In this article, I will talk to you about several techniques to hide your money while traveling, some are quite simple and use common sense, but some of these alternative security methods are useful.
📋 Key takeaway: To secure your money while traveling, divide your sources: 1 main bank card in your wallet, 1 backup card hidden in your bag, cash spread across 2-3 hiding spots (hollow shoe, money belt, bag lining), and some cash in international currencies (USD/EUR) for emergencies. My ratio: 70% card, 25% local cash, 5% hidden USD.
Here is my opinion on the matter:
Where to hide your money while traveling?
Let’s start from the assumption of several profiles where you have a suitcase or a backpack. Several profiles arise when traveling:
- the profile when going out during the day or at night:
When I move around at night, generally without a backpack, I choose a garment of short length, either shorts or short pants.
I always have pants with several pockets with a zipper where I put my ID and my card, I also keep some money there.
🌍 Did you know?
The fake money belts (with a hidden pocket in the lining) are among the most effective methods: invisible to the eye, undetectable even by scanners, and stay on you at all times. Reliable brands: Pacsafe, Travelon, Eagle Creek. Expect to pay 20-40 € for an accessory that can save a trip.
Beware of children with wandering hands.
Did you notice the pocket with a zipper, right? It’s well hidden 😀
I try to have several places with money during the day, change in the normal pockets and a bit more money in the zipped pocket.
Sometimes you have to be careful with children who can easily access these lower pockets.
If I go out in long pants, I take just the bare essentials and put a bit of money in the back pocket just in case to hide money on myself.
Discreet zipper in the pants
| Hiding spot | Security | Accessibility | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money belt | Very high | Medium | Large bills, passport |
| Neck pouch under clothes | Very high | Low | Important documents |
| Hollow shoe / sole | High | Very low | Emergency USD |
| Hotel safe | Medium (depending on hotel) | Good | Passport in room |
| Pacsafe anti-theft backpack | High while moving | Good | Daily use in city |
| Decoy wallet | Tactical | Very good | Give to pickpockets |
- The profile when traveling with a backpack:
When I travel during the day, I always have a backpack to carry a water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses. I mainly put my camera inside to avoid displaying it to the locals and becoming a target.
I generally have no accessory to hide my money because I always take precautions and carry only the bare minimum.
The classic backpack Where to hide your money when traveling
A thief blends in everywhere in everyday life, you won’t necessarily notice the thief, so it’s best to take precautions.
For the more cautious, I write a few more tips for hiding your cash and recommend certain accessories in the next paragraph.
Accessories or items to hide money when traveling?
People with a profile requiring a bit more security can use these solutions or tricks. I give you an overview of some useful products or clothing and a description of the product’s usefulness.
- Belt or money belt:
It looks like a normal belt with a pocket area where you can hide your banknotes.
Choose a black or brown leather belt to better conceal it.
- A fanny pack or small shoulder bag:
This can sometimes be useful but is visible because it is not under the clothes, but it is widely used in Eastern countries.
I avoid it in certain countries; I rather use it in Westernized countries or when I have a sweater.
The fanny pack is often worn at chest level instead of the waist.
On an excursion to the islands instead of taking a bag
- Travel pouch:
You can place your important documents in this pouch such as your passport, photocopies of your documents, and payment cards.
It is mainly to organize your bag well and easily find your belongings and hide your documents.
It is waterproof and narrow, which can be useful.
- Different choices and models of money belts, money holder belts, travel belts, money pouch belts:
This is an additional belt that you wear on you, usually under your pants or under your t-shirt, which hides the bills.
The belt buckle avoids having to remove it at the airport, is plastic, and is less noticeable.
- Travel wallet or card holder:
It is a wallet specially used for travel with several compartments.
🗣️ My experience: In Barcelona, on La Rambla, a group of pickpockets approached me by simulating a crowd. One hand searched my pocket while I was looking elsewhere. Fortunately, my decoy wallet had only €30 and an old expired card. Real cash and real card were in the money belt under the t-shirt. The lesson: never put everything in the same place, even in calm cities.
