Bring passport or leave at hotel room while sightseeing

Theoretically you should always have your passport for identification if/when you are asked for identification by law enforcement officer.

Realistically, I never carry my passport unless my hotel does not provide a safe where it can be locked away safely. Do not leave it in and unloced suitcase in your room.

No, you will get no discounts from a US Passport. You don't need it for driving although you may need it at the car rental counter.

You will get different answers to this question. I hope that you are planning on wearing a money belt to keep you cc, extra money and your passport in. I always keep my passport with me. If an emergency came up you would probably need it. No, you don't get any kind of discount with it. When you rent a car you will have to show your passport along with your US drivers license. I never get an international license, a lot of people do. If you decide to leave the passpost in the room, don't leave it in a suitcase put it in a safe.

This is one of those questions where you will get answers for both. Just as wearing a moneybelt will give you answers for both.

I always wear a moneybelt so I always have my passport with me. (And it assures I never forget it.) It's kept in the moneybelt unless I need it.

If you're not going to wear a moneybelt, then definitely leave it at your hotel but not in your room. Luggage is easily broken into (If it's a zipper case, a thief can get in and out without you even knowing it--even if the case is locked.

If leaving it at the hotel, leave it either in the safe in your room if you have one, or in the hotel's safe.

Robin is right. Everyone has a different opinion. Some leave it at the hotel. I have read that one should never leave it in the hotel room; the hotel safe is safer.

I bought a neck pouch 15 years ago and keep my currency and passport down inside my shirt. Some like the money belt; but for me it is too hard to get money out of.

You may need your passport, but not usually. Most auto rental agencies require it. Some hotels want to see it. I can't remember the last time someone asked to see mine.

I do the same thing as Carl--neck pouch with the bulk of my cash, credit cards, and passport. As long as you keep the passport in the moneybelt, it would be nearly impossible to lose it, and it is easy enough to forget your passport in the hotel's safe. Do not leave it in the suitcase--that's just asking for trouble.

One caveat: my dad used the waist money belt, and found the passport didn't fit especially well (it 'bent'), so I ended up carrying both of ours.

I'm of the "on my body" school of thinking.

we keep copies in our locked luggage and scanned into our email accounts.also a copy is left with someone at home.

I've always kept it "on the body" in a moneybelt, with the exception of times visiting a public bath.

However, I'm starting to rethink that there could be times it's better to leave it in the hotel, when visiting pick pocket intesive places.

The problem is I stay in low budget hotels, and even those that have safes don't seem secure. There's a safe, but the safe isn't attached to anything, so it could be removed.

If there's a safe in your hotel room, then it's better to leave the passport locked up. If you want it for identification purposes then you can always carry a paper copy with you.

I would definately say in a money belt. Leaving it in the hotel safe can be okay but you may need it. In Amsterdam, for example many shops will not take a credit card without some kind of photo ID, like a passport.

We usually kept ours in our money belts, on our persons, whenever out and about. However, we have locked them in the hotel room safe if we felt the hotel and neighborhood were also safe. I would never just leave in a suitcase, even if it's locked.

I would carry it with you in a safe place just in case. When I was in Germany, one of the large beer gardens required our passport to get in. True, we were all around 21, but they would not take our US license as proper ID. My parents went on an excursion to Monte Carlo casino and they didnt think to bring their passports from their room, unfortunately they were not allowed in without it, after they took a special tour to get there. You just never know when you might need it.

Technically, most countries actually require you to have your passport (which acts as your Visa) at all times while traveling (unless the hotel has it, which they will do). If you run into trouble, it can cause even more trouble. Plus it works great for ID as folks have said. I've always kept mine on me, and boy, is it worse for wear... but looking at that rag-tag thing sure makes me smile. :)

I keep mine with me all the time unless, as others have said, there is a safe in the room and I'm taking part in some activity where I might not want to be wearing it (water sports, rafting, ziplining, etc). And Matti, even in pickpocket intensive places, if you have your passport in a money belt it won't be accessible to thieves.

I always carry my passport on me!
I travel a lot. I am European. For all that's worth ;-))
I carry it in a neckpouch along with my cash stash and Bankomat card (ATM card).

I do however, have several copies of my passport stashed in various places (backpack, inner suitcase lining, memory stick and such, especially when traveling to more exotic places)

I am stunned to hear that Germans are now carding (passporting if you will) people to get into a beer-garden, that's a first for me! But I know that Germans have raised the drinking age to 17/18, you might have got caught up into something there.
In Austria the drinking age (with exception of hard liquor) is still 16 without parents or adults along, unlimited with parents along.

I always keep my passport with me, in my neckpouch.

Last November I stayed at a hotel with an in-room safe. For the most part I didn't use it, but one night I decided to put my notebook, neckpouch, and wallet in it. It allowed me to input my own PIN, so I used the PIN from my ATM card - I knew I would always remember that one. I tried the safe several times, empty, just to confirm it worked, then put my stuff in it. The next morning it wouldn't open. The manager tried his "universal" number - it wouldn't work. He finally had to use a special tool to take off the front of the safe and mechanically retract the dead bolt.

