Do you use the Hotel Room Safe Overseas?

[Montecfo]

We use them for things like electronics, passports, extra credit card. No issues. But if I thought security might be an issue I would not stay there.

If there is not a safe we use other methods.

 

[marko]

Literally spent half my life in hotels in both the first and third world. Like anything else, if someone really wants to rob you they can but I never had a problem with room safes.

The better hotels will have a safe deposit box that only the manager can access from the lobby.

Tip: the night before we check out, I leave the room safe open after we're in for the night. If something goes haywire, I don't want to rely on some sleepy night manager kid at 5am trying to figure out how to open the safe where my valuables/passports are, when I'm trying to catch a plane.

The odds of your room safe getting pilfered are 1000 times less than "losing" your stuff out on the street IMO.

 

[Scuba]

I prefer to use the hotel safe vs leaving valuables in a suitcase, locked or not. We’ve never had anything go missing from a hotel safe. Certainly less likely than being pickpocketed in many major cities.

 

[Koolau]

The opposite for us, we put so much in there it's helpful! Jewelry, passports, wallets, no way we forget all that - and no chance of stuff in random drawers.

DH has a good "sweep" habit bordering on OCD whenever we leave a place, anyway.

OCD can be useful when traveling.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I often use the hotel safe for my laptop and valuables, though we rarely take any significant valuables. I prefer to keep my passport and credit cards with me but that is not because I don't trust hotel safes.

We had an interesting thing happen last summer in Saipan. We went to open the safe and it was dead. We were heading out for the evening so we stopped at the front desk and asked engineering to come and fix it while we were gone. They were NOT keen on opening the safe without us present but eventually agreed. So kudos to them I guess. When we returned it was working with the combination we had originally set. I'm pretty sure they just replaced the batteries but have no idea how they opened it with the electronics dead. So I'm suspicious there might be a mechanical release somehow, possibly activated with a tool from outside but I have no idea.

I tend to prefer nicer hotels, 4 star, so I tend to think they have decent security anywhere in the world. Although, living in Hawaii I have met a few people who worked security at 4-5 star resorts and man do they have stories to tell about guests. Let's just say murders, suicides, and domestic violence are far more common here than you might think and are rarely reported in the news media. But theft, other than petty theft of things in the pool area, is actually not common here. Of course it could be very common elsewhere.

 

[foxcreek9]

I have been using this for years, the small version.

Travelsafe® Anti-Theft Portable Safe (Available in 3 sizes)

Buy Travelsafe 3L GII portable safe includes a combination lock to help you protect your valuables while on-the-go. Shop Pacsafe for travel, commuting, and work essentials - over 20 years of protecting your stuff.

pacsafe.com

 

[marko]

I often use the hotel safe for my laptop and valuables, though we rarely take any significant valuables. I prefer to keep my passport and credit cards with me but that is not because I don't trust hotel safes.

We had an interesting thing happen last summer in Saipan. We went to open the safe and it was dead. We were heading out for the evening so we stopped at the front desk and asked engineering to come and fix it while we were gone. They were NOT keen on opening the safe without us present but eventually agreed. So kudos to them I guess. When we returned it was working with the combination we had originally set. I'm pretty sure they just replaced the batteries but have no idea how they opened it with the electronics dead. So I'm suspicious there might be a mechanical release somehow, possibly activated with a tool from outside but I have no idea.

Yes. See my post #27. This is why we leave the safe open the night before we check out.

IMO your passport is THE most valuable thing you have when traveling. Having been robbed a few times (once at knife point) on the street when traveling, I always keep it at the hotel.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Yes. See my post #27. This is why we leave the safe open the night before we check out.

IMO your passport is THE most valuable thing you have when traveling. Having been robbed a few times (once at knife point) on the street when traveling, I always keep it at the hotel.

Yes, and I agree your passport is the most valuable thing you have when traveling. But many countries technically require you to have your passport with you when out and about so there are varied opinions about whether you should carry it or lock it in the hotel room. I personally have never been stopped and asked for my passport. Hotels usually ask for it at check-in but I think that's the only time I've been asked except at border crossings.

I had an Australian colleague who had his passport stolen in the 1970s and when we were traveling together in the mid 1990s he was still on a "red flag" list at immigration when he traveled. Having your passport stolen is definitely not something you want to happen! I have no idea if things have gotten better now that biometrics are a bigger factor but I'd hate to find out the hard way!

 

[rodi]

For those keeping your passport in the safe, don't do this in Italy. You are required to carry it and produce it if asked, when out and about. We found this out in La Spezia, Italy... Had to wait 20 minutes while il polizia checked out our passports and the ID cards of some locals. I was so freaked out I took a picture of the cops in case it was a scam

 

[CaliKid]

I don't see the difference between traveling in Europe v. the US!? In terms of "safety" they seem about the same.

Putting that aside, as mentioned above, hotel safes don't seem to offer much protection. As mentioned you can look on Youtube if you get locked out. Lol.

Having said that I have used hotel safes a few times but it really feels like a wasted effort. A false sense of security like living in a gated neighborhood (though I do live in one of those).

I don't carry much cash, keep my passport with me when traveling abroad, and if someone steals my laptop or tablet or whatever I'll go to the store and get another one.

 

[Lsbcal]

When in Europe I have one of those pouches that is very thin and attaches to my belt and goes down the leg. DW has a purse designed to carry valuables and she always wears it cross body. In the US my wallet is always in my front pocket.

For CC's we have one I use and another backup one that DW carries. Same with bank ATM cash withdrawal cards.

In Europe we just travel with iPhones so no laptops or such to protect. DW does not take much jewelery.

 

[audreyh1]

If we carry our passports when out it’s under our clothes in a pouch.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Sicily, the boat bursar keeps all passports during the cruise.

 

[marko]

For those keeping your passport in the safe, don't do this in Italy. You are required to carry it and produce it if asked, when out and about. We found this out in La Spezia, Italy... Had to wait 20 minutes while il polizia checked out our passports and the ID cards of some locals. I was so freaked out I took a picture of the cops in case it was a scamView attachment 54788

I think carrying a passport in Italy is a new thing since Shengen. I lived in an Italian beach town for a few summers pre-Shengen and my US driver's license was good enough for whatever minor infractions I might have committed.

One thing that is always a good idea is to have a photo copy of your passport in your luggage.

 

[brett]

Always. Does matter where we are, what country we happen to be in.

We have 'travel' jewelry that includes inexpensive plastic watches, costume jewelry. On some trips DW has left rings at home.

We only keep about $20. in local currency in our battered wallets. Last thing we want to do is pull out at bunch of cash or credit cards for everyone. The rest stays in our neck pouch under our shirt/top.

In 50 years of travel I have been pick pocketed twice. Once in Rome on the 160 bus. They got 5 euro in cash, an old wallet, and my corporate amex card. Next time was 30 years later in Athens. They got 15 euro, an old wallet, and a very old photo of my daughter. IF my DL had been in that wallet I would have been hooped. I had five different car rentals arranged for our seven week trip.

DW and I carry different credit cards for cash access. Two or three each because sometimes one or two do not work in ATMs for whatever reason. Happened to us last year in back of beyond Morocco.

It is quite normal for us to have our passports taken by the cruise ship, ferry boat, etc, or overnight by a hotel. Not a big isssue but we are used to the procedure.

 

[Car-Guy]

I only travel in the US these days and I use the safes even though I know most hotel employees can open them. I usually keep my sidearm in the safes (when I'm in an area they are not allowed) but carry my cash in my pockets.