We travel with money belts for passports, credit/debit cards and cash. Of course we have xerox copies of all those, in case disaster strikes. But where to put the copies? In the money belt doesn't make much sense. Hidden in a suitcase doesn't seem very secure. Once we arrive, things go into the room safe. But what about enroute?
What are your solutions?
There is no security issue with copies of passports, they have no value. Hotels will photocopy your passports.
The only reason to have a photocopy is so you have the details (passport number) in case you lose it.
Stick it anywhere you like, in your suitcase. Or just scan it in and keep a copy on your phone.
Some countries require you to carry your passport as ID all the time, in which case you should have it with you, but are very unlikely to be asked for ID by the police and many tourists don't bother. Otherwise just keep it in your case.
I usually keep a copy of my passport in my suitcase and another in the tote bag I use on days when I'm switching hotels. If I were traveling with someone else, I might stick a copy in his/her suitcase.
There is absolutely no need to travel with a copy of a credit or debit card. I record the last 4 digits on a list, along with the contact number to be used in case the card is lost or stolen. I've gone through that process more than once, I'm sorry to say, and the call center folks were happy to cancel the cards once I provided the usual ID information (social security number, mother's maiden name, that sort if thing). I did not need, nor did I have, the full card numbers. If that list falls into someone else's hands, they won't be able to do anything with it.
I scan my passports and any other important documents. Once scanned, I add a long password to the documents and then email them to myself. Then I will always have copies of them on my email which I can access from my phone or any other computer. I bring extra passport photos and just put them in a different place than where I store my passports - usually inside my luggage.
I also provide my mother with a copy of my passport, my itinerary, and my hotel contact information.
Email to myself and a copy at home with other vital documents for loved ones.
Do not have copies of your credit cards!!
Just have a way to know the customer service phone number for each card (international one, it should be on the back of your card). Then in case of loss/theft just call the number - they will be able to identify you by name/social security/address/security questions. Keep the number in your phone or a document in your email/cloud drive or have a paper in your suitcase with phone numbers on it. Or you can just log in to the online site for the card and get all your info that way.
For passports I do have a copy in my suitcase as well as saved to my phone (kindle app and email, can redownload it if I lose my phone and ipad). From what I understand a paper passport copy isn't very useful to thieves but can really help you in getting a replacement if needed.
I keep photocopies of credit cards, having learned the hard way that a bank where English is in short supply may be helped along to retrieve a card swallowed by an ATM if they can see what I am trying to talk about.
I scan them (as above) and: 1) e-mail myself a copy and 2) put a copy on a thumb drive in an encrypted zip file. The thumb drive is tiny and I have a "hidden space" in my bag for it.
I only keep two xerox copies of the passport...one for the carry on sack, one placed in the checked in spinner. Cash is in the hidden pocket, neck pouch, and the fanny/waist belt, ca 60 to 80 Euro in an inside zipped jacket pocket it I am wearing that light jacket, and a little bit in the wallet. Credit/debit cards are dispersed on my person, not at all in just one place. So far i never made copies of the credit card numbers, maybe I should now. I never use the room safe.
I generally carry my passport in my purse(or small carryon) because that's the most convenient place to retrieve it. I store copies tucked securely inside my larger carryon bag during the flight to/from my destination.
I copy my cards and passport and leave a copy of them at home.
I take a copy with me, and put it in a ziplock bag with 100 of whatever the currency is of the country I am in; and put this under the insole of my shoe.
That way if I'm robbed or mugged, or lose my stuff: I always have ID and some cash.
This last trip, I added my emergency contact info for a person at home, my allergies, and the contact number of where I was staying while away from home.
Of course, this only works if you are wearing closed in shoes with insoles.
You could put it in your bra if you are female.
I would not recommend keeping copies of credit cards. All you need is the number to call to report it lost/stolen. You may not be able to dial an 800 number from overseas so bring the one that is an ordinary number. I bring a copy of my passport with me.
What I also do is set up a throwaway hotmail account and email my trip details to it. Reservations & dates, credit card numbers to call, etc. Be sure the password is something secure but that you can remember (a tip is to use a phrase like "I was born in Pittsburgh on July 11th" as an example, whatever makes sense to you) and use the 1st letter of each word and all the numbers to make a phrase. Don't email credit card numbers and the like. The idea is that is something really bad happens, say all your luggage is stolen, you can log in from an internet cafe or your hotel and recover the information you need to continue your trip (albeit under sadder circumstances). The reason to use a temporary email account and not your usual one is that if you need to resort to this you don't want to assume your email connection is secure. If you haven't logged in your good password is protecting the account, but once you log in assume your password may be compromised.
I keep copies of itinerary, bookings, train tickets, vouchers in a ziplock baggie in the outer compartment of my carry-on. If I have to gatecheck the carry-on,I remove the baggie and put it in my personal item.
One far more trips then one they get forgotten on my desk at home.
What I also do is set up a throwaway hotmail account and email my trip
details to it. Reservations & dates, credit card numbers to call, etc
John, I like the idea of a throwaway email account when travelling. Thanks for the idea!
