Beware of pickpockets at Rome Termini!

[DonRobertoSanJuan]

When we walked to the train to Civitavecchia at Rome Termini station, we were approached by 5 people in a matter of 2 minutes!:eek: It is a rather long walk to the Civitavecchia tracks and you will stick out, carrying all your luggage! There even was a woman standing inside the train, offering to "help" people get on their luggage! These pick pocket gangs are very brazen and you need to be aggresive in denying their "help". If you can, get your tickets in advance, before leaving with all your luggage, passports and money. You still will be approached by people trying to "help", but at least there is less to steal.;)

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Yep- it anyone offers to help say "NO"- stand your ground. Don't be nice about it. A man grabbed my suitcase as I got off the water taxi in Venice at the train station. The water taxi driver didn't stop him so I thought it was part of the service. It was a roller bag and he marched off with it to the train station. The whole time- I'm meekly saying "That's ok, I've got it".

 

Once inside the train station I gave him a 5 Euro tip. He said "No 20". I was like what? No! Then he started yelling for the police. I just gave him the 20 to get rid of him. Boy did I feel violated.

 

The economy is particularly bad in Europe but as a rule- there are no porters or people willing to "Help" in Europe. Beware, watch your things and say "NO".

[maryann ns]

And keep your money, cards and passport in inside your clothing pockets. Keep your hands on your bags when entering or exiting.

[Travelcat2]

Also, be cautious of pickpockets anywhere in Rome as they are notorious for having aggressive picketpocketers (don't think that is a real word:-)

[zqvol]

This warning can apply to any large city in Europe that is frequented by tourists. Always be aware of your surroundings and protect your valuables at all times.

[cruisemom42]

When we walked to the train to Civitavecchia at Rome Termini station, we were approached by 5 people in a matter of 2 minutes!:eek: It is a rather long walk to the Civitavecchia tracks and you will stick out, carrying all your luggage! There even was a woman standing inside the train, offering to "help" people get on their luggage! These pick pocket gangs are very brazen and you need to be aggresive in denying their "help". If you can, get your tickets in advance, before leaving with all your luggage, passports and money. You still will be approached by people trying to "help", but at least there is less to steal.;)

 

While I definitely agree that it is always wise to be vigilant against pickpockets, the incident described above seems more likely to be one of extortion (they want to extort money from you for providing a service you didn't request: handling your luggage) rather than robbery.

 

In March, I had to spend about 90 minutes in Termini waiting for my train to Naples (had pre-purchased a mini-fare and wasn't sure how long to allow). I watched in amazement as an Italian woman left her luggage and bags unattended not once but several times -- and for an extended period. No one bothered them or seemed concerned other than us, who tried to keep an eye on them until she returned.

 

If it had been me, I'm sure they would've vanished the moment I turned my back!

[Travelcat2]

Our experience in Rome (as well as many others we have spoken with as recently as last month in Italy), Rome has a severe problem with pickpockets (in addition to extortion described above). In the 50+ countries we have visited, three stand out in terms of needing to take extra precautions with your belongings: Rome, Rio and Barcelona (not necessarily in that order).

 

When we were in Venice last month, I was prepared for the same fiasco that exists in Rome -- crime, pickpockets, etc. As it ends up, the city was safer than most big cities we have been to in the world.

 

One "trick"(?) to get a woman's handbag is to ride by on a bicycle very fast and pull it from her shoulder (many times knocking the women to the ground).

 

If you have inside pockets in your clothing, money belts, leg wraps that hold money or even those silly looking things that go around your neck, you'll be fine in terms of pickpocketing.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Venice is really safe I agree. Its one of my favorite cities. Getting ripped off by the "porter" at the train station happened in 2002 and nothing else like that happened in Venice. I've been there 5 times and it is a wonderful city- LOVE it there. Some people get turned off of Venice because by day there are throngs of "day trippers" clogging the streets and vaporettos. But in the morning and evening it is relatively quiet and an enchanting city.

 

Just say "NO" to the champagne/ "free" water taxi tours of Murano. My brother-inlaw and sister loved it but also ended up spending $2000 on Murano glass. I guess if you really want expensive Murano glass then do it but it's a tourist trap in my book.

[Karennella]

While I definitely agree that it is always wise to be vigilant against pickpockets, the incident described above seems more likely to be one of extortion (they want to extort money from you for providing a service you didn't request: handling your luggage) rather than robbery.

