Dateline Discovery

Being in popular places at busy times and being unaware of local customs are two reasons why travelers end up as victims.

It wasn’t until the train had started moving — after we had fought through a mob to board, pushed past a number of people crowding the aisle and booted two others out of our assigned seats — that we realized my wife’s wallet was missing.

We were midway through our honeymoon, a trip that would we would eventually come to remember for all the wrong reasons, when we were victims of every traveler’s worst fear. Within a span of a few frantic seconds, my wife had lost a number of credit cards, nearly €100 in cash, her driver’s license and the camera we used to document our first few days on France’s Cote d’Azur.

For the next five hours, on a meandering trip north to Paris, we had plenty of time to dissect what happened, how it had occurred and what was next. We were fortunate in that my belongings weren’t taken, allowing us to continue our celebration (mostly) unhindered, but it was a vital lesson that has taught us the pitfalls of traveling.

Here’s how to prevent ending up like we did:

1. Pack appropriately

Make sure that you aren’t taking anything with you that will be difficult to replace. Remove the family photos, leave your work pass behind and take out anything other than a photo ID. (For years, I stupidly traveled with both my Social Security card and a copy of my birth certificate.)

Then, use common sense: Do you really need four credit cards? What’s the point of having all those receipts? Why are you bringing your library card? Make sure you’re bringing only what you absolutely need — and if in doubt, pack the other stuff in your luggage, in zippered interior pockets or in a safe in the hotel room, away from prying hands.

2. Create a contingency plan

Don’t plan to lose your wallet or valuables when you leave home, but be prepared in case it happens. Write down the customer service number on the back of the credit card and keep it elsewhere so you can call the company to can cancel it and prevent fraudulent charges. Make copies of your passport or other vital documents in order to provide specific identifying details for a replacement later.

If you’re bringing multiple credit cards or a significant amount of cash, spread it between several pockets, different bags or, better yet, many people. If you don’t usually require a passcode to access your phone, install one for your trip so thieves can’t access your personal information.

3. Take note of your surroundings

A strike by railway union workers reduced the number of trains leaving from Cannes to Paris that day we traveled from more than a dozen to just one, and while we were remarkably fortunate that the train we had booked was the one in service, not everyone was so lucky. It created a chaotic situation within the train station as passengers argued with staff and security were overwhelmed.

Train stations and public squares are frequent hangouts for troublemakers, and when they’re busy, it’s easier for pickpockets to swoop in and make a clean getaway. When entering a place with a number of people, keep your hands in your pockets, a firm grip on your belongings and watch everyone else’s back. And, even in open places, don’t fall for scams; if anyone approaches you for any reason, be suspicious.

4. Be discreet

Looking back, we traced the theft to a series of unfortunate mistakes we had made that morning, and all started with us oversleeping our alarm. We had to hastily pack our belongings to catch a 7:15 a.m. train, which meant we had to buy breakfast at the station, which meant we had to dig through our bags to find our wallets, which meant that we didn’t appropriately stow them once we had gotten the money out. Doing all of this in the middle of the crowded train station was certainly one of our worst ideas — but then again, having woken up 20 minutes earlier, we weren’t thinking straight anyway.

Basically, don’t do this. If you need to count your cash or reassemble your belongings, find a quiet corner of the station hall to do so. Don’t give anyone any idea of what you’re carrying or how to find it.

5. Resist a confrontation

As soon as we realized the wallet was missing, I went up and down as many train cabins as I could to see if the thief had boarded and was eagerly taking stock of the finding. I didn’t find that person, and thus didn’t find the wallet, so any chance of a confrontation was avoided.

Still, even if you see someone walking away with your valuables, it may be best to accept the loss at that point. A thief has surely been confronted by a victim at some point before, and they may either be armed with some type of weapon or more skilled in combat. It’s not worth the risk in personal safety.

Remember, too, that police officers have more important things to worry about than a traveler emotionally ranting at them (likely in a foreign language) for what they consider to be a negligible loss in an unsolvable crime. You’re not guaranteed any kind of help — as we found out at the Gare du Nord station in Paris, where we merely walked away after 45 minutes of frustration.

(Postscript: Two weeks after returning home, a man messaged my wife on LinkedIn saying he had found her wallet on a train traveling from Cannes the same morning as our journey. The thief had, indeed, hopped aboard our train — and the man mailed her what he recovered of her belongings, which was a dirty wallet and her driver’s license. It didn’t ease the sting of the ordeal, but it showed that there are good people out there, too.)

Disclaimers: All products, services and experiences were paid for and arranged by the author and the vendors named herein had no editorial oversight of this piece. Photos by Fabrizio Verrecchia and Rosemary Ketchum via Pexels; others were taken by and remain the property of the author. Contact for republication rights.