travellover36

Hello and thank you in advance for your help.

Sister and I will be in France, Switzerland, Italy and Greece for 7 weeks. I have been reading and reading and some people recommend leaving the passport and extra cash at the hotel in the safe and others recommend having it with you at all times although in a money belt under the clothes...

I am VERY paranoid about this, and since we are staying at very budget hotels and even hostels, I am feeling very uneasy about the thought of leaving my passport there, and not even sure if all have a safe...

would it be better or worse to have it in a pouch close to the thigh, or the maybe even wrapped around the calf?.... might be uncomfortable, but I care more about the safety of my docs and cash.

Please help me decide.

Also, I have read in some posts that some hotel managers/employees have asked travellers to hold their passport? Please tell me this is not the norm... this horrifies me...

Thank you very much!!

cotomwed

I'm always a bit paranoid, too. My solution has been to get an around the neck pouch and then strap it around my chest so I can tuck the pouch itself into my waistband. That way I can get to $$, etc., but it makes it extremely hard to pickpocket me.

Hope that helps.

janisj

take a deep breath and relax.

About half of us use money belts and half use hotel safes -- and both are probably equally secure. I'm in the money belt camp myself (NOT around my thigh though - weird image ) Just a regular run-of-the-mill money belt.

Others hate that idea and use hotel safes. Your decision.

However - <b>do not freak out</b> if a hotel desk asks to keep your passport for a couple of hours or even over night - especially in Italy. They are required to register guests w/ the local authorities.

thursdaysd

If there's no hotel safe, or none that I like the look of, I carry my passport in my money belt, under my clothes, along with my ATM and credit cards, cash (except for one day's supply) and any plane or train tickets. Yes, some hotels will want your passport for registration purposes. This varies by county - some will just fill in the info while you wait. This is perfectly normal and is NOT anything to worry about. I have never heard of anyone losing their passport because of this! But I do recommend making copies of your passport picture page and leaving one at home and taking one with you (separate from the passport and along with copies of both sides of your credit cards) in case you do lose your passport and need a replacement. Or you could just email a scanned copy to yourself.

jamikins

In Italy (I cant remember other places) hotels etc will take your passports as they report every tourist every night to the authorities. It is normal. Usually they will ask you to come back down and get it, but I always just stay and wait while they do what they do and get it back right away.

dolciani

Before you go on any trip, be sure to make photo copies of your passport. Put one in each suitcase...this way if your passport is lost or stolen, it will be easier to replace.

thursdaysd

Didn't we just have a discussion about potential dangers of leaving a copy of your passport in your suitcase? I wouldn't do that myself if I were checking the suitcase. When I fly I have the copy in my carry-on.

janisj

NO - don't put a copy of your passport in your suitcase(s). YES - do make a copy of it, but keep it just as secured as you would your actual passport . . . . . .

Michael

Since you are using the internet, make sure that you have a copy of your passport's first page on your internet account. You can then always retrieve that information by going to an internet caf&eacute;. The same goes for electronic tickets.

LuvToRoam

I'm with Michael, we scan our driver’s licenses, our passports and our ticket information, as well as anything else we have prepaid or have reservations for. I keep it in my Yahoo account online should the need arise (it is easy to create a special folder for easy retrieval). I also keep copies at home here with our family as a final failsafe. I carry our passports at all times in a trapezoid bag that is always on my person (and in front of me, not on my back or falling off my shoulder). It keeps me from worrying about it and makes me a happier partner for my main squeeze. I say do what makes you the most comfortable. Shirley

bozama

Wow, totally chill on this. Especially about the passport thing,, I mean , always look at the worst case scnerio,, that should calm you down some. If you lose your passport you go to an American embassy and get a new one. It may cost you a few days of travelling out of where you want to be, for instance if you lose it on a Greek island you will have to go back to Athens to the American embassy, but as you are travelling for 7 weeks that won't destroy your trip..
Same if you lose your ATM or CC, you just have to start the process of cancelling ( phone CC and Bank, make sure you get the numbers from them before you leave, not the 1-800 numbers as I have heard you can't assess 800# from europe) and getting new ones issued. Inconvient , but it will not kill or maim you,, LOL .

