The European countries have been revealed, which when you visit them you should also have eyes on your back.
And we explain. In these countries, sightseeing can cost you dearly as pickpockets lurk, according to figures from the Mirror.
This is a list of 10 European countries, in which -unfortunately- our country is also.
This particular list was made by experts in the comparison of travel insurance in Great Britain and more specifically at Quotezone.co.uk, based on the index of wallets.
This index ranks the most popular European holiday destinations based on the percentage of pickpocket mentions in visitor reviews of each country’s top five tourist attractions.
First Italy and second France
At the top of the international ranking is Italy. Visitors to Italy’s Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon in Rome, as well as the Duomo di Milano in Milan and the Gallerie Degli Uffizi in Florence reported the highest volume of stolen personal items in online travel reviews.
Do not leave your personal belongings unattended
France is the second most visited country by Britons and also has the second highest number of reports of pickpockets, 251 per million visitors.
Spain came third in the pickpocket index, with Las Ramblas perhaps unsurprisingly the worst of the five tourist hotspots for item theft.
The list of 10 European countries
The… hot spots of pickpockets in Europe
- Italy, Trevi Fountain
- France, Eiffel Tower
- Spain, Las Ramblas
- Germany, Brandenburg Gate
- Netherlands, red light district
- Portugal, Alfama
- Turkey, Sultanahmet region
- Greece, Acropolis Museum
- Poland, Rynek Glowny central square of Krakow
- Republic of Ireland, Guinness Storehouse
What you should watch out for
Greg Wilson, founder and chief executive of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “Theft can happen anywhere and tourist hotspots are convenient places for criminals to target the wallets and bags of holidaymakers while they are busy the sights. Iconic attractions such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Trevi Fountain in Rome are particularly popular with pickpockets as they can move more discreetly through larger crowds.”
He also added that: “Many holidaymakers are unaware that some of the most popular destinations for Britons have some of the highest rates of theft in Europe. Our research revealed some surprising results with Italy having the most reports of pickpockets, however France and Spain have much higher volumes of tourists.”
“It is important to always be alert, leave valuables such as expensive jewelery in a hotel safe and always travel with a secure zipped bag to keep phones and wallets safe or even a money belt. “Try never to leave your personal belongings unattended because travel insurance companies require travelers to take ‘reasonable care’ and could reject insurance claims for theft if items are left alone,” he said.
