Re: Sunday I reentered America at LAX and US Immigration "entry stamped" my US Passport.

"PTRAVEL" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Ramon Miquel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > PTRAVEL wrote:
> > > "Paul O" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >
> > >>And, unlike the U.S., they know every
> > >>hotel I've stayed in, as my passport is taken from me and the
> information
> > >>recorded and forwarded to the local police department.  I don't fear the
> > >>procedure, or resent it.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>What twaddle - very few European countries take passport information and
> > >>forward it to the Police Station.
> > >
> > >
> > > Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, and the Czech
> > > Republic are all countries in which hotels have taken my passport and
> > > recorded the information.
>
> Well, _I'm_ sorry, but I just returned from Italy on Sunday.  My passport
> was taken and information recorded at hotels in Milan, Venezia, Firenzi,
> Luca, San Gimignano, Siena and Rome.  And I've been in France, Spain,
> Germany, Austria and Belgium within the last three years, and my passport
> was taken, and information recorded, at every hotel I stayed at in those
> countries as well.  These hotels varied from 3-star to 5-star.
>
In the past three years I (a UK citizen) have travelled in the company of a
friend (a US Citizen) in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria and
Switzerland and neither of us has ever been asked for a Passport. (It was
requested of me on a trip to Spain several years ago). The establishments ranged
from the Fawlty Towers type of place to 4-star.

JohnT