20 Practical Ways to Reduce the Risk of Theft While Travelling

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In close to a quarter of a century of near-constant travel, through loads of places people had warned me were dangerous, I have had exactly one thing stolen from me in all that time. I got well off the safer tourist trails in South America, the Middle East and Asia, and my luck held the whole way. The one time it ran out wasn't somewhere exotic at all, but in California, where my rental car was broken into and my wallet (with several hundred dollars in it) and my smartphone were taken.

I never got mugged in Rio, drugged in Colombia, bugged in Egypt, swept under the rug in China or thugged in Eastern Europe, but I got broken into in the United States of America and lost well over a thousand dollars of stuff in the process. And here's the part that still surprises people: that single break-in remains, to this day, the only theft I've experienced in about a quarter of a century of travel. Mind you, it does make a handy retort whenever Americans tell me how scary the outside world is!

What happened was simple enough. I'd found a good deal online for kitesurfing lessons in Oakland, drove over, parked at the shore in broad daylight on a public beach with people coming and going, and left my things in the car so they wouldn't get wet. When I came back, the window was smashed in and everything was gone. Luckily my passport, laptop and other essentials were back at the apartment I was renting, and since I'd left the car keys with the instructor, at least the rental car itself was still there.

Before I get into the tips, I want to be clear about something, because I've met plenty of travellers just after they've been robbed, and the last thing anyone needs in that moment is a lecture. If someone steals from you, the thief is the one in the wrong. Full stop. You didn't deserve it, and some thefts really are pure wrong-place-wrong-time bad luck that no amount of planning would have prevented. But the odds aren't fixed. Looking back at my own break-in, I could see exactly which of my usual habits I'd let slip that day, and any one of them could have made me a less appealing target.

So here are the habits that kept me theft-free through more than two decades of constantly moving to new places, and that might have reduced the chances of it happening that day in Oakland too.

1. Keep track of your things

When I started travelling I got into the habit of tapping my pockets whenever I leave a building, to double check that phone, keys and wallet are all there. In travel mode I add passport and ticket to the list. Those are the things I check first; most of the rest is easier to replace, or can be sent on to you if it turns up later.

The other half of this habit is the glance back. Whenever I get off a bus I've been sitting on for hours, leave an apartment I've been staying in, or even finish lunch in a restaurant, I do a quick scan over the space I was in and the ground around it, to make sure nothing has fallen out of my pockets or is getting left behind. That two-second glance has saved my skin loads of times, whether it was a phone still sitting on the table or something that had slipped out between the seat cushions.

It takes a little while to make automatic, but try it whenever you change locations, in your daily life as much as on the road, and soon it becomes a reflex you don't even notice you're doing.

2. My decoy-wallet habit (and a cheap phone for riskier days)

For years I've travelled with a second wallet that comes out with me in places with a rough reputation. It holds an expired credit card, a few “filler” cards and about ten dollars in cash. If anyone were ever to aggressively demand my wallet, that's the one I'd hand over without a moment's hesitation. I've never had to use it, but knowing it's there buys a lot of peace of mind.

To be absolutely clear though: a decoy is my personal backup, not a guarantee or official safety advice. If you're threatened at knife or gunpoint, hand over whatever the thief demands and don't resist. Nothing inside a wallet is worth risking your life over. The hope is simply that the decoy limits the loss without escalating the situation.

There's a phone version of this too. When I lived in Rio, before heading into parts of the city I knew were less safe, I'd swap my SIM card out of my smartphone and into an ancient phone that could only make calls and texts. If that got taken, I wouldn't lose a minute of sleep over it.

And wherever you are, keep your phone and wallet out of your back pocket. A back pocket can be emptied by someone brushing past you without you feeling a thing, while front pockets and zipped bags worn across your front are way harder to get at without drawing your attention.

3. Separate your sources of money

If everything you have is in one wallet and that wallet gets stolen, you're in a very rough situation when you're alone in a foreign country.

Some card issuers and networks can arrange emergency cash or a replacement card, but the help available depends on the card and where you are. Rather than rely on it, carry only the payment cards you need and leave a backup somewhere secure when that's practical. Save your issuer's international lost-card number somewhere separate from your wallet too.

