Don’t shoot me down in flames- a genuine question.

Are they travelling from the States? If so think of NYC. What do they need to be aware of there? London, very similar.

There are lots of phones stolen in London, I wouldn’t walk around with my phone in my hand. Only use a black cab, not Uber or others.

If they just used common sense, they should be fine.

Our Aussie contingent have just gone back from touring Europe and a six month stint of working in central London in a theatre. They had a fabulous time, no problems.

As far as London is concerned my advice would be not to use phones on the street. Be cautious using cash machines too. Moped gangs are a menace in London. They need to keep their phones, cash etc in rucksacks and bags that they can attach to their bodies. Like any big cities there are areas you are best not to go to and London is no different. Stick to the safer places with lots of people.
It's best to make them aware of what life is like outside their sheltered lives then wave them off for a good time.

I think they are Australian?
What age are they ?
It is wiser not to use your mobile in public when walking along the street.
Many of them are swiped by youths on bicycles.
You can see this on YouTube.
I too would be worried by 3 young inexperienced girls who are probably rather naive going so far from home without a street wise adult to accompany.

My granddaughter is now 20 and in her second year at university. From the age of about 17 she, with one or two friends frequently used to go up to London by train to go to shows.
She's also, during her gap year, travelled in Europe, again with a small friendship group.
Nothing untiward happened during any of those travels. It's always sensible to be vigilant when using a mobile phone, wherever you are.
I know you are in Australia. I have a 21 year old relative who is Australian.
He's off to Europe soon with a couple of friends for a travelling trip.
Whenever I have been in London I've felt as safe as I normally feel when at home in Oxfordshire. But wherever I am, I'm careful.
I hope the girls have a lovely, safe trip.

I live in London and I agree with what has been said. I don't keep cards, cash and phone together, I distribute them around my pockets. I never take my mobile out and I never use an ATM on a busy street.

Try to make them more street aware-they will have a fabulous time.

I think that the advice given here should set your mind at rest, nanna.
I travel in and out of London and take sensible precautions regarding my purse and phone ( mine have attachments of little bells which would make it difficult to slide them discreetly from a bag). Backpacks are easy prey, so pleased tell them to carry them on their front.
I would take similar steps in any large city, in any country.
The only one of my family to be bag snatched was in Barcelona, on Las Ramblas, which has a reputation for this.
Mostly, my children, travelling at that age , met nothing but kind helpfulness.
I hope that they have a lovely time.

Thanks Aldom and everyone. They are 18 and 19 and 20. I will stress the need to be careful with phones. They all live in Melbourne which is not exactly lily white but reasonably safe. I am not so worried about Italy etc because they will be on an organised tour but they are under their own steam in London and some of the time in Paris. They are hoping to get an air b and b so I advised them to get one fairly near public transport so they can get around . They don’t want to pay too much, all uni students with just part time jobs.

I feel safer in NYC notgran and
I was always worried when DD2 was in London for meetings.

I hope they have a lovely time, nanna. with he basic precautions in place, and they keep to places other people are around, which I would naturally do anyway, they'll have a fab time.

Same as anywhere, same as in their own country, use common sense. Don’t wander off the beaten track. Trust each other not new acquaintances, look out for each other.

Yes, phone snatching is a problem in London. When using it just be aware of your surroundings. When using as a camera as many of us do, I now use an old phone, no sim or data, so if snatched or lost only photos gone.

I love London. I’ve lived and worked there, ok many moons ago but I still visit, most recently 2 weeks ago. It is a lovely, vibrant city with loads to do and experience, a lot of which is free.

I am so glad I live in sheep country!

Mind you someone had their shed broken into and their tools stolen - it is the talk of the village!

I hope your GD has a wonderful trip!

I would suggest they track each other on their phones and the parents also track them.

When in London I always have a £20 tucked down my sock or bra incase I get relieved of my wallet.
I also never take a purse out of my bag to pay for anything s or tap in and out of the tube, I keep a card in my bra!

They must have a screenshot of each card they have so a bank can be contacted quickly in an emergency.

Rightly or wrongly I carry a Deep Heat spray in case of attack.
Before you all shoot me down, I have had a knife held to my throat.

In the UK we have a scheme called “Ask for Angela” if you are in a bar/club and you feel threatened ask the bar staff if Angela is there and they will realise your situation and act.

Gosh. I go to London regularly. At least every couple of weeks. Have been doing for years. Always walk from St Pancras to the centre or to another train station. Frequently wander around the Covent Garden/ Strand/ Charing Cross area and chunter out to more far flung museums and exhibitions.

I’ve never had any problems other than cyclists who don’t stop at crossings.

🤔

Georgesgran

I feel safer in NYC notgran and
I was always worried when DD2 was in London for meetings.

Did anything ever happen to DD2 in London for meetings? London is fine and no worse or better than most big cities. I think if OP's granddaughters are from Melbourne they will be quite savvy enough to visit London etc safely.

I currently live in a small market town in Oxfordshire and if I took much notice of the things people write about on our local Facebook I wouldn't go out of the front door.
Yet as far as I know my little town is quiet and safe. Facebook makes it sound like a den of iniquity!

There are so many things that youngsters (not just girls) need to be aware of these days, everywhere, not just in London.
Heed the advice about mobiles in public
Stay together and keep to main areas
Don’t accept drinks from strangers and keep drinks with you at all times to avoid then being spiked
Tell someone where you are going and who with
Keep some money and your train tickets somewhere other than your bag (sock or bra or wear a money belt) along with bank/credit card numbers to call if stolen
These are sensible precautions for everyone not just young people.

Mine all went travelling to the Far East and Australia, one to the USA, when they were teens or very early 20s.
I used to worry but they seemed to cope with whatever adversities they came across. Two DD then lived and worked in London, one used to cycle around London too 😲.
That was a number of years ago.

I'm not up-to-date with what London and Paris are like ONS but take sensible precautions, as others have posted and my advice would be to stay together. Be careful never to leave drinks unattended in pubs etc.

ONS - now

I live in Greater London and go into the centre very often. I go to the theatre and the opera and walk back to the Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road more often than not on my own.I don't have my phone out and do watch where I am going. Common sense really. I am 87 , not that that matters. They'll have a great time.

As many Gran's have stated as long as they take sensible precautions they'll be fine.
Young people these days are very savvy, they know all-sortsstuff!
Some of them could certainty teach us to suck eggs as the the saying goes. 😶

As long as they stay together and don't accept drinks or go off with anyone they've just met they should be fine, but that's the same anywhere.

I have a backpack which opens on the side that's against my back, not easily accessible to someone else.

When I've taken my minded children to London for the day I've always taken a full-length photo and a headshot before we set off.
If anything happened or they got lost I'd have a current photo to show the Police, in the clothes they were wearing that day.
That would be something the girls could easily do.

Similarly when we go away we have a printed photo of our passport pages in case they get lost or stolen.
I've done this since my Dad was pick-pocketed on Las Ramblas and had to go to the embassy to arrange a new passport.

I don't know what Melbourne is like but in London, especially on the tube, it's not usual to make eye contact with people 😒

I am really past days out wandering in London now, I grew up in London and one thing that was always drummed into us was to keep moving and look as though we knew what we were doing. You can always go into a shop or museum etc to check your phone and sort out any location problems. I hope they have a lovely time.

I would echo the warning about Barcelona.
We stopped there a few years ago on a cruise and heard later that one passenger had his wallet stolen and another his passport in Las Ramblas which is notorious.
Far worse than London in my experience.

Despite that it will be a fantastic experience for the youngsters.