[slackline]

No. They wont let you out of the country without it now.. you used to be able to blag it with a driving licence getting out of the UK but not now..

Wife (girlfriend at the time) travelled to Zakynthos on an expired passport (around eight months lapsed) as she'd stupidly assumed that it was valid as her mother kept hold of it back then (around 14-15 years ago and about the first time she was travelling anywhere without her parents).

It wasn't even opened and inspected by border patrol when leaving the country or entering Greece.  All before security went nuts though, and it didn't stop it ruining the holiday to some extent due to her worrying that she wouldn't be allowed to leave the island/back into the UK.

Good luck in the final hunt/trip to Liverpool shark.

[Fiend]

Pretty sure I got mine done in a day at L'pool. Hardest part was getting parked near passport office? Went to The Breck in the meantime....

[rosmat]

You've still got time to get one in person... (a major pain in the arse I know.. but thinking positive etc..)

 

Quick google last night suggested that wasnt an option but I see now it can be done.

 

Shark, be aware that you can't just turn up at the passport office "drop in style" anymore. You need to book an appointment with them first. You should be able to get one at short notice at this time of year.

Passport Adviceline for appts: Tel 0300 222 0000

I had to do this in December - similiar scenario to yours.

Good luck.

[andy popp]

Pretty sure I got mine done in a day at L'pool. Hardest part was getting parked near passport office? Went to The Breck in the meantime....

Passport office 5 mins from the Hangar too. Shark, am about in Liverpool tomorrow if logistical support needed.

[tomtom]

Pretty sure I got mine done in a day at L'pool. Hardest part was getting parked near passport office? Went to The Breck in the meantime....

Passport office 5 mins from the Hangar too. Shark, am about in Liverpool tomorrow if logistical support needed.

Bingo! Training session with the added bonus of getting your passport done! (just forget about the drive...)

[Richie Crouch]

park at the climbing hangar for free, then get the train from sandhills to Moorfields station in sub 5 mins. Walk rightwards out of the station on to Old Hall street and the passport office is about 2 mins up on your left.

Alternatively you can park outside Awesome walls and just walk back into town down Greater Howard Street and across the junction on to Old Hall street (past the BMW dealer).

[SA Chris]

I have a copy of my passport but that can't be valid for flying with can it ?

No, but it makes the process of getting replacements a hell of a lot easier.

[Muenchener]

I once lost my passport, or had it stolen, in Manchester airport somewhere between going through security with it, and arriving at the gate where there was a second passport check without it. Lucky for me there was a second passport check at the gate, otherwise I would have found myself landing in Germany with no Papiere. Also lucky that I was on my way back to work and not going on holiday.

With a crime report from the airport police and a plane ticket dated yesterday I had no problem getting "emergency" same day service at the Liverpool passport office the next day. Had a nice walk round the Tate while I was waiting.

[shark]

Cheers guys,

The earliest appointment I could get for Liverpool was 2.30pm which they said meant the best case scenario was picking up the passport the following morning at 10.30am.

Consequently I booked for Durham tomorrow at 8.30am  .  So if I go will need to set off at 4am and I've already got the forms and photos from the post office. A 234mile round trip and £128 for something that's probably lurking somewhere 30seconds from where I'm sitting. How did the world get to be this way? 

A client has also emailed to confirm a fairly lucrative assignment which I could/should be getting on with and biscuit has said its no hassle if I dip out as he's got plenty of people to climb with.

What to do?

 

[nik at work]

Stay home and make cash so Biscuit can come and climb with me in Costa Blanca (this may not constitute impartial advice )

[tomtom]

Go to Spain. The passport money is not all wasted as your new passport will last 10 years etc..
Work is Work. Climbing is Climbing
and Sun... you might actually see some....

[nai]

A 234mile round trip and £128 for something that's probably lurking somewhere 30seconds from where I'm sitting. How did the world get to be this way? 

Have you seen it since you moved?
Did this trip to Swansea happen in this car or the old one?
Have you found the rest of the family's passports?

[tomtom]

A 234mile round trip and £128 for something that's probably lurking somewhere 30seconds from where I'm sitting. How did the world get to be this way? 

Have you seen it since you moved?
Did this trip to Swansea happen in this car or the old one?
Have you found the rest of the family's passports?

Have you considered giving your children a £20 reward for finding it? (christ, I'm turning Tory... outsourcing etc..)

