Personal Safety in Europe


There is one over-riding message here: Don’t make yourself a victim. There are plenty of things you can do to prevent yourself  from becoming one.

General:

1. Avoid dimly lit areas and enclosed areas such as tunnels and underpasses whenever possible. If you can plan your route in advance, try to stick to well lit areas where there are plenty of people about.

2. Don’t put valuables on display. Keep cameras, mobile phones etc under wraps when not in use. A camera bag can be a dead give-away to a mugger. I carry my camera equipment in a plain rucksack, or sometimes, in a “Tesco” bag! Consider carrying a personal attack alarm and a mobile phone to call the Police if you are attacked.

3. Don’t carry all your cash in the one place. Carry only a small amount of cash in a wallet with no other cards or ID in it.

4. Be aware of what is happening around you. Don’t wear headphones as they can be distracting.

5. Don’t leave your bag or rucksack lying about. Keep your eye on it. It only takes a second for a thief to steal it, also, an unattended bag may cause a security alert.

6. Be aware of of pickpockets. Most European cities have them. Avoid large crowds and keep your valuables out of sight.

7. When on trains, keep your luggage close. ‘Luggage lifting‘ is common on crowded trains where a thief will try to lift your bag while getting off a busy train. If caught, they will claim they picked your bag up by mistake.

8. If you are in a station and you can see other Enthusiasts, it may be advisable to stay close to them, or at least let them know you are there. Safety in numbers, particularly at night.

9. Crossing borders on some European rail journeys can be frequent. If approached to assist someone in any way at a border or frontier location, always decline and refer them to the train guard for assistance. Be suspicious of strangers who try to be ‘friendly’ towards you, particularly on an international train.

10. If you are visiting locations outside the UK, be aware of local customs and laws and adhere to them. What may be okay in the UK, may well be a criminal offence elsewhere. Check the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel website for country-specific information.

Railway Specific (Europe):

NOTE: The European Emergency Number is 112.

1. Photography is tolerated in most European stations. You should adhere to the Network Rail guidelines for Rail Enthusiasts as a general guide, though there are some exceptions to this:

  • in France, it is illegal to photograph ANY SNCF employee. France also has a system of national alerts called vigipirate. In the highest levels of alert, the French army will be on patrol at railway stations and will request that you refrain from taking photos.
  • in Germany, the national railway, Deutsche Bahn, has it’s own private security service, easily identified as they have DB-Sicherheit (DB Security) in large letters on the back of their jackets. If they ask why you are taking photos, tell them you are a rail fan (ein Bahnfan) and that you are taking photos for your personal use. In general, I have always found Police and Railway Security in Germany to be most helpful and co-operative.
  • in Italy, using an SLR camera in a main line Italian station may bring unwelcome attention from the police or the security services.
  • in Bulgaria, you are supposed to purchase an official permit to photograph in stations, however, I am unaware of the process for actually doing this.
  • be careful at border crossing points as there may be increased security or sensitivity. Borders at European countries within the Schengen Area, may be no more than a red line painted on the platform. Please don’t cross these lines without the appropriate documentation. This is more relevant than ever, now that the UK has left the European Union.

2. You may see members of the public, walking about in the sidings, especially in Eastern European countries. DON’T be tempted to copy them.

3. Remember, Police in Europe are armed. If they want you to move, they will ask you politely, but they will only ask you once. My personal policy is NEVER to argue with someone who carries a gun.