Do you own a passport?

[radar8756]

We moved to Michigan in 1986 and all you needed to cross over to Canada was a Drivers License ... then 9/11 happened requirements were upgraded to Passport ... but Border States like Michigan could issue True ID Drivers License (for a extra $40) which allowed Ground Crossing ( No Plane or Boat ) ... so next renewal we paid the extra ... came with a RFID chip & a sleeve to prevent it being scanned unless you took it out .... then 2010 move to Indiana - which took the Michigan DL and required Extra paperwork to just get a plain Indiana DL ... with NO RFID

 

[1911ly]

I've been to Mexico and Canada. But that was post the need for a passport. I always wanted to take my mom to Belgium (that is where her mom was born). Sadly her health was failing before I could afford to take her there.

I really can't think of any country's I really want to visit at the moment except maybe to France to shake the hand of our French brother. I'd like to see some of the great places he has shared with us.

Sylvain, French by birth with American in his heart!

 

[Scuba591]

Mexico, Canada, Bonaire and all over the Caribbean... the Philippines twice, Indonesia this year, England, Scotland I know
i have that darn thing somewhere... now where did I leave it?

 

[Sylvain]

I've been to Mexico and Canada. But that was post the need for a passport. I always wanted to take my mom to Belgium (that is where her mom was born). Sadly her health was failing before I could afford to take her there.

I really can't think of any country's I really want to visit at the moment except maybe to France to shake the hand of our French brother. I'd like to see some of the great places he has shared with us.

Sylvain, French by birth with American in his heart!

I've been to Belgium a bunch of times.
It doesnt feel like it's a foreign country to me since I don't have to stop at the border, don't need a passport and they speak the same language.
I can also use the same currency.
Great food and great people.

 

[rob63]

FWIW, here is a summation of my experiences regarding customs and passports while traveling Europe last May.

US to England to Belgium by airplane; passport required, asked a bunch of questions by a Belgium customs official in Brussels before allowed entry. I was surprised that she had never heard of Ieper, and didn't seem to be aware that there are WWI sites in Belgium.

Belgium to England by train; passport required, asked a whole bunch of questions by an English customs official in Brussels before allowed on the train. I mean a whole lot of questions, so many that I was beginning to wonder if they were going to let me in. She was finally happy when I told her I am retired, that was like the magic password.

England to Spain by airplane; passport required, went through customs in Barcelona, but not asked anything.

Spain to France by airplane; passport to get on plane, but no customs or questions.

France to Italy by train; passport required once on train, but no customs or questions.

Keep in mind there were usually separate lines for Europeans and non-Europeans so presumably the experience would be different depending upon the line. Also, I was traveling by myself the two times I was grilled, so that may have been a part of it.

 

[Sylvain]

FWIW, here is a summation of my experiences regarding customs and passports while traveling Europe last May.

US to England to Belgium by airplane; passport required, asked a bunch of questions by a Belgium customs official in Brussels before allowed entry. I was surprised that she had never heard of Ieper, and didn't seem to be aware that there are WWI sites in Belgium.

Belgium to England by train; passport required, asked a whole bunch of questions by an English customs official in Brussels before allowed on the train. I mean a whole lot of questions, so many that I was beginning to wonder if they were going to let me in. She was finally happy when I told her I am retired, that was like the magic password.

England to Spain by airplane; passport required, went through customs in Barcelona, but not asked anything.

Spain to France by airplane; passport to get on plane, but no customs or questions.

France to Italy by train; passport required once on train, but no customs or questions.

Keep in mind there were usually separate lines for Europeans and non-Europeans so presumably the experience would be different depending upon the line. Also, I was traveling by myself the two times I was grilled, so that may have been a part of it.

You're probably right about that.
I've been thru the British customs a few times, both at the airport and when arriving by boat (also by train), and was never asked any question.
Not even how long I was planning to stay or what I was going to do in the country.
I was just asked for passport or ID card.

I drove to all the other European countries I visited so I never even seen a custom officer when crossing the border.

You don't even have to stop or slow down at most border crossings.

I was just stopped by French customs on the highway one time shortly after leaving the airport in Paris.
I told the officer I had already been searched at the airport (it was true and he believed me) and he just asked me what country I had just visited.

I answered "United States" and he just told me I was free to go (he didn't even check the stamp on my passport to see if it was true, or asked for any ID).Merica!
I guess if I had said "Columbia" he might have searched the car.

Another time when coming back from Chicago to Paris I was asked by the French custom officer "Why are you wearing gloves?" I didn't realized it wasn't as cold as Chicago and had put my gloves on when getting off the plane.
I just told him it was freaking cold in Chicago, to which he replied "Oh, is it?" and gave me my passport back.

 

[CSK22]

I did, no idea if its expired, I assume it is.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I have a passport card from a hiking trip into Mexico. It expires this year, and I doubt I'll renew it.

 

[jdmack79]

My passport is getting full. Almost time for a new one!

 

[Sylvain]

My passport is getting full. Almost time for a new one!

That's pretty cool Jd!
Do you need to keep the old one with all your stamps?

I think over here they had to destroy the old one if you renew it.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Nope... don't know that I'll ever leave the country.

 

[jdmack79]

That's pretty cool Jd!
Do you need to keep the old one with all your stamps?

I think over here they had to destroy the old one if you renew it.

You have to send in the old one when renewing, but I believe that they mail it back to you.

 

[CampingJosh]

Nope... don't know that I'll ever leave the country.

You ought to. There's a lot to see and a lot of people to meet.

Some of the people in this world who have taught me the most live on different continents.

 

[gregkl]

You have to send in the old one when renewing, but I believe that they mail it back to you.

They do. The punch a hole in it so you can't use it but you can keep it.

 

[Sylvain]

Some of the people in this world who have taught me the most live on different continents.

Same.

 

[Expat]

I have been to Canada and Mexico but never needed one.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I've been to Belgium a bunch of times.
It doesnt feel like it's a foreign country to me since I don't have to stop at the border, don't need a passport and they speak the same language.
I can also use the same currency.
Great food and great people.

I feel the same way when I go to Michigan.

 

[KittySlayer]

They do. The punch a hole in it so you can't use it but you can keep it.

If it were me I would throw the expired, hole punched passport it in my suitcase when traveling out of the country. This would be my backup ID if I were to lose my current passport and wallet while traveling out of the country. While the expired passport would not be valid to travel with I feel like when I showed up at the US Embassy to sort out my lost passport being able to hand them my formerly valid passport would be a great starting point. The alternative is standing there at the embassy desk saying, "Hi, I'm Billy Bob and this is my wife/cousin Daisy Duke. We lost our passports and all our ID's and we want to get back home to Kentucky. Can you help me?"

 

[JettaKnight]

If it were me I would throw the expired, hole punched passport it in my suitcase when traveling out of the country. This would be my backup ID if I were to lose my current passport and wallet while traveling out of the country. While the expired passport would not be valid to travel with I feel like when I showed up at the US Embassy to sort out my lost passport being able to hand them my formerly valid passport would be a great starting point. The alternative is standing there at the embassy desk saying, "Hi, I'm Billy Bob and this is my wife/cousin Daisy Duke. We lost our passports and all our ID's and we want to get back home to Kentucky. Can you help me?"

Hmm, never thought about that. I always make several photocopies of all our docs.

 

[spencer rifle]

Hmm, never thought about that. I always make several photocopies of all our docs.

We ALWAYS have color photocopies of our passports in our checked luggage and our hotel rooms, usually hidden in obscure places. And we ALWAYS carry our passports around our necks or waists in special holders, along with our cash.