Have you ever gotten anything back that you lost while traveling?
 

This is a good example of a travel agency going above and beyond the call of duty, LOL...

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/eu...eut/index.html

Now, my question for the rest of you Fodorites is this....

Have any of you lost something while on holiday, only to get it back, somehow, some way? Tell us your 'lost and found' stories!

>Have any of you lost something while on holiday, only to get it back, somehow, some way? <

Yes

Staying at a hotel near the Alhambra in Granada many years ago, I left a small keepsake from my late father-in-law -- a pocket knife -- on my plate after I peeled an orange at dinner. I was distracted somehow, and the knife went out to the garbage, hidden under the peel.

Later, I mentioned this to our waiter (his English was no better than my Spanish), and was told that they were busy at the moment but would "check" the garbage when they had time. I slipped him some money, gave him our card, and thought it was goodbye to both the little knife and the money.

Imagine my surprise when an envelope arrived at our home in Chicago a month later, enclosing my little knife.

On our honeymoon, we had rented a car to drive through Germany to Brussels. We had the camera out in the car and dropped off the car in Brussels on a Sat. night at the closed rental agency. No sooner had we locked the car and dropped the keys in the return slot that we (I) realized that we (I) had left the camera in the car. I was heartbroken because I figured I'd never see it (or more importantly, our pictures) again. We called AutoEurope first thing Monday a.m. (the US number since we didn't have the Brussels agency number). They retrieved the camera and FedExed it to our hotel in Paris. Auto Europe has my business from now on.

No, I keep looking for my virginity, but have not yet found it!

(Ha, ha, only joking!)

BC

Yes. Left my makeup bag and a zipper bag with some bracelets in it in a drawer in a dresser at our hotel in Paris. Discovered what I had done by the time we reached the airport. We called the hotel and the desk clerk went up to the room, found my things and took the time and trouble to mail them to me. Only one bracelet was missing, which could have been lost enroute as the box they were in could easily have been opened and closed again.

Needless to say, I was pleased to have my things returned and will always be grateful to the kind man who sent them to me.

Last month, while in London, I lost my passport in the Gloucester Road tube station. To my amazement, I had it back within 2 hours!

The guy who found it actually made a trans-atlantic call to my number in the US (listed inside the passport), got my boyfriend at our home (which was a minor miracle in and of itself due to the time difference!), asked where I was staying and actually BROUGHT THE PASSPORT TO ME AT MY HOTEL! To top it all off, he absolutely refused to take any kind of reward from me (he said he was just looking out for his Karma! Ha-ha!)

How's that for a miracle?!

Jennie :)

I left my wallet in a cab in montreal and got it was sent back to my parents house which was the address on my driver's license. All the credit cards and money still in it.

My friend was skiing in Austria, and lost his wallet. I don't know the details, but he got it back the next day, with money and passport. It was an absolute shock for him - being from former Soviet Union he did not expect even an empty wallet back.

Many years ago, before I became much more security conscious, my wallet was stolen in Rome. The thieves mailed back my health insurance card and driver's license. They went to my business address because I had my business card in the wallet too.

All great stories so far, but RJD, I was wondering if maybe someone just found your discarded wallet, and mailed you the items that were still in there?

I can't imagine pickpockets going out of their way to send those to you, but hey, I guess it takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round, right? Glad you got those back, at least!

They weren't really lost, but I left some books in a hotel in Germany (I had already read them). When I returned 6 months later, there were in my room when I checked in, with a note from the manager, saying that they'd held onto them for me.

The other way around: I often find my sanity while on vacation. Still not sure where or exactly when I lost it. :)

Shortly after we returned to our cruise cabin following the muster drill, I noticed that the diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring.

We were actually able to find it on the fool of the closet!

My wallet in the back seat of a cab in Copenhagen last year, as I was left off to take a train. Discovered the loss 10 minutes later. Luckily, the cab went to the end of the line at the train station, and after walking through the maze of cabs, I found my driver, and, thankfully, my wallet.

I am, however, still in search of my cell phone my son didn't stick all the way into my bag at Legoland in Windsor. Anyone find it?!

Abram, the fool of my closet makes life difficult for me, too. Dang'im!!

:)

Me - no. I've never lost anything on a trip - knock on wood. But my sister in law left her wallet sitting on the front seat of her car in Le Bugue while she visited the Tourist Office for a half-hour or so and came out to find it missing (DUH!). The local police found the wallet two days later in the bushes up in the hills above Le Bugue (we're talking major countryside here) and returned the wallet. The credit cards, etc., were gone, of course, but it amazed me that the local police actually found the wallet, as the region wé're in is essentially forest.

Once my daughter had left her treasured stuffed animal at an inn in Napa Valley, CA. We discoverd it missing after driving for eight hours. The hotel, Maison Fleuri fedex'd it at their cost to our home overnight. It was waiting on our doorstep when we pulled up.

While traveling in Italy, I found a wallet in the street. It was jammed with US dollars and lire (this was five years ago). Inside the wallet was an US drivers License and a hotel business card. I took the wallet to the hotel and handed it to a very frantic woman.

ONCE WHEN SWITCHING PLANES IN DALLAS my wife left here carry-on on the unmanned tram that circulates the airport....she did not notice for about 2 minutes....there was an emergency phone near-by which we picked up....it gave us the dallas police station--great...they suggested to stay right there and check every train that came by..they told us how long it takes to make a complete round....after several trains, along came one and there it was just next to two people who were standing by the window....i jumped in grabbed it and yelled "my wife left it here and jumped out before the doors closed....saved the trip

While on vacation in NYC my husband left his wallet at the entrance to the subway and when we realized it was missing and went back several hours later, someone had turned it in to the station guard and not a thing was missing!