|
The travails of travelling...  MALCOLM
ROGERS looks at some of the panics which can beset you on the way to the
airport, and some possible remedies.
Forgotten passports
No matter how nicely you smile, you won’t get to mainland Europe
without a passport.
If you’re headed for Ireland from Britain, or vice versa, technically
speaking no ID is required, as both countries are part of the Common Travel
Area.
In practice, if you’re going by plane, photo ID will be required.
Travelling by ferry between Ireland and Britain is a bit of a grey area,
with different ferry companies giving different answers as to what they
require by way of ID.
If heading for anywhere else and you’ve forgotten your passport,
you’ve a couple of options.
In London, the safest, quickest option is a bike courier.
City Bikes (020 7735 4888) www.citybikes.biz needs 20 minutes to pick
up a passport from central London and another 45 minutes to get it to
Heathrow (from £39).
For elsewhere DHL (0870 588 8555, www.dhl.com) operates an instant same-day
service, available nationwide: A 30km trip costs from £45.
But remember check cut-off times for check-in, which vary from 30 to 60
minutes.
If you mislay your passport on the return journey, it usually takes Irish
embassies one full working day to provide the temporary travel documents
you need to get home.
The same time-scale would apply to the British Foreign Office.
- Helpful hint: If you’re eligible, why not carry a British and
an Irish passport?
It might go against the grain to carry a document saying you’re
a subject and not a citizen but it could have real benefits.
Keep them in totally separate places and you’ll never be stuck.
Some hotels take your passport from you when you check in.
Legally (in some countries) they are within their rights to do so.
However, it is not unknown for these to be used as a ransom against disputed
bills etc.
Carrying two passports makes you immune to this.
At the very least, carry a photocopy of your passport
Forgotten tickets
If you have an e-ticket, all you need at check-in is your passport or
for Irish-British flights a photo ID such as a driving licence.
Strict immigration procedures, however, mean that some airlines —
such as Virgin — insist that you also show your receipt on flights
to the US.
You can print it off at the ticket desk free of charge — but there’s
often a queue.
If you forget a paper ticket it’s not quite so straightforward as
your details aren’t stored on airlines’ computer systems in
the same way.
If there’s time, passengers can get their ticket reissued for about
£20.
But be aware that some airlines can only reissue tickets if bought from
certain agents and these must be faxed to the airport — with time
running out.
- Helpful hint: Try to book online whenever possible.
Issue yourself with several tickets at home — ie, print out a few
tickets, especially if you’ve checked in online.
Forgotten glasses
Only one Irish or British airport has an on-site optician — David
Cullow, in Heathrow Terminal 3.
He’ll get a copy of your prescription glasses faxed over and whip
you up a tax-free Prada pair in as little as 15 minutes.
Otherwise, Specsavers can fax a copy of your prescription to an optician
abroad.
- Helpful hint: Most chemists at airports carry emergency non-prescription
glasses for around the £10 mark.
Forgotten pills
If you’ve left behind medication requiring a prescription, you’ll
need a chemist with a proper pharmacy attached.
You’ll find these at Dublin, Belfast International, Heathrow, Gatwick,
Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester airports.
Pharmacists can prescribe an emergency supply of certain medicines —
one pack of beta blockers, for example.
They can also request your prescription to be faxed from your doctor.
Certain malaria tablets can also be purchased over the counter.
- Helpful hint: Remember, if something is vital to your holiday —
whether it’s pills or documents, DON’T PACK THEM IN YOUR CHECKED
IN LUGGAGE. Always carry them in your hand luggage.
Forgotten money
There are no banks at any Irish or British airports, only ATMs, so if
you forget your cards you’ll have to wait until you reach your destination.
HSBC has branches in France, Brazil and the US where you can withdraw
cash using your passport — but this may take a few days.
Most banks can arrange for money and a new card to be transferred but
this takes 48 hours.
- Helpful hint: In an emergency try Western Union www.westernunion.co.uk
who have 300,000 agents worldwide.
For a fee, someone at home can transfer money to you within minutes. |
