Eurostar passengers need to be on their guard once they arrive at Gare du Nord station. Gangs of thieves, often children, are preying on tired, luggage-burdened tourists, whose wallets are fat with euros. Any crowded area is risky. The queue to buy Metro tickets was my undoing - it took them only seconds to unzip my bag and remove my wallet. The police told me the gangs are extraordinarily adept at their craft, and judging by the haul of discarded credit cards and driving licences that had been found about the station that morning, they are also extremely prolific.

The rail link from Charles de Gaulle airport to the city and the tourist-heavy Number One Metro line - which runs by the Grand Arche at La Défense, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, Concorde, Louvre and Bastille - are also favoured by the gangs. One thief will often distract a tourist with a question about directions or the time while their accomplice makes off with the bag or wallet. The thieves often strike as the train nears a stop so they can make a quick exit.

The obvious advice is not to keep all your cash and cards together. Avoid carrying backpack-type bags or open-style handbags and don't imagine that your wallet is safe in your back pocket. But even the thieves couldn't spoil my holiday - Paris is just too lovely for that.