Kids' IDs

You will hear from two schools of thought on the passport issue. Personally, I carry mine all the time. I'm not sure I understand why you would need to prove that she is younger than she is, but her driver's license should do the trick.

We make photocopies and carry them instead and leave the originals back at the hotel. We've only been asked for our passports twice in all our trips. Once on a train from CT to Zermatt and again on a train from Paris to Amsterdam.

Copies have no value. The idea that it facilitates getting a new one is nonsense - - having the number stashed somewhere might make it a bit easier, but it's still not necessary. Think of the FHP pulling you over - - do you think he'd be real interested in a photocopy of your driver's license? Proof of age is proof of age - - don't anticipate the spanish inquisition for something that simple. I suspect the reason that most people who travel a heck of a lot keep their passports with them is security and ease/rapidity of movement. If things turn to worms somewhere, with a passport and some kind of money in your paw, you can scram and not have to go back to a hotel to get your junk.

Based on her post (and her 2nd related post) the OP is not taking about showing the passport to the police, but to prove her daugher is under 18 when entering museums with her parents. My including the information that we had only been asked for our passports while on the train was to make clear we have not been asked to produce passports while walking the city. It makes it easier to have a productive and helpful conversation if everyone reads all the related information before commenting, instead of just posting to be contary. @Ed - The website for the US Embassy / Paris France recommends providing a photocopy of the missing passport to facilitate replacement.
Maybe you have inside information that trumps the federal agency actually providing the replacements. "Please bring the following documents and payment at the time of your visit: Completed Form DS-11 (do not sign this document) and Form DS-0064; •All available identification such as a: U.S. birth certificate, driver's license, photocopy of the missing passport, or expired U.S. passport;"

Will her American driver license be enough to prove her age in France? Maybe, maybe not. Would you know enough about all the drivers licenses in the world to be able to tell if a, say, piece of paper or plastic claiming to be a drivers licence from Moldova is genuine? How would you expect somebody in France to know if her bit of plastic from Florida is genuine? That's what a passport is for. BTW - most discounts are for French or EU citizens.

I would recommend carrying her passport and not her driver's license. The minimum age for driving in France is 18 and it's possible that someone will see she has a driver's license and assume she is over 18. The alternative would be to get an international driver's permit (through AAA) that would have a translation of the license in French and make it possible for you to communicate her birthdate/age more easily. Unlike some other countries, publicly-owned museums, etc. are free for all under-18s and not just EU citizens.

Leslie, I am sure you wish to have id to prove daugher is under 18 for museums ( and yes folks, all museums that are free to kids are free to kids UNDER 18 regardless of their nationality, discounts offered to kids 18-26 are only available to EU residents, two different situation here). A drivers licence and copy of pp would be fine at musuems. I have only ever carried copy of pp for daily siteseeing. For train travel I do carry original passport. I leave my pp in hotel safe. Some people get nervous about that, but if anyone can give a direct story( not "I heard from boss's sister ") that they were ided by police and thrown in jail for not having passport on them in city,, please do step up and tell us. In 40 years plus of travel to France it has never happened to me, my family, or any of my friends,, nor have |I ever read a story about it happening to anyone that wasn't a "I heard that" .. The fact is , theives do not WANT your passports anyways, so if you want to carry it do,, keep it seperate from your money ( unless in moneybelt) a theives do want your money!

Thanks for all the info and advice about passports and driver licenses. I appreciate everyone's input.

Mark, I don't post based on internet research or use links to justify my position. That leaves me pretty much stuck with having to rely on experience. I've twice lost passports. Once I was asked if I knew the number, but did not. Neither time did it take an hour to get a new one. One of the times I had not even a library card to prove who I was.