Thieves are rife at these popular attractions

• August 12, 2022

• August 12, 2022

  2 minute read

New research from Money, an online comparison service based in the UK, has found that some of the most desirable travel destinations are swarming with pickpockets once again. Analysts looked at reviews posted to TripAdvisor to uncover the most-targeted areas, including transport stations and popular tourist attractions.

In the top spot, with 3271 reviews, was Las Ramblas in Barcelona, where the amount of foot traffic makes it the perfect place for thieves to strike. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was ranked second with a total of 2569 reviews, closely followed by the Trevi Fountain in Rome, with just over 2200 pickpocket reviews.

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The study also found that the Athens Metro in Greece is a common place for theft, with 15.2 per cent of reviews relating to robberies, as well as Mercado Municipal de Benidorm, a busy market in Alicante, Spain, which recorded 17.2 per cent.

Susan Rivers from the NSW Central Coast region knows the daunting reality of being pickpocketed while traveling aboard. Rivers was targeted by a group of thieves on a train in Paris while on holiday with her husband and three kids, aged 15, 13 and 11.

“It was very busy, but nothing out of the ordinary, and we got on an end carriage which only had standing room left,” says Rivers, who was wearing a crossbody bag and had the family’s luggage in tow.

“Five or six other passengers stepped onto the carriage and all of sudden, they separated us. It was then, when my husband started looking at me from across the carriage, that I realised they were deliberately squishing us to get into our bags. After we got off the train, which we were on for no longer than a minute, we noticed they took our wallets from our bag.”

Rivers recalls the mob being so intimidating that you “had to let it go”.

“My children were terrified, especially my youngest because he was seeing what was happening and didn’t know what to do. We reported it to the police who said during that time pickpockets in Paris were running rife.”

Despite being a style of bag often recommended to travellers, Rivers says she will never travel with a crossbody bag again because they are “too accessible”. “I will have my wallet and passport under my clothing so nothing is visible.”

Zips on bags should face inward or be hidden under layers of clothing to make it harder for thieves to access. Money belts are also safe options, and wearing backpacks should be avoided at all costs.

“As the travel industry revives itself, so do some of the not-so-enjoyable moments travellers can experience,” says Jayesh Kersy, head of media and communications at tour provider Trafalgar. “It’s important to be aware of issues that could affect your time abroad and potentially ruin a holiday, such as pickpocketing.”

Kersy urges travellers to be wary of setting down valuables such as phones, cameras and tablets as such items are essential to modern-day travel, holding important information and photographic memories.

“Avoid giving a pickpocketer the opportune moment by keeping your valuables close to your person, and off of tables in restaurants, bars or other public places.”

10 worst places for pickpockets in the world

1. Las Ramblas, Barcelona Spain
2. Eiffel Tour, Paris, France
3. Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
4. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic
5. Sacré-Cœur, Paris, France
6. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
7. Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic
8. Louvre, Paris, France
9. Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France
10. Sagrada Família, Barcelona, Spain

Australia

Imogen Reid is a reporter at The Australian. She previously worked as a casual reporter at news.com.au before joining The Australian in 2019. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts…. Read more

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