 

In March, I had to spend about 90 minutes in Termini waiting for my train to Naples (had pre-purchased a mini-fare and wasn't sure how long to allow). I watched in amazement as an Italian woman left her luggage and bags unattended not once but several times -- and for an extended period. No one bothered them or seemed concerned other than us, who tried to keep an eye on them until she returned.

 

If it had been me, I'm sure they would've vanished the moment I turned my back!

Well I felt much the same in New York City when the bags were grabbed from us at the port and then a big tip demanded. Knowing it is the culture, we went along with it but it was certainly a service we did not want!

[JLC@SD]

As to pickpockets.....be extra careful on buses and the underground. The gypsies hang out on the ones that are frequented by tourists.

[tom_uk]

I'd like to respond with a happier 'help' story. On my last visit to Rome I took the Leonardo Express from the airport to Termini. As I boarded at Fiumicino there was man (middle-aged?) standing at the top of the boarding steps of the carriage I was entering, reaching down and lifting people's bags up and then depositing them in the coach vestibule where the passengers took them on into the carriage. About five minutes into the journey this chap came through the coach and everyone (including me) gave him a Euro or so each for his help, and he seemed happy with that.

 

He was in fact genuinely helpful: those are several high steps and with big bags they can be a struggle.

[jonnyb1425]

So what happens if a pick pocket is caught in the act? I know I am often as nimbel as a turtle and am as easily distracted as a two year old but wonder how to react. Are police around if I hold on to him/her or do I merely just hold on to dear life to my belongings?

[ducklite]

We ran into a lot of potential pickpockets and Roma in Rome. It was definitely a place to keep our wits about us. Most of the time with the beggars a stern/sharp "NO" with a hald held palm out was enough to get them to go away. The potential pick pockets we just turned abruptly and plowed towards them catching them off guard and they scattered. We pretty much treated everyone as suspect.

 

We used money belts under our clothes for passports, credit cards, etc. and kept a few euro handy in a zipped pocket under the front flap of our crossbody bag so we didn't have to fumble through the money belt every time we needed to make a small purchase.

 

We felt the most vulnerable at the Trevi Fountain (crushed with people) and around Termini, but the more crowded it was, the more we kept our belongings very close and held tight.

 

We had one really aggressive pair of Roma try to pull off some sort of stunt while we were getting in line for the bus to the port in front of our hotel. The older woman was trying to distract us while the younger one was coming around behind. We told both "NO, NO" and they wouldn't go away. The older one got very close (within inches) to my husband (she was concealing something under a piece of paper held out in front of herself) and he body checked her and sent her backwards a few paces while I turned around and started yelling at the younger one and moved towards her with an aggressive stance, which caused her to begin to back up. It became a scene with people from the cruiseline and the hotel security getting involved before the two women disappeared into the crowd like the roaches they were. I don't think that there were others with them, but I wasn't sure, and the entire time I kept my hands on my bags.

 

Bottom line, be prepared to be as aggressive towards them as they are to you, don't be afriad to stand your ground, and keep your belongings where they can't be taken from you. It was our experience that the minute you become aggressive towards them, they will leave, as they don't expect it and they don't want to have attention drawn to themselves.

 

And never, ever, ever take anything from anyone, no matter how nice they seem or how sincere the offer appears to be. Espectially the rose guys near the Spanish Steps!

 

The police will run them off, but that seems to be all they will do. Same with the Bangladeshi and Nigerian guys selling cheap paper umbrellas, knock off handbags, and those splat things.

 

We were expecting the same thing in Venice and Athens and were pleasantlly surprised--we saw very few gypsies and only a few potentially suspected pickpockets in Venice (all around San Marco where the crowds were outrageous) and the beggars in Athens were basically children playing accordian for "tips" on the sidewalk with a parent about half a block away watching. Trustworthy? Never. Aggressive? Not at all.

[Travelcat2]

We ran into a lot of potential pickpockets and Roma in Rome. It was definitely a place to keep our wits about us. Most of the time with the beggars a stern/sharp "NO" with a hald held palm out was enough to get them to go away. The potential pick pockets we just turned abruptly and plowed towards them catching them off guard and they scattered. We pretty much treated everyone as suspect.

