Purse Or Money Belt

[Maydup]

What do you use to carry your money in European cities?

I want to be safe but practical. Obviously I should avoid a rucksack style day bag, or one with a thin strap. I'm thinking about using a normal looking small handbag for glasses, map, tissues, cheap mobile phone, etc and carrying the cash and a debit card in a money belt.

I'd welcome your suggestions or tips for being safe during 5 days in Paris.

[jomifl]

Carry a cheap easily stealable handbag with nothing of value in it except your fags and bus tickets.

[Jennykenny]

Rohan (travel clothes) do trousers for men and women that have a hidden zipped pocket. I carry a purse with loose change and small notes in a bag, cross body, and a few larger notes and credit card in the pocket, and the rest left in the hotel room safe.

[murraymints]

MAYDUP...lots on Amazon !

[mikey4444]

You can get small, discreet very thin wallets that can be concealed under your clothing. It makes for interesting times in shops when its time to pay, but they are as secure as you can get. I have one that I slip into my pants !

[Maydup]

I shall just carry a few essentials in a cross body bag, and stitch the cash to the inside of my knickers I think!

[jno]

if your hotel has a safe, put one credit card and some of your money in it, plus photocopies of your passport (or just email the photocopies to yourself).

I just have a shoulder bag, over my shoulder usually but in front if I think the area or time of day is dodgy. You can also get pouches t hang round your neck, maybe under your clothes

http://www.google.co.uk/#q=security+neck+pouch&tbm=shop

But Paris is pretty safe as long as you're not venturing out into the banlieue.

[boxtops]

emailing the information to yourself is a really good idea, methyl - I think I'll start doing that.

[kvalidir]

I split my money and cards up between jeans pockets, tuck in money clips, my bra and finally a tawdry amount in a dummy purse in case anyone ever does think to mug me ( which hasn't happened yet).

[boxtops]

Ha, has anyone else got an advert for a travel wallet on this page? I have!

[237SJ]

I lock most of my stuff in my hard suitcase when not taking it out. I don`t trust room safes. What do you think happens when someone vacates the room and doesn`t leave the safe door open after finishing with it? It`s opened by the hotel staff.

[boxtops]

It's a risk, 237, but so are many things - if they were determined, they'd break into your suitcase, or just steal it....

[237SJ]

I know Boxtops. They haven`t yet though. My trusty Samsonite has stood me well.

[jno]

237SJ, the last time I managed to lock myself out of my safe, it took staff half an hour to get it open. I'm not sure they could spare that kind of time to rob me. It might be quicker to get into a case, even a hard-sided one.

Methyl, I'm not sure leaving passport details inside checked luggage is always a good idea. If it's broken into at your departure airport, it gives the thief an opportunity to find out where your empty house is.

[jno]

boxtops, you don't have to "start" emailing your passport details to yourself - just do it now and they'll always be there when you need them.

[ummmm]

You lot are making me paranoid.

[jno]

ummmm, I've never been too worried about security; keeping purses, mobiles etc in an inside pocket and keeping your eyes open seems enough for most purposes, plus I do leave stuff in hotel safes.

Saying that, I have been pickpocketed, muigged or otherwise robbed a fair few times while abroad. I tend to just shrug it off as the price of travelling. Biggest faff was getting a new passport here when I lost one, which took a bit of form-filling. Then six months later I found it in a pocket of the clothes I'd been wearing at the time.

[ummmm]

Lol...*** law.

[ummmm]

Wow...you can even say sodslaw now!!