LovinAGermanGuy

Hi Fodorites. I received my passport in the mail today. I just have a question about it. While in Europe, I will be flying to London and Venice. Do I need to carry my passport then when I fly there from Germany? Or do I just need it when I leave the United States? I am so very new to this. Plus, when I take a train to Paris, do I need to take my passport at that time? Thanks everyone!

sfowler

Simply -- when you are outside of the United States your passport must be within your control at all times. You will needx it to get INTO countries and to get back into the US.

BTW losing a passport is a "very bad thing". Don't.

If this is not troll and is a genuine question -- PLEASE do some guidebook reading before you leave US soil.

Flyboy

You will need your passport upon arrival in Europe and upon your return to the U.S. If it were me, I would carry it for all travel while in Europe -- even though it may be unlikely that you would be asked for it. When you are traveling in countries where you are not a citizen, you can encounter situations in which your passport may be requested and some of them could be fairly mundane. Having the right document is a lot easier than trying to have the right excuse.

KT

There are no passport checks when travelling between Schengen countries, which include Italy and Germany but not the UK. So once you've cleared Immigration in Italy you can theoretically travel from there to Germany without a passport. However, as has been said, it's always a good idea to keep it with you, and a very bad idea to risk losing it.

jody

"do I need to take my passport at that time"

what were you planning on doing with it? I certainly hope it will be somewhere in your possession.

nytraveler

FYI -

American passports are very valuable - I understand that "live" ones can bring in excess of $10,000. So besides keeping it with you to enter England, italy and the US - keep it as safe as if it were that much cash.

Also, I agree with sfowler - I don;;t wish to be harsh but you don;t really seem prepared to travel. Please do some reading to gain at least some understanding of the basics. There's a ton of information on this site and also frommers.com. But you should really read and absorb at least one good guidebook before you go.

flanneruk

Apart from immigration controls, you really can't get on any plane in Europe these days - even domestic flights - without photo ID.
Most airlines don't accept non-European driving licences for this purpose: it's show your passport or don't get on the plane.

WillTravel

On all previous trips I have taken my (Canadian) passport with me everywhere.

This time, though, I'm considering leaving it in a hotel safe. A couple times before I dropped it out of my pouch and it just generally makes me nervous to always be carrying it around.

If a live US passport is worth $10,000 on the black market (and I imagine a Canadian or EU passport is also valuable), isn't any tourist who is carrying one around a very valuable robbery target? I certainly wouldn't carry around $10K worth of cash or jewelry on my person.

I know travelers on this board subscribe to different schools of thought on this subject.

sandi

Like others, I was wondering where you planned on putting your Passport if you weren't taking it with you, wherever??? Strange.

That said, it is suggested you photo copy the information page of your passport (the one with photo - one for you to keep while traveling, leave the other at home with a relative or someone who can be contacted in case of emergency (you loose the original).

Once in any city for a few days, you can put important docs - airline tickets, original passport, extra credit cards/cash, jeweelry - in the hotel safe at their Reception desk (not in your room safe as there is no insurance on room safes; there is on the hotel safe) - keep the copy with you at all times.

And do not forget to get your documents from the hotel safe when leaving and going onto your next stop.

ira

Hi lovin,

As noted, keep your passport with you and protect it as if it were a credit card or a lot of cash.

nancyhol

A little bit off subject . . .

I have read somewhere that if your passport is within six months of expiring when you travel, you are scrutinized much more.

If I am traveling in August and my passport expires in November, should I renew it before I go?

Hee_hee_hee

If you don't know the purpose of a passport then you ain't ready to travel overseas. Just wait til you go thru immigration! You'll be even more confused.

tomboy

In some countries, you must show your passport to the desk clerk at checkin, or, no room.
In some places, they even take your passport overnight, apparently so the night clerk can do the necessary recording. I'm sure the same info is on a driver's license, but it's their game, so we play by their rules.

Giovanna

Nancyhol: There is a recent thread about renewing passports and admittance to some countries with a passport due to expire in less than six months. I would strongly advise you check the embassy/consulate for the country(ies) you plan to visit to find out what their passport requirements are.

That said, if it were me I would renew my passport to avoid any possible problems. We went to Prague last year and our passports were close to expiration. The Czech Republic required six months left on a passport for entry. We might have gotten along okay with our old passports, but renewed just to be on the safe side.

ira

Hi nancy,

Your passport is close to expiring within 90 days of your trip. The ninety day limit is more strictly enforced.

I suggest you get a new one.

WillTravel

Just in case my post above wasn't clear, of course you have to take your passport around when traveling from one place to the next. The original poster will definitely need it for his travels within Europe.

My concern is whether you should leave the passport in the hotel safe or keep it on you while sightseeing for the day.