 

We used money belts under our clothes for passports, credit cards, etc. and kept a few euro handy in a zipped pocket under the front flap of our crossbody bag so we didn't have to fumble through the money belt every time we needed to make a small purchase.

 

We felt the most vulnerable at the Trevi Fountain (crushed with people) and around Termini, but the more crowded it was, the more we kept our belongings very close and held tight.

 

We had one really aggressive pair of Roma try to pull off some sort of stunt while we were getting in line for the bus to the port in front of our hotel. The older woman was trying to distract us while the younger one was coming around behind. We told both "NO, NO" and they wouldn't go away. The older one got very close (within inches) to my husband (she was concealing something under a piece of paper held out in front of herself) and he body checked her and sent her backwards a few paces while I turned around and started yelling at the younger one and moved towards her with an aggressive stance, which caused her to begin to back up. It became a scene with people from the cruiseline and the hotel security getting involved before the two women disappeared into the crowd like the roaches they were. I don't think that there were others with them, but I wasn't sure, and the entire time I kept my hands on my bags.

 

Bottom line, be prepared to be as aggressive towards them as they are to you, don't be afriad to stand your ground, and keep your belongings where they can't be taken from you. It was our experience that the minute you become aggressive towards them, they will leave, as they don't expect it and they don't want to have attention drawn to themselves.

 

And never, ever, ever take anything from anyone, no matter how nice they seem or how sincere the offer appears to be. Espectially the rose guys near the Spanish Steps!

 

The police will run them off, but that seems to be all they will do. Same with the Bangladeshi and Nigerian guys selling cheap paper umbrellas, knock off handbags, and those splat things.

 

We were expecting the same thing in Venice and Athens and were pleasantlly surprised--we saw very few gypsies and only a few potentially suspected pickpockets in Venice (all around San Marco where the crowds were outrageous) and the beggars in Athens were basically children playing accordian for "tips" on the sidewalk with a parent about half a block away watching. Trustworthy? Never. Aggressive? Not at all.

 

I agree with everything you posted 100% and hope readers will take the precautions you suggested.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Thank you for your recent experiences. I thought the Italian and French trains were just ok (nothing like the German, Swiss and Austrian trains). I find it confusing at the train stations and with transfers with luggage... and no guaranteed seats unless you book them in advance... I've had some really uncomfortable Italian train rides.

 

So we are going to Italy this summer and I have hired a private driver to take us from Venice to our final destination in the Dolomites. It is costly. I had planned to take the trains on the way back to Venice but you only live once and I'm thinking that a brutal train ride back might not be the best way to cap off our trip.

[ducklite]

Well I felt much the same in New York City when the bags were grabbed from us at the port and then a big tip demanded. Knowing it is the culture, we went along with it but it was certainly a service we did not want!

 

Just grab them back and say "If I wanted your help I'd ask for it," or something equally obnoxious, and they'll leave you alone. By not speaking up you are making yourself into a "victim."

[euro cruiser]

I'm not sure it's wise to suggest that anyone escalate to a confrontation. You never know the mental state of the person you are confronting and it could very quickly become a situation you cannot handle, nor get yourself out of without injury.

 

Of course there will be some instances where shouting, etc. may be required, but in general you can make yourself clear and send them away without a shouting match.

 

The great majority of these situations are crimes of opportunity, made possible by the victim's confusion, lack of familiarity with the location and/or language, distraction, etc. Being aware and "in the moment" goes a long way toward removing the opportunity. So does marching forward with purpose, even if you're really not entirely sure where you are going.

[euro cruiser]

I find it confusing at the train stations and with transfers with luggage... and no guaranteed seats unless you book them in advance... I've had some really uncomfortable Italian train rides.

 

So we are going to Italy this summer and I have hired a private driver to take us from Venice to our final destination in the Dolomites. It is costly. I had planned to take the trains on the way back to Venice but you only live once and I'm thinking that a brutal train ride back might not be the best way to cap off our trip.

On most lines, and in particular trains between Rome and Venice, you can have an assigned seat, it just costs more. It's no different from Amtrak here at home, where the vast majority of the seats are unassigned.

 

I'd hardly call the high speed trains between Rome and Venice anything even close to brutal; they are new, very comfortable, and a whole lot faster than driving. And on these trains, there are no unassigned seats. All seats require a reservation and are assigned.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I meant brutal in the sense that where I am coming from (and I did this train ride in 2008) Merano- Bolzano- Venice. I have to transfer twice and at the end I'll be in Venice train station which apparently is getting even worse than than in 2008.

