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You need to make sure you check before leaving

His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) has issued a crucial message to British citizens planning a winter trip abroad. Prospective holidaymakers are urged to make an important check before jetting off, as it could save them a lot of hassle.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, HMPO said: “Jetting off this winter? Don’t let your passport hold you back! Check your passport’s expiry date today. If you need to renew, it’s not too late to use our urgent services.”

Even if your passport appears in date, it is essential to check the specific entry requirements of your holiday destination to confirm its validity. For travel to Europe and Schengen countries, your passport must be issued within the last 10 years and remain valid for at least three months after your planned date of return.

Australia, China, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates also require that your passport is valid for at least six months from your entry date. Advice issued by the Post Office earlier this year explains: “Different countries have their own rules about passport validity. Some countries might ask that your passport’s valid for your whole time away and even a bit longer, sometimes up to six months.

“If you don’t check these rules, you could run into problems, like not being able to board your flight or being denied entry when you land.”

The most affordable way to obtain a passport is online through the Government’s website, costing £12.50 less than postal applications. Usually, the passport arrives within three weeks, although it may take longer if additional information or an interview is required.

In emergencies, travellers also have the option to apply for an urgent passport using the Government’s one-day premium service or one-week fast track scheme. Both schemes are subject to different criteria and cost more than the standard service.

The one-day premium option is for adults renewing an existing passport. Online applicants pay £222 or £235 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport. Following each application, an appointment will be scheduled, with the earliest booking available two days later.

The Government explains: “You’ll need to hand in your old passport at your appointment. Your new passport will be ready to collect from the passport office four hours after your appointment.”

The one-week fast track option is similarly available to anyone looking to renew their passport, as well as in these specific circumstances:

• You need to get a child’s passport
• You need to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• You need to change the personal details on a passport (your name, place of birth or gender)

The fast track option is more economical, priced at £178 for an adult passport (£191 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) and £145 for a child passport (or £158 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport). You can schedule an appointment as soon as the day after you submit your application. Typically, the passport arrives about a week later.

However, you are ineligible to apply for either service if you are outside the UK or applying for your first adult passport. The Government also adds: “If you’ve already applied for a passport and have not received it yet, do not pay for an urgent passport.

“You will not get your passport sooner and you will be charged a £32 admin fee for each additional application.”

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Claudia Tavani, a travel writer who runs the blog My Adventures Across The World, booked a trip to a tropical island, but was sorely let down when she got there

A travel blogger has revealed how her dream getaway turned into an absolute nightmare after booking what she believed would be a slice of paradise.

Claudia Tavani, who operates the travel blog My Adventures Across The World, opted to spend a fortnight in Bocas del Toro, located at the southern end of Isla Colón in Panama.

“I was keen on visiting Bocas del Toro after reading about it in the Lonely Planet, which described it as one of the last tropical paradises of Central America. Perhaps this was the issue: had I not read the guide, I wouldn’t have had such high expectations when I visited,” Claudia said.

“Where the guide talked about wild, secluded beaches, I found mounds of garbage that were hard to ignore. While others talked about a hidden gem, I found crowds of loud, disrespectful tourists that made me feel like I had landed in hell rather than a tropical paradise. I’d have put up with this if the place had been amazing, with amazing beaches. But it wasn’t. The only beach I liked was Red Frog Beach. But the rest were dirty (yes, garbage dumps kind of dirty). Of course, it doesn’t help that I am from Sardinia and we have incredible beaches!”

The destination, and indeed Panama as a whole, is a complex place with numerous ingrained issues that can make both living and holidaying there challenging. The UK Foreign Office cautions about high levels of gang violence, perilous roads and pickpockets.

READ MORE: UK city ‘people mocked’ named one of world’s best: 5 things you need to knowREAD MORE: Underrated European city with £15 flights and 5* hotels for £65 a night

On 29 June, the Panamanian government lifted the ‘state of urgency’ in Bocas del Toro, which had been implemented due to violent protests in May and June. However, a curfew for unaccompanied minors remains in effect from 8pm to 5am, reports the Express.

“Protests often involve informal roadblocks and can affect access to the border crossing into Costa Rica at Paso Canoas and international airports. Check your route and alternatives before travelling. If you are unable to reach an airport for a planned flight, contact your airline to make alternative arrangements,” warns the Foreign Office website.

“There have been incidents of targeted gang assassinations, some in tourist areas. Most of these crimes are between members of rival drug gangs.”

One significant issue plaguing the country is waste management. In Bocas del Toro, there is no publicly funded rubbish collection, leaving residents to dispose of their waste in rivers or by burning it.

Sarah White, from environmental blog Read the Impact, says: “It is a tropical paradise, yet trash has polluted the area for decades. The root of the problem is that the majority of what is consumed on the island is imported, and those who have a proportionally-larger responsibility for waste generation are visitors. 100,000 tourists flock to the islands each year to soak in the Caribbean sun and blue waters, leaving noticeable impacts in their wake.”

Local residents have tackled the problem head-on, implementing a progressive plastic bag ban in 2017 and establishing a recycling facility. One individual has championed an even more groundbreaking approach.

Canadian businessman Robert Bezeau has been constructing a village from plastic bottles since 2012, after discovering they comprised the bulk of rubbish discarded in Bocas del Toro. Alongside numerous houses, Robert has erected a castle constructed entirely from plastic.

The four-storey structure stands 14 metres tall and incorporates 40,000 PET bottles. It’s available for hire and sleeps ten guests, who can explore a dungeon and enjoy panoramic rooftop vistas.

Despite such creativity, significant waste challenges remain. Claudia pulled no punches in her assessment: “It was gross. Simple as that. Bocas Town is the only place where you find a minimum of services (restaurants, hotels, and hostels). But the town is FILTHY. There is no regular garbage collection service, so the streets are lined with bags of trash. Locals are desperate; they literally run after the garbage collection truck when they see it because they don’t know when it will be back,” she went on.

“Water isn’t safe to drink. I remember being extra careful and avoiding anything that may create issues and still catching some food poisoning or bug of sorts. The town is SO TOURISTY. Picture hordes of wanna-be hippies that go around barefoot in the filthy streets. With so many tourists, drug dealers have a ripe business. I remember checking into my hostel, and the receptionist handed me the keys and asked me if I wanted the ‘blanca’ (the white one). I speak Spanish, so there was no misunderstanding.”

Claudia endured ten days in the town, “trying to find a slice of that paradise that others described”. Eventually, she abandoned her search and made the decision to head across the border into Costa Rica.

“The country of Pura Vida (the Costa Rican term for ‘everything is great’), instead, exceeded all my expectations. I spent a month traveling there and met incredibly generous and welcoming people, explored forests, hiked up volcano craters, went rafting, zip lining, and snorkeling,” Claudia revealed. “My fondest memory of Costa Rica is a trip to Corcovado National Park. I decided to hike there from Puerto Jimenez, and it was an exhilarating experience that involved crossing rivers, walking along endless sandy beaches, observing anteaters and various species of monkeys, listening to the sound of pouring rain, and bonding with other travelers in search of nature and peace.”