Lock it up.
Most hostels offer secure lockers. Some offer the service for free, while other hostels charge a nominal fee. Take advantage of these lockers to allow you to see a city without having to lug your possessions. It’s good for the nightlife, too. No one at the discotheque wants to dance with the “backpack-girl.”

Keep your cash safe.
Mandy Peterson, a travel agent with Morris Murdock Travel in Logan, UT, has been to Europe multiple times. “Europe is terrible for pick pocketing, especially on the public transit,” she says. Mandy recommends keeping your money in multiple, hard to reach places close to your body, and leaving some locked up in your hotel room or hostel locker. Avoid carrying your backpack whenever possible, as many thieves will spot you as a visitor and take advantage of the situation. One such trick that robbers use is the “map trick.” Two thieves will act like tourists and ask for directions, spreading a map over the top of your pack. While you’re talking to one person, the second’s hands are hidden beneath the map, relieving you of the bag’s contents.