Mediterranean/Greece Backpack Question

[leepep]

Needing to know what type of backpack/purse is best for all of the excursions...can you take a backpack into the Vatican, churches, and usual places of interest/tourist sites? Trying to figure out how to store camera, money, etc...for a 12 hour day- thanks for the help

[beancounterbeth]

PacSafe. Look them up. They have multiple locks and hooks to keep your stuff safe. I used one when we went on our med cruise. Ordered mine in black with a lot of pockets so that both me and my husband could carry it. It was a lifesaver.

[leepep]

Good to know...so backpacks are allowed into the venues?

[ger_77]

Needing to know what type of backpack/purse is best for all of the excursions...can you take a backpack into the Vatican, churches, and usual places of interest/tourist sites? Trying to figure out how to store camera, money, etc...for a 12 hour day- thanks for the help

 

Please do not store your money in your backpack. Ever.

 

Money should be kept on your person; one of the easiest ways is to take a back pocket out of a pair of men's pants, and sew it to the inside front waistband of your pants. Your money is now inside your pants, next to your body and if anyone is going to try to get it, they are going to have to get up close and personal with you in order to do so. I have done this with all the pants my husband and I take on vacation, and we have never had any problems. The pockets are large enough to accommodate your passport as well, thus keeping it safe from prying hands.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[leepep]

Got it...but can I use a small backpack for camera, chap stick, sweater to cover bare shoulders, umbrella, etc? Just need to know if allowed inside - some places in US do not allow

[ger_77]

Got it...but can I use a small backpack for camera, chap stick, sweater to cover bare shoulders, umbrella, etc? Just need to know if allowed inside - some places in US do not allow

 

Yes, you can bring a small backpack with you without problem.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[leepep]

Thanks so much- you have been so helpful

[FlyerTalker]

Whatever bag you get...make sure it is one that you can comfortably carry in FRONT of you, not on your back. That way, you not only have the straps but you can have hands on the bag.

 

For thieves, in addition to the "cut the straps" mode, there is also just the "grab it off the body" method. With the bag in front of you, it is both easier to hold onto as well as you having eyes on the bag. When it's behind you, you have no idea if someone is planning a move on it. That is, unless you have a second person whose job it is to watch the bag. Which defeats the sightseeing aspect.

 

And don't discount the pickpocketing from a bag....it stays on you, but the pockets get riffled. Happens in crowds or when you are stopped at a traffic signal.

[ducklite]

Whatever bag you get...make sure it is one that you can comfortably carry in FRONT of you, not on your back. That way, you not only have the straps but you can have hands on the bag.

 

For thieves, in addition to the "cut the straps" mode, there is also just the "grab it off the body" method. With the bag in front of you, it is both easier to hold onto as well as you having eyes on the bag. When it's behind you, you have no idea if someone is planning a move on it. That is, unless you have a second person whose job it is to watch the bag. Which defeats the sightseeing aspect.

 

And don't discount the pickpocketing from a bag....it stays on you, but the pockets get riffled. Happens in crowds or when you are stopped at a traffic signal.

 

This is good advice.

 

I'm going to add a few things.

 

First, limit the amount of stuff you think you need. The reality is that you don't.

 

I strongly prefer a crossbody which can be worn in front of me without looking like an apprehensive weirdo with a backwards backpack and will allow you to blend in better with locals. You can pull it tight to your body and keep your hand/arm on it when need be.

 

I have both a TimBuk2 and a Kipling. The Kipling is very lightweight and has both velcro and a zipper, plus an inside zipped pocket against the body which would be very hard to pick. The TimBuk2 is extremely well made and has multiple zippered pockets--some inside of other pockets which would make it almost impossible to pick. It closes with buckles and velcro.

 

I wear a money belt with my passport, credit card, and cash in it. It is under my clothing lower on my hips where it can't be easily gotten to.

 

I do keep the equivalent of about $20 in a more handy place for small purchases.

 

The Vatican, St. Peters, and many museums do have a size limit on backpacks/purses/etc. The Vatican Museum is approximately 16" x 13" x 12". They will require you to check larger items. Some places don't have a bag check and will turn you away.

[cruisemom42]

Additionally some museums can be pretty strict on size. I've even had to check my reasonably-sized Kipling cross-body purse in one Rome museum. (To my dismay. I actually went back to hotel, left valuables in safe, then returned to museum before I let them take my bag. Not an option on a shore excursion day in Rome....)

 

The Colosseum has recently become stricter about large bags and backpacks as well -- after the two idiot girls from US were recently caught defacing the stones by carving their initials....:rolleyes:

[beancounterbeth]

This is why I bought a PacSafe. The straps are cut proof and the one I bought goes crossbody and sits on the front of you. Look into it. Plus all the zippers snap so that they have a clip that clips into another clip and hides snug into a pocket and such. Really trust me. These bags are made for situations such as this. I bought it specifically for this trip and for pick pocket thiefs. I carried all my important papers, money and very expensive camera in it and held in against my body in front of me. Not on my back. They make them crossbody and cut proof.