[shark]

A 234mile round trip and £128 for something that's probably lurking somewhere 30seconds from where I'm sitting. How did the world get to be this way? 

Have you seen it since you moved?Yes (90% sure)
Did this trip to Swansea happen in this car or the old one? New one
Have you found the rest of the family's passports? Yes

Good thoughts.

[abarro81]

You own 2 houses - screw the money, sack off the work and go climbing!

[fatdoc]

 


Good luck with that mate

[duncan]

I've some useful passport advice here from dealing with Students who lose their passports while abroad (from our field trips) about getting back without a passport. In the Spanish airport (where its happened to us at ie student says errr.. left my passport at the Hotel) importantly say you've lost your passport at the airport. This means its dealt with in the airport, by the airport police otherwise they will bat you on to external police and you'll have to find the counsul etc.. (and probably miss your flight). This seems to be a really important distinction about how its dealt with and makes a big difference (according to the holiday rep(s) we've dealt with about this...). We always keep a photocopy of the passport photo page of the students who go, but while that helps, they really want to see some photo ID (driving licence) to let you out of the country (spain again). I tihnk this is also really important for the security of matching the passenger to the ID etc.. for the flight. Once landed in the UK - assuming you have photo ID, and dont look dodgy - it seems to take about 30-40 min of phone calls, form filling etc.. and then they let you back in..

Recent direct personal experience suggests none of this works.  No passport meant no flight. I had photo ID and reported the loss to the airport police first.  Spent two extra days in Tenerife waiting for the consulate to open.

Good luck shark - of course you should go.  If you take multiple flights a year for decades eventually something of this nature is bound to happen (ask Toby about his passport incident some time).  Just amortize the debt over all those other flights.  Or something.

[tomtom]

I've some useful passport advice here from dealing with Students who lose their passports while abroad (from our field trips) about getting back without a passport. In the Spanish airport (where its happened to us at ie student says errr.. left my passport at the Hotel) importantly say you've lost your passport at the airport. This means its dealt with in the airport, by the airport police otherwise they will bat you on to external police and you'll have to find the counsul etc.. (and probably miss your flight). This seems to be a really important distinction about how its dealt with and makes a big difference (according to the holiday rep(s) we've dealt with about this...). We always keep a photocopy of the passport photo page of the students who go, but while that helps, they really want to see some photo ID (driving licence) to let you out of the country (spain again). I tihnk this is also really important for the security of matching the passenger to the ID etc.. for the flight. Once landed in the UK - assuming you have photo ID, and dont look dodgy - it seems to take about 30-40 min of phone calls, form filling etc.. and then they let you back in..

Recent direct personal experience suggests none of this works.  No passport meant no flight. I had photo ID and reported the loss to the airport police first.  Spent two extra days in Tenerife waiting for the consulate to open.

Good luck shark - of course you should go.  If you take multiple flights a year for decades eventually something of this nature is bound to happen (ask Toby about his passport incident some time).  Just amortize the debt over all those other flights.  Or something.

This worked for us two years ago - in Tenerife to be exact... though we did have a photocopy of the students passport as well...

You can also have two passports at the same time... its not heavily advertised, but if you ask you can. Its especially useful if you travel to certain middle eastern countries as well as the US of A... I nearly had to do this in 2006 when my passport had to go away to get a Chinese visa and I had to go to France and Germany during this period.. in the end I got the Visa done in 24 hours and it was all OK...

[shark]

Good luck shark - of course you should go.  If you take multiple flights a year for decades eventually something of this nature is bound to happen (ask Toby about his passport incident some time).  Just amortize the debt over all those other flights.  Or something.

Decision made. Maybe my priorities are wrong but I'm not going. It was meant to be an inexpensive, simple trip and was turning into the opposite.

[Wood FT]

Just smash the eastside trav instead

[shark]

Just smash the eastside trav instead

Fucked off with that too

Think I will just go and crawl under a stone for a while and wallow in self-pity

[Wood FT]

Just smash the eastside trav instead

Fucked off with that too

Think I will just go and crawl under a stone for a while and wallow in self-pity

That's my stone!

[Fiend]

  in honour of shark.

[SA Chris]

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

I recommend alcohol for self-pity.

[tomtom]

Ach Shark.. Get on that flight! Holiday = important..