We have just purchased a belt at the travel store for our passports. Now we have heard that it is a better idea to keep it in the hotel safe? My guy and I need guidance... <BR>Leaving shortly for S. E. France and maybe Italy

Hi Judy. Unless I feel I may have a need for my passport during the day, I always keep in it my <I>locked</I> luggage in my hotel room, although a hotel safe would undoubtedly be even better. <BR> <BR>I would highly recommend an under-the-clothing money belt for cash and any ATM or credit cards.

I agree with CAPO, as usual! The only time I've ever needed my passport during a trip is if I was cashing Travelers checks at abank, and since I don't do TC's anymore i tooleave it in my locked baggage in the room. several places we regularly stay in have in room safes where you set the combinationyourself. I always have 1 hard sided suitcase ( I bring lots of check-in stuff home) and thats the one I put the passports and plane tickets in, if I'm not using the safe

Hi Judy to make you feel better about your purchase I'll offer a different opinion to the previous ones - I personally feel much better knowing at all times my passport & air tickets are safe & sound in my money belt under my clothes & its completely comfortable that I forget I'm even wearing it. Hotel safe is also perfectly ok although I personally would not feel comfortable leaving it in my luggage in a hotel room during the day....Cheers!

I take a middle road -- my passport is ALWAYS on my body. Always. I do leave my airplane ticket buried in a suitcase... that's chance I take ... but I also have photocopies of my tickets in another location.

Jody, I've asked people here a few times if anyone has ever had -- or known anyone who's had -- anything stolen from locked luggage in their hotel room and, so far, no one has answered yes. Although I use a safe for my passport and plane ticket if one's available, I've always felt very secure just leaving documents like that in my locked luggage.

How about a compromise. I carry a photocopy of my passport with me and leave the original in the room or safe.

I always leave a copy of my passport in my locked luggage AND always carry the actual passport with me in a secured place.

Re: has anyone had anything stolen from their luggage in their hotel ... the answer is.. alas... yes. A woman had her suitcase stolen from Hotel Bersoly's in Paris -- a hotel I have frequently recommended on this forum -- and alas.. the hotel that I recommended was no help to her. Since then fodorites have stayed there happily -- but the fact is that it happens.

CAPO- <BR>I too have never known anyone to have anything stolen from their rooms. I do keep a record of our passports numbers, plane ticket numbers and credit card numbers( withoiut the expiration dates) in 2 seperate place. i also include these numbers on the itinerary I send to my family before we leave. I hate to admit this but I don;t do the hidden money belt thing either. Theres hardly enough room for me in my pants without something under them!I just carry my money in 1 place and my 2 credit cards in different places. Theres not that much problem if someone does get them , just call and they'll be replaced. If your plane tickets go as long as you have the numbers no problem there either,.. I travel to have fun not to worry about every eventuality. A very funny story ... <BR>We were at Marche de Puce with friends, she went to get some cash before we started our serious shopping. came out of the cashpoint and wanted to put themoney in her hidden travel belt. She stood close to the next building and hoisted her skirt from behind to get to it! As I looked up there were 2 guys on the other side of the window she was standing in front of , greatly enjoying the view!!!!!!!

First, have a great trip. It's unusual to have stuff taken, and a reasonable degree of awareness to your surroundings will go a long way to warding off a bad experience. <BR> <BR>We were in SE France several years ago, and my fiance had insisted on keeping his documents with him at all times. His bag was stolen from the trunk of our car, including passport, air tix, etc. What would we have done differently? First, we had separated a number of things, so we had a source of funds, etc. Second, we had taken photocopies of our passport picture pages with us. It sure cured us of taking our documents with us when we were out of the hotel. If you have a hotel with a self-setting combination, by all means leave your passport, air tickets and anything else of value that you won't need during the day in it. Make sure you take a photocopy of the picture page of your passport - don't just copy the numbers. The reason is if you need to have your passport replaced overseas, they need photo id to process the request on the same day. You would have to go to Marseilles to find the nearest US consulate to re-issue the passport. If you can't provide photo ID, they need to get back in touch with Washington & it will take a few days to replace the document.

