One day passport renewals now possible
It's every traveller's nightmare, but if you do get caught out with an out-of-date passport, you can now renew it in a single day. The Passport Office has introduced a one-day renewal scheme at its Molesworth Street office in Dublin. The pilot Rapid Renewal programme was launched yesterday and allows for up to 20 daily appointments that can be booked online from 2.30pm the previous day at dfa.ie.
From Monday, a new passport appointment system is also being introduced in both Dublin and Cork for three- and 10-day renewals, where applicants can book a time slot to save queuing time. Other less urgent renewals are urged to use the Passport Express service from An Post, which is the cheapest way to renew and costs €80. Passports issued by appointment within one to five days will cost €95 plus the emergency fee of €55. The Passport Office is on Twitter, @PassportIRL and the emergency number will continue to operate for really urgent cases: 01-671 1633.
Grand Budapest hotel
Budapest's five-star Corinthia Hotel is offering a three-night package to take advantage of its resemblance to Wes Anderson's fictional Grand Hotel Budapest. The 'Behind the Scenes' deal (€831) includes B&B for two, a hotel tour (including a history of the Hungarian film industry, which began in the hotel's Grand Ballroom), a screening of the film and a Danube tour. See corinthia.com
Five places to stay in Rome
Virtually every hotel room in Rome is booked out for the canonisation ceremonies of popes John Paul II and John XXIII tomorrow, which means the city is even busier than usual. Here are five hotels worth booking ahead if you're planning a visit to the Eternal City.
Arco del Lauro
You'll have to book well ahead to get a room in this fabulous, six-bedroom B&B in a handsome palazzo on a cobbled street in the heart of Trastevere. The rooms are minimalist, but the location is everything. Via Arco de' Tolomei 27; arcodellauro.it; rooms €80-€150
Babuino 181
Two beautifully renovated buildings near the Spanish Steps that emphasise modern, understated elegance across its 24 rooms and suites. It's like having your own luxury apartment in the middle of the city, with a concierge who knows the answers to all your questions.
Via del Babuino 181; romeluxurysuites.com/babuino; rooms €180-€780
Daphne Inn
A boutique hotel perfectly placed between the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain with modern, comfortable rooms. The Italian-American owners and their staff are especially helpful and accommodating. Via di San Basilio 55; daphne-rome.com; rooms €90-€160
Hotel Villa Mangili
A wonderful three-star hotel in a fin-de-siecle villa in the exclusive Parioli neighbourhood, home to Rome's stylish and beautiful people. It has 12 well-appointed rooms and a nice, shaded garden.
Via Giuseppe Mangili 31; hotelvillamangili.it; rooms €130-€200
Villa Laetitia
The Fendi fashion family own this beautiful riverside villa, which has 14 exquisitely decorated rooms (one of them even has an original Picasso), each with their own kitchen facilities. There are more famous five-star hotels in Rome, but this one is every bit as good.
Lungotevere delle Armi 22; villalaetitia.com; rooms from €200
Keeping track of your luggage
The days of check-in queues at airports and disappearing luggage may soon be at an end as Air France and KLM have developed tools that will help passengers check in more quickly and keep track of their bags. The eTag is designed to replace luggage stickers. It's an electronic label that can be updated at home before flying, making it easier to drop bags at the airport – so no waiting for them to be tagged.
Meanwhile the eTrack is a GPS gadget you put inside your luggage so you can track its whereabouts anywhere in the world from a smartphone. Its battery will last for 10 flights, or fewer if the passenger "pings" it too often, before needing a recharge. Both devices will be available towards the end of this year.
MICRO-GUIDE: COPENHAGEN
YOUR 60-SECOND CITY GUIDE
STAY Wakeup Copenhagen (Carsten Niebuhrs Gade 11; wakeupcopenhagen.com; rooms €66-€190), 500-room hotel only a short walk from Tivoli and Central Station.
EAT Kødbyens Fiskebar (Flæsketorvet 100; fiskebaren.dk; mains €26-€32) Michelin-listed restaurant that puts emphasis on superbly prepared seafood.
DO Copenhagen is best seen from the water: Canal Tours Copenhagen (stromma.dk) has tours from Nyhavn (above) and Gammel Strand.
Slip sliding away
Bristol's sloping Park Street was recently nominated for a Google Award as Britain's hippest street, but the city council is going one better and has given the go-ahead for Park and Slide, a 90-metre waterslide where the public can whizz and splash all the way from the Georgian Wills Memorial Building, past the boutiques, cafés and skate shops onto a padded mat at the end. Sadly, it's for one day only: May 4th.
Deals of the week
€869 ITALY: Seven nights in Turin, San Remo and the 'Flower Riviera' and excursions to Nice, Monte Carlo, Genoa. Departs June 16th; traveldepartment.ie
€1,569 MALDIVES: Seven nights half-board in a beach villa at four-star Medhufushi Island Resort, Maldives, including flights with Etihad and seaplane transfer. May 1st-June 22nd; classicresorts.ie
€1,695 SOUTH AFRICA: 11-night South African itinerary including Cape Town, Garden Route and safari in Eastern Cape. Price includes flights and car hire. This trip is available May-August; see travelfocus.ie
Travellers over 70 are most romantic
Travellers over 70 years of age are more likely to go on a romantic holiday than any other age group, and most sports breaks are taken by 40-year-olds. These are just some of the findings from a recent poll by British Airways to mark its 40th anniversary. When asked what the benefits of being a seasoned traveller were, those in their forties were grateful for being able to see the world while still being active; 50-year-olds said it was having the money to travel in style. Travellers in their 20s and 60s enjoyed being commitment-free.
