jo2hal

Hi, I just read on a previous post not to keep your passport with you while touring. What does everyone do with their passports?

CarolJean

I keep mine in my money belt under my clothes (except when I am in bed and then the money belt is under my pillow.) CJ

norween

In most european counries, you are supposed to always carry a valid ID.
If you don't have an national ID card, this implies you have to keeep your passport with you.

Heimdall

I'm an American living in England, and never carry my passport except when travelling outside the UK. Then I leave it in the hotel unless needed for a specific reason.

nona1

I don't ever carry my passport on me (unless I'm actually travelling of course). I leave it in the hotel safe. I've never been asked for ID anywhere.

ben_haines_london

I act as Heimdall and Nona do.

Ben Haines, London

norween

While it is true that you don't have to cary an ID in UK (yet), this is not the case on the continent !

kerouac

I live on the continent and never carry ID on me unless there is some specific reason. One less thing to lose. Abroad, it's the same -- the passport stays in the hotel room, or I just let them keep it at the reception, as they prefer in Vietnam, generally in a shoebox with all of the others.

Travelnut

The rest of you can do what you want, but my passport remains *with* me at all times. It is securely stored underneath my clothes, cannot be pickpocketed, stolen from the room safe or forgotten at the hotel.

tcreath

I usually carry it with me, in my well-concealed moneybelt that wraps around my calf.

Tracy

sheila

Mine is in my wallet all the time

bailey6325

I keep mine well-concealed in my money belt that's underneath my clothes - ensures that nothing will happen to it - no chance of it being pickpocketed and I have it with me in case I need it.

ellenem

I carry my passport with me every day, even at home. It is my only ID. It fits in my wallet which is a special size for travel and all those odd foreign currencies.

nytraveler

I keep it in my purse, along with my wallet with my cash and credt debit cards. Just like at home (except naturally don;t carry passport here).

I have no secret compartments or bra pouches or money belts or pockets pinned closed (like the little children who have their mittens pinned to their coats so they don't lose them).

This has never been a problem in 60+ trips to europe - and I don;t plan on becoming paranoid now.

(But do keep a xerox of everything in your carry-on - in case you lose something. This once did happen to a fellow traveler - he managed to knock his wallet off the side of a boat into a canal in Amsterdam - don;t ask how - but then he once set his shirt on fire while bbqing too.)

wally34949

Either lock it up in the hotel or carry it with you. At night, when it is locked up, I carry a photocopy of my passport; just in case I end up dead somewhere. There are enough "John Doe's" in this world.

francophile03

There is always a debate about this topic. In another travel forum some contend that carrying a passport copy does no good to show as proof of i.d. and that the original passport is the only thing that's acceptable. I have no idea which is correct but I'm on the side that carries their passports in a money belt. Personally I don't trust any hotel safe whether it's located in the room or downstairs at reception.

Christina

I usually do carry it in my purse, but not always. I would do differently if I lived in a place.

I don't know what people in another forum are claiming about photocopies, but they probably never used one as ID if they say it's impossible. I have, several times, so it is not impossible. And I have done it in various countries.

I'm sure it wouldn't pass as ID if you are arrested by the police or something like that, but I've used a photocopy of it in places where they want an official ID if you use a credit card to charge (common in some stores in France and Spain), to exchange travelers' checks, to pick up tickets you've bought online, etc. None of these places are the government or police, and they can do what they want -- the whole idea of requiring some ID to use a credit card is a store policy, anyway.

katzen

My husband and I just returned from a 17 day trip to Switzerland and Germany. I kept both our passports in my camera bag along with my debit cards and cash. My husband carried a wallet.

We never once had a problem.

Margaretlb

gee nytraveler, maybe it's a NY thing but I always carry mine in my purse with cc, money, etc. I guess I figure, living in NYC knowing how to watch your back is routine. I never worry about theft. Yes, I do keep copies just in case.

suec1

I actually take my US drivers license to carry around with me - I like that it has my US address in case it would ever be needed to notify family. I have never been stopped by "authorities" so I don't know if that would suffice for ID. I've seen some very clever pickpockets in action so I don't like to carry my passport - I leave it back in the hotel, usually just tucked in my luggage. I am less afraid of it being stolen from my room than I am of forgetting it if I put it in a safe! I try to carry around just enough cash for the day and one credit card (with a backup in the room). In the big cities there is a fair amount of clever theives and I know that even tho I am mentally "on gurard" I am not familiar enough with the territory to prevent being distracted or confused.