I almost always do this, but the day I went to the shore in Oakland was unfortunately not one of those days. What saved me was the backup plan: I had several hundred dollars in cash back at the apartment, which kept me going with no pressure at all while I sorted an alternative (I sent a friend money through PayPal and he withdrew cash for me from his own bank). I still keep some emergency cash somewhere secure and separate from my everyday wallet.

4. Keep secure copies of your travel documents

Among the things stolen from my car was my Irish driving licence, which could only be replaced in person in Ireland at the time. Because I'd scanned it in advance, I could print a copy along with the police report. The scan also sped up the replacement application and gave me the licence number I needed for the rental car paperwork. Today, eligible Irish residents can apply for a replacement online through the NDLS, including from abroad in some circumstances.

I keep scans of my passport and its entry stamps too, in case that ever goes missing. A scan is useful backup, but it isn't a travel document. If an Irish passport is lost or stolen abroad, report it promptly and contact the nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate; once it's reported lost or stolen, it is no longer valid, even if you find it later. Store copies securely somewhere you can reach from another device, rather than relying only on the phone that may go missing.

5. Be sceptical when strangers are a little too nice

After months in Buenos Aires blending in well thanks to adapting to local dress and body language, one day I went out with my camera to snap the downtown area I'd never photographed, and stood out as an obvious tourist. While I was taking a photo I felt something hit my leg, and looked down at what seemed to be bird droppings. I looked up cursing my luck when, far too conveniently, a nice-looking couple appeared with a handkerchief at the ready, offering to wipe it off.

If you're less cynical than me, you might think you'd just met the nicest couple in the world. Alarm bells went off in my head instead. The handkerchief had come out way too quickly and they went straight for my legs, exactly the kind of body contact that's perfect for lifting things off you while you're distracted. I refused their help despite their insistence, cleaned up in a restaurant bathroom, and saw it wasn't bird droppings at all but something that had probably been squirted at me from a distance. Locals later confirmed it's a regular con pulled on tourists in the city.

Similarly, in Rome some beggars followed me down the street, once again on a day I was out with my camera in full tourist mode, hands out, saying only “Please, please!” They started rubbing against me, an excellent distraction, until I felt my wallet beginning to slip out of my pocket. I slapped the hand away and yelled every Italian curse word I knew.

Both were close calls that failed because I stay a little sceptical of anyone who gets very close very fast, unless it's a social setting in a culture where that's normal. Genuine kindness from strangers is common on the road, and I've received masses of it, but genuine kindness rarely needs to touch you or rush you.

6. Don't advertise that you're a tourist

Both of those attempts on my wallet happened on days I'd broken my own rule and was wandering around with a camera out, snapping pretty buildings, unmistakably a visitor.

Thieves who target tourists go for the most obvious marks: the camera on permanent display, the expensive watch, the phone always in hand. I once had to insist that a Couchsurfer I knew in Recife, Brazil leave his Rolex at the house whenever we went out. There are places and times when looking flashy is fine, but an unfamiliar district of a foreign city isn't one of them.

Take a look at what locals your age actually wear and lean in that direction, and keep the camera in a plain bag between shots. This is about making valuables less obvious, not blaming victims or pretending that how you look can guarantee your safety.

7. Do some research and ask locals what's safe

This was another of my own mistakes that day. Oakland sits right beside San Francisco, the city where you're meant to “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”, so I simply never associated the area with crime. It turned out that Oakland had a serious crime problem at the time. The local police were so stretched that they couldn't send an officer to the scene, and told me to just drive home and file my report online.

Not reading up on where I was staying gave me far too high a sense of security. In genuinely dangerous cities I've stayed in before, I've made sure I knew exactly which parts were risky, stayed out of them alone at night, and taken extra precautions with my things when I did have to pass through, or simply left valuables somewhere more secure. Start with current official advice for your destination, then use recent local information, guidebooks and trusted local contacts for neighbourhood context.

8. Get travel insurance

There are many levels of travel insurance you can get. For me the no-brainer is medical cover: stuff can be replaced, but skimping on important treatment can leave you with a frightening bill. I've used World Nomads or SafetyWing in the past, but that's my own history rather than a universal recommendation. Compare the actual policy wording, including medical care and repatriation, your planned activities, theft limits, excesses and exclusions. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs recommends comprehensive travel insurance and checking that it covers everything you plan to do.

