Comments on: Packing Part 7: passport & money

By: Ant Stone

Ant Stone — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:01:08 +0000

Good tips. I lost my passport, credit cards and all my cash in one foul swoop in Jakarta and it is not a good experience at all! Not to mention, your travel insurance won’t cover you for most of it either — for example, if you only have 2 years left on a ten year passport, you’ll only get paid for the remaining value of that passport (i.e. 20%).

By: Francoise

Francoise — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:52:55 +0000

Thanks for the tip! Good to know about the uselessness of travelers cheques in Panama…I’ve never had issue with TC’s in the Mid East or Europe. Always good have an idea of how easy or not it will be the cash them before leaving.

Totally agree with the importance of concealing the money-belt! What’s the point of a money-belt if it’s being used like a regular wallet and just thrown in a day bag…I’ve seen a few brave souls wearing them outside their clothing like a fanny pack!

By: stilloutthere

stilloutthere — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:15:51 +0000

In some places it is impossible to cash travelers checks, or the fees are ridiculously high. I could find nowhere to cash American Express TCs in Panama City, Panama. I don’t carry them any more.

By: stilloutthere

stilloutthere — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:11:48 +0000

Keep your passport and your immunization record in a plastic bag. Getting it wet because you are hot and sweaty or got caught in a torrential downpour will cause you a lot of trouble, especiallly if you have one of the new passports with an electronic chip in it. I just met someone who had to get (and pay for) a new passport when hers was just a couple of years old because the chip had been damaged by sweat.

There are times when it is better to keep your passport in your pack. For instance, in Mexico the night buses to Palenque are robbed frequently. The police patrol often enough that the theifs doen’t have time to deal with the stuff in the luggage compartment, and just take what you have on your body. If that includes your passport, it goes. Ask around.

One other point. It isn’t the moneybelt that keeps your passport safe, it’s wearing it on your body in a place that is difficult to reach. I cringe every time I see someone dig a money belt out of a daypack. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve known who have lost their passport because they stuck in their daypack because it would be more comfortable.