What to photocopy?
 

Other than our passports, what else should we be photocopying for our 11 day honeymoon trip to Rome, Sorrento, and Venice?

We always travel with copies of our passports and copies of our civil ID's (an ID card specific to the country in which we currently live - Kuwait).

The only other thing you might want to consider copying is your driver's license, and I doubt you'd really need that unless your original was somehow lost and you needed to rent a car....

I'd also keep an additional copy of the addresses and phone numbers of the hotels you're staying at. That goes as well for any other reservations you might have made, cars, trains, museums, etc...

I send my itinerary, hotel confirmation numbers and addresses, etc. to my travel email address. That way it is accessible from any internet computer even if I lose the paperwork.

Marilyn,

That's a great idea, sending your itinerary to your email for access. Though internet access is usually available, just in case, I'd carry a hard copy. What happens if you forget the address of the next hotel and you don't have access to the internet at that time? That would make me nervous, but then again we all do things differently, and if this has worked for you before that's great. I can be a little over prepared sometimes. :)

oh, by the way, I do realize that the internet option is in additional to the original copy, and not your only copy...that would really make me nervous. :) :)

Right, lyb, I do print out a copy of this information to take with me, but the travel email file serves as my back up. I also forward any correspondence with hotels, car rental agencies, etc, to the travel email address so I have them for reference just in case of a problem.

I think this is a pretty nifty idea and have passed it along as a travel tip several other times on fodors.

It is also convenient to have this info readily available in the computer to email to friends you may be meeting during your trip, or someone who may be kind enough to pick you up from the airport on your return.

When are you going? I am so jealous, I liked Rome but I especially liked Sorrento and LOVED Venice!

hi by350,

This is what I always bring with me on any trip out of the country:

2 photocopies of the following:

passport-one for the safe, one for my purse or wallet-once I arrive in a town I never carry my original around with me.

visa

One copy:

credit atm cards-front and back clearly showing account numbers and phone numbers.

airlne tickets

hotel confirmations and iteniary


I put one set of copies of passport/visa in my purse, seperate from my wallet.

I put the rest of the copies in the hotel in an envelope with my original ids & passport in the hotel safe. (unless the hotel requires that to be turned over until departure).

I always take 2 different credit cards and then 2 copies of my atm card. I leave one credit and atm card in the hotel safe, and carry the other set with me. My atm card pulls from a checking account that I opened up specifically for travel, ie it is not my normal checking account that I pay bills, buy groceries, have my pay check deposited into.

Think about it, if you lost your atm card or it was stolen and you had to close your account and open a new one....think of all the hassle trying to notify your those creditors that you pay electronically or your employer for payroll deposit. nightmares! I opened another checking account specially for travel and got atm cards for it.

why two copies of my atm card. In 1998, one of the parisan machines ate my atm card. I was able to get it back the next day but it was stripped. Since I had not brought my checkbook with me and only had my credit card, I was in serious financial trouble. it took 3 days for my bank to fedex me a rush card and then I had a devil of a time getting it authorized by phone.
Never again. If I taken an extra copy this would not have been a problem.

Now nothing would have helped if the card had been stolen, but at least I would have a copy that I could take to the bank.

hope this helps!

erinb, good idea about taking 2 ATM cards, now that we have all become so dependent on them for our daily cash. I will have to ask my bank about getting a back-up card.

I like the idea of a travel-only checking account, too, but I'm not willing to pay extra for it. Another bank question!

I agree with erin's custom of photocopying your credit cards, front and back, and making sure that you have phone numbers to call if they're stolen. In fact copy everything that's in your wallet, not just credit cards -- your insurance card, license, etc. (I'm not sure whether those 800 numbers work outside the US.)

But DO NOT keep this photocopy in your checked luggage, since thieves with photocopies of your cards will have a great time with them before you even unpack and miss them. American Express, for one, has a number that's printed in ink on the card, that they ask about for extra secutiry since it doesn't appear on sales receipts -- but of course it would be on the photocopy.

I think to be on the safe side, only make a black-and-white copy of your passport. I've heard that it's illegal to make a color copy of US passport, which is a federal document.

You may also want to make a copy of any medication or eyeglass/contacts prescriptions you may have.

Take one copy with you and leave one copy at home with a contact person (family/friend). Pack copies separate from originals!

by350--

TAKE 2 EXTRA color passport photos for each of you...In case your passport gets stolen, if you have a COPY of your passport and your PHOTOS, your passport can be re-issed at the AMERICAN EMBASSY within a few hours...Painless...

I've also been told it's a good idea to take a copy of your marriage certificate no matter how long you've been married. In an emergency, say a trip to the ER, you might have to prove you're the next of kin!