When travelling to foreign lands you have to be smart and exercise extreme caution since being a visitor makes you an easy target for criminals.
No place is immune from crime and no matter how attractive a city may seem, looks can be deceiving.
Money.co.uk analysed Tripadvisor reviews for popular attractions and transport stations around the world and this data revealed the worst places for pickpockets.
Las Ramblas, Barcelona: Spain
The place with the highest number of reviews that mention pickpockets is the famous Las Ramblas pedestrian walkway that runs through Barcelona, with a total of 3,271 pickpocket reviews. Las Ramblas is a very crowded place at the best of times, but especially during the peak tourist season, and this makes it perfect for pickpockets.
Eiffel Tower, Paris: France
The Eiffel Tower ranks in second place with an overall total of 2,569 reviews. As one of the most popular cultural attractions in the world, it’s little wonder that at least some of the people visiting Paris have had issues with pickpockets. Specifically, keep a close eye on your belongings as you walk up the main street from the metro station to the tower itself.
Trevi Fountain, Rome: Italy
Rome is a magnificent historic city although it has struggled with pickpockets and one of its most targeted historical landmarks is the Trevi Fountain, known for its majestic beauty, with more than 2,200 pickpocket reviews. There is a famous tradition of throwing coins into the fountain over your left shoulder, with around 3,000 euros being thrown in each day.
Charles Bridge, Prague: Czech Republic
Charles Bridge in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. The Czechs are widely known for their hospitality, rich cultural heritage, beautiful architecture and of course, for their great cuisine and delicious national specialities. But there are 1,081 pickpocket reviews on this tourist site.
Sacré-Cœur, Paris: France
The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre (Sacred Heart of Montmartre), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Paris, France, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s located at the summit of the butte of Montmartre and from its dome, it is possible to see all of Paris. Despite being a sacred place, it’s weird that you could possibly get pickpocketed on holy grounds with 914 reviews mentioning pickpocketing.
Colosseum, Rome: Italy
The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world today, despite its age. Tourists are intrigued by the rich history of Rome and always want to catch snaps at the Colosseum, however, always exercise caution as the popular site has 666 reviews mentioning pickpocketing.
Old Town Square, Prague: Czech Republic
Old Town Square is home to the Orloj, a medieval astronomical clock mounted on the Old Town Hall. The clock is the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation. Old Town Square has 646 reviews on pickpocketing.
Louvre, Paris: France
The world’s most most-visited museum, and a historic landmark in Paris, France. In the Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown alleges that the remains of Mary Magdalene are located under the Louvre, right beneath the ‘inverted pyramid’ – which can be found in the Louvre’s underground shopping centre. It’s unfortunate that 598 reviews mention pickpocketing at the beautiful site.
Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris: France
Paris being a popular tourist destination could explain why there are more reviews mentioning pickpocketing at tourist sites. The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. However, the medieval Catholic cathedral has 408 reviews mentioning pickpocketing.
Sagrada FamÃlia, Barcelona: Spain
Sagrada Familia has 407 reviews on TripAdvisor mentioning pickpocketing. It is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic Cathedral and a popular tourist site due its Gothic architecture.
Despite the temple being viewed as holy grounds, it is advisable that you pay close attention to your belongings when visiting the site.
With that being said here are some tips on how to keep your belongs safe:
- Ensure that all of your valuables are tightly zipped away in a bag or purse when you’re in tourist areas.
- Zips on bags should also face inwards where possible or be hidden under layers of clothing to make them harder to access.
- Avoid wearing a backpack where possible. Unfortunately, backpacks are perhaps the easiest thing for pickpockets to target as it is of course on your back, therefore you can’t always keep an eye on it and finally, try not to advertise yourself to pickpockets, so stay alert and don’t overtly flash any valuable jewellery, items or cash when visiting European cities.
Read the latest issue of IOL Travel digital magazine here.
