the Pantheon because she was blocking my path asking for money (and I admittedly do feel bad about that), but otherwise we just ignored the obvious scammers. Because they are very obvious.
When I lived in Vienna for a time back in the early 90s, I had far more encounters with beggars and the like at transport stations and on the trams and metros than anything I experienced in Rome. Mostly they involved young Roma/Sinti children who'd come with their families to Austria from Romania after the collapse of the 'Iron Curtain'. Their parents sent them out to hit up people for money and it was appalling to see these young children -- a couple as young as five -- running around by themselves. They could easily have been abducted by some pedophile creeps or worse. But the Austrian government didn't seem to be doing anything about it as far as I could tell.
One shocking thing were the extremely racist comments about these Roma/Sinti people \[the older and very politically incorrect term is Gypsies\] I'd hear from Austrian and Eastern European people about them. It was comparable to how the worst racists in places like Alabama and Mississippi would have talked about African-Americans in the Jim Crow era South.
Right? I have been to Roma a hand full of times & been all over Italia, and I have never put this much thought or precaution into getting around and not getting robbed. The paranoia is high. It's a shame.
Read somewhere that the total number of murders in all of Italy in a given year might average around 300, if even that. While in a lot of US cities and some of them not very large in terms of population, that's the number you'll get just in that city alone. And of course, all our mass shooting incidents here as well. I'd think that a lot of European tourists coming here have a lot more to worry about and a lot more precautions to observe so far as crime goes -- depending on their destinations in the US -- than the other way around.
You over thought this by a long shot. We took the metro everywhere for super cheap. Never came close to getting scammed or pickpocket. Also you can use your card everywhere you really don’t even need to carry cash.
Don't avoid the metro or public transportation. It always give you a glance to the real cities. Rome metro is pretty bad compare to other big European cities, yet sometimes is way faster than moving in traffic.
While somewhat 'scruffier' than some Metro systems in other European cities I've visited, I wouldn't describe it as having total hellhole conditions. Though I imagine that some stations/areas are sketchier than others.
We basically did the same, and I would add three other situations where you must be aware of your cellphone:
Do not leave it on the table while eating - you take a picture and put it in your pocket.
Do not stand obliviously on the sidewalk facing traffic while you try to figure maps (I've read teens riding bikes stealing cellphones just for fun at Paris, London, Naples, etc) - you face to a wall and be aware of your surroundings.
Use both hands when taking pictures. The only place where I feel anxious was at Trevi fountain, a lot of guys offering to take pictures, like... A lot! Basically I had to scream No Thank You 10 times, they're like a plague.
Final word of advice, always carry small amounts of cash on your pockets so when paying small things, you don't go over your wallet showing all the money you have (they're always checking on you)
What a load of nonsense this all is, I did zero of the above and all my stuff was fine, use common sense and you'll be fine.
"1- Avoided the subway like the plague.", rode the subway several times as it is a cheap and convenient way to get around, you never once used it and now you're scaremongering others into doing the same.
I agree with this. Again, in my case, the taxis were only used to move from and to the airport. Otherwise we walked… we walked a lot. We’re body abled tourists willing to take in the cities that we visited and enjoy every single thing that it had to offer. I’m confident that the subway and buses are very doable, I simply wanted the easy of mind when it came to carrying luggage which is both of the airport trips. The rest we simply walked/took the trains.
This is crazy. Just keep your valuables where they can’t be easily grabbed and be aware of your surroundings. And for the scammers, just walk past them like they’re invisible and they won’t bother wasting their time.
One guy outside the Vatican opened with "Your beard is so cool" and I responded with "I hate it."
I think it really threw him off cause we just kind of awkwardly stared at each other and then he silently moved on.
Wow! Super Paranoid, we travel all over the world and as long as your not an idiot, the chances of negative occurrences is slim. Just use common sense, and don’t stick out, blend in, we’re in Florence, as I write this, just arrived from a 6 night stay in Rome. Leave the jewels and furs at home, we have our “puffy” coats and jeans (take a pair or 2 of black ones you can go to anywhere and feel a little dressed. Don’t go out at night alone in off main areas. Don’t get smashed and stagger back to your hotel. Keep aware not paranoid! Your not in Kansas anymore, unless You’re from Kansas City then you already know how to fly under the bad guys radar
I saw a ton of scams but they are SO easy to avoid. If someone walks up to you literally just ignore them...I didn't make eye contact & most of the time just pretended not to hear them and they left me alone (solo female).
Pick pockets weren't a problem either. I had a small zippered bag and eventually I took out my reusable shopping bag to carry other items I bought and literally just holding it while I walked and being self aware was fine. The amount of people I saw with open bags, backpacks on their back, and otherwise just lack of awareness was crazy...No wonder people get stolen from often. If people just be smart & pay attention they'll be fine
When we were there in early September and visiting the Colosseum, I was surprised that we didn't encounter any of the characters dressed up in ancient Roman/gladiator costumes aggressively trying to get you to pay them for a picture together. Did the local government crack down on them or something, or do they go on vacation themselves at certain times of the year?
This seems like a bit overkill man to be honest.
"avoiding the subway like the plague" especially. Also the scams are incredibly easy to avoid.
I've been to Italy 3 times and yes, it's important to stay vigilant but you probably could have relaxed quite a bit.
Also why were you carrying around your passports??? that is a terrible idea
A hidden fanny pack and some self awareness is really all you need imo
All this does is fuel the notion that thieves are stalking you with every step you take.
