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re: Pickpockets in Europe...
Posted on 10/15/24 at 4:59 am to Beachtiger
Posted on 10/15/24 at 4:59 am to Beachtiger
I've been going to European destinations almost yearly since the early 90s. I learned very early on to ALWAYS leave at least one backup credit card in the hotel room when out sightseeing for the day. And there is no need to carry a large of amount of local cash that can be stolen. Most of Europe has gone practically cashless in the last five years or so. For a two week trip, I haven't needed more than 50-60 euro. Europe is big on contactless (tap and go) cards. Paying with your phone wallet can also be done, but it doesn't seem to be as popular there.
1
Posted on 10/16/24 at 12:06 am to 62Tigerfan
quote:
Most of Europe has gone practically cashless in the last five years or so.
As mentioned in places like the Netherlands or Sweden - absolutely. In places like Portugal or Germany - aside from a brief and temporary spike in card acceptance in the heart of the pandemic - not at all.
quote:at least here in the Netherlands this is the most common way of paying.
Paying with your phone wallet can also be done, but it doesn't seem to be as popular there.
Posted on 10/16/24 at 12:44 pm to purpgold718
quote:
In places like Portugal or Germany - aside from a brief and temporary spike in card acceptance in the heart of the pandemic - not at all.
Ive been to Portugal twice in the past 2 years and spent a good bit of time in Lisbon, Porto and Nazare. Everywhere used the same little handheld card reader or took cards at the register. Very few times did i have to use cash. Sure maybe in some smaller towns cash may still be king, but to say Portugal is not credit card friendly is absolutely false.
Posted on 10/16/24 at 12:49 pm to purpgold718
I had no problems in Germany.
Greece is the most notorious of European countries for wanting cash. Cash is definitely king there
Greece is the most notorious of European countries for wanting cash. Cash is definitely king there
Posted on 10/16/24 at 10:48 pm to Joshjrn
There are literally only 3 major towns in Crete. Everywhere else is basically what I’m describing. That said, most tourists only visit those three towns and miss the real Crete experience. I think most of Eastern Europe is probably like that as well.
My other major European surprise was almost no stores took American Express in Belgium. Be sure to take a Visa or MC…in addition to cash!
My other major European surprise was almost no stores took American Express in Belgium. Be sure to take a Visa or MC…in addition to cash!
Posted on 10/17/24 at 10:12 am to Beachtiger
Buy a cheap wallet. Put some scrap paper in it if you want and carry it in your back pocket. This is your decoy.
Put your credit/debit card, ID and cash in your front pockets. In most places in Europe, you won't need the cash. Leave your hunting license, business cards, extra credit cards and anything else you don't need at home. If you need a jacket, get one with interior or exterior zip pockets for your phone.
And watch YouTube videos that explain how pickpocketing is done so you can avoid those situations.
Put your credit/debit card, ID and cash in your front pockets. In most places in Europe, you won't need the cash. Leave your hunting license, business cards, extra credit cards and anything else you don't need at home. If you need a jacket, get one with interior or exterior zip pockets for your phone.
And watch YouTube videos that explain how pickpocketing is done so you can avoid those situations.
Posted on 10/18/24 at 2:52 pm to Beachtiger
I always carried a fake wallet that had like $15 and some old cards in it. Put that in your back pocket, while you keep the real one in your front pocket where you can monitor it more easily.
If in transit, keep your passport and cards/cash in a money belt or ankle wallet or passport carrier underneath your pants or shirt. Once at hotel, put everything you're not actively using in a lockbox if they have one. If they don't have one, stow that stuff in your luggage underneath your dirty clothes.
If you're in a hostel, make sure you get a locker or lockbox or something. If they don't have one, consider leaving your passport at the front desk. Doesn't feel comfortable, but at least you'll know who has it and who is responsible for it.
If in transit, keep your passport and cards/cash in a money belt or ankle wallet or passport carrier underneath your pants or shirt. Once at hotel, put everything you're not actively using in a lockbox if they have one. If they don't have one, stow that stuff in your luggage underneath your dirty clothes.
If you're in a hostel, make sure you get a locker or lockbox or something. If they don't have one, consider leaving your passport at the front desk. Doesn't feel comfortable, but at least you'll know who has it and who is responsible for it.
This post was edited on 10/18/24 at 2:54 pm
Posted on 10/19/24 at 2:53 am to Fat Batman
quote:
say Portugal is not credit card friendly is absolutely false.
“Absolutely false” yeah ok, that’s not what I said in any case, I said that referring to places like Portugal as “cashless” , i.e. suggesting that card is the dominant and preferred and more widely accepted payment form is incorrect, and that is a fact.
Cards are accepted in some places but quite a few places either don’t take cash or claim they’ll only accept Portuguese bank issued debit cards. I’ve been 4x in the past 2 years and spent the majority of time in Lisbon, but also Porto and the Algarve as well so it wasn’t a small town thing.