Use a money belt if you wish, I don't unless actually travelling, but, I stay in hotels, not hostels, and I always use the safes with no problemo,,
Buy a money belt, some like the neck pouches, some like the waist ones, find the one you like.

The hotel will ask for your passport, I have no problem handing it over, I mean come on, unless the place you are staying in looks like &quot;Hotel California&quot; you have got to relax a bit.. LOL
You WILL have a wonderful time, you WILL have fun, and adventures, and you will at some time get either lost or make some other mistake., as long as you keep your personal safety in hand( don't wander around drunk as skunks alone at 4 am in alleys) everything else is a learning experience.

Have a great trip,, and post back,, its so nice to hear about you lucky younger folks and your SEVEN week trips,, I remember mine , about 100 years ago,, my friend and I did about 10 weeks,, best memories ever!

StCirq

I don't use a money belt. I don't put anything in a hotel safe. I don't do anything at all different from what I do when I'm home here in the USA. I can't imagine getting all paranoid about this stuff. I've made some ridiculous number, like 130, trips to Europe over the years and never did anything special at all other than make sure I had my passport with me (which I carry in my regular old purse). I do have copies of my passport and other documents on my laptop, which is usually with me.

But I really don't get the paranoia thing. I don't even get the paranoia thing in places like Sub-Saharan Africa. In my mind there is no correlation between being in a foreign place and bad things happening to you. I do realize that if bad things happen to you in a foreign place, it's more of a hassle to dig yourself out of the situation, but this paranoia that seems to hit certain folks JUST BECAUSE they're going to a different country totally weirds me out. I'm WAY more wary of being in DC on a Saturday night than I am in just about any country I've ever visited.

goddesstogo

What St Cirq said goes for me too.

mari5

Another ditto for StCirq !
Be aware when out, keep control of your purse,and have a good time.
StCirq,,,,we lived in SubSaharan West Africa for 3 yrs. in the beautiful city of Dakar,,and felt safer there (or as safe) as in the USA or Europe.
travellover36: Since you are staying in hostels and very budget hotels I'd keep your passport with you at all times,,,and watch it like you do your money.
Am sure there are other opinions to this question,,,but that's what forums are all about, isn't it?

Travelnut

You mentioned 'around the calf'. This is called a leg safe or leg stash, and is the preferred security pouch for my husband and myself. The caveat is that we travel in cool weather and always wear jeans or slacks, so no problem concealing it. Would not work as well in warm weather when you want to wear skirts or capris.

travellover36

Well, thank you so much for all the comments.

The paranoia thing, well, let's just say there's a reason for it, and even though I know that passports are replaceable, is a hassle that I'd rather not have to deal with.

Thank you so very much for all the great suggestions, I think we're going with the money belt and I will make sure to make and keep copies of everything.

Thank you!

nytraveler

Well staying in hostels and budge hotels without safes I definitely wouldn't leave it in the hotel. And I don't believe in money belts or pouches or any of those silly things. (And it sounds like the things you're talking about would be not only uncomfortable but noticeable - the last thing that you want.)

I just carry it in a secure zipper pocket of my purse - and have never had a problem in more than 70 trips. The benefit - you always know where it is - and if you do have a problem know it right away and can deal with it.

Be sure to have a good quality xerox copy in your luggage. Also - I always scan it and email it to myself - so I can access it that way if needed.

WillTravel

It could easily cost a couple thousand per person to lose your passport if you don't have travel insurance, so I don't consider it odd that someone would be worried.

For example, you lose your passport, you have to buy a new ticket home, you have to spend for lodging you did not anticipate needing, or maybe you miss prepaid reservations at another travel city.

I would consider this an argument for travel insurance, too.

If you are taking public transit or going through crowded areas or staying in a place where there is no safe, I think there's no doubt that you'll be statistically better off with a moneybelt.

grapes

This issue of emailing personal documents continues to pop up on these threads. Email is no more confidential and secure than a Post Card mailed through the Postal System. Google the topic if you doubt this statement. Leave a copy with some one at home and carry a copy in your purse/billfold or carry on bag in the unlikely event you do have a problem. As for paranoia, I do not think reasonable precautions are paranoid. Have a great trip!