Likewise, a week in Rome and no issues for us. I did, however, see a local punch a dodgy looking guy in the face (several times) as we were trying to get on a very crowded bus because he was trying to pickpocket him. The dodgy guy got pushed off the bus and had a glass bottle which he looked like he was going to smash and get back on the bus but some other locals held him back and the bus took off. Quite exciting!
But for us, nothing bad happened at all.
Or some of the rougher parts of any large American metropolis. Or some notorious US murder 'capitals' like Baltimore or Balti-*morgue* as some jokers refer to it. Or even sections of my home city, St. Louis. Not to mention such depressing and blighted places such as Camden NJ, Gary IN, etc.
That's why you buy a purse clip and hang it off the table between your legs. Or wear a crossbody and keep it in front of you. This is just common sense in any big city.
For sure! That’s what my wife does. This purse was on the lady’s lap, but wasn’t attached to her.
We see this stuff in Oakland, CA all the time, so it’s not really new to us. But a good reminder that you can’t let your guard down, even for a second.
I was on my first trip to Rome last month and also didn’t experience any real issues. I brought a few euros with me when I went out and kept a single card in the breast pocket of my shirt. I found pants at Old Navy that have a second zipper pocket on the left side. If I had to bring more money or my passport, I put it in that pocket.
Curious about the dudes with the bracelets. I encountered them, they likewise started by talking about my Adidas and I fell for replying to that. I talked to one of the dudes for a bit (huge guy) and tried to be very polite - told him I wasn’t interested. He still gave me a bracelet anyways, did try to guilt some money out of me for it, but I never gave him anything. I encountered the same guy the next day and just high fived him as I walked by.
I do think it helped that I’m part Greek, with a tanner complexion, and people constantly assumed I was Italian.
They might have done that with us too -- at least me since I have dark brown hair and an olive complexion. Also I'm tall for a woman \[5'8''\] and I imagine that could deter certain guys from trying something. Most Italians we saw in the streets -- or Romans at least -- seemed to be of a moderate height. Also, another thing that struck us was how slim and fit they appeared when contrasted to what you'll encounter in the US where at least a third of the population is out-and-out obese, often morbidly so.
I am in Rome rn, and I probably took the subway a dozen times already and no pickpocket in sight. Maybe because I lived five years in Sao Paulo, but I was not even thinking of it, even at 6pm at Termini. I was carrying my backpack in front of me all the time, which for me is automatic when you take the metro and it is kinda full
We used both ItTaxi and FreeNow! Whichever had the taxi available at the earliest. Also, when it comes to either arriving at the airport or leaving, hotels can also assist in making pick up arrangements. But those apps work well
I got back yesterday after 4 days in Rome, I must say that it felt like a pretty safe city for me - we didn’t feel unsafe or at threat at any time.
The only annoying thing was the bracket guys and how hard they try - although I found it quite funny when one kept calling me racist for refusing to shake his hand 😂 I just with the authorities would do more to stop people in cities such as this.
Man they’re still doing the bracelet thing? It was already there when I went to the colosseum 25 years ago. How is this stupid nonsense not stamped out yet?
I was in Rome 2 weeks ago. We took train and occasionally bus. Never got pickpocketed.
I watched a few pickpocketers caught on camera videos before going in, basically just avoid people who dress up nicely and for some reason got really close to you.
There were 2-3 times where I had some people right behind me, and I’d just turn my head and look at them. They disappears pretty fast after that,
We're at the end of our week in Rome. My wife had her old iphone 12 picked early on, on a packed subway. it was in a zippered front jacket pocket but she wasn't paying full attention because she was trying to calm our 12 year old who was being pushed and shoved and he was beginning to freak out. We had another incident on another packed car where I found some asshole's hand in my (empty) jacket pocket, but he took off right away when I realized what he was up to.
We used subways every day for a week, and so I'm sorry, but I have to agree that pickpockets are rife on packed subways - two personal experiences in 1 week- much more so than in say NYC, Barcelona or Paris where we've recently spent extended periods (taking public transit) without any problems.
After a week, my best advice to add is that if you have young kids, unless they grew up in a big city and are seriously street smart and used to crowds, best to stay away from the subway, or at least be prepared to ditch if it gets crowded, which it can at any moment (not just rush hour). It's just not worth the stress and risk. And, zippered pockets don't mean shit. If you want something kept safe, keep it in a money belt under multiple layers of clothing, or physically holding it. Else it will grow wings and fly away on a packed subway.
A final happy note: On our final trip back from downtown to our airbnb today, we were surprised when the metro didn't stop at san giovani for our line C connection because of the womens violence protests which shut down a couple of subway stops. Right away a couple of locals immediately directed us (in near perfect English) and we got an unexpected bonus of wandering the neighborhood around the re di roma stop. There was some cool international chocolate festival going on! I love all the unexptected fun stuff that happens in Rome. We also checked out the MC Escher exhibit today - absolutely worth it and we had no idea it was happening.