It made me late, I had to catch a later bus and didn't get to see everything I wanted to see, and I realized, since a special tool opened the safe, someone who really wanted to take stuff could get a hold of that tool and go through the safe while I was away. I'll never do that again.

So, is there an actual EU or Schengen law on this subject, or is it up to the individual countries? I know that in Russia you have to carry your passport at all times starting 24 hours after entry.

Lee, that's good to know. No more safes for me.

I am one of those who tends to use the hotel safe.

However, on two occasions I have left my passport in the hotel and checked out. The first was in Berlin, and I realized my error about 15 minutes out - so took a cab back and got the passports and still made it to the train station on time.

The second was in London - checked out since I was staying in another part of London for a few days. Didn't sweat it since I was returning to the same hotel - when I checked back in a couple of days later, the front desk had the passport and money I had left in the safe.

Lee-

The very same thing happened to me on a cruise ship! I always keep my valuables in there since I'll be aboard for a week or two. But on the last trip, I needed some money from the safe and, although I'd tried it empty a few days before, it wouldn't open no matter how many times I tried. I had to get the purser to come open it, but even he had a hard time. After that, I just hid my money inside shoes and clothing.

When on a land vacation, though, I always carry all valuables in my money belt - including the passport.

Lets not get too paranoid. Whether you use an in-room safe or money belt, neither device is foolproof. I've read reports of individuals being tackled to the ground by a group of thieves, pants/shorts are forcibly pulled down, and money belt removed-fortunately this is rare. I've also read reports of folks using the restroom and leaving their MB behind.
In room-safes are mechanical devices they're gonna break down occasionally, and I'm sure somewhere in the world someone's safe has been forcibly opened and items stolen; but on the whole, they're (pardon the pun) safe to use. When available I use them.

Do you bring your drivers license with you when you go shopping? Even if you aren't driving? Even if you don't expect someone to ask you for it?

Your passport is your legal ID when you are in Europe. Chances are good no one will ask you for it but it's silly not to carry it safely with you in case you need it.

There is no need to take off your money belt while in the restroom. And I have never heard or read about anyone being tackled down and having their money belt stolen. They only way someone would know that you were wearing one is if you foolish enough to get into it in public.

I have on occasion removed my money belt in order to untangle and readjust the band while using the restroom. On some body types, and certain kinds to tight fitting clothing a money belt can be noticeable. I said in the previous post that being tackled was a rare occurrence, I've read reports of it on this very forum, the New York Times travel section, and the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree.

We always leave ours locked up tight at the hotel but carry copies in our moneybelt in the off-chance we're ever asked for identification. It's never happened, but I guess it never hurts to be over-cautious.

I always keep my passport with me in my money belt. And my husband's passport too -- sometimes I think he doesn't realize how important it is to keep track of it. That's why wives were invented ... LOL

My thinking is that it's better to have it and NOT need it than the other way around.

Money belts don't bother me and most of the time I forget I'm even wearing one ... but it's always there.

Robin, I have heard of people getting tackled down to take a money belt. About two years ago, on this site on the Graffiti Wall, someone said an American man got shoved into a taxi, got his money belt, and threw him out of the taxi. This was in Prague, and the person writing this said the magic of Prague is gone, the crime there is so high. When I was there in 2007, I felt safe, but we need to still be careful.

I guess I am in the minority. I usually carry my drivers license for ID, leave my passport in the hotel room, just to make my neck pouch more bearable. I typically do not use the hotel room safe, or even the desk safe, face it, as many people can get in those as can get in your room. Also the risk of losing it is as great as someone stealing it. An unobtrusive, out of the way place in your luggage, in your room is about as secure as it gets. Contrary to popular myth, an American Passport is not a golden ticket to thieves, they would rather have money or credit cards. The major issue with losing a passport (or theft of one) is the inconvienance of getting another one.

Thanks for all the replies. I now understand more about the pros of carrying passports in my pouch/money belt. It's just that carrying passports for a whole family in my money belts seems like a job.

I am wondering, is there a anti-theft device I can place in my luggage, so it will not go off when a maid moves it, but will scream like crazy if someone tries to open it? That seems like something useful.

There used to be a lock that had an alarm so that if anyone tampered with the lock it would go off.

Unfortunately, that would do much if you have a zippered case. A thief can get into your case without touching the lock. (it takes less than 10 seconds. I learned how.)

Pacsafe sells devices that will help prevent theft. You might want to check them out.

NEVER, EVER leave your passport in your hotel unless it's in a safe. We had ours stolen (no forced entry...) and it's a pain in your trip to get it replaced. Even if it's incredibly hot, take it with you (always in your neck or belt pouch). They only replace them once, then you have to wait (10 years I think) to get a third one (American consulate told us this, but I'm not sure if it is really correct).