This may sound like a dumb question, but is it necessary and/or required that you carry your passport with you at all times? My biggest question is for when I go running - much sweat along with nothing to carry it in. can I get buy running through the towns/cities without my passport for a bit? Thoughts?
Dan
You are required, by law, both in the U.S. and most everywhere else, to carry some type of identification with you. And, what if something happens to you while you're running? If you have no I.D., they won't know who you are, where you're staying, etc.
My suggestion is to get yourself a wrist or ankle wallet and carry in it your name, address, phone number, hotel where you are staying, name of person to contact, and any illnesses you have or meds you're taking.
These wallets look like sweatbands and are hardly noticeable.
Dan - will you be traveling with Barb? If so I'd leave it with her. I carry the passport for my husband for our entire trip and we are often separated.
Thanks for the comments. Yes, I do have a "wrist-band" type holder for some ID. I will use that and carry my drivers license in it. I was just not sure if I had to have my passport on my person the entire time I was in a foreign country. If not, I will leave it with Barb.
Dan
(I think it is a requirement to have id, I have never seen it written anywhere that it must be your passport.I leave it in hotel safe except when travelling, I bring my DL just to have picture id with me. I have never had to show it to anyone, but why not have it with you, if I lose it is only 25 bucks for me to replace.
I have never heard of a tourist being arresting for walking along a street in any western europeon city and being stopped by police and asked for their passport,, but I suppose someone else may have.
Anyways, seems like its not an issue for you , just leave it at hotel, if you get arrested phone wife and ask her to bring it to the jail,, LOL , the fashion police may have you detained for unauthorized white sneaker wearing..LOL
We almost never take our passport with us, preferring to leave it in the hotel room safe. We've never had a problem. About the only time I've needed it was at the usual places like airports or when there's been a bit of paperwork involved, such as when I needed to get a refund on a train ticket in Belgium.
It is interesting to note that when I was in Frankfurt for work, my German colleagues were stunned to hear me say that I did not have my passport on me at all times. They said that I needed identification on me at all times. I replied that I had my driver's license, with my picture, on me at all times. Then they relaxed, saying that was acceptable.
Greetings
Some countries including Belgium and Switzerland require that people carry government issued identification (w/picture) at all times. This generally means a passport or a national identity card for citizens of countries that issue them.
You can probably get away with a driver's license, though I could see a foreign police officer refusing to accept on as proof since there re 50+ different kinds of US driver's license, so they wouldn't be able to tell a real one from a fake. That said, I've never heard of anyone being stopped.
I would probably carry my passport, other than going out for run etc. Better to be safe than sorry, and a passport is clear and easily identifiable ID.
Kate
The more you carry a passport, the more chances of having it stolen or lost. I tend to just carry a photocopy in my backpack along with my DL while leaving the passport in a safe. Obviously, when running this doesn't work out. Also, if there is no safe in the hotel, I will then carry the passport.
Thanks all! This discussion has been very helpful.I will make sure I carry my DL with me at the minimum.
Dan
If I have a safe in my hotel, i leave my passport there and carry just a copy with me.
