Belts/Money belts

It depends. If the airport is still using old-fashioned metal detectors you often can leave belts on. But most airports these days use body scanners which look under you clothes. So everything in your pockets or under you clothes has to be removed. To be on the safe-side remove the belt before going through the scanner.

Thanks, Michael....that's what I needed to know. I know here in StL we have the body scanners so I should have figured that one out on my own. I will wait to put on the money belt once we get through security here at home.

I'm assuming Charles de Gaul airport in Paris has body scanners as well?

You're welcome. Most larger airport use the scanners. In a lot of the European airports you may have to go through both. A body scanner when you enter the general departure area, and then a metal detector at the actual gate.

I have a question about the metal detector. I have a pace maker so I cannot go through a metal detector. The airport I am leaving from has a body scanner and been through that with no problem but not sure if I will go through another screening on my connecting flight in Atlanta. Also leaving from Paris so do they have body scanners or metal detector's? I have a medical card for the pacemaker.

@Carole Keep your pacemaker card with you in hand. That gives you a medical excuse for not going though a scanner and they can take you aside for manual body search. Also, get your card translated into the languages of any country you will visit to reduce the chance of problems.

When you are in line for security you usually get what they want you to take off. To say the least, security measures vary widely by country (and often within this country.) In some places a non-metal belt is okay to leave on. That being said, I don't use my money belt until I get where I'm going.

Charles de Gualle may also have both types of scanner; I don't know. In one case where I went through a standard metal detector at CDG, I somehow triggered it, resulting in a pat-down, at which time I had to remove and explain my money belt, even though it was not the original issue. I'd say they had those metal detectors set on "high."

Hi Kathy - looking forward to our next Travel Meeting!

I keep my money belt in my purse/day bag when I go through security and when I'm on the plane. I put it on in an airport bathroom after I land. You don't really need to wear it on the plane because you aren't in a moving crowd where someone can easily go through your pockets or bag.

In Frankfurt my wife accidentally worn a non-metallic money belt through security and was detected in a subsequent random pat down. That got her a trip to a little room with two female offices and very close to a total body search. We are so use to wear money belts that it is second nature and we never think about them. I was next but got the money belt off just before going through security. Also pulled me aside and looked at every credit card and ran the edges of cards across a piece of paper like you do when checking the sharpness of a knife. A guess a couple of grey hair, slightly overweight, 70 year old teachers tripped the scale of you cannot be too careful.

Oh my, Frank.......just think of the interesting stories you have to tell regarding that trip! I think we'll leave the money belts off until we get out of security!

Like Sarah, I keep my money belt zipped into my purse which is zipped into my tote until I get thru Immigration at the end of the journey, then I go in to a ladies room and put it on. If I land somewhere where I go thru Immigration to document my arrival in the Schengen Zone, then transit on to another flight , I do not put it on until I arrive in the last location as there is security after Passport control. I am thinking Amsterdam is your first European landing and where you are leaving the airport, so consider just putting it on after you show the Immigration person your passport.