Travel advice

DID you know that a drastic change to your appearance could get you stopped at the border?

Even something as simple as a haircut could result in extra questions if you look unrecognisable.

Experts at MoneySuperMarket used footballer Erling Haaland as an example following his recent hairstyle change.

The Norwegian sportsman has been called ‘unrecognisable’ after trading in his long blond locks for a buzzcut.

But a change so drastic could result in travel trouble.

Alicia Hempsted, Travel Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket said: “Haaland’s new haircut is a perfect example of how much a simple change in appearance can make you look totally different.

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“While changing your hairstyle does not automatically mean that you need a new passport, looking substantially different from your passport photo could lead to additional checks when boarding a flight or arriving at border control.

“Changes such as growing or shaving off significant facial hair, a major change in hairstyle or colour, or substantial weight loss or gain can all alter the way you look.

“If your appearance has changed significantly since your passport photo was taken, it’s worth checking the latest government guidance well before your trip. This gives you time to replace your passport if necessary, rather than discovering a potential issue when you’re already travelling.”

In another case, one woman was almost stopped from boarding because she looked so different to her passport photo.

In her document, Alisha Maria, an LA beauty blogger had a full face of makeup and a fringe.

But didn’t look the same while travelling ditching her full glam look for no makeup and having her hair up.

In a TikTok video she said: “They almost didn’t let me on my flight because they said I don’t look like my passport.“

In her comments, others had added that they had similar experiences.

One wrote: “They almost didn’t let me back into the US from Australia because I didn’t look like my passport photo and my drivers license had expired.”

Another added: “I had the same issue! I missed my flight due to questioning.”

Passport Rules

Everything you need to know about passports

ON most holidays the hotel is just the place you sleep between the actual highlights found in the local area.

You dump your bags, find the pool, and spend the rest of the week trekking out to beaches, theme parks, waterparks and attractions that cost an extra small fortune in entry tickets.

But as a holiday expert who’s worked in travel for years now, I’ve got a bank of places where the hotel is THE main event.

We’re talking lodges where elephants wander past your balcony, a futuristic hotel built directly across an active Formula 1 circuit and a full-blown Wild West town with hyper-coasters right outside your bedroom door.

Best of all, you can book the flights, accommodation and headline experience in a single package.

Here are six stays where checking in feels like buying a front-row ticket to something massive.

1. Stay inside a zoo: Magic Natura Animal Waterpark and Polynesian Lodge Resort, Benidorm

Magic Natura isn’t just ‘near’ a wildlife park – the entire resort is actually in Terra Natura Benidorm.

You stay in wooden, Polynesian-style lodges scattered across the landscape, with private wooden terraces looking straight into enclosures filled with elephants, rhinos and big cats.

Sitting outside your room with a morning brew watching an elephant amble past is basically breakfast with Sir David Attenborough…minus Sir David Attenborough, I assume.

Hotel guests get free, direct access to both Terra Natura and the neighbouring Aqua Natura waterpark, which packs in massive multi-lane slides, splash zones and animal keeper talks.

It completely eliminates the daily trek between different attractions because the zoo, waterpark, and hotel are all in the same place.

And I tracked down a 5-night bed and breakfast stay here from £263pp, flying direct from London Luton on 5 October.

2. Stay on an F1 racetrack: W Abu Dhabi Yas Island

Lots of hotels overlook race circuits but the W Abu Dhabi is built directly on top of one.

The futuristic glass structure spans the Yas Marina Circuit, with the actual Formula 1 track running straight beneath the hotel building.

Your balcony, the main pool deck, and the restaurants look directly down onto the tarmac, meaning even outside Grand Prix weekends you’ll regularly see supercars testing or track-day drivers tearing past below your room.

On selected evenings, the circuit runs the free TrainYAS programme, opening the track to the public.

You can literally jog or walk an entire lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit, pass straight underneath your own hotel, and then head upstairs for a buffet breakfast.

Good luck finding a Travelodge that offers that.

You’re also sitting right on Yas Island, which means Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld are right on your doorstep.

Outside of Grand Prix week, the prices drop significantly, and I found a 7-night bed and breakfast holiday here from £640pp, including return flights from London Stansted on 9 September.

3. Stay like a rock star: Hard Rock Hotel Marbella, Spain

Most music-themed hotels slap a framed guitar on the lobby wall and call it a day.

