Travel and Safety Tips for Rome and all Italy
In Italy, one must always be aware of one’s bag. The myth about pick-pocketers is real, and if you do not either wear your backpack on your font or are very aware of your side bag, chances are you will be stolen without even noticing in some areas. I have never been stolen from here, but I attribute that fact to luck and to the fact that I keep my bag always very close to me and at my sight’s reach. Never put your wallet in your back pocket!!
In addition, avoid going to the beach by yourself. It sounds great and relaxing in theory, but if you actually want to go for a dive in the ocean, which person is going to look after your cellphone and money on the sand? That’s right, you need a beach buddy.
I chose to always travel with a group or at least another person here in Italy. Why? You must be asking yourself. Don’t worry… I will tell you why! First of all, I am very distracted, not good at all with maps, and do not speak the language fluently. If those are not good reasons enough for you, add to that the fact that I would be an unaccompanied foreign young woman (primary target for a lot of malicious people). Is that enough for you?
I know a lot of people who are in the same situation as me and still feel safe traveling by themselves. However, I know myself well enough to recognize that my personal traits and situation here put me in a risky situation. I would travel by myself in Brazil or the United States, but here… Not yet. I would feel more secure traveling by myself if I had been here for something like three months or so, and was more fluent in the language.
What if nobody wants to travel with me? Well, I have been in that situation more than once and I will tell you what I usually do. None of the people I knew personally wanted to go on a trip to Capri with me last weekend. So I thought: “Oh my, I am not going to be able to go there!” However, thanks to the wonderful invention of Facebook groups, it only took one post asking for a travel buddy to get a fellow Northeastern student to go with me. Today, however, I found no one to go with me to a city I wanted to visit. Therefore, I am at home doing homework, going for walks in Rome, and visiting farmer’s markets. It works out okay either way!
