Passport card?

[Gardenarian]

I'm renewing my passport and getting one for dd, and there is an option to get a passport card.
Are passport cards a useful addition when traveling abroad?
It would be nice to not have to always be pulling out a passport, but to have something small to keep in my wallet.

I'd love to hear if anyone has experience with these.

[herbgeek]

I thought the cards were only good for Canada and Mexico, but I could be mistaken.

[Alan]

I'm not up-to-date on the subject, although I believe herbgeek is right, the cards are for easy access in/out of bordering countries. I'm interested in a more detailed understanding though as our passports have expired and we're going to be renewing soon.

[Spartana]

From Wikipedia: The passport card (previously known as the People Access Security Service Card, or PASS Card) is an alternative to a passport produced in the United States to meet the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document, issued to U.S. citizens and non-citizen nationals,[1] that can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international air travel.

I just renewed my passport too and it was a very quick process even if you've had one that expired less than 12 years ago. If it expired longer ago than 12 years, then you have to go thru a more rigorous process. Otherwise you just mail in a new form and photo (dear God please never let me go missing so that they won't show my horrible passport photo on the news!!) and your old expired passport and that's it.

FYI - If anyone wants to travel with their dog thru out Europe, there is a "Pet Passport" that can be used when travelling between EU countries so your pet doesn't have to go thru quarantine with each new country you enter. But you first need to get the dog into Europe and, depending on what country you first enter, you'll have to abide by that countries rules on allowing pets in.

[bUU]

I think they are really best suited to folks for whom international travel involves beach vacations or cruises. It was from a cruise line that I first heard about them. The limitations seemed too onerous to consider, given that I may have need to travel to London for a conference, or Germany to visit corporate headquarters.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I have a passport card and they are great if you are doing simple cross the border trips on foot - such as my trips to Mexico for health care. Or other people's such trips for pills or dental work or crafts - there are some interesting crafts to be had in Mexico too, a fact I have never seemed to have mentioned. If I were going further south than the border, I'd take my passport, though. Rob

[Spartana]

Rob - Does using a Passport card get you thru customs coming out of Mexico any faster? I use to go to TJ a lot (walk in) but it takes so long to go thru customs on re-entry (and even longer if you drive) that I quit going.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Spartana - you are braver than me by far! I avoid Tijuana - it's on my list of places that I'm just more comfortable avoiding. For a big city in Baja California, I'm much more comfortable with Mexicali due to the relative lack of cartel gore - but this is just me. As far as getting through customs any faster - nope, same line, same questions, same inspections, same everything. I bought the passport card when I had my passport itself renewed - these were gifts I gave myself with Obama's making work pay tax credit from a few years back. Rob

[Spartana]

Well I'm not really that brave as I usually just pas thru TJ on my way to someplace nicer - like Rosarita beach. I have gone in via the Mexicali route and it was quicker coming out but it is out of my way. Too bad about the Passport Card though as I thought it might be like those passes you can get for frequent fliers so they can bypass the security lines at airports.