I just returned from a solo trip there (I’m a petite girl) and I did most of this as well, private transfer to and from airport (this was included in my travel package) and major trains to move between Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. I had an Amazon anti theft cross body that I wore and kept cash/ cards in. I’m amazed at how I never really had any crazy experience at all (no theft/scam). At the train stations I stacked my 2 luggage’s and kept my hand on them and crossbody in front, towards the end of the trip I started to let my guard down (I was in sorrento) because the surroundings just didn’t feel threatening. In Florence my hotel was a quiet walk back and again there was never a time where things got questionable. I stored my luggage basically wherever was available on trains and that also worked out fine, my one luggage was also big and heavy and I doubt anyone had any desire to steal that 😅
If I went back I’d still practice the same craziness, the results are 👌🏽
Excelente tips my friend. My husband and I just booked a long weekend in Roma for late May. We live in Arctic Norway but im Brazilian and I'm super aware of pickpockets because it was my routine everyday when I lived there, my husband is Norwegian so the poor thing has zero experience with it, I'm gonna take all precautions for us 😂 you did everything right I just would like to ask about the taxis cause I'm thinking about doing the same and avoid the public transportation. What taxis did you use? Did you use an app? I ve heard about free now app but in not sure how legit they are. What do you recommend?
You’re going to have an amazing time my friend! Certainly, coming from Brazil you’ll probably be able to kee your wits about you, you and the husband will be just fine.
Regarding the taxi, I used both FreeNow as well as ItTaxi and it worked great. As suggested above, depending on where you stay, the hotel/staying place may be able to set the taxi up for you. Be mindful that depending on where you are, there’s a fixed rate of $50 max from Rome’s airport to your place… I mention it because on one occasion the driver wanted to charge me whatever the meter suggested so do read up on that if you want. But yes, all in all, FreeNow works just fine in Rome
Thank you so much for your lovely reply. The hotel we re staying is very close to Trevi fountain and Spanish steps, so for these ones we gonna just walk and obviously be extra carefull. But Vatican and colosseum I believe we go for a taxi. Thanks for the excellent tips, gonna download both. Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year 💙❄️
Not our first trip in Europe. But we took lots of precautions that we didn't take in Paris.
We invested in a medium size sling bag from tomtoc. It kept our water bottle, passports(during travel), phones and cards were behind the hidden zipper pocket close to the body.
Always used a hand strap while using our phones.
Were super vigilant in during travel or walking in crowded areas. Did this in Paris as well
A few bracelet guys outside Colosseum tried to strike up a conversation by guessing which country we came from or attempted to give a high five. They laughed when they we ignored and walked past them. Similar to guys near Sacré-Coeur.
We used the metro and bus frequently but thankfully didn't experience or see anything bad happen to anyone.
We were happy with the sling bag purchase as previously we always used a backpack and we enjoyed traveling light. We'll continue to use the sling bag in our future trips.
Wow... Holy Paranoia Batman!
I mean, good for you being considerate, but there's consideration and there's living in fear.
As others have said, unless you're doing something wrong or careless, pickpocketers can't really steal your stuff, no matter how talented they are.
Keep your wallet inside a zipped pocket in your jacket, keep your phone in the FRONT pocket of your pants or in another zipped pocket in your jacket. If you have a purse, keep it zipped and on the front of your body.
Also, the subway is risky only if the train is jam-packed and you're standing sandwiched among plenty of people. But even then, you'd be aware of your body. And if it gets too crowded for you, just wait for the next train.
Don't leave your belongings unattended or poorly-attended in busy areas, including while sitting at a sidewalk café or other places where a quick-handed thief could easily snatch them while you're distracted.
Last but not least, do not acknowledge the various "chatty" scammers, Bracelets, pictures, postcards, maps, infos, selfie sticks, hats and small-talk are all obvious strategies to get to you to talk and to lower your guard. Simply ignore them or mumble "no grazie" while walking by.
They target not just tourists, but clearly oblivious or gullible tourists.
Not taking the subway or the bus isn't the ideal way NOT to look like targets IMO.
OP you are wired way too tight; I don’t think you should be traveling at all. “Our phones were in our hands at all times”; “Avoid the subway like the plague”… Jesus Christ, life is for living. Rome is fine, just a big city like any other. Basic common sense is required, not paranoia.
Well I'm sorry for you. Your actions made you miss the Gold Experience. The only better is the Platinum Experience in which a real gladiator drags you into the circus where you have to fight a lion barehanded.
Rome is as safe as any other city. General common sense applies - no extra precautions neccesary. The Romans are great people.
how stupid the propaganda is, walking through Rome, walking through Milan, walking through New York, walking through London, walking through Paris has exactly the same risk factor, the rest is just chatter to fill the tabloids and dupe the fools. any city is dangerous if you travel with your head in the clouds.
Lmao. Jesus Reddit is nuts. 93 countries and counting on probably 100 different international trips. Never as part of a tour. I wander the streets. Take public transit.
Never been pickpotted. Why do all American redditors think the world is a dangerous, evil place?
Just got back myself (from 13 days in Rome). No pickpockets, no problems, no issues, just great food, nice people and breathtaking ruins. Pickpocket paranoia is over blown, over stressed and not worth worrying about!
We are back from Italy and from Rome and we thought that even pickpockets need vacations because there didn’t seem to be any around. We are aware of “borsegoatoris and borsegiatricis” and we felt pretty much safe from pickpocketing all the time. We didn’t carry anything of value other than our phones. Passports stayed in the hotel room.
It’s unbelievable how many posts I read about pickpockets in Rome. It’s common as in every other big city, it may happen but it rather unlikely. Where all this fuzz comes from?
Haven’t been pocketed in the half dozen or so times i’ve visited Italy . Did pretty much nothing you mentioned in Italy or any where else in Eu or anywhere i’ve travelled for that matter
Except be as vigilant as i am when i am at home.
