Hi! My mom and I are going to Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, and Andalucía) next July (FINALLY! I've been waiting 4 years!). I wanted to know the best method of leaving/carrying money and my passport. I'd hate to have anything stolen on the street, but is a hotel safe really convenient? Muchas Gracias for all responses in advance.

<BR>hiya! <BR>i personally keep my passport with me at all times.. i make 2 photo copies of the front page.. leave 1 at home and bring the other with me. <BR>i find that travellers checks work well..i just cash in a bit at a time at the AMEX office.. that way if it gets lost or stolen.. i havent lost it all. <BR>this system works for me. <BR>have a nice trip!!

I also keep my passport with me, particularly since if I buy anything and want a VAT refund I will need to show it. <BR>I also keep photocopies of the important passport pages in my suitcase. <BR>I leave the little jewelry I travel with in my room safe. <BR>I am happy (and lucky) to say that I have never been a crime victim while traveling, and I've stayed in all levels of accommodations and have visited all the usual tourist sites in the places I've visited. <BR>I don't see the need for travelers checks personally. I travel with one travelers check for $100 just for an emergency, but I haven't had to use it in years. I go over with some local cash for the airport transport and tips, and I use credit cards and atms (debit card) while I'm there.

Be aware of people around you at all times (pickpockets would love to get your passport). I never had any problems in Spain, Italy was worse). I wear mine under my shirt. DO NOT leave it in your purse! In fact, do not carry anything in your purse that you can't afford to lose. Now read the previous sentence over again.

To reinforce Mike's comments, your holiday is a thief's workday. <BR> <BR>As others we keep copies of important passport pages at home and in suitcase. Note that if you're really paranoid it's useful to keep two copies of passport photos with you as well. Should you lose your passport the photos often become the gating item in how quickly you obtain a new passport. <BR> <BR>The passports we keep with us in our 'holsters' hung over our shoulder or neck under our shirt/blouse respectively. As you'd guess our credit cards and most of the cash we're carrying go in there, along with travelers' checks. <BR> <BR>Other than the travelers' checks we only keep 2-3 days cash on hand. We change TCs or hit ATMs every couple of days. <BR> <BR>Since we use credit cards for all we can, usually hotel and dinners, some lunches and big gift/sourvenir purchases our cash requirements are usually fairly minimal. <BR> <BR>Ed

I agree that you have to be careful about passports and money. However, what do people do at the beach? I can't believe I'm the only one who likes to go to the beach? We recently spent 3 weeks in Greece and Turkey and did enjoy a beach a few times. On those days, we left our passports in hotel safes. Although I must admit to leaving our passports in our room at a pension in Turkey - the guy at the desk seemed so puzzled when we asked if they had a safe, we decided to throw caution to the wind .... we were lucky. It was either that or one of us would have had sit on the shore guarding our belongings. <BR> <BR>Don't get paranoid about security, Estrellita - just exercise normal caution. I have to say that I've never had anything stolen while travelling. However, I've had my wallet stolen twice while riding the streetcar home from work here in Toronto. In both situations, the streetcar was crowded, I had a bag that was easily 'accessed' by thieves and my mind was elsewhere. The second time I realized right away what had happened - but it was too late - the guy was gone. <BR> <BR>So I now have a bag which no one can get into easily, I carry it across my body and I don't carry things like social insurance cards, etc. <BR> <BR>Re money - use ATM cards. I'm sure they are fine in Spain (we had problems in Turkey with our card not being accepted, but no problems in Greece). It may cost a little in fees, but we don't find our bank charges that much and I just feel much better not carrying a lot of cash on me. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip! <BR> <BR>

Fodors <BR> <BR>I take a different view, and carry my passport only when I cross frontiers and arrive at hotels. Otherwise, it is in the safe of my hotel, with spare money, credit cards, and tickets. So all I usually have on me is a day's, money, and a credit card, no great pickings for a thief. And even those, in crowded street markets and central European railway stations, are in the top of my sock -- it's hard to pick a sock ! <BR> <BR>I no longer bother with travellers cheques, but carry two or more credit cards, for use if the first is lost or stolen or ineffective. <BR> <BR>A hotel safe is safe. The police are not kind to crooked managers, whose business career is short. <BR> <BR>I, too, have a photocopy of the key two pages of my passport, and that's in my hotel, too, in a wardrobe, and in my luggage as I cross frontiers. In Britain and I think Germany and elsewhere no police officer has the right to see your passport, and in other countries the answer "my passport's in my hotel" would be fine, since hotels often keep passports for the first night for registration. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR>

Ben, <BR> <BR>I usually have my passport with me for the same reason as the posters above, in case any purchases for VAT refund are made. Just curious, can you get VAT refunds or not? From what I have read, you have to leave Europe to get them, but not from one European country to another.

