When something important goes missing while you’re traveling abroad, you get that sinking feeling. Here’s what happened with Pete’s lost wallet in Paris.
“My wallet is gone.” At first, I didn’t pay much attention. Rummaging through his backpack, zipping and unzipping compartments, Pete’s worry mounted. “Here, let me look,” I demanded, not very nicely if truth be told. I was tired; it had been a long day. I wasn’t ready to deal with a lost wallet in Paris.
Pete and I both misplace things from time to time, and they usually turn up. But this was different. We were on the last leg of a multi-country journey in one day: Spain-France-Belgium. I remembered that at the first of our two train stations in Paris, Gare de Lyon, a friend had recently had her camera lifted while she was struggling with her belongings. We’d taken a cab to Gare du Nord, where our train to Brussels departed. Based upon our movements, a lost wallet in Paris could be virtually anywhere.
With our train departure imminent, we headed for the Information Desk. Neither of us speaks French, and without French SIMs, Google Translate was unavailable. Our desperation mounted as the minutes ticked by. We couldn’t even make ourselves understood. Finally, we were directed to the Lost and Found Office in the station, already closed.
By then, our train was boarding. We had two choices: continue our journey and attempt to locate the lost wallet in Paris by remote means, or stay and try to find it in person. On a Friday night, neither choice appeared to be a good one. We were the last two passengers on the train.
There wasn’t a lot of conversation between Gare du Nord and Lille, where we needed to change trains. Fortunately for our marriage, we both (one of us before the other, not saying who!) go silent when exasperation and worry surface. Even so, we were tense. Every credit and debit card, most of our cash, and Pete’s identification (except for his passport, thank goodness) were in the lost wallet in Paris.
Upon arrival in Brussels, we checked online and determined no unusual activity in any of our accounts. This was a good sign. The last thing we wanted to do was to have to cancel our cards and await replacement overseas. We figured if the wallet had been stolen, there would have been transaction attempts triggering a fraud alert. After all, our own legitimate transactions have triggered fraud alerts, right? No activity was good news.
Pete got to work researching what to do. Initially, there didn’t seem to be a lot of hope: a gentleman on TripAdvisor who had left his camera on a train at Gare de Lyon, another who had left his tablet in a taxi, and a site with a couple of posts about objets trouvés en Paris, here and here.
Protocols are in place for a lost wallet in Paris depending upon where it was lost. Items lost on a train are given to the Lost and Found at the train’s arrival station. Items lost in a cab are to be turned over to the police. Pete immediately emailed the taxi company, the police, and Gare de Lyon.
Replies to the TripAdvisor post suggested that those at the train station lost and found are not very receptive unless you are present in person. This was our experience as they did not respond to either of two emails.
The Paris police responded very quickly with a form email saying we would hear from them within 10 days.
The taxi company responded promptly. They needed information to identify the taxi.
Since we had charged our fare on a Visa card, we had the receipt.
The next day they wrote to say that the taxi driver had the wallet in his glove box. It had been found by the next passenger, and the driver had not yet delivered it to the police.
We quickly made arrangements for Pete to meet the driver in the early afternoon the following day at Gare de Lyon. And they exchanged phone numbers to stay in touch.
When they met up, the driver, Bahaeddene, handed Pete his wallet with all the cards and cash still there. Pete gave him 50€ for his trouble.
Pete and Bahaeddene, our heroic taxi driver
Several days after this, we heard from the police and the train station: they didn’t have the wallet.
Lessons learned: don’t carry around all your credit cards in one place (wallet). Had we needed to close and reissue all of our accounts we’d have been out of business for quite some time. Also, if you’re in a cab and there’s a photo ID of your driver displayed, snap a quick pic with your phone. You just never know when heroes like Bahaeddine and his colleague Mouna will get a chance to return your lost wallet in Paris.
We realize not everyone whose wallet goes missing in Paris (or other locations) will be as fortunate as we were. But we hope if something of yours goes missing that our story will be helpful and encouraging. There are good people everywhere.