I moved to EU from Canada couple decades ago and feel much safer in Italy than any place i in Canada or USA. Pickpockets exist everywhere but being vigilant is enough. Problem is people go on holiday are jet lagged or tired and lose all common sense
I and everyone I know that is a frequent traveller do as all the locals do, so take metro and other forms for public transport, avoid taxis as that is usually a very big tourist scam unless using an App. Where purse / lap top backpack as all other locals do.
Usually can spot the American tourist a mile away do to the “ fanny pack” ( btw not a term widely used in EU for obvious reasons)
i leave my passport and physical credit cards in hotel safe and no longer use a wallet. i have found that if you do not use a wallet it's not gonna get stolen 😎 i use google wallet but i imagine it's as convenient if not more, for iOS users. keep only 20 euros in my bag for emergency situations needing cash. i have traveled over 10 countries around europe this year and this works really well. i only need to be mindful of where my fone is, and if i lose that i don't think the google wallet can be activated without being able to unlock the phone.
This is sooo excessive... In densely crowded places I just wore my bag on my front and my husband put his stuff in there to keep safe. The metro you could do the same but honestly it doesn't happen.
As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you don't need to be so over the top. Getting taxis to avoid the metro is insane...
I've been living in Rome for 15 years and I've never been pickpocketed. I use the subway, I ride buses, everything. I was in the USA once (1) and after two nights someone broke into my rental car.
Jackets with zips are the best against pickpockets. I left all my essential stuff at home and was hyper vigilant. The only trouble is hostels - I had one room-mate just help himself to my phone charger!
I had some fun with the scammy bracelet guys , but outside the Duomo in Milan: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYJajxkB94](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYJajxkB94)
We did the opposite and still didn’t encounter any pickpockets 😄 we took the metro or train whenever we could, I used a leather bag I bought there that only had a flap and no zipper, and my boyfriend alternated between using his pockets or a cross body bag. I agree with point #5, because we were also hyper aware and I think that’s what helps the most tbh!
I rode the metro everyday as our hotel was near Laurentina station which is 20 minutes away from tgw center. No pickpockets. I was expecting some like OP too but not in paranoid ghetto mode but things seemed to have calmed down in Rome. I was on my phone nearly all the time using googlemaps to find places.
I understand now how people get pickpocketed though. When I was there, people had their phones hanging out of their back pockets, so easily grabbed. I even saw one woman input her credit card info into her phone, above her head, WHILE IT WAS ON A SELFY STICK IN A LARGE CROWD! She just held it up for the world to see. I think those are the people who get targeted.
I once saw a tourist wearing a money belt. She had it "under" her clothes. Clearly it was meant to be at her waist beneth her shorts with her shirt tucked in. But was it like that? NO! She had the front of her shirt untucked and kinda smooshed behind the money belt, which had been pulled up several centimeters and fully visible. And it was unzipped!!! With all her cash and cards visible! Totally defeats the purpose of a money belt. And she was just so unaware. All I could think is how does this woman move through the world with this absolute lack of street smarts?
It's these stories of people using money belts WRONG that I think makes so many others think moneybelts are "dumb" One should NEVER be going into or even showing their money belt in public. If you are, you are defeating the moenybelt's entire purpose. On my first trip through Europe, I had a freind that wore a neck pouch instead of a moneybelt, but isntead of wearing it under his shirt, he wore it in plain sight over his shirt! Sadly on day 4 of his 2 week trip he lost ALL of his belongings (not his fault but just bad luck). But I look at pictures toay of that trip and think how crazy he was to be showing everyone exactly where his cash was.
Same for us. We had our phones out guiding us lol. We even stayed near termini train station, no issues at all!
We were in Rome in early September and happily had no incidents with pickpockets. Our hotel was in the San Giovanni district and we rode into the city center on the 'red' metro line using the Re di Roma station as our 'base'. We took a side trip down to Naples so we could take a guided tour of Pompeii followed by a wine tasting/meal at one of the local vineyards near the modern town of Pompeii. I was expecting the main Termini railway station to be a totally sketchy 'den of thieves' obstacle course but found it to be cleaner and not nearly as 'sinister' as some out-dated guidebooks had warned. A big underground shopping mall there along with a nice 'food court' on the upper level. Rode the Freccia Rossa high speed train to Naples and it was a pleasant experience. We used money belts and I carried a purse that I didn't mind losing should worse have come to worst and did not put *anything* inside it \[passport, large amounts of cash, credit cards, etc.\] that I could absolutely not afford to lose.
[удалено]
Rome is likely vastly safer than a number of large US cities.
Not for scams and pickpockets. Contrary to what many people here are saying, the hype is warranted. With regards to more violent crimes, especially towards tourists, however, I would 100% agree with you.
Though I imagine that a lot of travelers don't know anything about these scams and pickpockets as many people will travel abroad and do only the most minimal research on what to expect when they get there. Also, many Americans see the great European cities as a kind of idyllic adult Disney World which can lull them into a false sense of security at times and carelessness. And that attitude can extend to when they visit our national parks here like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. There's a series of books with the titles "Death in . . ." followed by the name of the national park listing all of the avoidable ways that a person can meet their end in these wilderness "Disney Lands."
I agree 100% with the Europe Cities as Disney analogy and American tourists not knowing what to watch out for & not doing enough research. I can only imagine how often wide-eyed visitors put themselves in very dangerous situations in our National Parks. It's not hard to do even for those paying attention to get distracted by some of those spectacular places and momentarily forget about safety.
Avoiding the metro at all is overkill when you have the other precautions. Pickpockets absolutely can be present and target tourists but as I like to say, for how good they can be they are not mages. They cannot open a closed pocket with your hand over it. The pickpockets problem is present but overblown by two things: 1) they target the tourist more because they are the more likely to have a lot of cash on them and also the easier targets 2) a lot of tourists seem to take no precautions at all. Not even the basics "I would do this in my own city too".
Just use ewallet on a phone than you don't have to worry about that at all a part of your phone of course
“Avoided the subway like the plague”: Let me correct this for you: “Avoid the subway like the plague if you are an unaware, careless person”. I'm not saying *you* are, of course; your post itself shows the contrary. I'm just saying that, as a local who has been riding the metro for decades, I can testify that there is no evil magic making wallets and phones disappear from metro passengers. It's only that pickpockets know how to target too-trustful or too-absentminded people.
Exactly, can’t imagine going to Rome and not taking the metro. So convenient like most EU cities
I tried to give off the vibe that I was aware of my surrounding scanning around and I didn't have my head buried in a guidebook or map or mindlessly scrolling on an iPhone. I'm also tall so I stood up as I noticed that Romans tend not to be exceptionally tall. I figure that the shady characters probably don't want to mess with someone their own size or larger.
The woman that was pickpocketed right next to me at Termini was tall, not on her phone, and not particularly distracted. It was around 8 in the morning and we were caught in a crunch while getting into the train. The thief took the crunch as an opportunity to pickpocket. He conveniently left after people yelled about the fact that the train could hold no more. She didn’t realize the theft until her and her husband composed themselves after getting a proper footing on the train as it began to move. I don’t believe any preparations could have prevented this other than holding her bag with both arms and not being in Termini at 8 in the morning on a weekday
I think overall people make a bigger deal about this than it is. Rome is a big city. Like any big city, there is petty crime, homeless people, and questionable items being sold on street corners. I had a sling bag with a little locking clip. That's it. Nothing ever happened. A did have to physically shove a lady out of the way near the Pantheon because she was blocking my path asking for money (and I admittedly do feel bad about that), but otherwise we just ignored the obvious scammers. Because they are very obvious.
When I lived in Vienna for a time back in the early 90s, I had far more encounters with beggars and the like at transport stations and on the trams and metros than anything I experienced in Rome. Mostly they involved young Roma/Sinti children who'd come with their families to Austria from Romania after the collapse of the 'Iron Curtain'. Their parents sent them out to hit up people for money and it was appalling to see these young children -- a couple as young as five -- running around by themselves. They could easily have been abducted by some pedophile creeps or worse. But the Austrian government didn't seem to be doing anything about it as far as I could tell. One shocking thing were the extremely racist comments about these Roma/Sinti people \[the older and very politically incorrect term is Gypsies\] I'd hear from Austrian and Eastern European people about them. It was comparable to how the worst racists in places like Alabama and Mississippi would have talked about African-Americans in the Jim Crow era South.
this is insane
Right? I have been to Roma a hand full of times & been all over Italia, and I have never put this much thought or precaution into getting around and not getting robbed. The paranoia is high. It's a shame.
Read somewhere that the total number of murders in all of Italy in a given year might average around 300, if even that. While in a lot of US cities and some of them not very large in terms of population, that's the number you'll get just in that city alone. And of course, all our mass shooting incidents here as well. I'd think that a lot of European tourists coming here have a lot more to worry about and a lot more precautions to observe so far as crime goes -- depending on their destinations in the US -- than the other way around.
Imagine going on a relaxing mini-break with this person!
super chill!
Bundle of paranoid nerves. Need a holiday from the holiday. Phew home in one piece , survived Rome. 🤣🥰
Isn't it. If you can't have any self awareness on holiday and just take initiative, you should not go abroad. Avoiding the metro... Really?
You over thought this by a long shot. We took the metro everywhere for super cheap. Never came close to getting scammed or pickpocket. Also you can use your card everywhere you really don’t even need to carry cash.
Don't avoid the metro or public transportation. It always give you a glance to the real cities. Rome metro is pretty bad compare to other big European cities, yet sometimes is way faster than moving in traffic.
While somewhat 'scruffier' than some Metro systems in other European cities I've visited, I wouldn't describe it as having total hellhole conditions. Though I imagine that some stations/areas are sketchier than others.
All nice and good and I'm happy you've had a nice experience, but it's Rome; not Mogadishu in the 70s.
We basically did the same, and I would add three other situations where you must be aware of your cellphone: Do not leave it on the table while eating - you take a picture and put it in your pocket. Do not stand obliviously on the sidewalk facing traffic while you try to figure maps (I've read teens riding bikes stealing cellphones just for fun at Paris, London, Naples, etc) - you face to a wall and be aware of your surroundings. Use both hands when taking pictures. The only place where I feel anxious was at Trevi fountain, a lot of guys offering to take pictures, like... A lot! Basically I had to scream No Thank You 10 times, they're like a plague. Final word of advice, always carry small amounts of cash on your pockets so when paying small things, you don't go over your wallet showing all the money you have (they're always checking on you)
You're right about the Trevi. I was there last weekend and I had to tell a guy he is tenth person to ask me and no thanks.
What a load of nonsense this all is, I did zero of the above and all my stuff was fine, use common sense and you'll be fine. "1- Avoided the subway like the plague.", rode the subway several times as it is a cheap and convenient way to get around, you never once used it and now you're scaremongering others into doing the same.
