Last summer we went to Italy. In EVERY hotel we were strongly encouraged to put our passports in the room safe at the hotel and carry only a copy in our money belts. My daughter and I will be spending a week in Paris at the end of May. What is the French policy concerning passports being directly on your person?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Laura, I leave my passport in the safes in Paris, always have, in many trips. I have never needed it otherwise,, and I do not wear a money belt everyday. I do wear a moneybelt while actually travelling, as I am hesitant to have my pp in my purse .
I do carry my DL with me in Paris, no one has ever asked for any id ,, but at least if I am hit by a truck they can identify my body easily enough,, I carry my hotel card always too.
I have on some trips made a photocopy of my cc and pp and carried it with me,, but not every trip.
Posted by
Spokane, WA
477 posts
The only problem I have seen with people leaving their passports in the hotel safe, is not remembering to get them before they leave.
Posted by
US
157 posts
I was in Paris for 8 days and no one asked to see my passport whereas in Italy, every hotel I checked in asked to see my passport. I had to provide my passport to use the internet cafe in Bologna.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
This is another one of the endless questions. Search back and you will find hundreds of responses. In summary half believe you should carry at all time and the other believe that your are crazy if you do. There have been a couple of reports here of people being asked for their passport. That fact that you have not been asked, doesn't mean that you will not be asked in the future. The passport is the only thing that proves you are legally in the country. If you have your passport and are never asked, you will never have a problem. If you are asked and you do not have your passport -- that could be a problem. You need to do what you are comfortable doing. I carry mine all the time and have had a problem.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
Laura,
I always carry my Passport with me, whether in the Money Belt or other location. I've heard a few stories about Hotel room Safes being "burgled", and there's no way I'm taking any chances with my Passport. It would be a huge annoyance if I had to replace it while travelling!
Cheers!