Last updated on October 31st, 2018 at 03:47 am
It will never happen to me, right?
People always forewarn visitors to Europe to watch their stuff carefully, keep cars and hotel rooms locked, and hold their purses close.
And I did all these things.
And I still got robbed.
So here’s the whole story…
Luke and I had survived a two hour flight to LA, a layover in LA, an 11 hour flight from LA to Barcelona, and a drive from Barcelona to Valencia. After finally getting some sleep, we had spent an awesome, albeit raining, day in Valencia. It had finished with one of the best dinners we would have during our 16 day trip to Spain at Restaurante Taberna Jamón Jamón.
We went back to our Airbnb and passed out. Nothing out of the ordinary.
The next morning, we packed up our stuff and left Valencia. According to our itinerary, the next stop was Granada.
Pit stop
Luke had wanted to stop at the beach to take some pictures of us and I was thrilled because he usually isn’t interested in that. We stopped at Port Saplaya, a fishing town that was supposed to be colorful and have a nice beach.
We set up the tripod and put the camera on a setting that takes multiple timed pictures. We took a couple and then all the sudden he started kneeling down.
What is he doing? We’re taking pictures! I thought.
Finally I start to understand that he was proposing and I felt this anxious excitement start to bubble in my stomach. He said sweet words about forever that later made my girl friends cry and then he opened the beautiful mahogany box.
It was empty.
What now??
Oh my god, what? What is happening? Do I say something? I’m sure he’s going to explain this in a second…
So many thoughts rushed through my head. I looked at him and said, “Yes, of course,” because there was never really any question in my mind.
He finally looked down at the sad, empty box and his face fell. “Where’s the ring?” he said. “Did you take it?”
I think I sputtered out a “no” but I was so confused at this point, my head was spinning. Why is he surprised? He’s supposed to know what’s going on. What’s going on!
He frantically searched the sand under our feet, but there was nothing except our scattered footprints.
He ran back to the car, back to search through the sand some more, and then back to the car again while I stood there with my hand on my head feeling like I might throw up. This is not the happy engagement moment I expected. Can’t anything go right?
Finally he came back. “The ring was stolen.” He said.
Putting a Positive Spin On It
We sat in the car for a long time, working out the details while Luke frantically tried calling the AirBnB host. Every now and then, one of us would pause to say “I can’t believe this happened.” We finally pieced together that the ring, along with some cash, had been stolen from Luke’s backpack in our locked AirBnB the night before.
Note: I do not in anyway blame AirBnB for this experience, as I have stayed in many AirBnBs and always have a pleasant experience. I mean this in no way to reflect badly on them, but instead serve as a warning to others that these things can happen anywhere.
Unfortunately, since it was only 8 am on a Sunday, the company that hosted the AirBnB was not open yet and neither was Allstate, the American company that had insured the ring.
Feeling a bit lost, we started our eight hour drive to Granada.
I will admit, it wasn’t a very fun drive. We were both still pretty shaken up and depressed. During this drive, there was a moment when I realized this could easily ruin our trip on day number three. A trip that we had been planning and thinking about for over nine months. It was at that moment that I decided I wasn’t going to let that happen.
Whoever this person was, they had already stolen our engagement ring, was I really going to let them steal our engagement and the rest of our trip? Definitely not.
So I told Luke this and he agreed. We had no control over this and there was nothing that we could do, so there is no reason that it should monopolize our thoughts and sabotage our vacation.
Could things have gone better? Absolutely. Could they have gone worse? Definitely! We were lucky to be in Spain and to have each other.
Read about my adventures in Belize here.
Some Tips to Avoid Theft While Traveling
Get Insurance
I can’t stress how important this is! If you are traveling with something valuable, get it insured. If you have renters insurance, you can add a specific item to your insurance policy, which won’t result in your premium increasing if the item is stolen. Our ring was completely covered under our Allstate insurance policy. Homeowners insurance or travel insurance are also options. It is a good idea to take pictures of items before you leave in case you need to make an insurance claim.
Leave it at home
I really don’t recommend bringing jewelry to Europe (unless you’re going to propose, then it’s hard not to…). If you have expensive items that you don’t absolutely need, leave them at home.
Keep your valuables with you
I’m sure there are people who would disagree, but I felt much safer knowing I had my passport with me at all times. Get a small cross body bag that zippers and hold it close to you at all times. Always keep a hold on your purse when you are sitting at restaurants and cafes. Money belts are also a good way to store money and passports, although I’ve never used one.
Use a safe
If you absolutely must leave your valuables in the room, leave them in a safe. If there is no safe (or you have to keep a diamond engagement ring hidden from the person sharing the room), don’t leave your valuables in plain site.
