afterall

In a hotel or pension or even a backpackers put it in the safe in the room or at reception.

In an apartment? NO. I would carry it with me at all times in a money belt. It's your most precious possession when you are not in your own country.

StCirq

Well said, Carlux.

I carry my passport with me at all times. In a regular old purse like the one I use when I'm at home. I don't suffer from the perpetual anxiety that seems to plague so many other travelers.

suze

People are confusing a couple things here...
The reason I carry mine is NOT because I believe hotel staff or an apartment owner is going to sneak in a steal it!

I think it's important to have it ON me for identification in an emergency, not just somewhere close by.

Like StCirq above, I just stick it in a zippered pocket of my normal handbag. If I don't want a purse that day I have a very small leather pouch with cross-body strap that is effortless to wear.

Some people bring their drivers license (even if the are not going to drive) as it is sufficient to leave as deposit for audio programs at museums, or so I read previously as a tip here on Fodor's.

Nikki

I leave it in the apartment when I rent an apartment in a European city. I feel I am much more likely to lose it while out than to have it stolen from the apartment. I only carry my passport on travel days.

The first time I rented an apartment in Paris, the rental agent showed me a hidden desk compartment and mentioned it would be a good place for a passport. When I asked whether there was a problem with people breaking in, he smiled at me and said, "This isn't New York."

I had heard that in Spain, people would have to show a passport to use a credit card, but I never encountered that.

When I have to leave a deposit for an audio guide, I use my US driver's license.

That said, my daughter did have a hotel room broken into in Dublin last summer. The door didn't latch properly. The thief got away with cash and an iPod (after being interrupted in the room by my daughter and her friends in the middle of the night!)

Luisah

I've been traveling for years and always carry a photocopy of my passport. I keep my passport in my combination locked suitcase in the room if there isn't a hotel safe. Your's should certainly be safe in an apartment.

The photocopy has been accepted for the VAT refund and in other cases where I needed identification.

You don't say where you're going, but if to a large European city, it's relatively easy to replace your passport if it's lost or stolen/ providing you have a photocopy with the information.

If I were to be hit by a bus or pass out on a street and hauled off to a hospital I'd rather have a copy and not the passport with me. I think it's much more likely to be lost in those circumstances.

BTilke

I assume you're going to France, as that's the tag on your post.

In Paris, I have left it in the hotel room safe and walked around with a copy.

But in Belgium, I always carry the original, because that's what the law requires. I have seen police be very stern with people who carried only copies, some getting off with a stiff lecture and a few getting taken away, released only (presumably) when someone shows up at the station with the original.

Here in the UK, where we now live, I never carry my passport around, I leave it at home.

FWIW, if you need to pick up a rental car on your return back to the U.S. or while traveling in Europe, make sure your driver's license gets maximum security. Getting a lost/stolen U.S. passport replaced in Europe is a piece of cake compared to getting a lost/stolen U.S. (state) driver's license replaced while traveling. No biggie if you won't need it til you get home, but can be a major PIA if you do need it while traveling.

PalenQ

I always carry my passport

Two years ago when i fell in Naples and was initially disoriented i would have had identification on me if i had been seriously hurt - and at the hospital they wanted to see my passport

In Berlin recently at the train station two cops demanded to see my passport for some reason. If i had not had it???

I always carry my passport - if driving expect police checks with demands for passports, etc.

adeben

It has been some time since I asked the question about passports being stolen from hotel rooms, and, once again, no-one from the many well-travelled posters on this branch has reported THEIR passport as being stolen. Can we therefore assume that the stealing of a passport from a hotel room happens VERY rarely, if ever?

afterall

Probably depends on what sort of hotel?? and which country.

I (touch wood, touch wood) have never had mine stolen, but that's because I carry it with me always.

My previous post was based on reasonable practice. I am not normally the obsessive type but I carry my passport with me always.
I'll take risks when travelling - just pitching up, etc. But I will not take any risk, be it every so small, with my passport.

adeben

The original post was about the relative merits of either (a) leaving your passport in your room, or (B) carrying it with you at all times.
In previous posts I have searched, NO-ONE reports having had their passport stolen from their room, whereas a number of posters report having it stolen from their person. Therefore, it would seem safer to leave your passport in your room than carry it around. That might seem counter-intuitive to some posters, but the wide experiences of people who post here seem to indicate that the hotel room is the most secure place for your passport.

Pete_R

Purely on the issue of where it's most likely to be stolen you might be correct and it is better to leave your passport in the hotel - but what about countries that legally require foreigners to carry their passport with them?

thursdaysd

Like afterall I don't leave my passport in my hotel (unless, occasionally, and in some countries, it has a safe), therefore I'm not a candidate for having it stolen from my room. I doubt that any of the people who had theirs stolen on the street were wearing money belts.

However, making important decisions on the basis of anecdotal evidence is not very smart. This is the same discussion we just had on the Asia board about malaria prophylaxis in Guilin. In that case we did actually get a post from one person who had contracted malaria, but even if we had not, ignoring the CDC advice would not have been the most sensible course. The two safest places for your passport are in a money belt or in a safe.

lola618

I don't carry mine with me. I'm more afraid of losing it myself than someone else stealing it.

I lock it up in my hotel room and carry a copy of my passport along with my state issued driver's license. I have never been asked for my passport while shopping.

In Madrid I did need to leave ID for the audioguide, but my driver's license was accepted without question.

Since I lose things easily, I am just not comfortable carrying around my passport, but that is a personal decision.