Here's Why Rick Steves Says A Money Belt Is Your Key To Peace Of Mind While Traveling

Guidebook author and travel show host Rick Steves has some great tips for traveling, including putting a money belt on your packing list. For Steves, a money belt is one of the best hacks to protect you from getting pickpocketed while traveling. According to his website, Steves says that "money belts are your key to peace of mind." Steves wears one anytime he travels, and he considers it a "personal safe" because of the security you get from having your valuables literally on your person, making them difficult for others to access. While the word "belt" may make you think that it's something worn around your waist only, there are also neck pouches that serve the same purpose. Basically, it applies to any item with a zipper closure that can be worn completely under your clothes.

Steves noted on his website that the one time he was pickpocketed was when he wasn't wearing his money belt, so his advice comes from first-hand experience. Pickpocketing is a big issue. On an episode of the Johnny Jet podcast, Steves acknowledged that American tourists are likely to be targeted. Many major cities, like Florence and Paris, have known scams that are all about getting your money and valuables off your person. It can be easy to get distracted or disoriented navigating a new city, especially if you're jet-lagged, so peace of mind about the safety of things like your passport, credit cards, and cash is invaluable.

Rick Steves compared money belts to underwear — not necessarily for how and where you wear your money belt, but for the invisible and intangible comfort they can bring you. "Every morning you put on your underpants," Steves wrote on Rick Steves' Europe. "You don't even think about them all day long. And every night, when you undress, sure enough, there they are, exactly where you put them. When I travel, my valuables are just as securely out of sight and out of mind, around my waist in a money belt."

It can certainly be awkward to dig into your pants or beneath your shirt for money, and it's one of the understandable reasons some people don't like money belts. However, this is why Steves recommended considering the money belt as a safe as opposed to a wallet. You can carry a wallet or purse with the bare necessities of cash or credit cards that you'll need quick access to and then replenish from your money belt as needed — just do it somewhere private, like a bathroom or a changing room, so you're not highlighting the location of your cash stash.

Rick Steves did note, quite reasonably, that just having a money belt isn't any protection at all — it's not a magic amulet to prevent theft. If it's just loose in your bag, it's not doing anything special. You have to have it tucked away out of sight beneath your clothes, making it difficult (and hopefully impossible) for any would-be thieves to find. Think of your money belt as something to always keep with you unless you can safely leave it in a locked place. Steves suggested using a waterproof pouch for your money belt contents when you're going swimming or even when you're in the shower if you're in shared accommodation, like a hostel.

Having a money belt isn't the only thing to do to help keep you from being robbed while you're traveling, and it might take some getting used to what to put in it and how to wear it under your clothes without it feeling too awkward or bulky. But a few awkward moments with the money belt sure beats the stress of replacing your passport or credit cards while you're abroad. You can't put a price on peace of mind.