Hello Fodorites,
I will be staying in an apartment in Paris on Rue Cardinal Lemione in the beginning of May. I had a couple of questions. 1) Is it necessary to carry your Passport on you at all times? Or can we just carry a copy and leave the originals in the apartment? 2) I have checked the list of items you can and cannot bring back and I didn't see cheese mentioned on either list. Can you bring back cheese?

Thanx for all the tips I love reading them and adding them to my list of places to visit.

About cheese: look at the U. S. Customs/agricultural web site for the most recent information.

Back in the days of using Traveler's Checks I used to carry my passport in case I needed to cash one. But in today's world of ATMs, I see no reason to carry your passport as long as you have a secure place to leave it when you are out and about.

I have brought back cheese from the Netherlands. I claimed it going through customs and it wasn't a problem, but do check it out in case anything has changed.

Why would you think it necessary to carry your passport at all times? There is no need - but keeping a photocopy separate from the orignal is a good idea in case you need to replace. I have scanned my passport and posted a copy on the web - so if I did look the orginal and photocopy, all I would need is access to the web and I could print off a copy

Personally I would not be comfortable leaving my passport in a empty hotel room or apartment. But I'm not sure that it is "necessary" to carry it with you, legally speaking.

The key thing is making sure you have a safe place to leave your passport. It's something I personally would never leave in a hotel room because I think it's one of the most valuable things I'm carrying! (Yes, it can be replaced, but it would be a hassle and take valuable vacation time.)

Confused? Don't be - just make sure you don't grate your passport or cut it into cubes and serve as hors d'ouvres and remember not to make a copy of your cheese and carry it around with you to exchange travellers checks.

Depends on the cheese. I believe you are allowed to bring hard cheeses because they are generally pasturized - but not soft cheeses - which are usually "raw". But check the US Customs web site.

I have had no problems bringing back any type of cheese, hard or soft, pasteurised or unpasteurised. I've had meat confiscated while the cheese was allowed, and I prefer to bring back cheeses that are not available in the States, i.e. unpasteurised soft French cheeses.

If the apartment has a safe where you can set the combination - then you are pretty safe leaving your passport. But if there is no safe or if it is one w/ a key -- then I wouldn't.

What kind of cheese do you want to carry with you that can withstand warm temperatures for that long? I would think it might stink and get bacteria.

I would think that the cargo hold of a plane would be very cold. no? hmmm.

JAF88, you're correct.....if you put the cheese in your suitcase and check it on, the cargo hold is refrigerated and your cheese will be fine. I usually purchase my cheese in Paris or London the day before/the day of my departure so that I don't have to worry about refrigeration or anything.

You should also just wait till you get home to enjoy it, as it may offend other passengers if you cut the cheese on the plane. Sorry, I couldn't resist!!

Hi

just to say that you are required to carry id with you at all times in France

Peter
www.the-languedoc-page.com

How can the cargo hold of a plane be "refrigerated" and they still carry live animals?

The cargo hold is not actually refrigerated, it is just that at the heights planes fly the temps are below freezing, so the cargo area is cold (they actually heat the cargo area a bit). The animals are carried in a special section of the hold which is fully heated, just like the cabin.

You definitely need to carry your passport with you all times in most European countries, just like the locals have to carry some piece of Identity. Copies are not acceptable.

OK pardon my ignorance and poor choice of words! It's still cold like a fridge. All of my stuff comes home still cold while I'm unpacking!

Peter's right, technically you are supposed to carry "real" ID, not a photocopy. In the old days, if you were stopped and showed a photocopy, explaining you were a tourist and had your passport back in the hotel safe, you would probably be left alone. However, with programs like PhotoShop (where someone could change the photo on a copy of a passport) and problems with fake IDs, I have noticed authorities being stricter about enforcing the rule that you have to carry real IDs. However, as a tourist on a short visit to Paris, it's unlikely that you will be stopped by the authorities and asked to show your ID.
It's like carrying an IDP when you drive. The car rental agencies probably won't ask to see it (they're far more interested in your credit cards than in your ID) and you can certainly drive around without one, but if you're stopped and don't have it, you may be in trouble.
Your choice, your risk.

We just came back from the Netherlands with three packages of Gouda. We went through customs in Newark. As long as it's vacuum packaged you should have no problems. On your customs form write in "vacuum packaged cheese". Also, vacuum packaged cheese does not require refrigeration. We bought ours at a local grocery.