""Make sure you take a photocopy of the picture page of your passport - don't just copy the numbers. The reason is if you need to have your passport replaced overseas, they need photo id to process the request on the same day. "" <BR> <BR>This is very good advice, and I would just like to add that only a photocopy of your passport will do as ID (unless you carry your birth certificate with you). A driver's license won't work, as it is not proof that you are an American citizen. <BR> <BR>PB

Judy: Another vote for carrying the passport. I was in a traffic check in Paris. Everyone on the bus in front of us was taken off the bus and had to show passports. I did not have mine with me. I asked the driver what would happen, and he said that I would be taken to the police station until someone could bring my passport to me! He told me the whole process would take at least 1/2 a day--not time I was willing to give up. Fortunately, they waved our bus on, but now I always carry it. I leave the copy in my suitcase. I put my plane tickets and any extra money in a hotel safety box or safe.

Not to be rude, but keeping your important dox in the trunk of the car doesn't qualify, at least in my book, as "having them with you at all times." I always have my passport on my person (under my clothes in a pouch); I leave a copy of it with a friend or relative at home and another copy in my suitcase. My airline tix are likewise copied; original is either on my person or locked in my luggage. I also email to myself at a web-based account my passport #, airline ticket identifiers, etc., in case all is lost--I can access that email and have the identifying numbers. (For security I just list the numbers, not writing in the email what the numbers signify or whose name is attached to the numbers.)

Well, JOdy no extra room in your <BR>pants, huh. Are we bragging?

Good advice by all above. I keep a reduced size copy of my passport in my wallet. Anytime I am asked for the number, I have it with me. That is generally all the bank or VAT people want anyway....the number. <BR> <BR>I leave the original in the hotel safe and also have additional copies in my locked luggage. I use ATM machines for cash and try not to carry that much. I do not use the hidden pouch trick and have been licky so far after about 25 trips to Europe.

Regarding having stuff stolen from locked luggage in hotel rooms, I once had jewelry stolen from my locked suitcase in a pensione in Florence, Italy. Someone simply sliced through the fabric of the suitcase and removed a small bag of jewelry I had in there - probably a member of the staff, but of course no one owned up to it or was willing to accept responsibility. Since I never take real valuables on a trip, it wasn't a big deal, although in the bag were a number of garnet items I had purchased in Prague that were destined to be presents for friends and family. So, yes, it does happen, and travelers shoudl plan accordingly and use hotel safes if at all possible.

My husband and I wear money belts. Inside the belt, in a plastic baggie, go my ATM card, two credit cards and passport. My airline tickets I lock in my suitcase (too long to fit comfortably in the baggie). We wear our money belts with the pouch at our back, resting on our backsides. It's very comfortable. When we have a room safe with a combination lock, we use that for the passports and air tix. <BR>A tip I used when traveling with my sister: We each had two credit cards. We'd swap one so that each were carrying one of the other's. If one of us got ripped off, the other had a good, usable card for the "rippee" to continue traveling. (Doesn't work if you are with your spouse, since your #'s match). <BR>Also, we each hold the other's extra suitcase keys. We pin the extra keys inside the money belts. I did this for years and never needed them, until I left my key on the bed in London once. Got to Dublin and almost freaked when I realized I couldn't unlock my suitcase. Then my hubby handed my my extra key! REALLY glad I do this now! <BR>Like everyone else, I keep copies and numbers of everything both with me and with a relative at home. <BR>After reading Pam's reply, I'll e-mail them to myself, as well. Great idea! Thanks! <BR>Have a wonderful trip!

Make several photocopies of everything. It may seem compulsive, but paper doesn't weigh that much. <BR> <BR>We leave passports and return airline ticket in the hotel safe, NOT in luggage in the room (yes, we know people who have lost the luggage or had it tampered with). A lot of European hotels now have room safes, which is nice. <BR> <BR>Copies of the ID page of the passport and the actual tickets (not itinerary) go in each piece of luggage, usually tucked under the bottom liner or some such, and in whatever is used to carry walking-around money (some places need the ID for $ transactions or refund-forms for the VATs). <BR> <BR>Added tip: Copies of my husband's documents go in my luggage; copies of mine go in his.

Last year two members of a friend's tour group put money and a camera <BR>in a small hotel's "safe" (at the <BR>front desk), when they checked out <BR>the desk denied having any such <BR>transaction and since they had <BR>no recourse were out of luck. <BR> <BR>So something else to think about. <BR>