Pickpocketing presents a major problem for many tourists visiting popular destinations across Europe. According to London-based travel insurance company Quotezone, Athens ranked 8th as one of the destinations with the highest incidents of pickpocketing and theft.
“European cities are famously popular tourist destinations for sightseeing, with the recent surge in vacationers expected to continue throughout 2024, unfortunately, this also makes them some of the danger zones for pickpocketing,” said Tiffany Mealiff, travel insurance expert at Quotezone, in a statement.
In its report, Quotezone analyzed the number of reports of “pickpocketing” or thefts on traveler review websites in popular European destinations relative to the number of visitors to that country. The insurance company also examined the most popular tourist hotspots in these destinations, such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum in Rome, and the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) in Italy, to identify the worst areas where pickpockets are rampant.
Rome emerged as the worst city for visitors regarding pickpocketing and theft with the Trevi Fountain being the worst area for tourists.
Below are the European countries with the most reports of pickpocketing per million visitors since April 2024 and the tourist hotspots with the most reports of pickpocketing (in reverse order):
10. Ireland – 7 reports, worst area: Guinness Storehouse
9. Poland – 18 reports, worst area: Main Square Rynek Glowny in Krakow
8. Greece – 19 reports, worst area: Acropolis Museum
7. Turkey – 21 reports, worst area: Sultanahmet Area
6. Portugal – 58 reports, worst area: Alfama
5. Netherlands – 100 reports, worst area: Red Light District
4. Germany – 111 reports, worst area: Brandenburg Gate
3. Spain – 111 reports, worst area: Las Ramblas
2. France – 251 reports, worst area: Eiffel Tower
1. Italy – 478 reports, worst area: Trevi Fountain
