This Iconic Landmark Is The Worst Place For Pickpockets In All Of France

It's sunset, the perfect time to visit the Eiffel Tower. Standing amidst the sparkling lights that illuminate this iconic landmark, surrounded by sweeping views of the City of Love, it's easy to get swept away in the moment. If you're not careful, though, you might find your wallet being swept away, too. The Eiffel Tower has a well-earned reputation as a haven for pickpockets that take advantage of unwary tourists. In 2015, the problem got so bad that all of the Eiffel Tower's staff walked out to protest the amount of unchecked criminal activity in the area, focusing in particular on the pickpocketing going on at Paris' famous monument.

According to the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France, major tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower are the favorite locations of groups of pickpockets who work together to steal from distracted travelers. Often, one member of the group will approach you with a seemingly innocent request, like asking for directions. They may also bump into you, possibly spilling their food or drink all over you. Then, while you're distracted, their accomplice will reach into your pocket or bag and take off with your money, credit cards, and identification.

If you want to avoid having your trip ruined by having to figure out how to replace your passport in time for your flight home, stay alert while you're at any major tourist attractions — especially the Eiffel Tower. Timing your visit to the Eiffel Tower to avoid crowds may help, since long lines for the attraction itself and the bathroom outside are favorite places for thieves to find potential victims — but that may not be enough. There are plenty of fantastic tips to help you avoid getting pickpocketed in Europe, including wearing a money belt, looping twist-ties around zipper pulls so they're harder to open, and using a phone case with a lanyard to make your phone harder to snatch out of your hands.

If at all possible, you should leave your most important items, those that you can't afford to lose, in your hotel room or, better yet, at home. Try not to wear your most expensive watch or carry your designer bag if you can avoid it, since these can make pickpockets more likely to target you, hoping that you have more nice things in your pockets. For those items you absolutely need, like your passport and your credit cards, at least try to make copies so that it's easier to replace them if you do have them stolen. When it comes to items that you want to have on you but are difficult to conceal, like cameras, you may want to get them insured against theft.

If you realize that your phone has been stolen while waiting in line to get into the Eiffel Tower, your first impulse may be to chase down the culprit, but according to the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France, that may not be a good idea. Because pickpockets often work in groups in Paris, chances are they've already handed your phone off to somebody else, leaving you to chase the wrong person in the wrong direction. Instead, you're better off simply reporting the theft to the police before you leave the country.

While getting pickpocketed in a foreign country can cost you a lot of money and potentially even ruin your trip, you won't end up stranded and unable to get home. If you have lost something absolutely vital to your trip, like all your money or your ID, you should contact the closest embassy from your home country. The U.S. Embassy is able to help you set up a wire transfer from a loved one back home or issue you a replacement passport as quickly as possible.