Will how I dress make me a target for pickpockets in Europe?

April 10, 2026 — 5:00am

In May, I will be travelling in Spain. Travel advice I’ve seen is to wear neutrals. My clothes are brightly coloured with bold patterns. I’m concerned that this may make me a target for pickpockets or, possibly worse, mistaken for an American. What do you think?
K. Weiss, Bondi, NSW

Wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing. If bright colours and bold prints are your preference, go for it, they’re not a reliable “American detector.” In Spain, especially in spring, you’ll see plenty of colour, prints and personality in local streetwear. Locals wear neutrals, but also bold pieces, statement outfits and everything in between. Nor are bright colours a pickpocket magnet, they’re looking for opportunity, not fashion palettes.

What flags you as a target is behaviour, looking distracted, juggling your phone and wallet, leaving bags unzipped or getting absorbed in something in crowded areas. Someone projecting confidence and keeping an eye on their belongings is less likely to become a victim than someone in head-to-toe neutrals and not paying attention, but caution is required. When you’re out and about in Barcelona, take only a small amount of cash and one or two cards, or just your phone, and beware of friendly strangers.

My daughter, now 18, wants to have a gap year in 2027. Her plan is to work, then go to France for a three to six-month language course, preferably with a homestay for full French immersion. She has a physical disability so she needs a walking frame, and while many language schools seem to be accessible, the disability creates constraints on accommodation. Any suggestions for how to find accessible homestay accommodation close to a good language school in an accessibility-friendly city?
J. Nielsen, Concord NSW

LSF is a French language school that offers tuition for disabled students, with accessibility learning programs tailored to the individual needs of those students. There is a dedicated manager who helps organise student tuition. The school has a lift and schedules are designed to facilitate access to classrooms for students with a motor disability. They have a range of accommodation options, including French host families as well as student residences and youth hostels.

LSF is based in Montpellier, in the south of France. It’s a mid-sized city with a mild climate, and therefore suitable for an extended stay. The city centre is mostly flat. I stayed there for a week with one of my daughters who was doing a language course at LSF. She found the course useful in laying the groundwork for a further year spent in Paris.

After a 17-day tour of Scotland’s western and northern islands later this year I have five nights in Glasgow in mid-October. What are the city’s highlights?
W. Heeley, Surry Hills NSW

You might be just in time for the mid-October Tenement Trail, a major music festival that showcases more than 40 emerging artists across various East End venues. The city has a lively arts scene, from the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the leading exponents of the Arts and Crafts movement, to contemporary galleries such as The Modern Institute, Transmission Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art and the stunning Burrell Collection. Designed by Zaha Hadid, the Riverside Museum tells the story of Glasgow’s industrial history. Nearby Finnieston is the city’s coolzone, a hip foodie hub of gourmet sandwich shops, artisanal coffee bars and organic restaurants, go for the fish and chips at Crabshakk.

One of the UK’s most popular museums, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a must-see, a vast collection incorporating art, natural history, Egyptian antiquities and medieval armour. Take a stroll through the surrounding Kelvingrove Park and the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. The Necropolis, close by the city’s 12th-century gothic cathedral, is a gloriously atmospheric cemetery inspired by Paris’ Pere Lachaise cemetery. Check Time Out Glasgow for information on shows, events, hot new restaurants, pubs and cafes. If you want to immerse yourself in the Glasgow experience look for accommodation in the bohemian West End.

My sister and I, both in our early 70s, would like to go to Malta and Sicily next year. Would it be better to book accommodation and excursions from here or when we arrive, or to take an organised tour from Australia? We are both mobile with no walking problems and would like to spend about one week in Malta and two weeks in Sicily. Which would be the best country to fly into and out of?
S. Fradd, Lisarow NSW

Both Malta and Sicily are popular destinations, and you need to book your accommodation well in advance. In Malta you’re probably going to stay somewhere in or close to Valletta or Sliema, where most of the main attractions are located and these you can easily explore on foot. From there you can take a tour to visit places that are further away, but Malta is compact and organising day tours either through your hotel or the tourist office at 1, City Gate in Valletta is easy. Malta Tours and Viator have more options.

Sicily has much more to see and do, there’s a lot of ground to cover and here you might take a guided tour. What you might do is tour for eight to 10 days and then spend the rest of your time relaxing, and a small hotel on the island of Ortigia which is connected to Syracuse by a small bridge would be ideal. Sicily Activities operates eight-day, small group tours of the island as well as private, custom tours and their reviews are excellent. If you fly into Rome you can take a train to Catania in Sicily, the journey takes less than 10 hours. Make that your first stop, then take a ferry from Pozzallo, in the south of Sicily, to Malta. The trip takes less than two hours aboard Virtu Ferries. Taking a guided, all-inclusive tour is a much simpler option and Adelaide-based Bunnik Tours has a 22-day Southern Italy, Sicily and Malta tour which includes airfares between Australia and Rome.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances