Lost my passport in a hostel in Prague. Nightmare.

Was in Prague last summer. Staying at a big hostel near the square. Got back late from a pub crawl. Next morning my passport wasn't in my bag. Must have left it out. Panicked hard. Had to go to the embassy. Cost me $150 for an emergency replacement. Plus missed my train to Vienna. Has anyone dealt with a lost passport abroad? How'd you handle it?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana_fox507d ago

That happened to me in Budapest two years ago and I swear it took years off my life. I left my passport in the locker at my hostel and some guy turned it in to the front desk thank god, but I didn't know that for like six hours. I was running around the city, went to the police station, the embassy was closed for the weekend, it was a total mess. I had a flight to Barcelona the next morning and I was convinced I was going to miss it and lose all that money on the flight and the Airbnb. The stress is real, man, it's not just some $150 fee when you're stuck in a foreign country and nobody speaks your language and you're trying to figure out what to do. I ended up getting it back but I still think about that day sometimes when I'm trying to sleep. It's literally your identity in a little booklet and when it's gone you feel completely naked and helpless.

nathanj5610d ago

Really though, is losing a passport the end of the world? You pay a fee and get a new one in a day, it's not like you're stranded on a desert island. A $150 mistake and a missed train sounds pretty standard for a travel screw up, not a nightmare. People act like it's some huge crisis when it's just an expensive hassle.

emery_lopez10d ago

You say "a $150 mistake and a missed train sounds pretty standard" but @nathanj56, that depends entirely on WHERE you lose it. Lose your passport in a remote part of Vietnam or Peru and suddenly that "standard" screw up turns into a multi-day nightmare at some tiny consulate that's only open three hours a week. Plus, if you've got connecting flights booked or a visa that's tied to that specific passport number, you're not just out $150 and a missed train... you're stuck rescheduling an entire trip and possibly losing non-refundable accommodations. Not everyone travels on a cushy EU passport with fast-track replacement either. Some nationalities have to wait weeks for a new one, even with emergency appointments.