Hard Rock Hotel Marbella lets you order an actual Fender guitar, bass or a Crosley vinyl turntable straight to your room through their complimentary Sound of Your Stay programme.

The guitars come with high-spec headphones, which is a very thoughtful touch for both aspiring rock stars and everyone staying in the room next door.

The music theme runs right through the property, from live acoustic sets and proper jazz bands to poolside DJ sessions that feel genuinely curated rather than an animator playing cheesy pop tunes beside the buffet.

It’s strictly Adults Only, sits right near the Puerto Banús marina and features two distinct pool zones – one built for day parties, and a quiet one built for recovering from them.

And the best part is, you don’t need a rock star’s bank balance to book it either.

I spotted a 5-night bed and breakfast holiday from £353pp, with direct flights from London Gatwick on 31 October.

4. Stay inside a Wild West theme park: PortAventura Hotel Gold River, Spain

Hotel Gold River recreates a full 19th-century American gold-rush town, complete with timber storefronts, an authentic saloon, a sheriff’s office, and rooms set inside Wild West-style buildings.

And at this hotel, you are literally sleeping inside PortAventura World, with a private hotel entrance dropping you straight into the park.

PortAventura packs six themed lands and world-class rollercoasters, including the massive Shambhala and the stomach-churning Furius Baco.

Younger kids get the dedicated SesamoAventura Sesame Street land, while Ferrari Land sits right next door.

The biggest win for families here though is pure convenience: you can enter the park, pop back to your room for a siesta or a swim, and head back out for the evening shows without paying for daily parking or coach transfers.

When you consider that park tickets are bundled into the package, the price is borderline ridiculous. 

I found 5 nights room-only with direct flights from Birmingham on 4 October for just £255pp. Bargain.

5. Stay in a palace with its own funfair: Haydarpasha Palace, Antalya

Haydarpasha Palace looks like someone took a historic European railway station, an Ottoman palace and a family theme park, then decided there was absolutely no reason not to mash them all together.

This massive 5-star resort features multi-lane waterslides, bowling alleys, kids’ clubs and its own seasonal funfair complete with a Ferris wheel and bumper cars inside the grounds.

Because it’s a fully all-inclusive set-up, all your food, drinks and most of the entertainment are wrapped into the upfront cost.

The hotel links directly to its private sandy beach via an underground tunnel beneath the coastal road, meaning families can easily spend a full week here without ever running out of things to do or leaving the resort perimeter.

You can grab a 5-night all inclusive stay here from £348pp, including direct flights from London Gatwick on 31 October.

1. Stay at a world-class entertainment resort: Rixos Premium Seagate, Sharm El Sheikh

Standard ‘hotel entertainment‘ usually means a mini-disco and someone from the animation team attempting a questionable tribute act.

Rixos operates in an entirely different universe.

Across their Sharm El Sheikh resorts, the brand hosts legitimate festival-grade productions, touring international DJs and headline pop stars – Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez have both performed exclusive concerts for Rixos guests.

Even during an ordinary week, the scale of entertainment is massive.

Alongside nightly stage shows and live bands, the resort includes a huge on-site waterpark, multiple swimming pools, a private coral reef beach and over a dozen speciality restaurants and bars – as part of its premium all-inclusive offering.

And I found a 5-night all inclusive break here from £505pp, with direct flights from London Gatwick on 7 December.

A NEW railcard has been launched with no restrictions on age – and it could save you up to £750.

The new Traincard has been launched by Trip.com.

Costing £25, not only can it be used with other Railcards (such as 16-25 or Senior) but anyone can apply for it, no matter their age.

The Trip.com railcard is linked to Trip.com accounts, and can be used on 30 bookings in a 90 day period.

Up to £25 can be saved per ticket – so that means as much as £750 discounted.

Of course, this would only apply if you were buying tickets over £250.

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Join Sun Club and save up to £20 on a railcard – plus up to £190 on tickets

For example, an Anytime Return from Manchester Piccadilly to London costs £386 when bought at short notice.

Other savings include a discount of £9.48 on a return from Folkestone to London, based on a £94.80 ticket.

But the 30-booking limit could also save families hundreds of pounds too.

One booking can include multiple tickets – meaning the 10 per cent discount could also include a a family’s four return tickets too, provided they are booked in one transaction.

The new railcard can be bought via the Trip.com app and lasts 90 days. I’d only valid in UK train journeys.

