Moneybelt vs. Hotel

Hi Hope. This is a matter of opinion; a lot of people do it each way and get along just fine; seems like just a matter of personal preference.
Enjoy your trip!

If it is in the money belt and on me, then I will always know where it is. Hotel safes are probably safe but there are stories of default pass codes, etc., that allow hotel staff access to the safes, of people who have left items behind in the safe, etc. My preference is to always carry it.

I carry mine in my money belt. It's not that I don't trust leaving it in the safe. I just treat the passport like my drivers license--I always have my drivers license on me here in the US so I just always carry my passport on me in Europe. I have often had requests to see it or leave it when renting an audio guide in a museum and similar rental-type situations.

I don't carry my passport on me unless I'm staying at a hotel without a safe. It's a matter of personal preference. I don't use moneybelts and I have left my purse behind too many times to be willing to trust my absent-minded brain to carry it on me when I don't need to. But if you choose not to travel with the passport on your person, showing a drivers license or any other form of significant ID is fine at museums for renting an audio guide or whatever. In fact I don't really don't like handing something as important as my passport over to a stranger at a museum, that strikes me as far more risky than leaving it in a hotel safe.

I'm like Ken, your passport is your only valid ID in Europe. The stamp inside also proves you are in the country legally (yes they have illegal alien issues in Europe). Depending on the type and amount of purchases you make, you may also need your passport to make certain purchases or set up a VAT refund. I don't make a lot of big purchases, so this is rare. Many leave their passports in the hotel because the people on this site aren't likely to receive a lot of police attention. You have to decide if you're comfortable without ID (leave it in the hotel safe) or you prefer to have your ID with you.

Traveling can be disorienting, so I try to eliminate as many potential problems as possible. ALWAYS wearing my moneybelt with ALL of my 'moneybelt things' in it ALWAYS just makes sense for me! As Brad posted, you may need it to make a purchase while you're out-and-about; I have many times. Besides, it's your legal ID. And when that Big Mean Tour Bus runs me over, they'll be able to figure out my identity...once they find my moneybelt wrapped around the axle...but still much sooner than if my ID is in a random safe somewhere. Things are easily forgotten in a safe. Things have been known to 'disappear' from a safe. Sometimes, safes get stuck in the locked position :-( Been there, done that. Just keep it simple; wear your moneybelt WITH your passport. If these aren't enough posts, use the Search box at the top of this page and simply type 'passport safe'; you'll probably get sick of reading about your own topic ;-D

Hi Hope, As already stated by some others your passport is your legal ID. By law it should be on your person. However, many choose to leave it in their safe. Since you appear to be using a money belt try keeping your passport in that and leave a photocopy of your passport in the safe. For unforeseen reasons if you needed to show it, you'd have to return to the hotel to get it or someone would have to go get it for you if you were detained. It took me a few trips before I felt comfortable wearing it and handling it in public. I wear it on the back side vs the front. Enjoy London & Paris!

"By law it should be on your person. " The statement above is not universally true. Whether or not you are required to produce ID on demand depends on the country. For example, for the UK, "U.S. citizens should take steps to ensure the safety of their U.S. passports. Visitors in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar are not expected to produce identity documents for police authorities and thus may secure their passports in hotel safes or residences. " This information is from the UK information sheet o the State Department website http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1052.html Unfortunately, the fact sheet for France does not elaborate on the requirements there.

I spent 3 weeks in Europe this summer, mostly on a RS tour. My passport, Euros, and tickets stayed in my moneybelt the entire time. I felt comfortable leaving the moneybelt on the nightstand each night, but I was the only one in the room. I stated at a hostel for 5 nights after the tour, where I kept the moneybelt on me while sleeping.