 

The train from Meran/Merano is a local train (like a lightrail train). They you buy a ticket for the train to Verona and switch again in Verona to get to Venice. No high speed trains. They are all just so-so. The other issue is that if you don't time it right there are long wait times.

 

It's doable. I did it in 2008. Just me and my son, age 7 at the time, with two carryons and two large suitcases. With transfers the train trip takes over 5 hours (airport to Mestre 25 min., Mestre to Verona 1.5 hours, Verona to Bolzano 2 hours, Bolzano to Merano 40 minutes plus wait times between trains and buying tickets) By private driver it takes 3 hours. The driver meets us outside of baggage, we get in car and fall asleep without worrying that we will sleep through connections. Cost of train trip $40 per person. Cost of driver 480 Euros one way. Expensive but I'm going on vacation to relax and after a TA flight it will be too long of a day.

[euro cruiser]

Reading your description I think your word choice (brutal) was dead-on!

[ducklite]

I'm not sure it's wise to suggest that anyone escalate to a confrontation. You never know the mental state of the person you are confronting and it could very quickly become a situation you cannot handle, nor get yourself out of without injury.

 

Of course there will be some instances where shouting, etc. may be required, but in general you can make yourself clear and send them away without a shouting match.

 

The great majority of these situations are crimes of opportunity, made possible by the victim's confusion, lack of familiarity with the location and/or language, distraction, etc. Being aware and "in the moment" goes a long way toward removing the opportunity. So does marching forward with purpose, even if you're really not entirely sure where you are going.

 

One very good tip we got was that if we needed to look at a map, to duck into a store. That way we could walk with a good purpose as if we knew where we were going. The only time we asked for help from someone on the street was in Athens, we weren't positive where we were (in an area with unmarked streets) and we asked a man in a suit carrying a breifcase heading into a univeristy building to point to where we were on the map.

[CathyCruises]

We have been in trains all over France and Italy, and some going to and from Barcelona. Usually very graffitied on the outside, obviously well used on the inside. But we always get to our destination and enjoy the ride.

 

But we had occasion to take a train from A Coruna, Spain to Santiago de Compostela, when our TA had to be diverted from Cork, Ireland due to a storm. What a beauty that train was. Everyone remarked on how immaculate it was, the bathrooms were sparkling, everything looked brand new. I was so surprised that in a country where the economic woes are broadcast on our evening news on a regular basis, their trains were works of art! So you never know what you're going to be surprised with next.

 

RebeccaLouise, have you considered renting a car? I think it would be fun and WAY less than your driver!

[seaofwonder]

Was in Rome for 9 days pre-cruise. Not a single problem and I was traveling alone and female. I traveled via taxi, subway, bus, and train (to Florence and Orvieto).

 

Stern "no" to the aggressive street vendors or a lack of eye contact.

 

Everything else is just common sense and applies to every major city in the world. Keep your eyes open and your belongings close.

 

I was worried about all the horror stories people said, but it was nothing.

 

Gypsy women were at the entrance to many churches, just walked right by and was never bothered.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

We have been in trains all over France and Italy, and some going to and from Barcelona. Usually very graffitied on the outside, obviously well used on the inside. But we always get to our destination and enjoy the ride.

 

But we had occasion to take a train from A Coruna, Spain to Santiago de Compostela, when our TA had to be diverted from Cork, Ireland due to a storm. What a beauty that train was. Everyone remarked on how immaculate it was, the bathrooms were sparkling, everything looked brand new. I was so surprised that in a country where the economic woes are broadcast on our evening news on a regular basis, their trains were works of art! So you never know what you're going to be surprised with next.

 

RebeccaLouise, have you considered renting a car? I think it would be fun and WAY less than your driver!

 

I actually did consider renting a car and if I was going with another adult I'd feel more confortable doing this but it is just me and my 11 year old. I don't sleep well on planes and with jetlag- I really don't think I'll be that adventurous.

[CathyCruises]

I actually did consider renting a car and if I was going with another adult I'd feel more confortable doing this but it is just me and my 11 year old. I don't sleep well on planes and with jetlag- I really don't think I'll be that adventurous.

 

Ah, that makes sense.