Travel Abroad

Applying for a passport

You need a full ten-year passport to travel anywhere abroad. Apply in plenty of time to the UK Passport Office, online, or via a Post Office that issues passports.

If you need a passport urgently (less than 2 weeks) you can apply in person at the regional passport office in Peterborough but you must ring the advice line first to make an appointment.

Make sure that your passport is valid for the whole of your trip. Some countries require a passport to be valid for a minimum period (usually at least six months) beyond the date of entry to the country.

Contacts and Helplines

UK Passport Service Advice Line
0870 521 0410

Peterborough Passport Office
Aragon Court, Northminster Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire,
PE1 1QG

Visas

If you plan to travel outside the EU you may require a visa to enter the country you are going to.

For all visa enquiries contact the Consulate or Embassy of the country you plan to visit.

Passport Tips

• Make a note of your passport number, date and place of issue, and keep separately in a safe place.
• Check your passport expiry date.
• Complete the Next of Kin details at the back.
• Leave a photocopy of your passport with a friend or relative at home.
• Take a second means of photo ID with you.
• Keep your passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy with you.
• If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, contact the nearest British Consulate or Embassy immediately for advice.

Travel Insurance

You need travel insurance to cover you for Illness, injury or theft of money, luggage or documents.

Some airlines will refuse to let you fly unless you have adequate travel insurance.

E111

If travelling within the EU you are entitled to receive free or reduced-cost medical care. To get this you will need a completed E111 form, available free from the Post Office or your Travel Agent. This is not an alternative to travel insurance, for example it will not cover you for all medical costs or for getting home. In 2006 the E111 will be replaced by the European Health Insurance Card.

Youth Travel Cards and Passes

If you can save enough for a trip there are a whole range of discount cards and passes such as ISIC (International Student Identity Card) and IYTC (International Youth Travel Card), Inter-Rail Pass, EuroDomino youth pass (12-25), ScanRail and France Railpass

Safety Abroad

Photocopy all your documents.
This includes passport details, flight tickets, hotel booking - anything with your name on it, and make two copies. One set to leave at home, in case family need to come to your rescue, one set to take with you - and keep separate from the real thing.

Email yourself

Set up a web-based account (one you can access from any computer such as Hotmail or Yahoo) and mail yourself any info you may need in an emergency - i.e. insurance help lines, address of the British consular where you're staying, emergency numbers for lost or stolen cards. That way, you can access it all from a cyber cafe if you lose documents.

Know the law

You might assume that it's OK to drink or buy drugs, simply because there appears to be a lot of it about, but many countries have harsh penalties for this sort of thing.

Pack your own bag

When it comes to passing through Customs, you are responsible for anything on you - so don't accept strange packages, no matter what persuasive story you hear, or let someone else mess with your luggage.

Be money-wise

Consider taking some of your cash in traveller's cheques - if these get lost or stolen, all you have to do is phone your bank to get them cancelled, and a new set sent. Also consider splitting up your money (keeping some in the hotel safe and some in your pocket).

Personal Safety

Follow all the same personal safety guidelines that you would at home as well as paying particular attention to any cultural differences and different laws in the country you are travelling in.

Travel Health Basics

• Make sure you're up to date with regular health and dental checks before you go. If you're on any medication remember to consult your doctor, and take a bit more away with you than you need.
• Make sure your regular vaccinations are all correct, and find out whether you need any special ones for any countries you are visiting.
• Pack a small medical kit containing painkillers, insect repellent, sticking plasters, sun block, and antiseptic. You may also want to take travel sickness medication and water purification tablets. Women should think about taking remedies for thrush and cystitis if they're going to hot countries.
• Think carefully about food and drink safety, avoid overdoing the drink and getting dehydrated.
• Use common sense in the sun.
• If you think you may have sex whilst away take plenty of good quality condoms with you (look for a kite-mark symbol on the packet) because they may not be so reliable or easily available where you’re going.

 

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Last Updated: 04-Jul-2007