Pickpockets and bag-snatchers operate especially in the larger cities such as Rome, Milan and Naples. It would be wise to keep your valuables unexposed when in public. One of the highly recommended Italy travel safety tips to reduce your chances of theft is by placing your money, passports and other important items in a belt bag and wearing it under your clothing. Use bags that you can sling around your body because this will make it more difficult for snatchers to pry your valuables away from you. When traveling in a large crowd, try to keep your bag or purse in front of you where you can see it.

It is also a good idea to not keep all your money and credit cards with one person. If you have a travel companion, divide your cash between the two of you. This way, if one person’s wallet gets stolen, you wouldn’t be left completely out of cash. Or carry traveler’s checks, which is a safer option. Another precautionary tip is to keep your cash in different pockets of your trousers or jeans.

Another travel safety tip is to ask your hotel reception if they have available safes that you can use to keep important documents in. Before leaving for Italy, we recommend that you keep a separate photocopy of all your credit cards, ATMs and passports to use as temporary travel documents and proof when reporting to the authorities in case they are lost or stolen.

When going around Italy, one travel safety tip is to keep an eye out for groups of unkempt-looking women with children who ask people for money. How these groups operate is that one will approach you to create a diversion and the children will pick your pocket. They are usually found around train stations or shopping centers and tourist spots. If you encounter one of these groups, we advise that you take action immediately by quickly moving to another location or finding a law enforcement officer in the vicinity to help you. These incidents occur more often in Rome or Naples.

If traveling by car, avoid leaving it parked overnight and avoid leaving any valuables in the vehicle. Car theft is an issue in the larger cities and usually those with foreign plates are targeted more often.

Always make sure that report any theft to a nearby police station within 24 hours and that you obtain a statement or a police report. This will ensure that your loss will be covered by your travel insurance.

Because of Italy’s warm Mediterranean summers, tourists are most likely to flock to the country during this time of the year. This may make for the perfect travel weather but women should still be careful with the way they dress. One travel safety tip to remember is to keep it modest and simple. Avoid wearing fancy jewelry and clothing, especially when travelling alone. This will more likely make you the target for theft as it gives off the impression that you are carrying a lot of money.

The more revealing the outfit, the more likely you will receive unwanted comments or propositions from the sometimes overly friendly Italian men. This is especially the case with foreign women as they are the most likely target. While this may be flattering for some women, it can also make others extremely uncomfortable. The best way is to get out of the situation is to quickly walk away and ignore them. If they persist, you can look them in the eye and say “no” in a forceful tone. Of course, if the situation becomes burdensome, you can always ask for help from local authorities.

When travelling to Italy by car, it is important to take into consideration some of the following travel safety tips when on the road.

In case you haven’t already heard, Italians have earned a reputation of being quite creative when it comes to driving. It is important to note that traffic rules and regulations are at times open to interpretation in Italy. Drivers in Italy at times like to speed and may cut you off aggressively. In larger cities, traffic is terrible especially during rush hour. Motorbikes and Vespas are very popular and these small vehicles have a tendency to come out of nowhere so it is important to keep a watchful eye.

Parking can be a quite an experience in most major cities in Italy. Because of the scarcity of parking space, Italians have a tendency to be very creative with their parking as well. You might even see cars parked directly over sidewalks, double- or even triple-parked to add to the confusion.

You must also exercise caution even as pedestrian. Many Italian sidewalks are narrow which might force you to walk on the road. Again, watch out for speeding cars and Vespas. When crossing the street, traffic might seem to speed by without stopping which might make it difficult to cross. You might want to watch the locals and follow them. The general approach is to wait for a gap between the line of cars and then start crossing.

Although the most recommended way to get around Italian cities is by walking or taking public transport, it is sometimes unavoidable to hail a taxi. Most Italian taxi drivers are professional and friendly however it would not hurt to exercise some safety tips to avoid being taken advantage of. Always try to get a registered taxi. Unofficial taxis are notorious for not playing by the rules. Never take a ride from a driver that approaches you as they are more likely to overcharge. And always make sure that the meter is running. Most Italians do not tip cab drivers. What they do is they round off the fare and let them keep the change. However, if the driver helps you with your bags, a €1 or €2 tip would be acceptable.

Keep a list of emergency number for your hotel and the local emergency lines for police, fire and medical assistance. You can easily get these numbers from your hotel concierge. Jot them down on your travel guide or make a list and keep it in your purse. Your hotel may even have handy card listed with all emergency numbers.

These are just a few Italy safety travel tips that you might want to keep in mind to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip to Italy. We recommend that you have our Italy Travel Guide with you at all times for easy reference.