What to do if you get robbed on vacation?

[Dave507]

I was wondering what if I was to get robbed whilst on vacation in a "dodgy" Eastern European country, whilst walking in the woods or walking alone at night in the town? If they were to take my wallet ( credit cards & cash), my car keys & my phone, what do I do? 

The obvious thing to do would to either phone the local police, my embassy or my airbnb host, but what if they steal my phone?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Dave507 

well, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Make a copy of your documents and put the original in your bag and copy in your partner's bag or leave in a hotel, even better in a safe. Take 2 pair of car keys, one of them bring with you, another one leave in a hotel, take an old phone with you as a backup, you can buy a sim card in a dogy European country if needed 🙂

[Helen3]

Your first priority is not to put yourself in dangerous situations while travelling. If you feel an area is unsafe late at night then visit a safer area/get a cab.

Of course you should report a crime against you.

There are safe and unsafe areas in every country not sure why you feel the need to refer to Eastern European countries as ‘dodgy’ @Dave507 

[Dave507]

It's after reading of incidents of tourists getting mugged or getting their dirnks spiked at a bar then getting robbed: most where in Eastern Europe: Russia, Poland & Ukraine.

Also on this reliable site it lists all the malpractrices that locals do to rich Westeners/tourists: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/ukraine/  ( It's in French you can translate it to English, this page is about Ukraine, you can check out other countries too). It did scare me a bit!

Also since countries in Eastern Europe are amongst the poorest/cheapest countries in Europe, when they see a rich " Westerner" tourist on vacation. They're more likely to target the rich tourist

[Sarah977]

@Dave507  Don't order mixed drinks. Order beers and ask them to give it to you unopened and open it in front of you. If it's draft beer, watch while they dispense it. A lot of women have been hip to this for a long time so they don't get one of those date rape drugs put in their drink.

Don't go off with someone you just met who says they can hook you up with some weed or something. Even if you've been sitting and talking with the guy or woman and they seem really nice. You could be being set-up. Don't stay out late.

Get the lowdown from your host on what areas are safe and which aren't and anything else you should be aware of safety-wise.

[Anonymous]

@Dave507   Your question is pretty general to the experience of traveling, so you'll find a broader range of tips on a travel-themed forum such as Lonely Planet's Thorntree.

[Kevin1322]

Well, @Dave507 , if all this happens your only option is to go feral. 

Or if you don't fancy that just  leave a burner phone in your accommodation.

Use a proton mail account you can log in to anywhere, a bitwarden account with a memorable password for your bank and paypal details you can grab an internet connection, and keep 50 euros cash, and a sim card,  in your pants

Or  just download and play DayZ for practice  😀

[Sharon493]

I also live in France and can assure you it's not necessary to travel to a dodgy Eastern European country to be robbed, alone, in the dark or otherwise. I have been relieved of my phone on the Paris metro last year and my purse with cash and bank card on the Toulouse metro last month,  in daytime and while surrounded by people. And on both occasions the gendarmes were not in the slightest bit interested.

[Sarah977]

@Dave507 "The obvious thing to do would to either phone the local police, my embassy or my airbnb host, but what if they steal my phone?"

Then you take a taxi to the nearest police station.

As Andrew suggested, it sounds like you need to do some reading specifically about how to protect yourself when travelling. Much of it is just common sense- you just don't walk alone at 3AM in a strange place where you aren't aware of which places are safe and which aren't, you take a taxi or an Uber.

And these are things people do no matter where they are- the mention of "dodgey eastern European country" sounds quite naive. Those things can happen in the US, Mexico, Australia, Western Europe, Asia, anywhere on the planet except maybe if you were travelling to Antarctica.

Another good idea is to let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back (and make sure to let them know if you change your plans). I had a young female guest who went into town at night to meet some friends for dinner and drinks. She never came back that night and I was concerned, though I had a feeling they probably had a few too many and she just decided to stay at their place in town, which is, in fact, what happened. But in the morning I texted her to make sure she was okay and she was appreciative that I did that. For the rest of her stay, she texted me when she was headed back out to my place, a 20 minute walk from town, so I'd know to be concerned and look for her if she didn't appear in a reasonable amount of time.