You can insure your belongings too. Because I travel long-term and incidents like this have been so rare for me, I don't take that option myself, but if you're heading somewhere with a high theft rate, or travelling for just a couple of months with expensive gear, it's worth pricing up. Check the single-item limits and what evidence the insurer requires, and contact the insurer promptly if you need to claim.

If I'm travelling to the US, I make sure I have medical cover. Hospital care there can be extremely expensive, and a single uninsured visit can wipe out an entire travel budget.

One pleasant surprise from my own incident: I'd taken the cheapest rental-car insurance option and still didn't have to pay for the smashed window. Don't assume your agreement will work the same way; check its damage, theft and excess terms before you drive away.

9. Check vaccinations and pack medication properly

Staying on health: check the vaccinations recommended or required for your destination with a travel-health professional, ideally several weeks before you leave. Bring enough prescribed medication for the trip and possible delays, keep it in its original packaging, carry a copy of the prescription, and check the destination's rules because a medicine that's ordinary at home may be controlled elsewhere.

Keep a card with your essential medical information too: your conditions, medicines, allergies and an emergency contact. If you have a condition that needs a medical alert card or bracelet, ask your clinician what they recommend.

10. Make sure someone knows where you are

I travel alone, but a few people always know my itinerary and I check in with them as I go. That way, someone notices if I go quiet. Make sure a friend or family member knows your movements, or ideally befriend someone in the same city who can “worry” about you if needed.

These days it's even easier: share your live location with someone you trust through your phone for the riskier stretches of a trip, agree that they'll actually pay attention to it, and stop sharing when you no longer need to.

Save the local emergency number before you arrive too. 112 works throughout the EU, but there is no single number you should assume works everywhere. Irish travellers can also save the nearest Embassy or Consulate and the Consular Assistance Unit.

11. Take extra care at cash machines

An ATM is the one place where your money is at its most concentrated and most visible, so it deserves a bit of extra caution. Use a bank-operated machine in a well-lit, monitored place when you can. Shield the keypad while typing your PIN, check the machine for anything unusual, stop if it behaves oddly, and put your cash properly away before you walk off.

Set up your bank's app before you leave home too, and keep the issuer's international number somewhere outside your wallet. If a card goes missing, freeze it in the app if that option is available and contact the issuer immediately. Emergency cash or a replacement may be possible, but it depends on the issuer and network.

12. Don't drink (or drug) away your senses

Many “I got robbed” stories I've heard on the road have alcohol in them somewhere. Alcohol doesn't cause theft, and the thief is still responsible, but it can make it easier to lose track of a bag or miss what's happening around you.

I don't drink at all, and I still go out plenty and socialise constantly, so I can promise a brilliant night out doesn't depend on it. I'd never lecture anyone to stop, but if you are drinking somewhere unfamiliar, do it with people you trust who can look out for you, stay aware enough of your surroundings to keep tip number one running, and never leave your drink unattended.

13. Be respectful of local customs

The quickest way to attract the wrong kind of attention is to be loud, dismissive of local ways, and insistent that everyone should behave the way people do back home. It's sad that this needs saying, but plenty of travellers do exactly that.

Stay open to the idea that you might be the one in the wrong about a local custom. Respecting local ways is decent and can prevent misunderstandings, but it doesn't guarantee safety, and another person's aggression is still their responsibility.

14. Walk facing the traffic

In some countries, thieves on motorbikes zoom past pedestrians, snatch a purse or a phone right out of their hands, and disappear before anyone reacts.

In places with loads of motorbikes, I make a conscious effort to walk on the side of the street where I'm facing the oncoming traffic (on the footpath, obviously), so I can see everyone approaching me. Keep bags on the building side of your body rather than the road side, and stay aware of the people walking around you too; they know the area better than you do, and a crowd is very easy to vanish into.

15. Don't flaunt your possessions

Now I can reveal the biggest mistake I made that day in Oakland: my phone was sitting visible in the car's cup holder. A rookie error! I'd left it there in a hurry when the instructor called me over to hit the water. When I came back, only my car had been broken into, not any of the other kitesurfers'. I'd essentially left a huge sign in the car reading “stuff worth stealing in here, special offer today only, just bring your own rock for the window!”

