How Do I Choose the Best Travel Wallet?

I caught a guy picking my pocket in Washington DC about 20 years ago, in a dense crowd. I had a regular wallet in my back pocket. I felt something touch my butt, and I reached back really fast and caught his wrist. I turned around and all I could see was his hand and arm, he backed up into the crowd and twisted out of my grasp and got away. I never had a good look at him. Wouldn't have mattered, I could not have caught him even if I saw him. Be careful out there.

Whatever wallet you choose, you still have to be really careful. In a crowd, a backpack, fanny pack, wallet in your pocket, even the ones that strap around your body, can be rifled through in seconds. Always be aware of who's around you.

Also, skilled pickpockets are devilishly clever at what they do. There was a show I saw where a guy walked around Vegas stopping people and asking for directions or whatever and he would rob them blind. He took something from just about everyone. For people with backpacks or purses, he had a helper who would sneak up behind the people when he was talking to them. It was a real eye opener.

@John57 - Fanny packs are tragic! I know that fashion is not the only concern, and they are definitely handy in many ways. I just can't bring myself to wear one.

Also, you have to be careful of theft with them too, but for different reasons than a regular wallet. True, someone can't sneak up behind you and steal it like a wallet, but they can sneak up behind you and undo the clip, then run off with it. There are special travel fanny packs that have clip systems designed to deal with this, but the regular kind you get at Wal-Mart does not have that.

The best travel wallet I've found is a neck wallet. You have to be kind of particular about what you put in it, or it looks like you have an alien growing under your shirt. I usually keep my passport, credit cards, other ID and important papers, and large bills. It has a strong, comfortable strap that goes around my neck, and the whole thing is hidden from view.

This could be a problem in countries where the currency is devalued and you have to carry a huge wad of it. In that case, you'd probably have to keep your cash somewhere else, but the rest of your important things in the neck wallet. It is practical and very secure. Almost impossible to lose, and hard to steal, short of a mugging, which is going to get whatever kind of wallet you have.

I used to think the fanny packs didn't look very cool, but I am at the point where I would rather go with practical than cool.

These make great traveling wallets as they are comfortable and leave your hands free. I am surprised at the amount of "stuff" I am able to fit in one.

I can fit my cell phone, a small camera and all the important things I need for the day in my travel wallet. This is so much more convenient than carrying a heavy bag around everywhere I go.

I have a travel wallet that I use only for traveling. This has a strap that goes across my body so I know everything is always safe and secure.

I like to travel light and with as little as possible, so just need something to carry my important papers and credit cards in.

It is nice if you have easy access to your passport and identification. This way you always know where it's at and can access it quickly and easily when you need to.

@Burcidi- I think that those fanny packs are great for traveling because it is virtually impossible for anyone to pick pocket you, but I have to say that I do think that they are kind of ugly. They draw attention to your stomach area and if you have a few pounds to lose it is not a flattering look.

I also think that it will make you look more like a tourist, but I guess it depends what is more important when you travel a sense of style or a sense of security.

I don't think I'd want to get a wallet specifically for traveling. I think that's a waste of money. I only travel once in a couple of years and it doesn't make sense to invest in something that I'm going to use only so often.

I'd prefer to get one of those travel purses that goes across the body. It can hold my wallet, keys, cell phone and any other essentials in it and I think it's the safest way to carry them. Plus, I can use it even when I'm not traveling. It would be great to take along on an outdoor event, to a game, or when I go grocery shopping.

I received the best travel wallet for a Christmas present this year! It's so stylish and practical! It's made of pink leather and kind of looks like a long regular wallet when it's folded. But when you open it up, it's the size of a diary. It has compartments for tickets and papers. It has credit card holders and a pocket for paper money and another one for coins.

The best part is that it came with a matching passport cover and luggage tags that are equally adorable! I can also attach the passport cover to the wallet so that it's easy to pull both of them out when I need them.

I absolutely love this wallet, I can't wait to use it!

I get pretty nervous when I'm traveling. When I'm at the airport, I constantly check my itinerary and boarding pass to make sure that I'm at the right gate and that there are no delays. I almost lost my boarding passes several times because of this habit. One time I left it at a duty-free shop and would have lost them if the sales person didn't rush after me to return them.

Knowing how I am, my husband gifted me a really nice travel wallet that is much larger than the one I usually use. It is both wide and deep so I can fit both my passport and plane tickets and boarding passes in it. I used it on my last trip and it made such a difference. I knew that the boarding passes were always in my wallet and even if I took them out to look at them, it was such an ease to place them right back in the wallet where they were safe.