Pinnable Image:
Additional tips and information:
Links used to get information and email addresses:
- http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/acs/paris-lostfound.pdf
- http://www.colleensparis.com/2011/08/lost-and-found-in-paris-one-persons-story/
- http://www.colleensparis.com/2012/12/did-you-lose-an-object-in-paris/
- http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/france/emergency_services_urgences/lost-perdu.aspx?lang=eng
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k6711167-Lost_expensive_item_in_Taxi_Cab_in_Paris_last_week-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k3887237-Left_camera_on_train_at_Gare_de_Lyon-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Pete’s initial inquiry to the train station was sent in French (thanks to Google Translate) and English:
Note to those who use different SIM cards in different countries: The taxi driver said he called the U.S. number on Pete’s business card and got no answer. Consider putting a current phone number someplace where an honest person would see it.
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Wow! That was SO close! Thank goodness things worked out and the tips you provided are very helpful. The first time we traveled, we were pick-pocketed in Paris (twice!) and the only thing that saved us was that we’d asked our bank to issue our credit cards with different numbers for the same account. That way we still had access to the account even though the thief managed to charge over $3000 in the 30 minutes it took us to get to our hotel! SO glad it turned out well – and what a great story to tell! 😉
Hi Lisa – Yes, when the accounts showed no activity for several days, we figured it was definitely lost and not stolen, so were relieved even though we weren’t sure we’d ever see it again. You’re right, some cards have different numbers for different users. Ours among them, so we might have still been able to keep accounts open. Glad we didn’t have to find out. Precautions against pickpockets are one of my big deals, too. They are SO good at what they do!
So happy this turned out well and there was a good lesson learned as is always the case in this situation. Glad to know that there are still honest people in this world too!
Hi Noel – Yes, we’re famous for learning things the hard way (and sometimes over and over again). This is one that we’d not like to repeat, even though it was a lovely experience with the folks at the taxi company who really bent over backwards.
I’m so glad you were able to recover the wallet! It’s awesome the cab driver returned it to you. It’s a scary situation when something so important goes missing.
Hi Dana – Yes, we were so surprised and relieved!
What an upsetting experience but thanks to your resourcefulness and an honest taxi driver, it’s nice that it has a happy ending!
We had two bad experiences, a lost laptop that was never recovered, no doubt stolen and a near-miss pickpocket experience.
There can never be too many warnings. When you’re traveling, it’s so easy to be preoccupied with new surroundings.
Best, Irene
Hi Irene – Initially, both of us were thinking it was more likely that it had been pickpocketed, but we began to feel more confident after seeing no activity in any of our accounts. It must have been terrible to lose a laptop! Arghh. That would really set me back.
What a relief that it turned up!!! We lost an item of lesser significance (a hat) at the train station in Nice and they were worse than hopeless at the lost & found there. Probably better off that you left it in a cab than losing it at the station!
Hi Bethaney – Yes, we heard similar about the train station people not being very helpful. Our experience with the information desk made me wish they’d at least have one person per shift who was bilingual, what with all the different nationalities traveling through. And we looked in vain for traveler’s aid of some sort.
That’s a terrible feeling I know well. I’m glad everything worked out so well for you!
Hi Mags – Yes, it’s really an awful feeling, a definite physical reaction. Thanks.
So glad your wallet was found and returned! Unfortunately, both my son and daughter have had things stolen on trips. I love your tips about taking a pic of the taxi driver’s ID card, and also making sure all current phone #s are listed.
Hi Michele – I think it’s just sad that we have to be so wary, but the reasons for it are an entirely different conversation, aren’t they. So sorry to hear that about your kids. I hope it didn’t put them off traveling.
Hi Betsy–No, having her purse stolen from a cabana on hotel property being watched by security, has now made my daughter even more careful! Unfortunately, my son’s expensive sunglasses were stolen from a restaurant last week in Amsterdam after he left them there and confirmed by phone with one staff member that they had been found. When he called back to talk to a manager, the glasses had disappeared! Neither are deterred from traveling though; they’re hooked like I am!
That is so lucky that you got it back! Great thinking with checking lost and found. I can imagine the panic setting in. It’s such a horrible feeling to lose something so important when you’re traveling.
