Money Belts

Your portable safe

By Rick Steves

European thieves target American tourists. Not because they're mean, but because they're smart. We're the ones with all the good stuff in our bags and wallets. While violent muggings are rare in Europe, you can safely assume you'll be gently, skillfully pick-pocketed. The answer isn't fear, but a money belt. Every traveler needs one.

Money belts are small, zippered fabric pouch that fastens around the waist under your pants or skirt. Wear it completely hidden from sight, tucked in like a shirttail — over your shirt and under your pants. (If you find it uncomfortable to wear a money belt in front — as many women do — slide it around and wear it in the small of your back.)

With a money belt, all your essential documents are on you as securely and thoughtlessly as your underpants. Have you ever thought about that? Every morning you put on your underpants. You don't even think about them all day long. And every night when you undress, sure enough, there they are, exactly where you put them. When I travel, my valuables are just as securely out of sight and out of mind, around my waist in a money belt. It's luxurious peace of mind. I'm uncomfortable only when I'm not wearing it.

Operate with a day's spending money in your pocket. You don't need to get at your money belt for every euro. Your money belt is your deep storage — for select deposits and withdrawals. Lately, I haven't even carried a wallet. A few bills in my shirt pocket — no keys, no wallet — I'm on vacation!

Precautions: Never leave a money belt "hidden" on the beach while you swim. It's safer left in your hotel room. In hostel or dorm situations where your money belt shouldn't be left alone in your room, you can shower with it (hang it — maybe in a plastic bag — from the nozzle). Keep your money-belt contents dry (sweat-free) with a plastic sheath or baggie.

Packing light applies to your money belt as well as your luggage. Here's what to pack in your money belt:

• Passport: You're legally supposed to have it with you at all times.
• Plane Ticket: Keep a copy of the e-ticket record locator/itinerary.
• Railpass: This is as valuable as cash.
• Driver's license: This works just about anywhere in Europe and is necessary if you want to rent a car on the spur of the moment.
• Credit card: It's required for car rental and handy to have if your cash runs low.
• Debit card: A Visa debit card is the most versatile for ATM withdrawals. (I no longer use traveler's checks.)
• Cash: Keep only major bills in your money belt.
• Plastic sheath: Money belts easily get sweaty and slimy. Damp plane tickets and railpasses can be disgusting and sometimes worthless. Even a plain old baggie helps keep things dry.
• Contact list: Print small, and include every phone number or email address of importance in your life.
• Trip calendar page: Include your hotel list and all necessary details from your itinerary

A money belt is your key to peace of mind. If you're pickpocketed, it won't matter. In fact, when you're wearing a money belt, having a thief's hand in your pocket becomes just one more interesting cultural experience.