British insurance company, Quotezone lists the top 10 most visited European countries where holidaymakers are most likely to be pickpocketed
Italy’s top tourist destinations, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and Milan’s Duomo di Milano, have also been hotbed of pickpocketing, equating to 478 pickpocketing mentions for every million British visitors to Italy’s top tourist attractions, the highest proportion of any European country.
These are some of the findings of a report by a British insurance company, Quotezone, that lists the top 10 most visited European countries where holidaymakers are most likely to be pickpocketed.
The index ranks the most popular European holiday destinations by the proportion of pickpocketing mentions in visitor reviews of each country’s top five tourist attractions.
France is the second most visited country by the British citizens and also has the second highest number of pickpocketing mentions at 251 per million visitors, with all five attractions monitored being in Paris.
Spain ranked third on the pickpocketing index with Las Ramblas in Barcelona being the worst of the five tourist spots for stolen items.
According to the index, Germany’s Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, Marienplatz, East Side Gallery, the Holocaust Memorial are the most vulnerable to pickpocketing and rank 4th on the list. Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, Red Light District, Rijksmuseum and Vondelpark in the Netherlands rank 5th.
Greg Wilson
“Unfortunately this new research shows that thousands of people have complained about pickpockets in Europe while experiencing the best that European holiday destinations have to offer. Theft can happen anywhere and tourist hotspots are convenient places for criminals to target holidaymakers’ wallets and purses whilst they are busy taking in the sites,” says Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.
“Iconic attractions like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Trevi Fountain in Rome are particularly popular with pickpockets as they can move more inconspicuously amongst larger crowds,” he adds.
The index ranks Portugal, Turkey, Greece and Poland successively.
“Many holidaymakers are unaware that some of the most popular destinations for Brits have some of the highest incidents of pickpocketing in Europe. Our research revealed some surprising results with Italy having the most pickpocketing mentions, yet France and Spain have much larger volumes of tourists. It is essential always to remain vigilant, leave valuables, like expensive jewellery, in a safe in the hotel and always travel with a secure cross-body bag with zips to secure phones and wallets or even a money belt,” adds Wilson.
“Try never to leave personal belongings unattended because travel insurance companies require travellers to take ‘reasonable care’ and could reject insurance claims for theft if items have been left alone. It is also important to remember to get a police report for the loss or theft of an item if you have been pickpocketed, as this will support the insurance claim,” he says.
The index suggests that tourists enjoying a pint at the Guinness Storehouse can feel fairly confident their possessions are safe, with the Republic of Ireland ranking down in 10th spot with only 7 pickpocketing mentions per million visitors.
“Remember to double-check what is and isn’t covered on the travel insurance policy before heading to these high-ranking destinations, most travel insurance policies cover important documentation such as passports but rarely cover stolen cash and phones. Most providers allow travellers to add on extras that might be needed such as gadget travel insurance,” Wilson adds.
The 10 most pick-pocketed countries in Europe, and the worst-hit attractions:
Italy: Trevi Fountain, Rome
France: Eiffel Tower, Paris
Spain: Las Ramblas, Barcelona
Germany: Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
Netherlands: Red Light District, Amsterdam
Portugal: Alfama, Lisbon
Türkiye: Sultanahmet District, Istanbul
Greece: Acropolis Museum, Athens
Poland: Rynek Glowny Central Square, Krakow
Ireland: Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