- The trick of more camouflaged objects:
Instead of having a wallet, you can hide your money: a pendant, a keychain with a hiding place, a fake box.
- Creating a pocket that you sew yourself: you can add a pocket to sew onto your pants that will be hidden.
- Hide money in books or cards, you can put some bills between the pages inside.
Some measures or tricks provide more security, but this security is sometimes useless against thieves, because they know you have these accessory objects for men or women.
Sometimes it’s better to hide your stash 😀
You can find these accessories on Amazon, size, model, color, there are all kinds of belts or accessories or products in stock with a price for every budget.
Not having to hide money on yourself or in your bag
Here are several of my ideas to camouflage or hide your money:
- Having money in a mobile bank or in a bank card account:
Mobile applications on cell phones allow you to have money relocated but don’t get your phone stolen.
It is just enough to connect to lock your money in case of theft or loss of bank card.
More and more bank cards offer low payment fees, here is an article that explains everything.
🍀 Money diversification
- Drastically reduces the risk of losing everything
- Allows you to continue the trip even if robbed
- Backup cash for areas without credit cards
- Habit formed = useful automatisms everywhere
🔻 To consider
- More complex to manage daily
- Risk of forgetting the location of a stash
- Hotel safe not always reliable
- Physical cash = permanent loss if stolen
- Having multiple payment methods or bank cards:
What I usually do is carry either cash in certain countries or just a credit card because if I lose one of my payment methods, I can always have a backup solution.
- Making international money transfers:
To avoid always carrying cash with you or if you lose your credit card, you can always send a money transfer to yourself.
The solution Azimo offers you 2 free transfers and 10 euros. This will not affect your budget but will save you money.
Hiding your money at home or at the hotel?
I always pay attention even at home, especially if I invite a girl to sleep over.
Likewise, if I sleep in a hotel to avoid a burglary or theft by a cleaning lady.
I have several techniques or hiding tips for you in your home that I use to stash my cash:
⚠️ Classic trap
Keeping passport + bank card + cash in the same wallet. One theft and it’s total trouble: embassy for passport, card cancellation, no cash left to eat. You must separate the three into three different places (one on you, one in the bag, one hidden in the room/safe).
- The classic hiding spot at the page, under the bed where I sleep, is easy to set up and is a fairly safe place.
- What I also often do is put money in the fridge in a food wrapper or a box because it is often a place people check before leaving, so there is no risk of forgetting it, and it is generally safe from burglars.
- Leaving it in your bag or at the bottom of the bag or in a box, in a place where you usually put valuable things without free access, this can be a pocket or zippers. However, this does not protect you from burglary or theft of the bag.
The white arrows represent zippers and pockets.
- In the safe of your apartment unit, some Airbnbs or hotels offer security solutions with a safe where I put my passport, my bank cards, my cash that I don’t use, this avoids any burglar or thief at all costs.
- Do not show too many valuable items when you invite someone into your home and use hiding spots; the idea of showing nothing is better than the idea of getting robbed.
- I clear my workspace and do not show my computer or put banknotes on the table; this avoids sending the message “take me”.
- At home in everyday life, when I am away in France, I use a camera to monitor my house. You can connect via your phone and see everything. If there is a burglar, you can send an audio message to scare the burglars.
My last message to you
The advice I have written and given you should not all be taken literally; precautions must be taken, but the most important part of my message is to appear normal.
Do not create risks with burglars, do not come home late at night or take an Uber, do not show your valuables or appear like a tourist.
Being a man does not protect you less than a woman.
Having too many valuables on you will show the idea that you are rich; it is a message to burglars or thieves, of course, it depends on the countries where you are.
Regarding card usage while traveling, payment and withdrawal abroad without fees compares the best fee-free options abroad. For broader security aspects, traveling safely covers other good practices. And if you need to receive or send money from abroad, Azimo, an alternative for money transfers explores a specific option.
The person with the best hiding place or stash does not exist; you just need to have the right behavior while traveling, it comes down to small details in my opinion.
Theft is sometimes the result of your own actions, for example showing a large wad of bills.
And you? How do you hide your money while traveling? Do you have other ideas?