The same goes for what you carry on you. So many robbery stories I've heard on the road involve visible jewellery, designer clothing and expensive electronics. Have you noticed that in my photos I still dress like a scruffy teenager in a plain t-shirt and jeans? There's a good reason for that. Keep the valuable stuff out of sight.

16. Learn enough local language to ask for help

Knowing some of the local language doesn't make you invisible or immune to theft, but it helps me ask for advice, understand warnings and move around with less confusion. Even a basic level can make those conversations much easier.

It also means you don't have to insist that everyone switch to English when you need help. If that's the part you want to work on before your next trip, start with these essential travel phrases.

17. Own less, and there's less to steal

Not having a car removes that particular opportunity. A minimalist lifestyle gives me fewer things to secure: no car full of belongings, no house packed with valuables, just a rented place with the few things I own, most of which can come with me or be easily hidden. That particular break-in was much less likely for me in Europe, where I usually didn't have a car to leave things in.

When you do have things to secure, the same principle applies: remove the opportunity. I should have insisted on finding a secure place to store my things while I was in the water, or simply written the directions on paper and left the smartphone at the apartment, bringing only a little cash and no cards. Fewer opportunities for your things to be stolen means fewer things get stolen. It really is that direct.

18. Make your information unstealable

One thing I did get right: the break-in cost me money, but I lost no data whatsoever.

My contacts were synced to my Google account, so I had every phone number the moment I set up a replacement phone. My notes lived in an app that backs itself up to the cloud. And the many weeks of photos on the phone were already safely backed up, because my phone uploads them automatically every time it connects to wifi. The moment I got home, I changed the passwords for every account that had been logged in on that phone, so anything the thief tried would be turned down immediately.

Modern phones make all of this far easier than it was back then. Before your trip, turn on Apple's Find My or Google's Find Hub, use a strong screen lock, back up the device and make sure you can sign in from somewhere else. If it's stolen, mark it as lost or secure it, contact your mobile provider and bank, and report it to local police rather than trying to recover it yourself from a stranger's location. Erase it remotely if recovery looks unlikely. If the phone is simply misplaced, a lock-screen message can help an honest finder return it.

19. Sometimes spending a little more buys real security

The day I'm most vulnerable to losing everything is a travel day. My laptop, camera and everything else I own are right beside me, and the right distraction at the wrong moment could take it all.

That's why, even though travel can be done very cheaply, I'd spend the extra money on your arrival day if you can afford it: a taxi rather than wrestling luggage through unfamiliar public transport, and a safe, easy-to-find place to stay for the first night rather than the cheapest option down a maze of side streets. When you're exhausted and jetlagged, you're way more likely to make mistakes. I budget for that more expensive first day as a buffer, get my bearings and rest up, and then move on to more authentic (and cheaper) living once I can think straight.

20. Don't be superstitious

When my car got broken into, someone suggested the universe was “balancing out” my great summer. I don't think so at all. It happened for entirely logical reasons, most of which I've spent this post listing.

So rather than checking your horoscope, avoiding the number 13, or knocking on wood, put that energy into checking that you're in a safe area, that your valuables are out of sight, and that you're aware of your surroundings. Those tangible things will influence what happens to you way more than psychic energy ever will.

Be safe, but don't be scared

I'm out in the world constantly and experience it in wonderful ways, and I'm about as far from fearing for my safety as it's possible to be. The precautions in this post are second nature to me now, and they're probably part of why I could travel non-stop for close to a quarter of a century with only one theft to show for it. Even that wasn't such a big deal in the end; things worth money can be replaced with time.

In my experience, many places have felt far less dangerous than second-hand horror stories suggested. Build these precautions into your routine until they're habits rather than a checklist you fret over, and then relax. With the sensible measures handled, you can be more confident, more trusting of the people you meet and more adventurous in exploring unknown places, without sacrificing your basic security.

Things still go wrong occasionally, and when my turn came it ruined one of my Mondays. Then I dusted myself off, learned the lesson, and had a blast for the rest of the trip.