Originally Posted by
escape4
So let's say I visit country XYZ, upon check-in I hand over my driver's license and when they insist I must show my passport, I answer that I left it at a friend's house several hundred miles away in that same country. Can they refuse me a room just because I do not have my passport? I understand hotels and immigration might prefer to have my passport as ID, but I have never heard that it is an absolute necessity otherwise I cannot stay in the hotel. But I have never tested this - maybe I should.
It will vary by country. Assuming your stay is more than 2-3 days long (and/ that you’re not a local resident), you’ll need to show a passport in countries including Russia, China and I believe Italy.