Is it safe? Safety and common scams by country

The US is generally safe for tourists, and the main tourist areas of big cities are well-policed. Safety is more neighbourhood-specific than scam-driven: areas can change character block to block, so check where you are headed and stay aware at night.

Common annoyances are aggressive panhandling and the occasional distraction theft rather than organised tourist scams. Keep valuables out of sight in a parked car, which is a common target for smash-and-grab break-ins.

Watch for: Never leave anything visible in a parked rental car; smash-and-grab break-ins are a common tourist risk.

Source: UK FCDO: USA travel advice

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The UK is generally safe, and London is a well-policed major city. The standout risk is phone snatching: thieves on bicycles and e-bikes grab phones out of hands on busy streets, so do not stand near the kerb texting.

Usual big-city care applies in crowds and on the night-time transport. Buy attraction and theatre tickets from official sellers, not street touts.

Watch for: Phone snatching by riders on bikes is common in central London; keep your phone away from the road edge.

Source: US State Department: United Kingdom

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Ireland is a friendly, generally safe destination, and Dublin is straightforward for visitors. The main thing to watch is petty theft and the odd bit of anti-social behaviour late at night in parts of the city centre.

Keep an eye on bags and phones in busy pubs and on transport, and use licensed taxis or apps after dark.

Watch for: Keep valuables secure in busy pubs and on O’Connell Street late at night; otherwise it is an easy-going city.

Source: US State Department: Ireland

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France is safe to visit, but Paris in particular has skilled pickpockets working the Metro, the RER (especially the line to the airport), and crowded sights like the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur and the Louvre. Wear bags across your body and stay alert as doors close on the Metro.

Classic Paris scams include the "friendship bracelet" tie-on around Sacré-Cœur, the "gold ring" you supposedly dropped, fake petition clipboards used as a distraction, and three-cup street games (never real). A firm "non" and walking on defuses all of them.

Watch for: On the Metro and at big sights in Paris, guard your bag and ignore bracelet, ring and petition approaches.

Source: UK FCDO: France travel advice

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Spain is safe overall, but Barcelona has a well-earned reputation for pickpocketing, especially on La Rambla, in the metro, around Sagrada Família and on the beach, where bags vanish while you swim. Madrid and other cities are calmer but still warrant normal care.

Distraction tactics are common: someone spills something on you, asks for directions, or shows a map while an accomplice lifts your wallet. Keep your phone off restaurant tables and your bag zipped and in front of you.

Watch for: On La Rambla, the Barcelona metro and the beach, treat every distraction as a possible setup and keep bags in front.

Source: UK FCDO: Spain travel advice

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Portugal is one of Europe’s safer countries and feels relaxed, including after dark in Lisbon and Porto. The main risk is pickpocketing in crowds, classically on Lisbon’s famous Tram 28 and in busy tourist spots.

You may be approached by people offering "hashish" on Lisbon’s streets; it is usually fake and best ignored. Otherwise ordinary care with bags is enough.

Watch for: Tram 28 in Lisbon is a known pickpocket spot; the street "drug" sellers are selling fakes, so just walk on.

Source: UK FCDO: Portugal travel advice

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Italy is safe, but Rome, Florence and Venice draw pickpockets who work the crowded buses and metro (the route to the Vatican is notorious), the main sights and the train stations. Children and groups sometimes use cardboard or newspapers as a distraction screen.

Watch for tourist-trap dining (check prices and any cover charge before ordering), people who place a "free" bracelet or rose in your hand then demand payment, and unofficial taxis. Around the Colosseum, costumed "centurions" charge for photos.

Watch for: Guard bags on Rome buses and at stations, confirm restaurant prices and cover charges, and avoid anything handed to you "for free".

Source: UK FCDO: Italy travel advice

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Germany is safe and orderly, and Berlin is comfortable for visitors. Pickpocketing is the main petty risk, concentrated around major train stations, on busy transport and at big events and Christmas markets.

Keep bags zipped in crowds and be alert at the main stations late at night. Violent crime against tourists is rare.

Watch for: Pickpocketing clusters around big stations and crowded events; ordinary bag care is all you need.

Source: UK FCDO: Germany travel advice

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Austria is one of the safest countries in Europe, and Vienna regularly ranks among the world’s safest and most liveable cities. Crime against tourists is low and the city feels calm, even late at night.

