I have just found out that you can get an identity card for £30 which you can use instead of a passport in Europe. I really dont want to start a debate about the pro's and con's of identity cards but what do you all think for purely financial reasons? I have 4 (deep joy) to renew before August. Do I pay the passports fee's of £224 or £116 for the cards??
I just think I would be nervous incase they didnt accept them!!
It's a no-brainer with a young family to pay for. Just get your airline to confirm that it will be OK. Have a great time Jo
Phil
Well now you got me thinking ? ours run out next year.
Rethink..... I am against them..... :)
You got summit to hide riggers?! heh heh
Meeeeee..... something to hide. :shock: only my stock in the shed :D ha ha
hey that was our little secret! Just found out that you need to be 16 or over to get one so thats just me (only just - mind you).
Thanks Jo for posting this information :-) It'll come in handy for my nephews & nieces. x
Just a word of caution on Id cards,,,
Passport replacement
Phil Booth from campaign group NO2ID said the government's claim that an ID card was a "handy alternative" to a passport was "bogus".
"You have to have one already so you will pay another £30 and set yourself up for a lifetime of fees, penalties and compliance," he said.
"Once you are on the database you will be obliged to update Whitehall's register on you for the rest of your life."
Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have said they would abolish ID cards if they win the next election. (GOD FORBID)
I rest my case....
Thanks Kes for this valuable information. Drats, why is nothing ever easy or straightforward :-(
Eileenx
..and it was all sounding so good as well! With a family to cater for, like Jo, it must be a nightmare having to pay out so much for passports
Particularly now children have to have their own and can't be included on the family passport like we used to do.
I still remember the passports you could get that covered you for one year only!!
AND a day trip to France could be had, without a passport, by organising a similar document that cost about ten bob ??
Janis x
I remember those too Janis!
I think you will find that the U.K. Passport is one of the most expensive in Europe, and takes the longest to get. I.D. cards I think are a good idea, but not as the present ones are issued. Most of the 'continental' countries issue I.D. cards to their citizens. I have friends in France, The Netherlands and Bavaria who all carry I.D. cards, and it is used as a way of identification if stopped by the police etc, or used instead of a passport at borders. My French friends tried to use theirs to visit me last year, but had to obtain 'full' documents for entry to the U.K. Thought we were all in the E.U.? When in Bavaria, I found out it was necessary to carry my passport wherever I went, as if stopped by police checks, it was an offence not to be able to produce identification.
We have to be different in Britain.
Off the 'soap box' now, just my opinion!
Martin.
Well put ...Martin...and just another point of interest although on a different subject ..The new UK driving license (credit card type)...If anyone has one of these then dont throw away your old paper licence...The police will not accept the new ones if you are stopped for any minor infringment of the Law....This happened to my Son who was pulled for having only one rear light showing..he had to produce his old paper licence at the police station although he had his new one on him at the time....
Stupid or what?...
That's ridiculous, Kes! Although I'll bet our Martin can shed some light on why this - can you Martin? I only have a paper licence, although it's getting quite tatty now
Quite true!
Typical of the 'lets do it for the lowest cost' approach. The paper licence has a signature, which is required legally to be acceptable. The plastic does not. Neither does it have a 'chip' with personal details. The 'Big brother is watching you' lobby wins again, leaving the plastic open to doubt. If you have nothing to hide, whats wrong with information being stored on a chip. It would certainly help identify those who do have something to hide!
Again, my personal view.
Martin.
I agree, Martin - I've got nothing to hide and I do think we need some sort of identification documentation in this day and age so that you can confirm who you actually are. In the "good old days" when we were young, everyone knew everyone else in our village and the local bobby certainly knew everyone! Equally, everyone knew who the baddies were as well, and certainly a stern warning from our local bobby often worked with both the potential wrong 'un in question and their parents. Oops, better make sure I don't get on my soap box about this!!
Janis x
I applied for a replacement driving licence last year as my old paper one was unreadable so I thought I would get the plastic one instead. I got back the plastic one and a paper one. My plastic one has my signature from my passport on it (done by DVA) and my paper one I signed when I got it. I used the plastic card for ID going through Schiphol security because I couldn't find my passport. I just asked if it was acceptable. However, at Manchester I had to find my passport, right in the bottom of my holdall wrapped in underwear. How embarassing is that???? LOL
Hi folks while on the topic of passports heres another issue API (advanced passenger information)
I have been on the site about API it doesn't really explain it very well saying usually your airline will ask for this information! what if they dont?
I have been on the Thomson site and there is a page to enter your API but 1st you enter lead passenger surname your booking reference number and departure date then login
and hey presto you get:-Sorry, we cannot access your booking with the details provided. Please check the following: then it asks if you have entered the correct name and ref No etc
What i want to know is do you or dont you require it we didn't have it last year although it came in 2009
Hope this makes sense
Tony