Always carry passport?

You will get as many opinions on this subject as wearing shorts. I always carry it -- why not?? Generally it is in the money belt unless I think I will need it. Then it is in a secured pocket. You are required to have some form of id on you if the police stop you (never have been stopped) and sometimes you will be asked for id when using a credit card. Some advocate carrying a color copy of your passport and locking the passport in a hotel safe. Probably will work but if it doesn't what do you do?? I carry mine all the time but it looks pretty ratty.

I never walk around with my passport but leave it with my hosts at the B&B or in a hotel safe. Only stopped once (wanted to go into the US Embassy in Rome) where I produced my U.S. California's Driver's License and was good to go. You do need to always carry a valid form of I.D. My husband ALWAYS has his passport on his person. After 20plus years he's never needed it but, it makes him feel more secure so who can argue with that.

I keep my passport, an emergncy credit card and plane ticket in my money belt and on me all the time.
Here's my thinking, if for some reason I am separated from my group or can't get back to my hotel room (earthquake, terrorists, so on) I have the the necessary things I need to get out of the country and back home. I am not being paranoid, just aware that I am in a different country other than my own.

As a rule, I always carry my passport with me. But I carry it in an Eagle Creek passport wallet that hangs around my neck, never in my money belt. That way, if I do need to use my passport, I'm not exposing my money stash to view. Like Frank, I carry it in a secure shirt pocket--a zippered inner pocket--when I'm wearing a shirt that has one. I've done this on four continents and never had trouble.

I don't know what the "right" answer is, but I typically carry my passport with me unless required to leave it with a hotel manager or some such (which is not an unusual requirement). When I carry it, after the airport it is always in my money belt.

If you have more than one passport, you can leave one behind (with the hotel manager or in a safe) and carry the other with you. I've done this on occasion. But some travel sources advise against travelling with more than one passport because if you're caught with two or more it might raise suspicions which can temporarily land you in custody and ruin your trip (or give you an interesting travel story to tell back home depending on how you look at it). I have to believe (hope?) that European countries have enough experience with multiple-passport carriers that this is not an issue.

I've never had any passport issues. My main passport complaint is that when travelling in Europe in recent years it has become very difficult to get my passport stamped due to the expanded EU. When I first went in 1979, just about every country stopped me at the border and stamped it. Which of course was way cool afterwards. But this won't be an issue for you since you are staying in Italy the whole trip.

Have a great trip!

Once, and only once in all our years of travel, we left our passports "hidden" in the hotel (no safe) because we were tired of carrying them in the heat. Of course, they were missing when we returned. No forced entry, either. A real hassle fixing that on our vacation. Now they are always in a safe or on me, even if it's 105 in the shade.

I always leave it in hotel safe. I always try to get hotels with room safes, but once used a desk safe,and that was fine. I carry only my DL on me for id.. although thanks to these forums I started carrying a copy of my PP with me for the last few years. I have never been asked for id.

Hi, Gary. I think technically, that you're supposed to have it on you at all times (since in effect it acts like your visa). I've always kept mine on me, except when the hotel's have needed to keep it, and I've never had any problems whatsoever.

Nearly ALL of the missing/stolen passport stories I've heard were from leaving them in hotel rooms.

Have a great trip!

Wherever I go, my passport goes with me. And it stays in my moneybelt except when needed.

While the chances of it happening are very slim, what happens if you leave your passport in your hotel, even in a safe, and you can't get back to your hotel--fire, earthquake, terrorist attack, etc? My moneybelt with passport, credit cards, cash, etc, is with me.

Luggage, clothes and the like can easily be replaced. Passports and credit cards are a pain.

I was once in a hotel in London when the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. I quickly dressed and grabbed my moneybelt. I didn't have to hassle with an in-room safe or go to the front desk to ask for it while everyone is evacuating.

A follow-up question about leaving the passport with the hotel...

When I asked my friend who just returned from Italy about exactly that, she said that it states in your passport that you HAVE TO have it on you at all times, and that you should never be asked to leave your passport with a hotel.

As my passport is not here yet, I can't read mine. Anyone know anything about this??

Thanks!

I just checked my passport, and it doesn't state either. The only relevant passage is this: "Your passport is a valuable citizenship and identity document, which should be carefully safeguarded."

Merritt, that statement is completely in error. The passport states nothing to that effect. Although the practice is becoming less common and varies by country, leaving the passport with the hotel is not illegal and is often required. We were recently on a cruise where the cruise ship took the passports when we boarded and did not return them until the cruise was over. For some reason, some Americans and inexperienced Am travelers seem to get very uptight about their passports.

This is an afterthought but when traveling in a foreign country that country gets to make the rules not the US so no US passport could make the statement not to give it to a hotel.

I've had my passport taken by a number of hotels in different countries, always got it back, no problem. France, Slovenia... Rick's guide book will tell you in some places, this is still the practice.

I carried mine with me all the time because there were times I HAD to have it (cash advance from credit card when debit card wouldn't work, and other random times). My friend did not carry hers and it was frustrating because it held us up.
Just keep it safe; I used a PacSafe purse and kept my passport, credit cards, and money in the inside zippered pouch. We had NO problems with pickpocketers, and I'm sure that was why. We looked like Fort Knox on foot! haha!

You friend is making that up. There is no such instruction on a US passport, and, in fact, we did have to surrender out passports to the hotel desk upon registration several times.