How Rick Steves Keeps His Belongings Safe When Staying In Hotels

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Travelers these days don't just pack a bag full of clothing and toiletries. Many of us are lugging along all our devices. You might have your laptop with you to make reservations or stream your favorite shows when you get back to the hotel at night. You may have a tablet for your kids to keep them entertained after they've spent the day following you around museums. It's almost a given that you have your phone with you. Then there are expensive cameras, jewelry, and all sorts of other items. When you go out on the town for a day of sightseeing, you may want to bring all your valuable items with you in a backpack or bag so they're not stolen in the hotel. However, travel pro Rick Steves has some advice that may surprise you. On his website, Steves tells travelers to leave valuable items inside the hotel room. 

He explains, "Expensive gear, such as a laptop, is much safer in your room than with you in a day bag on the streets. ... Theft from hotel rooms happens, of course, but it's relatively rare — hoteliers are quick to squelch a pattern of theft." In fact, the thing you're often warned about when traveling in Europe (Steves' area of expertise) is pickpockets. Steves himself has been pickpocketed there a few times, though it can happen anywhere. Walking around with all your valuable items in your bag makes you a target while you're distracted looking at the sights. However, there are a few things you should know about leaving your belongings behind in the room to help keep them safer.

It's always better if you can leave your precious things at home when you travel, but it's not really realistic with the way we live these days. One thing Rick Steves mentions as a place for your items is the hotel safe, though he says he never uses it himself. It's an option for leaving behind your passport and smaller items. However, your valuables might be safer from theft in your own luggage rather than in the safe, as the hotel staff has access to it. While that's great if you forget the code you put in (email it to yourself, just in case), it does make you more vulnerable. 

You may feel uncomfortable keeping valuables in your luggage, but if you have a TSA-approved lock, it's a great way to secure them. You can find a lock with a code or key, and you can use it to secure your suitcase during the flight as well. (TSA can still open it if they need to inspect your luggage for any reason.) If you're also worried about your luggage taking a walk out of your room when you're not there, you can get a TSA-approved lock with a cable on it, like the Sure Lock TSA-Approved 3-Digit Combination Luggage Lock on Amazon. The cable is 15 inches long, so you can secure it around the leg of a piece of heavy furniture like the bed or a table. Hotel theft is usually a crime of opportunity, so any barriers you put up make it that much harder to execute. Finally, if you do bring any of your valuables with you while sightseeing, and you end up getting pickpocketed, here is the first thing you should do.