Foreign Travel Is a Dream – Losing Your Passport a Nightmare

I am sorry anyone would have to go through this, but appreciate this article very much as during my last trip I noticed I was more anxious about having ID ready along with my boarding pass and going through security with my carry ons. I did not want to admit to myself this was stressful, so I was happy to read all of the great advice which I will use. HoweverI have decided for my next trip I will happily pay the $35 or $40 each way to check a bag and my carry on will only be my purse with the few things I need for the flight. My other travel rule will be not to allow the guy behind me in the security line to rush me through with his huffing and puffing and rushing I will take my time collecting my things.

Make sure to make several copies of your passport and credit cards (front and Back) that you will be taking with you. Keep one set of all copies at home or give to a trusted person in case you need to call them. Take copies in your luggage as well (I lock a set inside each bag checked in a secure place within the luggage). Also keep a copy in your purse somewhere. You just cannot be too careful and yes take your time in security but also keep your eyes on your things, You do not want someone at the other end of the security line to grab your items while you are still being scanned, etc.

I consider myself a pretty savvy traveler, but was scammed.
I was on a trip with two friends, and they were watching my luggage (this was at the Venice airport) while I went to get local money. A woman tapped my friends on their backs, and asked, in heavily-accented English, if they could help her. When they instinctively turned around, another person grabbed two pieces of my luggage and fled the airport. It happened so fast - of course, my passport was inside one of the carry-on bags they were guarding. Had to take a train to Milan to get a new temporary passport - couldn't do it in Venice. Took an entire day.

So, even if you think you are being careful, watch out!

I learned the lesson of making a copy of your passport when I went to Italy on a group tour many years ago. My roommate got her wallet stolen in Verona and her passport was in it. Luckily she was a very organized person and had made copies of her passport and credit cards. Still, she had to go to the American consulate in Naples and was there for most of the day.

Some great tips here. I make copies of passport, credit cards, and carry extra passport pictures for the two of us, as well as leave copies with someone at home. I also wear a money/passport holder under my clothes. We led student tours outside of the U.S. for years and required copies of passports be given to us which would be locked in hotel safes. Occasionally a parent or student would lose their passport, and one of us would have to take a day to head to embassy and help individual get a new passport. Not fun! The last straw for me was the 16 year old girl who had lost her passport in Ireland, got a new one with my husband taking a day from the tour, and then when in Shannon Airport, left her new passport in a bathroom stall! Fortunately I used the stall next, and found the passport. No, I didn’t hold onto it until she noticed it was gone, but sometimes I wish I had, LOL.

Dear Jan and all other savvy (or not so) travelers: Yes, we had that same scam happen to us when we were in Madrid. There was even a specific line on the police report: Theft by Distraction. In our case it took four for the scene to play out: one to get my husband's attention, one to make me turn my head away to see what the devil he was up to, one to do the actual theft, and me -- the poor distracted schmuck.

We got our backpack back that evening because we had a copy of our itinerary in the bag and someone actually found the bag and took the time to look through it. Our daughter, who was doing a semester abroad in Madrid said that "all Spaniards are very nosy" so of course they had to see what was in the bag. (Good tip! Put your itinerary in all bags). All that was missing was about $20 in Spanish money, our lunch and a paperback. The thieves missed $1500 worth of train tickets which could have been turned in for cash!

Makes a great story, doesn't it.

Before you ck your luggage, snap a pic on your phone.

I do a lot of overseas business travel.. suggest emailing yourself copies of your passport (including visa pages) and vaccination card, and have those pics on any smartphone/iPad you’re traveling with. Share them with your traveling companions. Include any immigration card you receive upon entrance. if everything is lost/stolen you can retrieve the copies by logging into your email from a computer (taking normal access precautions).