Passport Storage/Security

[grasshopper]

I was surprised how many times I had to get out my passport, trains, even the bus to Machu Picchu our ticket name was matched to the name in our passports. I always keep my passport in my buttoned shirt pocket or in a under clothing waist pack.

[PERSonalTime]

Thanks again to everyone. As an aside, does everyone carry their drivers license with them when they travel out of country?


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[phil1ben]

Just returned home from Prague and Austria. Needed passport on the train and when checking into a hotel. Surprisingly, also needed it to enter a casino in Vienna. Also bought a painting in Vienna and they wanted to see it for the purchase and for the shipment home.

+1 on keeping it in the room safe while sightseeing in a city. However, needed to return to my room to get it for the casino and art gallery.

[FI by 2024]

I keep it in an Eagle Creek RFID Blocker Money Belt DLX, worn under clothes on the front half of my body. On the rare instance when that won't work, it is still in the money belt but tucked into a purse worn crossbody style with the bag in front. I don't trust that I can adequately monitor anything on my back. Good ideas about taking pictures, I'll have to start doing that.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FI by 2024 I keep it in an Eagle Creek RFID Blocker Money Belt DLX, worn under clothes on the front half of my body. On the rare instance when that won't work, it is still in the money belt but tucked into a purse worn crossbody style with the bag in front. I don't trust that I can adequately monitor anything on my back. Good ideas about taking pictures, I'll have to start doing that.

DH wears a "man purse" crossbody type bag with lots of security features when we travel in Europe. This is to carry iPhone, iPad plus incidentals. It's been handy.

We each have a small tethered wallet where we have a credit card and ATM card if needed, and the cash for the day. This is in a front pocket near our belt or tucked inside our pants where it is accessible. Backup under our clothes: DH tends to use a neck pouch, me a waist belt. Additional stays locked in our luggage.

We don't carry anything valuable on our backs. We have a small collapsible day pack where we might carry jackets, lunch, umbrellas, etc. nothing valuable.

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PERSonalTime Thanks again to everyone. As an aside, does everyone carry their drivers license with them when they travel out of country? Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

I normally don't, as I weed everything out of my wallet ahead of time that I don't need for the trip. Mostly we use the AAA Intl Driving License for our secondary ID.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that I wear a travel vest a lot of the time. It is a multi-pocketed number, with huge inside pockets and tons of various little secure pockets all over it. I got it from Scottevest a number of years ago. Bought one for DH, but he never used it, so now I've got a spare.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil1ben Just returned home from Prague and Austria. Needed passport on the train and when checking into a hotel. Surprisingly, also needed it to enter a casino in Vienna. Also bought a painting in Vienna and they wanted to see it for the purchase and for the shipment home. +1 on keeping it in the room safe while sightseeing in a city. However, needed to return to my room to get it for the casino and art gallery.

Sounds like how SSN became the universal id

Do they take an image of the passport ?

Soon you will need a passport to enter stadiums, shopping centers, bus.
Never mind that most folks could not tell a forged or stolen one from a real one.

[ivinsfan]

How does the wallet tether would you possibly have a link to it. My DH has one with a small brown and a black loop that you run thru your belt and then slide it into your pocket..but if you don't have a belt on it's not very useful I guess you could use a safety pin inside your pocket.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan How does the wallet tether would you possibly have a link to it. My DH has one with a small brown and a black loop that you run thru your belt and then slide it into your pocket..but if you don't have a belt on it's not very useful I guess you could use a safety pin inside your pocket.

DH sewed cord loops to the inside of the front hip pockets on some of his pants. Most of my pants pockets already had one such loop. But you can also use a belt loop on your pants. It's pretty discrete if it's close to your pocket - especially if the tether matches your pants.

We made our own tethers. We ordered some thin wallets and put a metal ring through the edge where they fold. I also have a small zippered coin purse I sometimes use instead - it can fit coins, a few folded bills, and a card or two.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Another thing I forgot to mention is that I wear a travel vest a lot of the time. It is a multi-pocketed number, with huge inside pockets and tons of various little secure pockets all over it. I got it from Scottevest a number of years ago.

I recently got one of those, and I like it very much.

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I carry my passport and drivers license with me when out and about during travels. If the missus nags me enough, I'll let her put it in the safe with hers.

