Getting everything! stolen abroad.
Discussion
Hypothetically what would you do? or more so what should you do?
Im about to go backpacking and had the sudden thought. If whilst in a country and staying in a hostel my locker got broken into and my bag stolen. I could theoretically end up with nothing. What would you do in this situation? How can I help prevent chaos if this happened?
Im about to go backpacking and had the sudden thought. If whilst in a country and staying in a hostel my locker got broken into and my bag stolen. I could theoretically end up with nothing. What would you do in this situation? How can I help prevent chaos if this happened?
Scan documents and store them on line somewhere, passport,driving licence, emergency telephone numbers of contacts and banks/credit cards.
Not all hostels have lockers so sometimes its all just trusting people.
Unlikely everything would get stolen so when leaving your main bag in places take out important stuff and carry it on you.
Sleep with your clothes on.
Not all hostels have lockers so sometimes its all just trusting people.
Unlikely everything would get stolen so when leaving your main bag in places take out important stuff and carry it on you.
Sleep with your clothes on.
Scan all your documents and email the scans to yourself. Every bank or embassy will have access to internet so you could print off copies of what you've lost. Id carry a few hundred us dollars on my person if my belongings are not with me. Maybe remove the insoles of your shoes and slip a note in each one.
id get one of those neck safes or a money belt type thing to have my money and passport in if sleeping somewhere you cant trust
you can also get like a wire mesh thing that goes over a backpack so you can lock it and deter thieving
then as the others said scans of all the docs that you can view online and make your way to the embassy if in bother , wouldnt hurt to have a mate /parent with a few hundred ready to send if need be
you can also get like a wire mesh thing that goes over a backpack so you can lock it and deter thieving
then as the others said scans of all the docs that you can view online and make your way to the embassy if in bother , wouldnt hurt to have a mate /parent with a few hundred ready to send if need be
You can never make it 100% secure especially in some of the grottier hostels & areas.
But as mentioned - scans & photocopies of all documents, passport & also your cards & insurance details.
Don't carry too much cash in your bag if at all - just have enough on you to see you through the next couple of days - Nationwide used to offer free cash removals world wide if you have one of their accounts.
Other than that - don't worry about it too much - chances are you'll have no issues.
But as mentioned - scans & photocopies of all documents, passport & also your cards & insurance details.
Don't carry too much cash in your bag if at all - just have enough on you to see you through the next couple of days - Nationwide used to offer free cash removals world wide if you have one of their accounts.
Other than that - don't worry about it too much - chances are you'll have no issues.
An old friend of mine had everything of his stolen, on the first day of his grand cycle ride across Northern Africa!
He was fortunate that they let him back on the ferry to Spain after greasing some palms with what little cash he had left.
In fact, he was able to make it most of the way through France, before being caught shoplifting a packet of mars bars. The French government took care of his travel arrangements back to the UK at that point.
He was fortunate that they let him back on the ferry to Spain after greasing some palms with what little cash he had left.
In fact, he was able to make it most of the way through France, before being caught shoplifting a packet of mars bars. The French government took care of his travel arrangements back to the UK at that point.
I had my passport and all the money I possessed stolen on Isla Mujeres in Mexico (it was all in a money belt that I took my eyes off for 10 seconds). This was before the internet and mobile phones - I didn't even have even enough money to get off the island. Took me 3 days to raise the money to get to the mainland and about a week to hitch to Mexico City. Got my travellers cheques replaced, a new passport and then carried on.
I guess the answer is not to carry everything in one place.
I guess the answer is not to carry everything in one place.
this is easy to resolve.
Put the passport in the locker and leave a photocopy at home
Leave some cards and money in the locker and take some with you.
Don't just have one card I usually have a have a Mastercard visa and an Amex
Take 300 USD or euro as emergency cash. Don't bother with sterling.
Put the passport in the locker and leave a photocopy at home
Leave some cards and money in the locker and take some with you.
