Passports for local Italy train?

As a non EU citizen, you should always carry your passport with you; otherwise be prepared to run the small risk of wasting precious holiday time in a police station.

You don't need to present your passport to ride the train, but you do need to submit it for copying if you check anything in the Florence (and I presume any other) baggage room.

We were not asked to show passports on any trains in Italy. I kept ours in my money belt, which was not easily accessible and did not need to get them out for the trains. But I did have to show them somewhat randomly a couple of times--renting bicycles in Lucca, picking up reserved tickets places, etc.

I have been asked for my passport on a regional train to Orte when I was visiting family. This has only happened once.

It would be rare, but occasionally (twice in 30+ years) I have been asked to show a passport because of some police action. Better to have it than not.

I assume that you're not traveling with a rail pass, but rail passes are not valid without a passport as accompanying ID. Conductors don't often ask, but they may, particularly if they find some other irregularity with the rail pass.

I have never carried a passport in Italy, but rather a color photocopy of the 1 page in my passport which contains my photo. It may not be the "legal document" that is required, but it's worked during the last 15 years of visiting in Italy. It also worked quite easily when obtaining the tax free forms for big ticket shopping items at department stores.

If the hotels keep our passports at check in, how would you be able to carry it with you? I think Tim might have the right advice, if that works.

On our trip to Italy two years ago the hotels no longer kept your passports for the duration of your stay. The keep them long enough to make a copy and then return them to you within a few hours.

Hotels do not usually keep them for long - we've always had them returned on our way out the first time.

We just returned from Italy last week. One hotel kept our passports until we went back out. The other two copied (by hand) the information they needed as we were checking in and handed our passports back over right away.

We are planning our fourth trip for 2017. In all of our last three trips, we never needed our passports for anything other than hotels or car rental. Has something changed that it is now recommended to carry it everywhere?

Charlie, besides the fact that foreigners are supposed to carry legal ID at all times (for Americans, that would be a passport) security in these uncertain times is not the same as it used to be so best to have it on you. You just never know anymore when someone might request to see it.

We've left ours at at the hotel most days and haven't needed them except for checking in but we'd probably carry them all the time now. And no, hotel desks don't keep your passports for the length of your stay. They'll either process all your info when you check in, or ask you to leave them for a short time if they're busy.

What about carrying a copy of the passport, not the real thing? So afraid of losing it or getting it stolen.

Charlie, nothing has really changed. But for further, recent explanation and discussion, use the search box above for the words "carry passport." There are many threads with many opinions. Robert's specific question doesn't need to be high-jacked for yet another rehash of the general topic. And if you didn't use a money belt for valuables during your previous trips, I'd suggest trying one.