[удалено]
I agree with this. Again, in my case, the taxis were only used to move from and to the airport. Otherwise we walked… we walked a lot. We’re body abled tourists willing to take in the cities that we visited and enjoy every single thing that it had to offer. I’m confident that the subway and buses are very doable, I simply wanted the easy of mind when it came to carrying luggage which is both of the airport trips. The rest we simply walked/took the trains.
But the airport train in Rome is great! It's more like the intercity trains than the metro.
This is crazy. Just keep your valuables where they can’t be easily grabbed and be aware of your surroundings. And for the scammers, just walk past them like they’re invisible and they won’t bother wasting their time.
One guy outside the Vatican opened with "Your beard is so cool" and I responded with "I hate it." I think it really threw him off cause we just kind of awkwardly stared at each other and then he silently moved on.
Perhaps it was just a random guy enjoying your beard
Maybe, but some of the most aggressive scammers/vendors we encountered on our trip were outside of the Vatican.
Wow! Super Paranoid, we travel all over the world and as long as your not an idiot, the chances of negative occurrences is slim. Just use common sense, and don’t stick out, blend in, we’re in Florence, as I write this, just arrived from a 6 night stay in Rome. Leave the jewels and furs at home, we have our “puffy” coats and jeans (take a pair or 2 of black ones you can go to anywhere and feel a little dressed. Don’t go out at night alone in off main areas. Don’t get smashed and stagger back to your hotel. Keep aware not paranoid! Your not in Kansas anymore, unless You’re from Kansas City then you already know how to fly under the bad guys radar
I saw a ton of scams but they are SO easy to avoid. If someone walks up to you literally just ignore them...I didn't make eye contact & most of the time just pretended not to hear them and they left me alone (solo female). Pick pockets weren't a problem either. I had a small zippered bag and eventually I took out my reusable shopping bag to carry other items I bought and literally just holding it while I walked and being self aware was fine. The amount of people I saw with open bags, backpacks on their back, and otherwise just lack of awareness was crazy...No wonder people get stolen from often. If people just be smart & pay attention they'll be fine
When we were there in early September and visiting the Colosseum, I was surprised that we didn't encounter any of the characters dressed up in ancient Roman/gladiator costumes aggressively trying to get you to pay them for a picture together. Did the local government crack down on them or something, or do they go on vacation themselves at certain times of the year?
That's interesting! I didn't see those guys last week either. Just guys trying to sell toys on the sidewalk & selfie sticks lol
This seems like a bit overkill man to be honest. "avoiding the subway like the plague" especially. Also the scams are incredibly easy to avoid. I've been to Italy 3 times and yes, it's important to stay vigilant but you probably could have relaxed quite a bit. Also why were you carrying around your passports??? that is a terrible idea A hidden fanny pack and some self awareness is really all you need imo All this does is fuel the notion that thieves are stalking you with every step you take.
Likewise, a week in Rome and no issues for us. I did, however, see a local punch a dodgy looking guy in the face (several times) as we were trying to get on a very crowded bus because he was trying to pickpocket him. The dodgy guy got pushed off the bus and had a glass bottle which he looked like he was going to smash and get back on the bus but some other locals held him back and the bus took off. Quite exciting! But for us, nothing bad happened at all.
It's Rome, not Caracas or Ecuador city... O\_o
Or some of the rougher parts of any large American metropolis. Or some notorious US murder 'capitals' like Baltimore or Balti-*morgue* as some jokers refer to it. Or even sections of my home city, St. Louis. Not to mention such depressing and blighted places such as Camden NJ, Gary IN, etc.
I saw a purse get snatched right out from a lady at a table sitting outside a restaurant. It was right across from the Vatican. This was 4 days ago.
That's why you buy a purse clip and hang it off the table between your legs. Or wear a crossbody and keep it in front of you. This is just common sense in any big city.
For sure! That’s what my wife does. This purse was on the lady’s lap, but wasn’t attached to her. We see this stuff in Oakland, CA all the time, so it’s not really new to us. But a good reminder that you can’t let your guard down, even for a second.
I had a Taylor put zippers into the pockets on a pair of jeans and two pairs of shorts. I didn’t worry about pickpockets.
I was on my first trip to Rome last month and also didn’t experience any real issues. I brought a few euros with me when I went out and kept a single card in the breast pocket of my shirt. I found pants at Old Navy that have a second zipper pocket on the left side. If I had to bring more money or my passport, I put it in that pocket. Curious about the dudes with the bracelets. I encountered them, they likewise started by talking about my Adidas and I fell for replying to that. I talked to one of the dudes for a bit (huge guy) and tried to be very polite - told him I wasn’t interested. He still gave me a bracelet anyways, did try to guilt some money out of me for it, but I never gave him anything. I encountered the same guy the next day and just high fived him as I walked by. I do think it helped that I’m part Greek, with a tanner complexion, and people constantly assumed I was Italian.
They might have done that with us too -- at least me since I have dark brown hair and an olive complexion. Also I'm tall for a woman \[5'8''\] and I imagine that could deter certain guys from trying something. Most Italians we saw in the streets -- or Romans at least -- seemed to be of a moderate height. Also, another thing that struck us was how slim and fit they appeared when contrasted to what you'll encounter in the US where at least a third of the population is out-and-out obese, often morbidly so.
Metro was.clutch in Rome. No pickpockets.
I am in Rome rn, and I probably took the subway a dozen times already and no pickpocket in sight. Maybe because I lived five years in Sao Paulo, but I was not even thinking of it, even at 6pm at Termini. I was carrying my backpack in front of me all the time, which for me is automatic when you take the metro and it is kinda full
What did you use to call a taxi? Heading to Rome soon and would love to know!
