A new report ranks European countries according to the risk of being robbed. Discover ways to protect yourself from them.
Thousands of people suffer the nightmare every year of having their valuables stolen abroad. Tourists are often the target of theft because they are less aware of their surroundings.
In busy areas and around popular attractions, travelers need to be especially vigilant to avoid becoming victims.
Where are you most at risk of falling victim to pickpockets and how can you protect yourself from them?
Which is the worst European country for pickpockets?
Travel insurance comparison experts at Quotezone.co.uk have released a report that assesses European countries based on the risk of falling prey to pickpockets.
In the European Pickpocket Index by Quotezone, Italy emerges as the destination most susceptible to pickpocket incidents. This ranking was determined by analyzing traveler reviews, specifically counting mentions of pickpocket incidents at the top five tourist attractions in each country.
Italy takes the top spot with 1,906 mentions of theft in online travel comments for 2022.
Notably, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon inĀ Rome, Duomo inĀ Milan, and the Gallerie degli Uffizi inĀ FlorenceĀ were among the attractions cited. This translates to 463 mentions of theft per million visitors to Italy's primary tourist sites, the highest rate among allĀ European countries.
FranceĀ secures the second position in the pickpocket index, with 283 mentions per million visitors. Quotezone's analysis focused on attractions located in Paris.
Surprisingly, despiteĀ Barcelonaās reputation for pickpocket incidents,Ā SpainĀ ranks only sixth on the list. The reviews forĀ SpainĀ had five times fewer mentions of theft compared to Italy.
Conversely, the Republic of Ireland and Poland reported the fewest incidents of pickpocketing, with 30 and 18 mentions per million visitors, respectively.
What are the best ways to protect yourself against pickpockets?
āTheft can happen anywhere, and tourist spots are prime places for criminals to seize tourists' wallets and bags while they are busy visiting the sites.āā says Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.
āIconic attractions such asĀ Eiffel TowerĀ of Paris andĀ Fontana di TreviĀ in Rome are especially popular with pickpockets, as they can move more discreetly among large crowdsā.
Visitors are advised to leave valuables, such as expensive jewelry, in a hotel safe. Wilson also suggests traveling with a secure crossbody bag that zips up to hold phones and wallets, or even a money belt.
āTry never to leave personal belongings unattended, because companiesĀ travel insuranceĀ They require visitors to have a āreasonable careāand may deny insurance claims for theft if items have been left unattended,āĀ warn_._
āIt is also important to remember to file a police report for the loss or theft of an item in the event of theft, as this will support your insurance claim.ā
It's also a good idea to have copies of important documents and save them online. Download an app toĀ āfind my phoneāĀ and make sure you have a backup of all your data and that your photos are automatically uploaded to online storage in case your phone is stolen.
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