Passport Storage/Security

[Gotadimple]

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.

+1
I generally put my Passport in my luggage and lock it. I carry a copy of the passport page in my daypack, with a separate copy in my luggage.

Cash/credit card/debit card carried in a small coin purse that holds the cash and cards readily. That tucks nicely into a small purse that I can carry cross body that holds my cellphone.

Unless I know I will need my passport, it stays secured in my luggage. I just got back from a trip to the UK. One of the people on the tour had her purse stolen and in it she had all her cash, all her credit cards, AND her passport. The tour company provided cautions in advance: take only what you need for the day, leave the rest in the hotel safe, or the hotel vault if that makes you feel safer. Carry any valuables under your clothing, or cross-body.

How did it get stolen? She was in the hotel lobby playing bridge with friends. She turned around to the people behind her and asked them to lower their voices. When she turned back - her purse was gone. So it was a setup. And they managed to find the one person who did everything you shouldn't do when traveling.

 

[kramer]

+1

How did it get stolen? She was in the hotel lobby playing bridge with friends. She turned around to the people behind her and asked them to lower their voices. When she turned back - her purse was gone. So it was a setup. And they managed to find the one person who did everything you shouldn't do when traveling.

I was in Cuenca, Ecuador in a 2 story hotel and we were playing cards in the main shared guest area. A group of three was checking in, and the lady was sitting on a couch across from the check-in desk and near the door. A guy walked by and dropped something and she leaned down to pick it up for him. At that moment, another guy grabbed the purse that was next to her. The guy that dropped the item to distract her pretended to be just as surprised as her and instantly declared I will try to catch him! And away he ran. Or course, they were in on it together. She had everything in her purse, including her passport.

In the course of all my travel experiences, I still consider Ecuador the most dangerous place for tourists that I have visited.

 

[Options]

This is a timely thread as I just got back from Mexico in May, stored everything in the room safe, including cell, wallet, and passport whenever I left the room. Just this week I was quite surprised to read how less than secure hotel room safes actually are. My takeaway from what I read was that most hotel workers won't be savvy enough to compromise room safes, but hotel personnel in security, maintenance, and perhaps management might be.

Heres a review of variou solutions:

Tips For Carrying Money and Documents While Traveling - Detective Kevin Coffey

Regarding personal safety, after four decades in urban cities I know how to be quite menacing when the situation calls for it. Once in a train station in Paris a group of gypsies came and sat near me, and I immediately sensed trouble. I had read to be wary of these groups because they have many tactics to distract and rob. I gave them a look like many people would get a bruising if they got any closer (myself not included) and they moved away.

 

[audreyh1]

I don't take my purse off when out of my room in Europe. Never set it down anywhere.

We are so used to sitting our purses down anywhere in the US. I notice ladies leaving their purse in their shopping cart open, and even walking away!

I'm a little nervous about Nice and Barcelona. We made it through Paris and Vienna OK.

 

[Nemo2]

When I started traveling, 50++ years ago, the rule of thumb was "Never let your passport get out of your sight"....I guess that stuck.