Planning: 3 ways to be safe while acting tourist

In all the travel books, including Rick Steve's, the biggest caution is about pick pockets. Furthermore, not being familiar with the area means we might unintentionally get lost while roaming the cities. So, we have a game plan.

1. Contain all valuables securely under clothing using a money belt. This is not to be confused by the fanny-pack which is a total fashion negative and way too obvious for thieves.

The money belt we chose is called a flip belt. The slits are where you insert the valuables: money, ID's, phones, keys, etc. Then you flip the belt so the slits are facing your body. It fits under clothes.  It's normally used by athletes. Received it in the mail today and it seems like it'll work perfectly.

2. Carry a decoy - a small, less sentimental wallet or clutch with a small amount of money. This way, if we do get caught in a bind we can quickly hand off our decoy. Got this tip from a European coworker (Thank you Florian!). Very clever. Have to be careful about this one because we don't want to draw attention to ourselves.

3. Carry the lease number of items as possible! We have never been good at condensing our belongs. Carrying the bare necessities is critical for this trip.

Getting closer! Less than 72 hours and we'll be waking up to the smell of French croissants and a view of the Eiffel Tower.