Germany has gotten better and I think it depends on the city/region. Berlin is counterintuitively very cash preferring compared to other cities.
Again both Portugal & Germany have a decent share of businesses that will accept card but there’s far more places that will take only cash than the other way around (of which there are next to none in either country) - bottom line is with cash you can pay everywhere in these countries, with card that’s not guaranteed.
This post was edited on 10/19/24 at 3:04 am
Posted on 10/23/24 at 11:02 am to Beachtiger
Happened to me on the metro in Athens. We were headed to the airport to fly back to Germany and it was PACKED. I felt something on the front of my right thigh (I was standing up) like someone drumming their fingers. I reached down and it was a man behind me. I grabbed him by the wrist and spun him around in front of me and asked him what the frick he was doing. My first thought was he some sort of pervert. He started yammering in Greek which is all Greek to me so I twist his arm up behind his neck and he starts howling like a mashed kitty. My wife and son were staring at me like I had lost my damn mind. Almost immediately I thought about my wallet...he was fricking with the front of my leg....drumming his fingers on it. I reached for my wallet and it was gone. I grabbed him around the neck from behind. The other passengers were staring at us in disbelief. The train stopped and the doors open and I shove that bastard out...my wife and son follow and I am screaming at him to give me my wallet. Immediately caught the attention of the police. I was in the process of turning his pockets out when they come up and ask whats going on....I tell them he has my wallet. They start asking him questions and of course he denies knowing anything. Meanwhile the train has left. They search him and he does not have my wallet. I ain't having it....they then explain that my wallet left with his fricking accomplice when the train left the station....he had intentionally got my attention and while I was fricking with him one of his buddy's was lifting my wallet. They handcuffed him and lead him off. Luckily all I had in my wallet were some credit and debit cards and my stateside drivers license. My German drivers license and most importantly my passport was in my front right pocket....just a couple of inches from where he was drumming his fingers on my thigh to get my attention.
Posted on 10/23/24 at 11:22 am to Beachtiger
My wife and went to Europe the first time in the spring of 1996. We spent 23 days and about $300 LOL....like Alabama fans going to the Sugar Bowl who take a $5 bill and another T Shirt and never change either one. Our final city was Paris. When we arrived at the Gare Du nord we were trying to figure out how to use the metro to get to our Hotel. While we were studying the map a man came up and asked if we needed any help. He did not look homeless but he also did not look like an upstanding citizen. I told him thank you but we were good...when my lovely wife, just about worn out from 18 days of non-stop running around and wanting to get to our room bad, said to him "no we don't have it....how do we get a weekly pass on the Metro". His eyes LIT up...he had a live one LOL. He proceeded to explain that we could go to the metro ticket window and ask for the pass....and he would be glad to help. He asked her for about $20 worth of Francs. the tickets were about $15. I told him we did not have any cash and would have to use a credit card....when she said "I bought some Francs in London (double barreled bad idea, admitting you have cash and having exchanged it at the airport where they rob you blind). He was estatic while she reached in her pocket and produce the money. I am livid LOL. She is PISSED at me for refusing his help in the first place...she really wanted to get to the hotel. He walks up to the counter, buys the tickets, and comes back over to us with the tickets....and the change....in his hands. I am certain that his plan was to give us the tickets and keep the change, which at this point I am more than glad to do. When he starts to hand her the tickets and the change a Policeman spots us and screams, loudly "EXTORTION" and starts running towards us. The man looks at me....I see it in his eyes...he is COMPLETELY confused LOL. He was not confused enough to not run off though....slinging tickets, change and everything where he stood....the police hot on his trail. We picked the tickets and change up and headed for the metro. The last we saw of him he was running through the Gare du nord with 2 cops in hot pursuit....We had a deep meaningful discussion about this and to this day she says she did nothing wrong and he was merely trying to help. He may have been, but I am convinced his intention was to give us the tickets and start in with some story about how he needed the change and then some more than we did.
As a final note....when we got back to Hartsfield we were FLAT broke. Our credit cards had been stopped by the banks because we were in Europe. We had not made arrangements for anyone to pick us up and cell phones weren't a thing. We needed a quarter to make a phone call LOL. We did not have one. The only cash we had was the change that man had gotten when he bought those tickets.....my wife tried to exchange it but they would not do less than $10 if memory serves. It was less than $5. The man at the exchange booth gave her a quarter, we called a friend and she came to get us. I still have that $5 worth of francs.
As a final note....when we got back to Hartsfield we were FLAT broke. Our credit cards had been stopped by the banks because we were in Europe. We had not made arrangements for anyone to pick us up and cell phones weren't a thing. We needed a quarter to make a phone call LOL. We did not have one. The only cash we had was the change that man had gotten when he bought those tickets.....my wife tried to exchange it but they would not do less than $10 if memory serves. It was less than $5. The man at the exchange booth gave her a quarter, we called a friend and she came to get us. I still have that $5 worth of francs.
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