Hi all
I am staying in hostel accomodation over June-July, but in lockable double rooms. How 'secure' will these be? Everyone says to leave all your valuables in your room when going out for the day, but I was planning on taking them with me, e.g. my passport, tickets etc. and being ulta-vigilant.

Is it better to leave them in a room at a budget place or to take them with us? It seems like a catch-22 situation.

CHEERS

Generally, I wouldn't leave my passport and tickets in the room. It's relatively easy to keep them on you (a special belt under your shirt).

It's not worth the worry, certainly the catastrophy of your tickets and passport being stolen.

You have to take in consideration that US passports, for instance (or British, or French, etc.) are a HOT COMMODITY today, when Islamic terrorism is on the rise....

JGD--

WEAR a money belt UNDER your clothes and put your passport, airline tkt and MONEY in it...

That way,no one way pickpocket you or "bump into you"-- If you are SHARING that hostel room with a stranger, then I would also SLEEP with my possessions on me....Call me paranoid, but I don't want to lose that "valuable commodity-the US PASSPORT!! "

Definitely take them with you. Losing your passport is a nightmare in itself. Put them in your moneybelt or buy a pair of travel pants with the hidden zipper inside (not bulky at all and very comfortable). I bought exofficio travel pants and they were great.

Leaving your valuables esp. your passport in your room and going out is risky. Even when there is a room safe available some people don't trust to leave their valuables in it (there's a post from yesterday about hotel safes). So for sure you should take your things with you.

Similar to Andy's advice....

My sister did the backpacking thing around Europe a few years ago.

RE: Hostels. She said she learned rather quickly to sleep with her important documents (passport, train ticket, traveler's checks, etc), when she had to share a room. The college friend that my sister was traveling with had some things stolen just a few feet away from her bed, while she was sleeping.

Do *not* leave valuables, especially documents in a hostel.

I think the "leave it in your room" advice you have heard refers to 'normal' hotels with a safe available for your use.

You need to get a moneybelt, neck pouch, or zippered inside pockets ... whatever ... and keep things under your clothing. Keep the days spending cash in your pocket or purse or backpack (the idea is you don't access the moneybelt during the day, it is just there for safekeeping of documents, cash, cards, tickets).

for francophile03 - FYI - the best internet cafe I've ever been to was just around the corner from the Hotel Cluny Square. The name was Xarena and it is open 24/7; has 100 computers; is air conditioned and the computers are fast. Place is clean and folks are nice. You can buy time in hour increments, but don't have to use it all at once. Plus there is a crepe stand right outside the door.

Suze: actually I have left goods of various nature in my room in places that were just about one notch up from a communal room in a hostel. I just make sure they are not in plain sight, for instance I tape them on the back of a drawer. I used this method in low cathegory hotels and in cheap room rentals and never lost a single item.

When staying in a hostel in Germany, I woke to find someone trying to go through my backpack that was stuffed under my bed! My money and passport were in bed with me!
My friends that I met while there were robbed while sleeping on the train, someone just reached right over their heads and helped themselves to stuff in their backpacks.
Never leave anything valuable in your room. Even when staying in good hotels, you can never be too sure.

Whether you are staying in a hostel or an expensive hotel, take your passport, money and tickets with you when you go out, along with any cameras. You shouldn't be taking any other valuables on holiday.