I travel with both my US and Irish passports and avoid the long lines at Passport Controls.

plus an EU passport gets you into a lot of sites free.

lesliemomof6: You have been around how long - maybe 10 days - and find it necessary to tell folks HOW they should word their advice/info/suggestions???

Yeah, Janisi, 10 days or 10 years, there is never any call for rudeness. The remark was hateful and this should not be the arena for someone's mean remarks. I believe that we all need to respect one another and each other's diversity, there should never be such broad and generally snide remarks made about anyone's country - this is a nice little sharing arena, he should save the anti-American remarks for the pub.

whoa - good luck to you . . . . .

"a typically incompetent Americam travel agent"

- is this really hateful?
- is this really Anti-American?
- is this really "snide remarks made about anyone's country"?

I personally think that the word "typically" could have easily been omitted.

Besides, just how many American travel agents has the poster who made the remark EVER used?

Who cares?? "Typically" or no "Typically" - it didn't warrant a lecture about diversity for cryin out loud!

thanks for all the good info - Dukey, I am new to this posting , can yoou tell me what your 1st response TTT means - I'm sure it is commonly used in this forum, I just don't know what it means. Thanks again for all who helped

Hi L,

I would also take both passports. You will find some places that say "EU" and "all others", as well as "US" and "all others".

TTT means "to the top".

Whenever a new message is posted to a thread, it goes to the top of the list.

I've reread your OP (original post). You said: "from our starting point in London". Does that mean you live in the UK and will be returning there at the end of your trip? In that case, I see no reason why you need carry your US passport. If, however, you will be returning to the US, it is a legal requirement that Americans use their US passport for reentry.

Apart from shorter lines at passport control, another advantage in carrying your Italian passport is free or reduced cost of medical care while travelling in the European Economic Area. I pulled this from the UK Foreign Office website, but it should apply to other EU citizens as well:

"If you are travelling within the European Economic Area (see Note 1 below) or Switzerland, you should get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by visiting the Department of Health website: www.dh.gov.uk/travellers or www.ehic.org.uk, by phone on 0845 606 2030. You can also obtain the EHIC by completing the Department of Health leaflet "Health Advice for Travellers" (HAFT). This is available through most UK Post Offices or by telephoning 08701 555 455. The EHIC entitles you to free or reduced-cost medical care. But you will still need medical and travel insurance."

"Note 1: The European Economic Area is made up of all 25 members of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway."

The EHIC can only be used by those registered in an EU land, and paying there social security there. It is not availabe to EU passport holders regardless of where they live. And I always take out insurance as health care varies enormously between Eu countries. And you may want/need to be repatriated.

Hetismij, good point. If the OPs are, in fact, living in the UK, then they will be "registered in an EU land", and the EHIC should apply, but if living in the US, as you mention, it may not.

I am a US passport holder living in the UK and registered with the NHS. I have been told that I am not eligible for medical care outside the UK with an EHIC. That's why I suggested the Italian passport. The quote in my previous post includes the sentence: "But you will still need medical and travel insurance."

Nobody is "lecturing" you, Janis...lighten up and return to your usual sensitive and good posts.

Hey, thanks all for the info and insight into our travel arrangements. You all have certainly given me other areas of concern that I hadn't even thought of-we are Americans, living in the US, only meant we were beginning and ending our 3 week tour in London. After reading all the posts, I realize I need to check into the health insurance issue - I thought that with the social medicine programs that the Europeans have, we would also fall under the umbrella while we are there-is that not true? My Italian husband thinks that all would be cared for, free of charge, no matter where one pays their taxes-not true? Thanks again for all the great advice.

I am afraid, for most countries you need a special health insurance for travellers. Non-EU citizens are not treated free of charge. You will be billed by the doctor or hospital.

She wasn't lecturing me - she was lecturing flanner - and he can certainly take it. But the whole tone of her lecture was as bad (or worse) as anything flanner said . . . . .

Hi L,

>I thought that with the social medicine programs that the Europeans have, we would also fall under the umbrella while we are there-is that not true?<

Would you want a bunch of foreigners using your tax-supported medical facilities?

As a matter of fact, I think it would be lovely if we could offer our tourists free health care while they are guests in our country, and vice versa. God knows there are plenty enough frunds to cover this

Leslie, this just shows how easy it is to provide the wrong answer when there's not much information to go on. So, it seems, your husband has an Italian passport, but you do not. Furthermore, you are living in the US rather than in an EU country.

You undoubtedly need to have some sort of health insurance, either your own health plan or a travel health policy. If you plan to rely on your own health plan, check that you are covered for care outside the US. Even if you are covered, doctors and hospitals in Europe may require you to pay up front and claim from your insurance when you return home.

Your husband could check with the Italian Embassy to see what health care entitlements, if any, he has in the EU. BTW, you would probably receive free emergency care in a country with a national health service, but any routine or private care would be at your own expense.