Hi Laura – It was really difficult to get on the next train and wonder if we were making the right decision by leaving. But all we could envision was running around from one place to the other without any resolution and that would have been very frustrating, too.
Glad all turned out well. I learned in college to duct tape stuff to my stomach…usually a ziplock bag with money, spare keys, matches and debit/credit card in it. I also carry a throwaway wallet with plastic store loyalty cards, dummy cards and about $20 in ones, photos and crap that came with the wallet. If mugged you hand the mugger the wallet – it’s a decoy….they don’t stand there and go through it…if pick-pocketed they don’t go for a second/real wallet. The Duct tape, if applied properly, will last for several days and there’s no bulge or strap to give it away. I also have a “bra wallet” that holds cash. I go into a bathroom stall at the end of a meal, before the check arrives to take money out of it.
When camping/hiking/paddling etc. I have an Altoids tin with matches, hooks, fishing line etc. that I duct tape to my lower back, and a mini- lighter I duct tape to my side…it feels really weird for about 10 minutes then you forget it’s there…I figure if I fall out of a boat, or something bad happens and I lose my pack, gear, clothes that at least I’ll have the bare essentials and can build a fire. Maybe I watch too many prepper shows….but I HAVE been glad I had money and matches taped to me several times in my life…just saying….
Hi Becky – I’m not sure about removing the duct tape, though! But good points about the decoy wallet and having a dry container with essentials that would enable survival.
This story almost restored my faith in the human race, but then I read the newspaper.
Hi Suzanne – I rarely read the newspaper anymore and I think I’m much better off. There are nice people just about everywhere.
Ugh, what a stressful situation! So glad you were able to track it down and that everything was there! Great tips for those in a similar situation, though!
Hi Jenna – Yes, it took a bit of sleuthing to find out what to do. Hope this helps the next person!
Whew! Isn’t that every travelers worst fear?! The idea of taking a photo of the cabby’s name/license is a great idea – I say that because we’ve done it. When we left Prague the owner of our apartment sent a cab for us to go to the train station and she told us to leave the keys with the driver. We had no idea if he was the intended driver so we snapped a photo just in case.
We’ve been fortunate in that we haven’t lost anything while traveling. Abi did leave his laptop in the trunk of a taxi – in San Diego – but fortunately he got it back by calling the cab company.
The good thing is we always say, “lesson learned” and we never make the same mistake twice. I’m betting Pete will never again misplace his wallet!
Hi Patti – I really hope we don’t make this mistake twice! (We’ve been known to learn the hard way!) That’s interesting about the cab driver and the keys. I imagine she would have made the arrangements ahead of time, but like you, I would have wondered, too.
How fortunate you were this story turned out the way it did and you got the wallet back. There are a few lessons for all travellers in this story about having back-up cards, etc.
Hi Donna – Indeed, we’re really grateful. Things could have been much, much worse.
Most interesting story and what an unexpected happy ending you had! Joel has had his wallet lifted by pickpockets and that cancelling of credit cards while trying to get some cash out of the machine before we were locked out was nothing short of horror story. We’ve also learned to divide and hide those credit cards!!
Hi Jackie – “Divide and hide” is the next order of business for me!
Oh my goodness, were you ever fortunate!! Losing a wallet or camera or any other valuable item on a trip is the last thing anyone wants to experience, but your advice was excellent — don’t keep all your credit cards and cash in one place! So glad it turned out well for you both!
Hi Marilyn – I am really amazed by the number of missing cameras I’ve heard about, mostly lifted, sorry to say. I am super vigilant about keeping track of our luggage, particularly on trains, and we rarely have Pete’s camera out. Still, I know it can happen in an instant.
Wow, what a story. You were very, very fortunate to be able to recover the lost wallet! What happened to you only reinforces what I have always strongly recommended to travelers in my blog: to always keep valuables (such as wallets and passports) on your person, in deep hidden pockets of hidden cargo pants. The safest way I know, from my experience, to ensure that you do not get separated from your valuables. Thanks for a great posting and safe travels!
Hi Denis – Interestingly enough, that’s where Pete’s wallet was: in a cargo pocket. What happened was, he had it out (as he is the keeper of the cash) in the taxi, but then we ascertained the driver would accept a credit card, so I paid. Somehow, the wallet never made it securely back in his pocket. Thankfully, the next passenger was so honest.