Alvaro Ungerean, Commercial Director, Europe – International Train, Trip.com Group, said: “We know that the cost of regular travel can quickly add up.

“Traincard has been designed to give passengers a simple and flexible way to save on the journeys they already make, regardless of their age or where they live.

“Whether travelling for work, education, to visit loved ones or for leisure, customers can access the same Traincard discount, including on eligible peak-time journeys.”

Here’s the new change you need to know about if buying a student railcard.

And we’ve explained how to get even more value out of your railcard.

IF you’re itching to grab your passport and head somewhere hot, Loveholidays has just made your next holiday a whole lot cheaper.

The holiday company slashed rates on last-minute sunny holidays, lowering costs from five-star hotels to all inclusive resorts to a fraction of usual prices.

We’ve rounded up the best last minute deals to places like Spain, Egypt, Tenerife and Greece, with package holidays including your flights from as little as £129pp.

Whether you want non-stop waterslides for the kids or bottomless cocktails on the beach, here are the best last minute deals to book today. (Or click here to browse all the deals).

Hurghada – £489pp (all inclusive)

For a lively, action-packed family holiday where you’ll barely want to leave the resort, check out the 4* Rewaya Inn Resort in Hurghada.

This massive beachfront complex puts everything right on your doorstep – with thrilling waterslides on-site to spectacular coral reef snorkelling on the beach.

Read more on Loveholidays

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With its own aqua park and action-packed entertainment schedule, plus water sports, evening shows and sports activities, there’s plenty here to keep the kids entertained.

Parents, on the other hand, will love the hotel spa with its whirlpool, sauna and hot tub – plus the seven restaurants and eight bars around the property where you can grab an all inclusive cocktail, wine or beer.

Click here to browse all Egypt holiday deals

Rhodes 5* – £409pp

Fancy a five-star holiday to a stunning Greek island? This last minute offer bags you a stay at one of Rhodes’ most glamorous family hotels.

Rodos Palace certainly feels royal, with a fairytale bridge stretching over an enormous outdoor pool, and a giant glass dome sheltering the heated indoor pool.

With nearly 800 rooms, there’s a massive range of accommodation options. The standard double and family rooms in the main tower are sleek, modern, and many offer spectacular sea views, while the garden suites boast their own private pools and sun terraces.

You could stay here for a week and never eat in the same place twice. There are eight different dining venues, including the main buffet restaurant plus a la carte options for Italian and authentic Greek cuisine.

Click here to browse all Greek holiday deals

Majorca – £389pp (all inclusive)

This sprawling complex in Majorca is built around family activities and a lively, action-packed atmosphere.

The Club Cala Romani Hotel boasts three outdoor pools, a kids splash zone, a beautiful sandy cove just 10 minutes away, plus activities like mini discos and sports on-site to ensure no one is ever bored

With your all inclusive stay, you can help yourself from a rotating buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with familiar favourites as well as themed dinners and local cuisine.

In the evening, the lounge bar and disco become the main hub, where you can enjoy your all inclusive drinks and watch the nightly entertainment shows.

Click here to browse all Spain holiday deals.

Tenerife – £349pp

Take a trip to sunny Tenerife with a stay at a glam aparthotel overlooking a shimmering pool.

The Piramides Resort is a budget-friendly base in Playa de las Americas, putting you in the prime spot to explore local beaches, bars, restaurants and nightlife.

Stays here come in the form of modern, spacious apartments which are fully kitted-out with sleek kitchens, tellies and private balconies.

Plus there’s four swimming pools on-site, a main buffet restaurant, poolside and snack bars plus lively evening entertainment to get you pumped for a night out in one of Tenerife‘s most popular resorts.

Click here to browse all Tenerife holiday deals

Agadir, Morocco – £129pp

If you’re looking for a very afforable break to catch some last minute sun, you’ll want to snap up this Agadir deal.

Temperatures in Agadir can still reach 30°C in September, plus the coastal city even has a golden six-mile long beach built for sunbathing.

This hotel gives you all the sunny holiday essentials – a spacious apartment with a balcony, an outdoor pool for a dip, a buffet restaurant and even its own nightclub.

If you want to browse for some souvenirs, the massive Souk El Had market is nearby, and you are surrounded by plenty of cheap local cafes, pubs, and shops.

Click here to browse all Agadir holiday deals