I copy all the cards I'm carrying, front and back, on one page. It goes buried in my smaller carry on which is with me at all times in transit. When I get to the hotel it goes in the room safe.
kkniphel - I take pictures of my passport, drivers license, the back of the only credit card I use, and trip info on my phone and save it to an online picture folder (titled "remodeling" - what kind of self-respecting thief is going to take the time to go through my phone and check that?!) I downloaded an app that synchs my hotel confirmations, flight info, etc. This info is also synched to my iPad.
The only reason to copy your passport is so you have the number which will save time IF you loose the passport. A copy of the passport is of no value to anybody, and your give you passport number to hotels and airlines, it is not a secret.
And how likely are you to loose your passport, not very? When did you last loose your driving licence, work pass, credit card etc.?
A passport has little value on the black market these days. Not like the 1960's and 1970's where all good spy films had someone changing the photo in a stolen passport. These days the photo is printed on and cannot be changed, and as soon as a passport is reported lost, it goes in a central database so if someone tries to use it it gets flagged when they scan it at immigration.
Relax, you are on holiday. You are more likely to loose it at home if you have forgotten which draw you put it in.
"But where to put the copies?"
I keep copies in a small documents folder in my checked luggage and they stay there even when I'm the hotel. I'm not too worried about theft and that method has always worked well. I don't see any need to use overly complicated methods for storing copies as they have little value to thieves.
if all these precautions help people feel better about feeling safe when they travel, then why not?
I travel alone, and it makes me feel better.
At least people are getting out there seeing the world.
Happy travels everyone, no matter how you prefer to do it. :)
We made copies of our passport, driver's license, and credit cards and then left them with my parents. If we would have needed them for anything, we would have had them FedEx the copies to our hotel.
I also took a picture of my passport with my phone in case I needed it.
Personally, I keep electronic copies of documents in two places. One in Google Docs and one in the GoodReader app on my phone. The GoodReader app is encrypted and password protected. I only carry a paper copy of my passport.
I have to echo Wray's comments. It's nice to be an experienced world traveler and already know what works for you and what doesn't, and what's important to have with you (if only for your peace of mind) and what's not. This should be a good, non-judgmental place to ask these types of questions. Most intelligent people will tell you there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. And there has been some good suggestions on this thread that may help the less experienced travelers, if only to let them know what is necessary to keep secure and what is not.
I do tend to agree that some people are a bit paranoid about things that I have long ago let go of and some of the personal security methods I read about are a bit 'over the top'. If you feel that way about a particular question, then do not respond. And if you do want to respond with your opposing view, at least spell it out - posting a snarky one word response is not helpful at all.
I pack copies of my passport, not because I'm worried about theft but just human error. What if I do something stupid and my passport goes missing? What if there's a fire in the hotel and I can't retrieve my belongings? (Etc., etc., on the what if.) I'll need something to show to the US embassy to prove who I am.
And while I do not anticipate anything going wrong, you better believe that I want to make it easy on myself to return home. And if that means I need to carry a photocopy of my passport in a separate location, so be it. From my POV, this is all about my convenience.
Thanks to the people who posted sensible answers here.
I see the snarky comments have disappeared.
I wish the OP a really great trip!
I agree with S Jackson. It's a pleasant surprise to see this thread take on a positive tone! I definitely relax and enjoy my time in another country but only after I have prepared my home and myself for emergencies.
Wow. I had no idea this simple question would make for such a contentious thread.
Well, all info is appreciated - so many different ideas.
Thank you all. Our trip will be fine, no matter what we choose.
I learned a lot from the answers to your question. I find that the more I travel, the more electronic I become. However, there are some things that I prefer to have in hard copy.
Those and some other things go in the safe if where I'm staying has one. When it doesn't or I'm on the move, that stuff is in my carry-on roller bag or spinner. I check nothing.
My roller and my spinner both have u-shaped handles. Both also have a zipper in the liner to provide access to the mechanism for repairs. That area is my favorite place to put any copies or paper that I don't need right away.
I hate wasted space, so I pack odd things around those rails, filling up the spaces to make a flat platform for the rest of my packing after I zip the liner closed. Really flat and thin things, like copies, can actually go between the rails and the reinforced backs of those bags. I tried filling in those spaces with the liners zipped, but it didn't work because the liners are slightly smaller than the space itself.
My roller and my spinner both have u-shaped handles. Both also have a
zipper in the liner to provide access to the mechanism for repairs.
That area is my favorite place to put any copies or paper that I don't
need right away.
Lo, I do the same thing with my backup copies. I also use the liner to hold my cash for tips when I'm traveling around the US, Mexico, Dominican Republic, etc. I like to have my tip money sorted out in advance so I know I have enough money and I don't spend it by accident (maids each day, waiters, excursions, porters, etc). It's just one less thing I have to think about when I'm on vacation. I would rather be enjoying my vacation then trying to find an ATM for more cash or wait in line at the hotel desk to change bills.
I use dropbox.com for all my backup docs. I download them to my phone for offline accessibility. Easy peasy and no extra weight.
In response to storing copies of documents inside the suitcase liner... Many years ago I bought a new suitcase and gave the old one to Goodwill. I didn't think until months later, "I wonder if I left any document copies inside the liner?" - as I did not check before giving the suitcase away. So I like the idea of putting cash in there too. Much less likely for me to forget to retrieve the documents at the end of the trip.
-Nancy