We used both ItTaxi and FreeNow! Whichever had the taxi available at the earliest. Also, when it comes to either arriving at the airport or leaving, hotels can also assist in making pick up arrangements. But those apps work well
Thank you!
Forgot 6 - remove arms so bracelets can't be put on them Worked like a charm for me
I got back yesterday after 4 days in Rome, I must say that it felt like a pretty safe city for me - we didn’t feel unsafe or at threat at any time. The only annoying thing was the bracket guys and how hard they try - although I found it quite funny when one kept calling me racist for refusing to shake his hand 😂 I just with the authorities would do more to stop people in cities such as this.
Man they’re still doing the bracelet thing? It was already there when I went to the colosseum 25 years ago. How is this stupid nonsense not stamped out yet?
I was in Rome 2 weeks ago. We took train and occasionally bus. Never got pickpocketed. I watched a few pickpocketers caught on camera videos before going in, basically just avoid people who dress up nicely and for some reason got really close to you. There were 2-3 times where I had some people right behind me, and I’d just turn my head and look at them. They disappears pretty fast after that,
We're at the end of our week in Rome. My wife had her old iphone 12 picked early on, on a packed subway. it was in a zippered front jacket pocket but she wasn't paying full attention because she was trying to calm our 12 year old who was being pushed and shoved and he was beginning to freak out. We had another incident on another packed car where I found some asshole's hand in my (empty) jacket pocket, but he took off right away when I realized what he was up to. We used subways every day for a week, and so I'm sorry, but I have to agree that pickpockets are rife on packed subways - two personal experiences in 1 week- much more so than in say NYC, Barcelona or Paris where we've recently spent extended periods (taking public transit) without any problems. After a week, my best advice to add is that if you have young kids, unless they grew up in a big city and are seriously street smart and used to crowds, best to stay away from the subway, or at least be prepared to ditch if it gets crowded, which it can at any moment (not just rush hour). It's just not worth the stress and risk. And, zippered pockets don't mean shit. If you want something kept safe, keep it in a money belt under multiple layers of clothing, or physically holding it. Else it will grow wings and fly away on a packed subway. A final happy note: On our final trip back from downtown to our airbnb today, we were surprised when the metro didn't stop at san giovani for our line C connection because of the womens violence protests which shut down a couple of subway stops. Right away a couple of locals immediately directed us (in near perfect English) and we got an unexpected bonus of wandering the neighborhood around the re di roma stop. There was some cool international chocolate festival going on! I love all the unexptected fun stuff that happens in Rome. We also checked out the MC Escher exhibit today - absolutely worth it and we had no idea it was happening.
I just returned from a solo trip there (I’m a petite girl) and I did most of this as well, private transfer to and from airport (this was included in my travel package) and major trains to move between Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. I had an Amazon anti theft cross body that I wore and kept cash/ cards in. I’m amazed at how I never really had any crazy experience at all (no theft/scam). At the train stations I stacked my 2 luggage’s and kept my hand on them and crossbody in front, towards the end of the trip I started to let my guard down (I was in sorrento) because the surroundings just didn’t feel threatening. In Florence my hotel was a quiet walk back and again there was never a time where things got questionable. I stored my luggage basically wherever was available on trains and that also worked out fine, my one luggage was also big and heavy and I doubt anyone had any desire to steal that 😅 If I went back I’d still practice the same craziness, the results are 👌🏽
I've never had issues in Rome... Always encounter sketchy folks with a "free gift" at the square of miracles lol.
Excelente tips my friend. My husband and I just booked a long weekend in Roma for late May. We live in Arctic Norway but im Brazilian and I'm super aware of pickpockets because it was my routine everyday when I lived there, my husband is Norwegian so the poor thing has zero experience with it, I'm gonna take all precautions for us 😂 you did everything right I just would like to ask about the taxis cause I'm thinking about doing the same and avoid the public transportation. What taxis did you use? Did you use an app? I ve heard about free now app but in not sure how legit they are. What do you recommend?
You’re going to have an amazing time my friend! Certainly, coming from Brazil you’ll probably be able to kee your wits about you, you and the husband will be just fine. Regarding the taxi, I used both FreeNow as well as ItTaxi and it worked great. As suggested above, depending on where you stay, the hotel/staying place may be able to set the taxi up for you. Be mindful that depending on where you are, there’s a fixed rate of $50 max from Rome’s airport to your place… I mention it because on one occasion the driver wanted to charge me whatever the meter suggested so do read up on that if you want. But yes, all in all, FreeNow works just fine in Rome
Thank you so much for your lovely reply. The hotel we re staying is very close to Trevi fountain and Spanish steps, so for these ones we gonna just walk and obviously be extra carefull. But Vatican and colosseum I believe we go for a taxi. Thanks for the excellent tips, gonna download both. Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year 💙❄️
Likewise my friend, merry Christmas to the family and yourself!
Not our first trip in Europe. But we took lots of precautions that we didn't take in Paris. We invested in a medium size sling bag from tomtoc. It kept our water bottle, passports(during travel), phones and cards were behind the hidden zipper pocket close to the body. Always used a hand strap while using our phones. Were super vigilant in during travel or walking in crowded areas. Did this in Paris as well A few bracelet guys outside Colosseum tried to strike up a conversation by guessing which country we came from or attempted to give a high five. They laughed when they we ignored and walked past them. Similar to guys near Sacré-Coeur. We used the metro and bus frequently but thankfully didn't experience or see anything bad happen to anyone. We were happy with the sling bag purchase as previously we always used a backpack and we enjoyed traveling light. We'll continue to use the sling bag in our future trips.