I lost mine in Bucharest two months back. It was a freaking nightmare to find myself without credit cards, ID, driving license and money. Good that feeling only lasted a couple of minutes 😀
Hi Inma – Even for a few minutes, it’s horrible, isn’t it? 🙂
I was sitting on the edge of my seat reading this as we have heard of so many people having their wallets taken from them. How fortunate for you though I can imagine that it must have felt so dreadful and very worrying for you both. I once left my handbag on a seat of a taxi in Rome and didn’t realise. We were walking away and then heard this yelling and screaming in Italian. We turned around to see the taxi driver running up the hill with my bag. So lucky and so grateful.
Hi Paula – Oh isn’t that wonderful of your cab driver! Yes, we were very lucky and so grateful to the cab company. I’ll admit, the first thing I thought was a thief of some sort.
You (both) must have been THRILLED to get Pete’s wallet back. (Love that you heard back from the Parisian police in French – do you speak it?) It’s such a horrible feeling when you lose your wallet or your passport (or both!) while traveling. Janice had her passport/ticket folder stolen (or did she just lose it?) while in Europe on a trip. She discovered it while checking in for her flight back home. Needless to say she wasn’t going on that flight. She took the train to the Hague to the Canadian Embassy for an emergency replacement, and lo and behold, was told there that someone back at the airport had just turned it in. Happy day! And the airline kindly put her on the next flight home without a surcharge.
Hi Guys – Wow, what a lovely outcome that was! I think I would be more worried about my passport than anything, even though we travel with photocopies. I get nervous if I have to surrender it for any reason. Losing it would send me into a tailspin.
Hi Betsy,
This:
“Here, let me look,” I demanded, not very nicely if truth be told. I was tired; it had been a long day. I wasn’t ready to deal with a lost wallet in Paris.
Betsy, it does my heart good to know — and thanks for admitting — that you get annoyed!
I also am impressed that you went to the trouble to email 3 different places for any possible information. Soooo happy for you that it all worked out for the best. Good on ya!
Josie
Hi Josie – Ha! I get annoyed more often than I care to admit. I think we all do, particularly when we’re tired and have just had enough. Pete’s methodical approach was rewarded in this instance.
You are so lucky, I know you know that! When I saw the words “lost wallet in Paris” I immediately jumped to the conclusion – pickpocket. What a lucky day for you guys that the passenger and taxi driver reunited Pete with his wallet. Especially in big cities I keep my my cards and cash in at least 2 different places, your story helps illustrate why it is so important to do so.
Hi Susan – Yes, I’m going to be refining my “system” and do the same. I think we tend to think stuff like this would never happen to us, only others. But these things rarely discriminate, do they?
What a great ending. Kudos to the passenger and taxi driver for their honesty. I never put everything in one place and always stash an extra credit card. Great to have the helpful links! Our biggest disaster was at an ATM- we shared it with our takeaways as you did. These kinds of posts are really helpful for travelers.
Hi Billie – I remember your ATM disaster. Ugh. Our debit cards aren’t chipped and so far there is only one place where we’ve not had access to cash. I hope Fidelity gets with the program soon.
What a fantastic story – I love to hear that around the world there are still people who care. I loved the comment “divide and hide” We typically leave most of our credit cards at home and so we would only have a couple to replace. However… what a nightmare it would be. I am also happy to learn that Pete left his wallet instead of being pickpocketed.
Hi Suzanne – Yes, faith in humanity! Not having a home at which to leave extras requires us to bring everything along with us. A few tweaks to the strategy and we’ll be better prepared if something untoward would occur again.
Wow – that was lucky! It’s always great when a stranger goes to a lot of trouble on your behalf. I used to write down the cab # or take a picture but have gotten lax about doing that – will resume on next trip! So glad it turned out the way it did.
Hi Kay – Yes, it’s a detail we can often overlook or decide to forego and in this case, it would have been more helpful to the dispatcher who worked on things for us.