Don't just have one card I usually have a have a Mastercard visa and an Amex
Take 300 USD or euro as emergency cash. Don't bother with sterling.
We were robbed of our cash (just been to the ATM as well), credit cards and all the family passports (2 adults, 2 little kids) in Germany last year and what a pain in the arse it was - all those services you think are there to help you aren't and this was Germany not some backwater hole.
We were told we had to go to the embassy in Berlin (600km away) to get emergency travel documents at €120 for each person as without them everybody (Embassy/Ferry company/insurance company) said 'no documents no travel'... hmm how are we supposed to do that then with no way to pay for it??
We had almost a week to sort things out during which time we borrowed money from business contacts, but we got nowhere with the officials and we ended up saying 'f
k it lets take our chance at Rotterdam ferry port with copies of the documents we had online.
Even the emergency credit card they sent us (after four days because they only work 9am-5pm weekdays!!) didn't work as it was blocked for Germany... hmm thats helpful!!
It worked out for us in the end as people at the ferry port couldn't have been more helpful -they checked our identities with the UK, let us on board and the UK border agency were waiting for us all when we arrived but I think it would have been a lot harder if we were due to fly.
As others have said make sure you have copies of everything on the cloud or with someone who can email it to you and spread your cards/cash around your person to minimise the risk of losing everything.
We were told we had to go to the embassy in Berlin (600km away) to get emergency travel documents at €120 for each person as without them everybody (Embassy/Ferry company/insurance company) said 'no documents no travel'... hmm how are we supposed to do that then with no way to pay for it??
We had almost a week to sort things out during which time we borrowed money from business contacts, but we got nowhere with the officials and we ended up saying 'f
k it lets take our chance at Rotterdam ferry port with copies of the documents we had online.Even the emergency credit card they sent us (after four days because they only work 9am-5pm weekdays!!) didn't work as it was blocked for Germany... hmm thats helpful!!
It worked out for us in the end as people at the ferry port couldn't have been more helpful -they checked our identities with the UK, let us on board and the UK border agency were waiting for us all when we arrived but I think it would have been a lot harder if we were due to fly.
As others have said make sure you have copies of everything on the cloud or with someone who can email it to you and spread your cards/cash around your person to minimise the risk of losing everything.
As someone who lives overseas and also travels ....
as all have said, copies of everything accessable online (cloud / web mail but do make sure that it is reasonably secure password wise)
this includes
- front and back of all credit cards (for cancellation number)
- passport
- birth certificate
- all your flight and accommodation tickets
- contacts for friends and family at home
- contacts for your bank
- contacts for your embassy in whatever countries you are travelling to
Also one that is handy, have a few hundred quid in a paypal account.
you can withdraw this through a local western union money changer using a printout of the scan of your passport usually, especially if you also go in with the police report of your stuff being stolen.
Another one is to have online the scan of another credit / bank card that you are not travelling with (so it cant be stolen), you can also then transfer money to yourself via western union / purchase tickets online etc.
Loosing your access to money is the biggest pain ... once thats done its getting to the embassy to sort out temporary travel documents.
as all have said, copies of everything accessable online (cloud / web mail but do make sure that it is reasonably secure password wise)
this includes
- front and back of all credit cards (for cancellation number)
- passport
- birth certificate
- all your flight and accommodation tickets
- contacts for friends and family at home
- contacts for your bank
- contacts for your embassy in whatever countries you are travelling to
Also one that is handy, have a few hundred quid in a paypal account.
you can withdraw this through a local western union money changer using a printout of the scan of your passport usually, especially if you also go in with the police report of your stuff being stolen.
Another one is to have online the scan of another credit / bank card that you are not travelling with (so it cant be stolen), you can also then transfer money to yourself via western union / purchase tickets online etc.
Loosing your access to money is the biggest pain ... once thats done its getting to the embassy to sort out temporary travel documents.
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