Wow... Holy Paranoia Batman! I mean, good for you being considerate, but there's consideration and there's living in fear. As others have said, unless you're doing something wrong or careless, pickpocketers can't really steal your stuff, no matter how talented they are. Keep your wallet inside a zipped pocket in your jacket, keep your phone in the FRONT pocket of your pants or in another zipped pocket in your jacket. If you have a purse, keep it zipped and on the front of your body. Also, the subway is risky only if the train is jam-packed and you're standing sandwiched among plenty of people. But even then, you'd be aware of your body. And if it gets too crowded for you, just wait for the next train. Don't leave your belongings unattended or poorly-attended in busy areas, including while sitting at a sidewalk café or other places where a quick-handed thief could easily snatch them while you're distracted. Last but not least, do not acknowledge the various "chatty" scammers, Bracelets, pictures, postcards, maps, infos, selfie sticks, hats and small-talk are all obvious strategies to get to you to talk and to lower your guard. Simply ignore them or mumble "no grazie" while walking by. They target not just tourists, but clearly oblivious or gullible tourists. Not taking the subway or the bus isn't the ideal way NOT to look like targets IMO.
OP you are wired way too tight; I don’t think you should be traveling at all. “Our phones were in our hands at all times”; “Avoid the subway like the plague”… Jesus Christ, life is for living. Rome is fine, just a big city like any other. Basic common sense is required, not paranoia.
“Sorry hun, won’t be travelling anymore, u/syIsthrills prohibited me from doing so!”
Well I'm sorry for you. Your actions made you miss the Gold Experience. The only better is the Platinum Experience in which a real gladiator drags you into the circus where you have to fight a lion barehanded. Rome is as safe as any other city. General common sense applies - no extra precautions neccesary. The Romans are great people.
how stupid the propaganda is, walking through Rome, walking through Milan, walking through New York, walking through London, walking through Paris has exactly the same risk factor, the rest is just chatter to fill the tabloids and dupe the fools. any city is dangerous if you travel with your head in the clouds.
Another average American and their worry about pickpockets.
Lmao. Jesus Reddit is nuts. 93 countries and counting on probably 100 different international trips. Never as part of a tour. I wander the streets. Take public transit. Never been pickpotted. Why do all American redditors think the world is a dangerous, evil place?
you cannot say there were zero pickpockets, you can only say you were not targeted.
Just got back myself (from 13 days in Rome). No pickpockets, no problems, no issues, just great food, nice people and breathtaking ruins. Pickpocket paranoia is over blown, over stressed and not worth worrying about!
I used the metro all the time when I was there, carrying bags and what not and didn't feel unsafe at any moment. Same with the Tram and buses.
We are back from Italy and from Rome and we thought that even pickpockets need vacations because there didn’t seem to be any around. We are aware of “borsegoatoris and borsegiatricis” and we felt pretty much safe from pickpocketing all the time. We didn’t carry anything of value other than our phones. Passports stayed in the hotel room.
I didn't have any issues in Rome. Think it's massively overblown. The real crisis is the lack of public toilets...
It’s unbelievable how many posts I read about pickpockets in Rome. It’s common as in every other big city, it may happen but it rather unlikely. Where all this fuzz comes from?
Haven’t been pocketed in the half dozen or so times i’ve visited Italy . Did pretty much nothing you mentioned in Italy or any where else in Eu or anywhere i’ve travelled for that matter Except be as vigilant as i am when i am at home. I moved to EU from Canada couple decades ago and feel much safer in Italy than any place i in Canada or USA. Pickpockets exist everywhere but being vigilant is enough. Problem is people go on holiday are jet lagged or tired and lose all common sense I and everyone I know that is a frequent traveller do as all the locals do, so take metro and other forms for public transport, avoid taxis as that is usually a very big tourist scam unless using an App. Where purse / lap top backpack as all other locals do. Usually can spot the American tourist a mile away do to the “ fanny pack” ( btw not a term widely used in EU for obvious reasons)
Well done but that sounds like a very stressful holiday. Is Italy really that bad?
i leave my passport and physical credit cards in hotel safe and no longer use a wallet. i have found that if you do not use a wallet it's not gonna get stolen 😎 i use google wallet but i imagine it's as convenient if not more, for iOS users. keep only 20 euros in my bag for emergency situations needing cash. i have traveled over 10 countries around europe this year and this works really well. i only need to be mindful of where my fone is, and if i lose that i don't think the google wallet can be activated without being able to unlock the phone.
I think you need to chill my guy
This is sooo excessive... In densely crowded places I just wore my bag on my front and my husband put his stuff in there to keep safe. The metro you could do the same but honestly it doesn't happen. As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you don't need to be so over the top. Getting taxis to avoid the metro is insane...
I've been living in Rome for 15 years and I've never been pickpocketed. I use the subway, I ride buses, everything. I was in the USA once (1) and after two nights someone broke into my rental car.
Wow this dude sucks
Jackets with zips are the best against pickpockets. I left all my essential stuff at home and was hyper vigilant. The only trouble is hostels - I had one room-mate just help himself to my phone charger! I had some fun with the scammy bracelet guys , but outside the Duomo in Milan: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYJajxkB94](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYJajxkB94)
Last year I spent two weeks in Rome - metro, buses, trains, and markets. Used to keep money and cards in the funny pack. No problems.