copies of passport, credit card in luggage?

I put mine really deep in the suitcase lining. I use a wheeled bag, and there is a zipper beneath all of the clothes that gives access to the area where the handle of the bag is stored. To find my copies, a thief would have to completely remove all of the bag's contents, unzip this zipper, and root around to find them.

The is exactly the problem with copies. I have advocated for a long time that this practice of having copies floating around is almost as bad as the card itself. Putting the numbers in an email to yourself is equally bad IF you have to access from a public computer. One solution is have your traveler partner carry the copies.

The solution we follow is to encode all of our credit/debit numbers using a alpha substitution code. Then we make a number of copies and don't worry about someone getting a copy. The code is simply to decode but stronger enough that it will not be broken.

Frank, that is a great idea and kind of fun for us puzzle lovers.

We each carry copies of each other's passports, CC, ATN cards, etc., along with our own in our money belts which never leave our bodies.

Personally, I would never put anything like that in baggage. Just too risky.

Do not copy credit cards or debit cards. Keep a record of the telephone numbers you would use to report a stolen or missing card, realizing that the usual 800 number won't work from abroad. Credit card and debit card companies can find your account from your name and address, they do not need your card number. There is absolutely no reason to carry a copy of your cards.

I carry a 3" X 5" note card that has phone numbers for airlines, hotels, foreign "911", credit card, debit card, my banker, as well as name and addresses of family members. My own name, address, and phone numbers are in red in case of accident. E-ticket numbers are listed and sometimes I have room for my flight itinerary.

I scanned my passport, credit card, and debit card, then emailed the images to myself to store online in my Gmail account. If I need to, I can access that account from any computer or smartphone anywhere in the world I can get an Internet connection -- and I'm the only one with the password.

I keep a list with the numbers (not an actual copy), but alter the numbers in some way that I can remember and easily reverse. (What I actually do is to add 1 to each of the first 4 digits, add 2 to the second, etc.) For non-'grouped' numbers, such as passport or non-debit ATM card, you could simply add 1 to the first digit, add 2 to the second, etc. (I do keep actual copies of passports.)

I love Rick Steves, but I do not take all of his advice. This particular one I ignored. We carry copies on our bodies. No need to bury them in your luggage. I have no idea why he thought that was a great idea. I look to Rick's books and DVDs for guidance, but do not always agree with him.

I only photocopy my passports and driver's license. Those are in my hand luggage, then locked up in my hotel room, either in the safe or a suitcase.

I keep a cheat sheet with my credit card and ATM card numbers (and PINs) in my money belt. There's no reason to photocopy the cards. Might be a good idea to write down the phone numbers to call if they are stolen, but you can usually get that info from the websites.

I agree -- this is a piece of advice we skip, also.

It's easier when there are two of you travelling -- we copy a very limited number of things on one page, slightly reduced, and swap them between us. (Husband has a copy of my passport & DL, etc. and I have his copy.) Then we carry it folded up in our money belt.

Never put copies of any sensitive information in your luggage. I make 2 copies of my passport, credit cards, health insurance card, etc. and keep one on me and the other I leave at home with family. The only information I put in my suitcase is my itinerary, my cell phone number, and phone numbers of friends or hotels where I'm staying. This is just in case I have to check my suitcase and it gets lost.

I leave copies of all my credit cards & passport with my assistant. Now that I have a gmail account I will probably use google docs for my next trip.

I'm with Steve, in all the years I've been watching Rick's shows, I do not recall him ever recommending this. I'm looking through my older guide books as well and they all say "make multiple copies of travel documents, prescriptions and photo IDs" and makes no mention of photocopying credit or ATM cards.

Diane: I hope you got the money restored to your account by your bank. Unless you included your PIN with the card numbers, what happened to you is the same as if some unscrupulous merchant secretly made a copy of your card number.

I really like the idea of emailing them to yourself and I'm going to do that on my next trip. i only carry one debit-credit card, and i take cash out of ATMs as I go,so that card is a life-line. I used to make a copy if it, but after reading Dianses story, I don't thinkI will anymore. I do make a copy of my passport and all relevant flight/hotel info but i make sure that has no sensitive personal info on it. It has happened that i was quoted one price for a room, and then charged more when i got there, so i make a copy of the original email confirmation.