Increase in Cases of Stolen U.S. Passports on Cross-Border Train Trips from Vienna
There is an increasing number of thefts of passports and other important and valuable items during train journeys, especially between Vienna-Budapest and Vienna-Prague.
Take care of your valuables, especially your passport, when you travel! / Picture: © BMI Bundesministerium für Inneres / Alexander Tuma
The U.S. Embassy in Vienna reports that more emergency passports are being issued due to increased theft of passports and other valuables. This warning should also apply to non-U.S. citizens, as the threat is to all travelers.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, travelers by train are most affected. Especially travelers on the routes between Vienna-Budapest and Vienna-Prague often seem to be victims of thieves.
For U.S. citizens it is advised to read the Travel Advisory and Alerts for the countries you will be visiting at travel.state.gov/destination. Make sure you know the entry/exit requirements, visa requirements, local laws, customs, medical care, road safety, etc. To be prepared for an emergency while traveling, write down the contact information for the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
The same applies to travelers from other nations. The foreign ministries of your respective country usually have a separate section on their homepages with travel warnings and safety recommendations for travelers.