With all the talk and worry about pickpockets I keep wondering why do you carry your passports with you?<BR><BR>In the major European cities are passports ever checked or needed? Wouldn;t a hotel in room safe be a safer place for them?<BR><BR>I am curious because I don;t understand why you need to carry your passport - I was planning on leaving ours in the safe in our room. I am not comfortable carrying it with me all the time.<BR><BR>SQ

Suzy, If you do any money exchange, you will need your passport. Most other times you won't. I always carry mine in a money belt under my clothes. I feel safer with it there than in a hotel safe. I also have several copies of the first two pages in my luggage and elsewhere. I just prefer to have it with me in an inaccessible area.<BR>Regards<BR>Art<BR><BR>

I concur with Art -- if something is not under your personal control, then it introduces a different element of risk. It's everyone's call on that. In addition to the hard copies of the passport pages (always recommended) another thing you can do is scan those same front inside pages of your passport and store them in your worldwide accessible web-based e-mail box. Happy trails!

I am afraid I disagree with the previous posters. i have never had the need to supply my passport unless I have gone into a bank,etc to obtain money, which I very seldom do,I use credit cards or myATM card.whats the big deal, you lose it you go to the consul or embassy and get a copy , so it takes awhile , I cannot be worried about what MIGHT happen! If it happens it happpens just get on with it!Keep several copies in different places, along with the other important numbers, Enjoy your trip, don't waste your time worrying. Maybe there will be several posts saying I'm a pollyanna, but there is always a solutionn to any problem, so don't let the little things get you down or discouraged.

I am an obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive paranoid schizophrenic pessimist so I assume the worst (hit by a car, war breaks out, aliens invade) and keep my passport with me at all times (even in the U.S., where I live). I do NOT want to be anywhere without it, just in case...<BR><BR>Someone with a firmer grasp on reality would probably feel comfortable leaving their passport in a hotel safe.

Elvira,, you always make me laugh!!Maybe we should get together, your Obsessive behaviour , my non-chalance (sp), 1 perfect person!!!!!!!!!

Suzy, I have indeed lost my passport while abroad. While it was not an impossible situation, it was a difficult situation. It is not something I would care to repeat. It was more expensive and more time consuming than I had expected. I was glad that I was not on a set itinerary on that trip. It was not awful, but try to avoid it. I usually keep it with me, but have also kept it in the hotel safe. <BR><BR>linda