Bolt the door
If there is an option to bolt the door, do it. In Spain, the key will turn the lock two to three times to the right in order to bolt the door. Practice locking and unlocking your door a couple times before you leave to make sure it is as secure as possible. Also make sure the windows are closed and locked if possible.
Stay Alert
Always stay alert especially when you are most vulnerable. In large crowds, on public transit, and whenever you or your travel partner has had one too many. Try to think like a thief and train yourself to tighten your grip on your items when you are in vulnerable situations. Avoid commotion or anyone who tries to talk to you on the street.
Don’t keep tons of cash on hand
With the number of credit cards out there offering no foreign transaction fees and more places accepting credit, there is no reason to be carrying a ton of cash around. It is so much safer to use a credit card and really easy to freeze a stolen card. When traveling in Spain, there were a couple places that wouldn’t accept card, especially in the smaller cities of Southern Spain, but for the most part they all did. If you are carrying cash, try to keep in a safe spot or even multiple spots.
Keep an eye on your belongings
Try not to let people help you with your bags. They may be trying to steal things or get an unnecessary tip out of you. If you have the option to keep your bag near you when using trains or buses, do so.
If you are planning on proposing…
Do it early on in the trip! If Luke had proposed on the first day of our trip, the ring wouldn’t have been stolen before he could propose. Plus, this way you can enjoy the rest of your trip without having to worry about it!
Stay Positive
With travel, as with life, there are bumps along the road. Try to keep a clear head when bad things happen and realize that sometimes things are out of your control. Stay positive and remember that items can be replaced, but your memories are forever.
Looking for more Europe travel tips? Check them out here.
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Thanks for sharing your story and your humorous spin on the theft- glad it didn’t rob you of your fun and happiness on the trip. Looking forward to reading more of your adventures!
Thanks, Cathy!
Shelby, Luke,
Your engagement is wonderful. I know you will have a beautiful life together. The ring theft is simply awful. It had to hurt, but sounds like you’re handling it well. On my honeymoon with Charlotte in Grand Cayman I lost my wedding ring scuba diving. Important trips have a way of consuming valuables. Hope your trip was great.
Jimmy
Thanks, Jimmy! That sounds like a pretty bad experience too, but I guess that’s the risk you take when you travel.
Such a shame! I too was robbed in Spain too – definitely puts a damper on things! Congrats on the engagement though 🙂
It really does. Thanks, Kelsey!
Congratulations for the engagement, but that’s so awful for the theft! Some of my friends had their airbnb burgled in Dublin :'(
Thanks! It’s such a stressful experience!
OMG you have such an interesting story to tell your Grand children 🙂 I am sorry things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to but I like the way you have handled it so positively!! All the best with your NEW adventures 🙂
Thank you so much!
I can understand what both of you must have felt at that time. It was supposed to be the best moment. But I am so glad that you did not let the incident ruin your vacation. Hope you have a wonderful life together. Keep travelling and gaining experience.
Thanks!
Some good tips. I’m so sorry this happened to you
Thank you!
This literally sounds like the sort of thing that would happen to me… looking down at the empty box. I know it was obviously heartbreaking and sad that it was stolen, but hopefully you’ll be able to look back at it as a unique situation and laugh about it. (Once all the insurance and stuff comes through)
I had $80 stolen in a hotel in Nepal. It was inside a pair of gloves in a plastic box at the bottom of my bag, so they seriously looked hard for cash! Although my friend had her phone stolen on the beach in Barcelona when she sat down for 2 minutes. It’s always better to be safe especially in Europe
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe they found your cash in there! I guess sometimes you just can’t prevent it!
Firstly, congratulations on your engagement! What a beautiful setting for such a special moment. I commend you both on your positive attitude and not letting the incident ruin your holiday. At least you’ll have a really interesting engagement story! I can image grandkids being amused with such a tale
It certainly is a story!
This is a very informative article. We have been to Europe and thank god this has never happened to us. We follow all the tips you have mentioned here and are always careful. Some places you need to be more cautious then others and reading others experiences help
I agree, the more experiences you hear, the more prepared you can be!
Oh my gosh – so sorry to hear this, how awful! I’m from South Africa where theft and crime in general are very common so while I am careful, I tend to let my hair down a lot more when overseas, especially in Europe – since I assume that everywhere else is safe in comparison. But I have had money stolen in Rome before and I realise that it can happen anywhere and everywhere. Glad to hear that you handled the situation well and wishing you both all the best on your journey ahead 🙂
Thank you! You’re right, it can happen anywhere!
Wow! This post points to few of the obvious es of travelling. yes. theft can happenanywhere, thanks to greed! we must keep vigilant and learn to take our responsibility!
Agreed!
Just found your blog and I love it! This really helped me on my trip to London! 😀
Thank you! I’m glad!