money and safety

phunkymonkey

as a newbie traveller i've been devouring everything i can which gives me advice on safety, particularly where money is concerned.

the thing is, as with all things like this, there are lots of pieces of conflicting advice! so i thought i would pick the brains of the lovely people at indiamike

should i use a money belt or will my wallet be sufficient? should i take traveller's cheques or will my debit and credit card be ok? what do i do with my passport when i'm out and about? is it safe to leave things at my hotel (i'll be budget / midrange)?

i think that's about it for now. any advice is greatly appreciated.

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jyotirmoy

There are many posts on what kind of money to carry. ATM's are every where in cities and most mid range establishments accept credit cards.
Money belt is a good idea. I use a small bag with a sling and hang it from my neck and tucked inside my shirt.

Nick-H

If you take as much care with your cash as you do in UK, you'll be fine.

There are places where pickpockets operate, but I'd say that the danger is certainly no more than it is in, say, London.

It is worth remembering that temptation and hard times can turn a good man to bad ways: do not flash a wad of 100s or 500s around everytime you pay for some small item. A money belt is a good idea, perhaps keeping the small spending money in a separate purse.

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phunkymonkey

cool, thank you so much for the quick replies.

what about my passport? i've always left it in a hotel safe, but then again i've only ever stayed in 4 / 5 stars in europe and australia

capt_mahajan

That small bag jyoti speaks of is a good idea for the passport, and even larger amounts of money. Better not leave it behind in budget accomodation. Most mid range hotels in India will not have room safes, and some will not have hotel safes as well.

I use something like that for a passport abroad, and also larger amounts of money.

phunkymonkey

i know it's early days to be displaying emotions this powerful but i love you guys

thank you

atala

For the major amounts you need, cards are good. Two or three Traveller Checks for times where cards might not work, plus some cash in Euro or Dollars (like about 300 Euros or 400 Dollars, US dollars not in 100s, but 50s) for emergencies or stays in rural places without ATMs.

Never put money in a wallet which you might carry in a handbag (you might displace or forget to take the handbag in some shop). Passport, ticket (if not e-ticket) and Cards plus Euros/Dollars always in a small travel pouch on your body, under your shirt, for men around the neck, for women around the belly. Keep money wrapped in a small plastic bag to protect it from sweat.

Always keep change money handy in an outside pocket of your shirt or pants. Never show where your real money is, except in a respectable shop ok. Also keep tickets ready in an outside pocket beforehand.

To hide the fact that I have a small travel pouch under my shirt, I either put a sweater over my shoulders with arms tied over my chest, or I put a type of scarf around my shoulder that hangs down on my chest and covers where the pouch might protrude or show thru.

Room safety: For checking whether a room is safe in a Budget place, I leave some hundred Rupee bills lying around, enough of them that someone might take a few but not all. When I go out there is always that guessing: Is it safer in the room, or out in the streets? Pocket thieves are experts, and also know about money belts. In Metros or Buses or other crowded places experts can come with razor blades (has happened to me, but not often, unsuccessful of course, because I always keep valuables at my chest ). I never leave the room key at the reception.

I think giving good tips from beginning on of entering a hotel makes you a valuable customer in the eyes of the hotel staff, which might add to your safety. In upper class hotels with many servants this may be a draw-back, because they will show up at your door frequently in the hope of doing you a service that turns into another tip for them.

Sama

I always carry my passport with me. and it's my habit, even when traveling in the US, to leave valuables wrapped up in a sock (or something) in my LOCKED suitcase in my room. I always use locks (like the TSA locks nowadays) on my luggage, holding the zippers closed.

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jyotirmoy

I buy these bags in Janpath and it had really helped us specially in Florence and Sicilly and I think it should be good in India too... another tip is to keep your shoulder bag facing away from the street

ranjan154

Good habit indeed.....carry on

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Nick-H

For dollars/euros substitute pounds: this guy is a Brit!

And, just in case anywas was about to ask, no: there is no point at all in converting pounds into dollars, just added expense.

karuna

Interesting distinction there. I (a woman!) have used both. I find the latter more discreet, but the former more quickly accessible. I'm sure men use the round-the-belly one too.

My common-sense London Underground tips (I was pickpocketed once, many years ago):

Never wallet in the back pocket (are you daft?)
If wallet is in a pocket, keep your hand in the same pocket in crowds and getting on/off trains.
Backpacks are toooo easy- always keep your bag in sight.
Use bags with shoulder straps and wear them across the opposite shoulder so they are difficult to grab and run off with.
Bags should hang at your front (so you can see them) and face inwards as jyotirmoy says. When in crowds keep one hand on the underneath of the bag so it can't be slashed. They also do this clever slashing-the-strap thing where they pull on the strap to fake the weight of the bag, this stops that as well. Clever little bleeders, aren't they?

atala

The feedback that I got was that women often felt uncomfortable with the pouch around their neck and preferred the around-the-belly version. I personally feel I have more control over the item if I have it on my chest, or in very crowded places like in a train crosswise under one shoulder.

When taking passport and money from a hotel room, one main consideration is the amount of sweat that's going to flow. Even though things are covered in a Plaper type plastic bag, it is still a consideration, because wearing the pouch also adds to the sweating.

The kind of budget hotels I use (200-600 Rupees) have never given me a problem. I have never seen anything stolen. They are mostly places that I have long-standing experiences with, though. Nobody enters there (presumably) during my absence.

The main piece of advice: If you carry passport and cards, never ever carry them in any other place than on your body.

brownboy66

um...the only thing I might suggest is keep your passport and your credit card (if you take one) separate. If you loose one, you need the other to get a replacement (you'll need the passport as ID if you need a new credit card, and if you loose the passport - you'll need the CC or spare cash to get a replacement).

happy travels.

IndiaJim

Take a pouch that hangs around your neck inside you shirt for passport and large amounts of cash. Many budget hotels have hasps for locking your room, much preferable to hotel locks and keys is to take a good quality padlock (ie Lockwood) to lock your room. Most have bars on the windows but check them our for loose ones...
I keep a few hundred only on my wallet, Foreign cash in the pouch. Never had a problem. Keep you hand in you wallet pocket (always the front right - NEVER, NEVER your back pocket, just asking to be robbed from there!) in crowded trains etc. You'll be right.