How to Avoid Pickpockets in Spain and Italy: Common Tricks, Anti-Theft Gear and What to Do If Robbed

To avoid pickpockets in Spain and Italy, three habits matter most: wear your bag in front with the zip closed, keep your passport and most of your cash in the hotel safe, and never let go of your phone on the metro or at busy sights. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives both countries its lowest alert, "Level 1: grey", but pickpocketing and bag snatching are common at stations, on metros and at airports in big cities, with Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Milan as hotspots. In either country, call 112 in an emergency.

Key takeaways

• Spain and Italy both carry Taiwan's lowest travel alert, "Level 1: grey"; the main risk is pickpocketing and snatch theft, not violent crime.
• Taiwan's advice for Spain says pickpocketing and bag snatching are common around stations, metros and airports in big cities, and drivers should watch for break-ins and theft from cars.
• Real police only ask to see ID; they never ask you to hand over your wallet or bag, so be wary of "plainclothes officers" who want to check your wallet.
• The emergency number in both Spain and Italy is 112; Taiwanese travellers who lose a passport can call the representative office in Spain (+34-639-384-883) or Italy (+39-366-806-6434).
• Pulling a suitcase through stations and the metro is when you're most distracted, and pickpockets know it.

Are there many pickpockets in Spain and Italy? What official advice says

Both countries are safe overall, but busy tourist cities do have plenty of pickpockets. Taiwan's travel alert for Spain, updated on 26 August 2026, warns of pickpocketing and snatch theft near stations, metros and airports in big cities; drivers should watch for theft from parked cars and for strangers who flag them down claiming there's a "tyre problem". See Taiwan's travel alert for Spain. Italy is also at Level 1, with a warning about pickpockets and theft gangs at tourist sites in summer; see Taiwan's travel alert for Italy.

Country	Taiwan travel alert	Places to take extra care	Emergency number
Spain	Level 1: grey	Barcelona's La Rambla and metro, Madrid's Puerta del Sol and metro, airports and train stations	112
Italy	Level 1: grey	Rome's Termini station and Trevi Fountain, Milano Centrale and Piazza del Duomo, Napoli Centrale	112

Before you go: back up documents and split your valuables

Before you leave, save photos of your passport, insurance policy and bookings to the cloud, and keep cash and cards in separate places, so a stolen wallet doesn't cost you everything at once.

Travel document	Why it matters	How to back it up
Passport	You need its details for a replacement passport or emergency travel document	Photo in the cloud + paper copy, plus 2 passport photos
Travel insurance	You need the policy number for medical care and claims	Policy in the cloud + emergency number written down
Hotel and transport confirmations	You can still find your hotel address and bookings if your phone is stolen	Keep in email and save offline copies

• Register your trip with your government if it offers a service (Taiwanese travellers: MOFA's overseas travel registration and the "旅外安全指南" app, which lists embassy emergency numbers).
• Carry only the cash you need for the day and one card; keep the backup card and your passport in the hotel safe.
• Carrying €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent) into or out of the EU must be declared to customs.

How to avoid pickpockets on the ground: 3 practical habits

Pickpockets pick people who look distracted and whose things are easy to reach, so the aim is to make yourself a hard target.

Dress low-key and don't show valuables

Skip flashy jewellery and designer accessories, and put your camera and phone away when you're not using them. Checking a map or counting money in a crowd tells pickpockets you've just arrived, so step into a shop or against a wall before taking out your phone.

Where to stand on the metro and in crowds

On the metro or a bus, move to the middle of the carriage rather than standing by the doors, and wear your backpack on your front. In cities such as Barcelona and Rome, thieves often grab a phone just before the doors close and jump off, so don't use your phone near the doors.

How to keep your things safe in cafés and restaurants

Don't leave your phone on the table or hang your bag on the back of your chair or put it on the floor out of sight; keep it on your lap or loop the strap around a chair leg. Outdoor tables are especially easy for passers-by to grab from.

Common scams and theft tricks in Spain and Italy

The most common tactics all distract you first so that an accomplice can strike.

Tactic	How it works	What to do
Fake police	Someone claiming to be a plainclothes officer asks to check your wallet or cash	Real police ask for ID, never your wallet; offer to go to the nearest police station
Forced bracelets or roses	A bracelet is tied on your wrist or a flower pushed into your hand, then payment is demanded	Don't take it; refuse clearly and walk away
Directions, petitions, "stained" clothes	One person chats or offers to wipe your clothes while an accomplice takes your wallet	Guard your bag first; you don't need to stop
"Problem with your tyre"	While you're driving, someone signals a fault with your car and steals from it when you stop	Drive on to a lit public place such as a service station, and lock the car when you get out
Grab at the doors	Someone snatches your phone or bag as the metro doors are closing and gets off	Don't stand by the doors using your phone

These tricks turn up at hotspots such as Barcelona's La Rambla, Rome's Trevi Fountain and Milan's Piazza del Duomo, and the UK government also warns about fake police in Spain; see UK government safety advice for Spain.

