15 November 2021

The FCDO is currently updating it's travel advice for visitors and advises that you must check that your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area and if relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit. You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited any of the countries in the border-free Schengen zone and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. The FCDO also warns travellers to Schengen countries that they may also have to show border officials a return or onward ticket, as well as to illustrate you have “enough money for your stay”. The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. UK nationals who are resident in a Schengen country should not have their passport stamped.

23 July 2021

If you haven't done so already I would recommend you setting up your NHS COVID Pass which is required for travelling abroad even if you don't have imminent travel plans, as this will ensure you are prepared for when you do want to travel abroad. There are various security measures in place, which vary from user-to-user, meaning verification time can be instant for some and take considerably longer for others. Please make sure you complete this at least a fortnight in advance of travel. Digital versions can be accessed by downloading the NHS App (you must be registered with a GP surgery in England), or by using the online NHS COVID Pass service. Paper versions can be requested online or by calling 119 if you’re travelling in more than 4 weeks’ time. You also need to make sure your NHS COVID Pass and Passport are both in the same name. Please copy and paste the link for further information. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-pass/

13 April 2021

Did you know that you are able to check whether or not your passport is travel ready by clicking on a link? With the new ruling of six months validity required for travel outside of the United Kingdom due to Brexit, all passports now expire ten years (five for children) from date of issue. This now means that any extra months you may have been given for early renewal are no longer valid. Please see the link below to check yours & see if you need to renew. https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe Don't be caught out.

28 October 2020

During the February half term my family and I spent two days in London to visit a few of the well know tourist spots (well as many as we could cram into our short stay)!! There is so much to do and see in London so we all wrote a wish list and went from there!!! Getting to London from Southampton is very easy by train as it takes you directly to Waterloo. From there you can access the underground and the world really is your oyster (well London that is)!! We made our way to our hotel in Covent Garden for a quick check in and bag drop off before heading to the London Eye. This is a must when visiting London as the views from the Eye are just amazing!! After this we did a Thames river cruise as you board the cruises right by the London Eye. Very advisable to book both of these in advance as they get extremely busy. Next on the list “Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour”!! I can’t recommend this highly enough. There are lots of stops and different routes you can do which takes you all around the main sights. We boarded our bus at Trafalgar Square. Again, I would recommend buying your ticket in advance as if you plan on doing more than one day, you get discount on the extra day/s. Our tour took us to Buckingham Palace, Westminster for the Houses of Parliament, Oxford Street, Knightsbridge for Harrods, Leicester Square plus many more. It really is superb. If you want to venture out in the evening there are many theatres and restaurants to choose from. My daughter really wanted to go to Planet Hollywood for our night away so that’s where we went!! Our trip was brief but London really does have something for everyone!!.

20 October 2019

Every child's dream (and adult if the truth be told) is to visit Father Christmas in his homeland! I made that dream a reality for myself, my husband and my daughter (age 6) to do just that! Our adventure started off with a flight to Helsinki with what looked like fireworks out of the plane window but in reality was the Northern Lights! We had booked a 5 day trip and on arrival were taken straight away to collect our thermal suits (a must in the Arctic conditions) and then transferred to our log cabin in the resort of Yllas which is north of the Arctic Circle. A beautiful location and stunning scenery. During our stay we went husky riding, skiing, sledging and ice fishing to name but a few of the many activities on offer in this amazing location. If you book to stay in log cabins I would recommend booking a meal plan as food is very costly and this then entitles you to eat in one of the hotels. We had our meals in the Akas Hotel in Yllas which was buffet style and very good. The highlight of the trip has to be the visit to Father Christmas and his elves. We were taken to his home where we were invited to bake cookies with Mrs Christmas before our private family visit to see Father Christmas. The sheer magic and look of joy on my daughters face was indescribable and one I will never ever forget. Venturing into the forest to see the reindeer's in their natural habitat was breathtaking and there are many beautiful souvenirs to bring home from a trip like this. The main one being memories. Lapland is definitely a must do on a bucket list regardless of age!