What a relief to learn that the wallet had been handed in. I suspect the hearts were racing until you heard this news. It was most fortuitous that you paid for the taxi with a credit card. Some great lessons to be learnt for all of us!
Hi Jenny – We generally try to pay cab fare with a card just because cash supply seems to deplete so rapidly, particularly in the big cities (and we’re not fond of carrying lots of cash). It’s also better for us to track business expenses later. Yes, it was a good learning lesson.
Oh, I know that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize something has gone missing. My (almost new) computer was stolen out of my daypack on a bus from Guayaquil to Manta, Ecuador last year and it took me several days to recover from the feelings of terrible vulnerability and lost trust. So glad your story had a happy ending! (P.S. We each have bank cards with different accounts in case of theft and carry them spread around in different pockets when we’re traveling to decrease the chance of a catastrophe!)
Hi Anita – You hit it on the head. You feel very, very vulnerable. Our cards have different numbers so we wouldn’t have to shut the accounts completely down, I think, but I don’t want to really have to find out.
Doing the happy jig for you! Yes, there are good people everywhere. I always have cards in various places, so that I don’t get caught out if something bad happens. Dealing with Korean banks is never fun at the best of times, so I would hate to have to try and replace my cards.
Hi Nancie – Haha, thanks! Yeah, when Pete got the email on his phone, there was a happy shout at the restaurant table. I can only imagine how complicated foreign banking must be.
Wow, what a nice article to prepare us for such eventualities on the road. Thanks for al the links! You guys were so systematic in your search!
Hi Carol – Thank my husband for the systematic approach. I stood back (with difficulty, I admit) and let him mastermind the process. Hopefully, this post will pop up when someone googles for help in the future.
I love it when the good in people comes out in situations like this. Something similar happened here in Toronto when 2 Italian friends came to visit and one left their wallet near the subway ticket taker’s booth. The ticket taker called us, and my friend got his wallet back intact – but they couldn’t BELIEVE someone would be that honest. Here’s to good karma.
Hi Jane – It restores your faith in humanity, doesn’t it? Thanks for sharing the story.
That awful sinking feeling in your gut when you don’t have something that you thought you did in the place it normally is. Twice last year I left my phone behind in shops in Santiago – fortunately retracing my steps I finally got it back, but the first time I thought that I’d never do that again. I did do it again and am terrified of repeating the same thing again. I guess I am more careful but I really didn’t think I would do it twice…
Hi Yasha – Yes, it’s the absolute worst feeling! I think we all can be easily distracted and forgetful because of it. I know I’ve developed little rituals, and still think I’ve left something behind when I can’t easily find it in my purse – even when it’s there!
It’s great that you got the wallet back, and a really good idea that you contacted the taxi company directly. I used to live in Paris and one of my friends got pickpocketed, so I’m glad it didn’t happen to you
Hi Suze – Yes, a pickpocket was my first thought. Fortunately not!
I’m glad to hear your lost wallet was returned! It’s a reminder that most people are good. My experience was not the same 🙁 About five years ago my purse strap was cut off me as I exited the crowded tube in the London underground. The strap was across body, but both my hands were occupied with luggage (lesson 1). I was also carrying both passports, cash, and all but one credit card in the same place! (lesson 2) My replacement passport finally expired so I don’t have to look at my frazzled expression on the passport photo as a reminder of that day!
Hi Shelley – Oh, I’m sorry to hear about your London experience. It’s really hard to have enough hands. We’re not fans of the Tube for transfers, either. I’m glad you were able to cope, but I’m sure it’s not your favorite memory.
What a great piece, filled with useful information, much of which never crossed my mind. I’m so glad it had a happy ending! We’ve found wallets a few times and it’s such a great feeling to return it to the rightful owner. I’m always good about separating my money during travel, but the credit cards-I’ll be adopting that habit!
Hi Alison – Yes, we were very relieved. And really, I know in my brain there is no reason to carry more than a couple of cards. So that is a change I will be making after having learned this lesson.
We also lost a small shopping bag and police confirmed they found it. Since we live in middle east and only visited Paris as tourist, we are now back to Qatar and don’t know how to get our bag collected from lost and found police dept. Can anyone help.