 

Go to travelsmith web site and look them up. They aren't cheap but neither is getting your things stolen from you. It was worth it to me to pay for a nice bag to keep my things safe. I used it in Barcelona and all over the Med for my cruise.

 

It's totally up to you what you buy and I'm not going to argue with anyone on this thread. Just telling you what I found from my research and from the local travel store and what the lady at the travel store informed me of who happend to be from southern Italy.

 

Just trying to help.

[LHT28]

Got it...but can I use a small backpack for camera, chap stick, sweater to cover bare shoulders, umbrella, etc? Just need to know if allowed inside - some places in US do not allow

 

Some museums not backpacks are allowed small purse but larger ones are a no go

I would check the sites you are interested in it should have that info on the websites

If you are on a tour they usually will leave someone with the bus/van & you can leave the bags there

Never put valuables in your backpack

money put in a security waist pouch with minimal $ in your pocket

[zqvol]

Got it...but can I use a small backpack for camera, chap stick, sweater to cover bare shoulders, umbrella, etc? Just need to know if allowed inside - some places in US do not allow

 

Yes, you can do exactly that, though your camera is going to be out so you are really just talking about carrying a sweater, some chap stick and an umbrella.

 

Think about what you lose if someone takes that . . . really nothing. It will cost more to bu y the backpacks people have been discussing than it will to replace those items.

 

Buy a small cheap book bag leave the important stuff on the ship, and go have fun.

[slidergirl]

My only suggestion is to buy a small cross-body bag that has a zippered top and you can caribiner the zipper toggle to the strap. I have bags from Kipling, Sherpani, and Timbuk2, which are also my everyday at home bags. I don't go in for the PacSafe bags; I don't feel the need to buy an expensive bag just for my travels. Just use your common sense and carry that purse in front of you.

I have had to check my purse at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and at the Ufizzi in Florence. That was 4 years ago for both - it may have changed.

[Jacs]

I don't use a backpack, I have a small camera bag that I wear cross body and I can fit a small sunblock and Chapstick in it. Money and passport I keep in a round the neck money pouch. Rather than lugging a sweater around, wear capped sleeve tops as they are fine in churches, but if you insist on a tank top then wear a loose scarf as well that is wide enough to wrap over your shoulders.

 

Using a backpack in Europe is a pain, between the discomfort, weight, size and worry about pickpockets, it's easier to have a small discreet bag that fits the bare essentials. Places like the Vatican and St. Peter's require a security check of all bags, it's a much easier with a small one.

[FawnRiver]

I always carry a Lug cross body bag, so its right in front of me. It was small enough that I was able to carry it with me in the Vatican, but large enough to carry the basics I needed (or felt that I might need ;)).

You should probably look online at the specific venues you're planning on going to and checking what each venue's rules are.

It isn't just backpacks or large bags you need to worry about, on a tour in Florence, we went into the gallery where the original David is housed and one person in our tour was carrying a pocket knife. When he went through the metal detector, security forced him to check it.

 

Of course, he forgot about it until we were on the other side of Florence, boarding the bus to go to Pisa before returning to the ship. He insisted that we go back for it, so we had to drive all the way back and the tour guide ran to the museum, picked up his knife and then we were back on our way. We had to literally run to see the Leaning Tower and back to the bus to make it back to the ship on time. :mad:

[flamomo]

If you are planning to wear something that exposes you shoulders, taking a sweater is a good idea for more than warmth .... there are some places, such as churches, where bare shoulders are not permitted.

[Sue Do-Over]

We saw pickpockets working the crowd in Rome -- both at the Vatican and Coliseum. They were too fast and too far away for us to help. One group of young men moved through the crowd... we saw dozens of open backpacks leaving St. Peters Square, and the guys had vanished.

 

That said...

1) Money pouch -- not the belt kind that are uncomfortable, but one that attaches to your belt and hangs inside your pants. Like the pocket idea above, puts items in your reach, but out of access. Don't think you will feel someone taking your wallet... these kids practice for years.

 

2) Cross-body bag - look for a smallish bag with zippers, then put the zippered side against your body. Add a safety pin or lock to the pocket where you have your pocket change -- just $20 or so.

 

3) Pashmina and $1 poncho. Pashmina (long scarf) is enough to cover your shoulders in churches, and rolls up small. The $1 poncho takes up as much room as a pack of tissues, rather than an umbrella. Oh, and bring a pack of tissues -- since sometimes TP is not provided in European bathrooms.