An anti-pickpocket warning sign at an Italian railway station. Photo: Cory Doctorow / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Recommended anti-theft travel gear

Anti-theft gear can't guarantee you won't be robbed, but it stops a pickpocket getting in within a few seconds, and they usually move on to someone else.

Gear	Purpose	How to use it
Phone lanyard	Stops your phone being snatched or dropped	Wear it on your wrist or across your body, with a case that has an attachment point
Zip clips or small locks	Stop backpack zips from opening in one pull	Clip the zip pulls together in crowds
Small crossbody bag	Keeps your bag in sight at all times	Wear it in front with the zip facing your body
Money belt	Holds your passport, backup card and larger cash	Wear it under clothing and don't open it in public

Robbed? What to do in Spain and Italy

If something is stolen, make sure you're safe first, then:

1. Call 112 in an emergency (works in both Spain and Italy).
2. Call your bank to block your cards straight away, and change the passwords for your phone and key accounts.
3. Report the theft at a police station and get a copy of the report, which you'll need for insurance claims.
4. If your passport is lost or stolen, contact your embassy or representative office for a replacement passport or emergency travel document. For Taiwanese travellers: Spain emergency line +34-639-384-883; Italy emergency line +39-366-806-6434.
5. Family in Taiwan can call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Emergency Response Center on 0800-085-095.

Busy Roma Termini station. Photo: Philip Mallis / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Suitcases make you a target: keeping luggage safe when changing cities

The day you change cities is when you're most likely to be robbed: one hand on your suitcase, the other on your phone looking for the platform, while hauling bags up and down train and metro stairs. Taiwan's advice names stations, metros and airports as Spain's pickpocketing hotspots, and on trains the luggage racks are usually at the ends of the carriage, away from your seat.

The usual options are:

1. Lock your suitcase to the train's luggage rack and choose a seat where you can see it.
2. Leave your luggage at the hotel and come back for it (you have to return to the hotel).
3. Use a luggage delivery service and travel with just a day bag.

LuggAgent offers same-day luggage delivery between hotels, apartments and airports in cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Milan and Paris: choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when booking, leave your bags at the front desk before then and they reach your next hotel by 21:00. Bags are photographed at pickup and delivery, and every order includes basic luggage insurance. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. See European cross-city luggage delivery for details.

Landing at Barcelona Airport, you can hand us your bags at the airport and go straight out sightseeing:

Taking the train from Barcelona to Madrid, carry only a day bag while your luggage goes to your Madrid hotel the same day:

On your last day in Rome, send your luggage ahead to Fiumicino Airport and enjoy the final sights hands-free:

Book luggage delivery

FAQ

Are there a lot of pickpockets in Barcelona?

Barcelona is one of the Spanish cities where pickpocketing is most common, with La Rambla, the metro, the beaches and the airport as hotspots. Spain is still at Taiwan's lowest alert, Level 1, and most travellers who wear their bag in front and keep their phone off the table have no problems.

What should I do if "police" ask to check my wallet?

Genuine police ask to see ID but never ask you to hand over your wallet or bag. If a plainclothes person wants to inspect your wallet, show ID only, keep your wallet, and ask to go to the nearest police station or to involve uniformed officers; unmarked police cars in Spain display a flashing "Policía" or "Guardia Civil" sign.

Do anti-theft backpacks really work?

To a degree. A backpack with hidden or lockable zips stops a pickpocket from opening it within a few seconds, and they usually give up. In crowds, though, the most effective thing is still to wear your bag in front and stay alert.

What should I do if my passport is stolen in Spain?

Report it at a police station to get a police report, then contact your embassy or representative office for a replacement passport or emergency travel document (Taiwanese travellers: office +34-91-5718426, emergency +34-639-384-883). Saving a photo of your passport in the cloud before you leave speeds up the process.

What number do I call in an emergency in Europe?

Call 112 in Spain, Italy and every other EU country for police, ambulance and fire. Taiwanese travellers can also contact the local representative office, and family in Taiwan can call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Emergency Response Center on 0800-085-095.

Cover photo: Daniel Kraft / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0