I usually have my passport and some money in my money belt under my shirt. I carry $100 in travelers checks in my money belt. I have carried the same TC for the last 3 years and have not used one yet. They are just for emergencies. I use ATM's and credit cards for everything. I make sure that I put enough money in my checking account to cover my trip. Most ATM's in Europe will not let you take money out of a savings account. Insure that you have a 4 digit pin. You'll find that the ATM charges are less than the cost of exchanging money. I've used ATM's in Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Hungary and the Czeck Republic with no problems. I havn't been to Itally for a long time but from reading the forum, it's the same there. Just always be aware of your surroundings and use commen sense. Have a great trip. <BR> <BR>

Hi all...thanks SO much for your responses. All of you seem very helpful and welcoming! I'm excited about my trip - especially if the Spanish people are as kind as all of you! I've gotta' get ready for my trip to San Antonio tomorrow! I can practice my (mexican) Spanish there! ¡Hasta Luego!

Fodors <BR> <BR>Dear Ms White, <BR> <BR>As you suspected, there are no VAT refunds between the countries of the European Union. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

I almost never carry my passport with me, but leave it in my room safe of the hotel safe. Instead, I carry around a photocopy of the opening pages. I have NEVER had a situation where a photocopy was NOT good enough for completing the VAT process in a store.

My passport stays in my hotel room but I do carry a photocopy in my wallet. I do not adjust my behavior from that at home. My wallet stays in my back pocket until I board a packed train or bus at which time it's moved to my front pocket. <BR> <BR>My wife rarely carries a purse at home or abroad (the biggest fear is accidentially leaving it somewhere not having it ripped from her shoulder). <BR> <BR>Street smarts are highly effective in avoiding problems whether in Atlanta or Barcelona. <BR> <BR>Have fun. Spain is great.

I thought of something not mentioned. When you travel overseas, or on any vacation, you should call your credit card company and tell them where you are going and when. Otherwise they may deny the purchases for your protection thinking that the card was stolen. This happened to me in Florida and was an easy problem to fix, but it would be extremely difficult to fix in a foreign country where I don't speak the language. <BR>

Here's something else I haven't seen mentioned here. If you chose an ATM code based on letters rather than numbers, as I did, make sure you know the corresponding numbers! Sounds stupid, but after 12 years with the same code I'm on autopilot as to the numbers I punch into the ATMs here at home--and I got thrown for a bit of a loop when I found that Denmark's ATMs begin with the number 1 key at bottom left rather than at top left as we have in the US. I did get it figured out, of course, but best not to have even a moment of disorientation at a foreign ATM, even in a city as safe as Copenhagen!

Clarification on my post above: The complication I failed to mention is that the Danes don't have corresponding letters on their ATM keys, just numbers. And my Danish friends laughed when I told them my tale--they'd had the same experience in reverse here in the US. Sometimes the silliest things cause trouble!

I use letters for my 4 digit code for atm. How can i find out the numbers they represent? Does the bank have this information or should i change my code to numbers? Thanks

Leave the passport in the hotel safe or with the front desk. Same goes for any valuables you don't want to carry on your day trips. Don't leave them in the room. Just be wary of pickpocketers, but don't let it absorb your attention and keep you from having fun. Money belts are a pain. Just keep them out of the way of stray hands. Be careful of purses that can be snatched by passing Vespas. Having your ID and passport stolen will quickly ruin the vacation, so don't chance it!

Just FYI for paranoid beachgoers: dealers in diving/boating equipment usually sell waterproof pouches for valuables. They are available in a variety of sizes and can be secured to your swimsuit.

Julie had an excellent suggestion about contacting your bank and letting them know that transactions will be taking place in such & such a place. <BR>Our bank is use to our foreign ATM withdrawals however the friend I traveled with last year rarely left the country and was denied $$ from ATM's. <BR>I loaned her cash for the remainder of the week although the whole thing really upset her. <BR>Once home she discovered her bank had called her husband about the unusual activity & attempts on their card. He informed the bank of his wifes whereabouts however she had already stopped trying to use the ATM's thanks to her friend...me. <BR>