I kind of feel more secure having it with me. In theory, in some places you need to present your passport to police if they stop you on the street, though obviously many just carry a photocopy or take a picture. Sometimes you need to present your passport to buy discount train passes for foreigners, get a VAT refund, etc and they won't accept a photocopy.

My confidence in hotel safes was shattered after watching the following video. Search "open safe with magnet". Basically, strong rare earth magnets can easily open many electronic safes used by hotels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApJQ2wcYjBo

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery My confidence in hotel safes was shattered after watching the following video.

There is usually also a "default" combination that can be used in case a guest forgets and leaves the room safe locked. Hotel managers can be expected to have that combination.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery My confidence in hotel safes was shattered after watching the following video. Search "open safe with magnet". Basically, strong rare earth magnets can easily open many electronic safes used by hotels.

My instinct has not been to trust hotel safes. I know someone at the hotel is able to open them. And it's a good guess as to where you are hiding your valuables.

[PERSonalTime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC I normally don't, as I weed everything out of my wallet ahead of time that I don't need for the trip. Mostly we use the AAA Intl Driving License for our secondary ID. Another thing I forgot to mention is that I wear a travel vest a lot of the time. It is a multi-pocketed number, with huge inside pockets and tons of various little secure pockets all over it. I got it from Scottevest a number of years ago. Bought one for DH, but he never used it, so now I've got a spare.

Sarah in SC thanks for the vest tip👌.


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[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery I carry my passport and drivers license with me when out and about during travels. If the missus nags me enough, I'll let her put it in the safe with hers. I kind of feel more secure having it with me. In theory, in some places you need to present your passport to police if they stop you on the street, though obviously many just carry a photocopy or take a picture. Sometimes you need to present your passport to buy discount train passes for foreigners, get a VAT refund, etc and they won't accept a photocopy. My confidence in hotel safes was shattered after watching the following video. Search "open safe with magnet". Basically, strong rare earth magnets can easily open many electronic safes used by hotels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApJQ2wcYjBo

I was just about to buy one of these large home safes when I saw this video but figure, I may just put all my important stuff in a locking filing cabinet instead. But on the other hand, who goes around carrying a large earth magnet? The illustration in the video is pretty cool though.

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer <snip> But on the other hand, who goes around carrying a large earth magnet? The illustration in the video is pretty cool though.

Is that a rare earth magnet in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Another thing I forgot to mention is that I wear a travel vest a lot of the time. It is a multi-pocketed number, with huge inside pockets and tons of various little secure pockets all over it. I got it from Scottevest a number of years ago. Bought one for DH, but he never used it, so now I've got a spare.

I think I'm going to get such a vest to wear for days out and excursions using public transportation from Nice and Barcelona, two cities famous for their metro/bus/commuter train and tourist area pickpockets. I'd really like to be able to put my cell phone in an inside front pocket against my body. I'll use the vest instead of a purse.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery Is that a rare earth magnet in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Seems like a good way to erase the magnetic strips on your credit cards.

[anethum]

In some countries, France for example, anyone can be legally stopped by the police and asked to show their carte d'identité (identity card). If you're a foreign tourist, you're supposed to have your passport with you. I was stopped many years ago by the police in Paris, and this happened to me more recently in northern Spain. I had my passport with me both times. I don't know how the police would have reacted if I'd only had a photocopy of the passport. When it happened in Spain, I was traveling by bicycle and had stopped in a tiny local train station in Santander. I was suddenly surrounded by 3 plainclothes police. They phoned someone to verify that the EU port-of-entry stamp in my passport was valid. They were incredulous when I told them I had biked there from Bilbao the day before. (It wasn't really that difficult a ride.)

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I think I'm going to get such a vest to wear for days out and excursions using public transportation from Nice and Barcelona, two cities famous for their metro/bus/commuter train and tourist area pickpockets. I'd really like to be able to put my cell phone in an inside front pocket against my body. I'll use the vest instead of a purse.

If you order one of the Scottevest ones like mine, be sure to get it in a larger size to accommodate the bulk of whatever you are carrying. I typically carry nearly everything that would fit in a purse with me in the vest, and it can get a bit heavy.