The only real caution is routine pickpocket awareness in the busiest tourist crowds and on packed transport. Otherwise you can relax.

Watch for: Very little to worry about; just standard awareness in peak tourist crowds.

Source: UK FCDO: Austria travel advice

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The Netherlands is safe, and Amsterdam is easy-going, but its packed central streets, trams and Centraal station attract pickpockets, so keep bags secure. Be alert crossing roads and cycle paths, as fast-moving bikes have right of way and will not stop.

In the red-light district, do not photograph the windows (it causes real trouble), ignore anyone offering drugs on the street, and watch your pockets in the late-night crowds.

Watch for: Watch for bikes when crossing, keep bags secure in the centre, and never photograph people in the red-light windows.

Source: UK FCDO: Netherlands travel advice

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Czechia is safe, and Prague is comfortable to explore, with the usual pickpocket caution on the crowded trams (route 22 to the castle is a known spot), the metro and Charles Bridge.

The classic Prague rip-offs are taxis that overcharge (book through the official airport desk or an app) and street money-changers with terrible rates and sleight-of-hand, so change money at a bank, an ATM or an official exchange office, never with someone on the street.

Watch for: Avoid street money-changers and unbooked taxis in Prague; both are long-running tourist rip-offs.

Source: UK FCDO: Czechia travel advice

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Hungary is safe, and Budapest is a relaxed city, with ordinary pickpocket caution on busy transport and at the main sights.

The notable scam is in nightlife: certain bars and clubs (sometimes via friendly "locals" or women who invite you in) hit you with a wildly inflated bill and intimidation to pay. Stick to well-reviewed venues, check prices, and be wary of strangers steering you to a specific bar.

Watch for: Be wary of strangers who invite you to a specific Budapest bar; some run grossly overpriced-bill scams.

Source: UK FCDO: Hungary travel advice

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Greece is safe and welcoming, including on the islands. In Athens, watch for pickpockets on the metro (especially the airport line and around Monastiraki and Omonia) and in crowds at the main sites.

Agree taxi fares or insist on the meter, particularly from the airport, and be a little more alert in parts of central Athens late at night. The islands are generally very low-crime.

Watch for: Pickpockets work the Athens metro; confirm taxi fares up front, especially from the airport.

Source: UK FCDO: Greece travel advice

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Istanbul, the coastal resorts and the main tourist regions are safe to visit (though the UK government advises against travel to some areas near the Syria and Iraq borders, far from where tourists go). Istanbul is a rewarding city, but it has some long-running scams. The shoeshine trick (a man drops his brush, you helpfully return it, then he demands payment for a shine) is the classic. Taxis may take long routes, claim a broken meter or short-change you, so insist on the meter or use an app.

Be cautious of overly friendly strangers who steer you to a particular bar or carpet shop, where you can face a hugely inflated bill or high-pressure sale. Agreeing prices before anything starts is your best defence.

Watch for: Watch the shoeshine "dropped brush" trick and taxi meter games in Istanbul, and agree all prices before you commit.

Source: UK FCDO: Türkiye travel advice

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The UAE has very low crime and Dubai feels extremely safe day and night, with little of the petty theft seen elsewhere. The thing to manage here is the law, not crime: rules are strict and enforced.

Avoid any drugs (zero tolerance, severe penalties), do not be drunk or disorderly in public, dress modestly away from beaches and pools, avoid public displays of affection, and never make rude gestures or photograph people without consent. Respecting local norms keeps a trip trouble-free.

Watch for: Crime is very low; the real risk is breaking strict local laws, so mind alcohol, drugs, dress and public behaviour.

Source: UK FCDO: UAE travel advice

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Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, with very low crime and a strong culture of honesty; lost items are routinely handed in. You can walk almost anywhere at night and use cash freely.

The main caution is in nightlife districts like Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, Roppongi and Shibuya, where touts lure people into bars with hidden, exorbitant charges, and there are occasional reports of drink-spiking, card fraud and disputes over bills. Never follow a street tout to a bar, and you will have no trouble.

Watch for: Crime is minimal; the one real caution is the bar touts in Kabukicho and Roppongi, who run hidden-charge venues, so never follow one.

Source: UK FCDO: Japan travel advice

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