Halloween: Expedite Your Passport to Stay in a Haunted Hotel - Expedited Passports

Want to do something really special for Halloween this year? Now that popular reality shows follow “paranormal investigators” around, ghost-hunting is all the rage, but do you really want to spend your Halloween shivering in an abandoned building in the hopes that something will materialize?

Stay at one of these reputedly haunted hotels, and you can enjoy your creature comforts while you try to catch a glimpse of supernatural visitors. Just remember: you can check in, but you may never check out…

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada

It may be located in Canada, but according to its website, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is “styled after a Scottish Baronial Castle.” And of course, all the best Scottish Baronial Castles have one thing in common: ghosts!

In the case of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the resident ghost is said to be Sam the Bellman, a preternaturally dedicated employee who died a few years after he retired in 1967, and has since been spotted roaming the grounds, still in uniform.

Samudra Beach Hotel, Indonesia

The fishing village of Palabuhanratu is a great place to surf…as long as your swimsuit isn’t green. Supposedly, that’s the favorite color of the local ghost, Nyai Loro Kidul. Called the “Queen of the South Sea,” she is said to be the spirit of an Indonesian princess afflicted with leprosy who threw herself into the sea. Now, she haunts the coast in mermaid form as a sort of ocean goddess. Go near the sea wearing green, and she’ll pull you under. One of the rooms in this hotel is reserved for her.

Castle Stuart, Scotland

Built in the 17th century, Castle Stuart has had a long time to collect restless spirits. The luxury hotel honors the clans that died at the battle of Culloden, with rooms named after them and decorated in their clan tartans. Perhaps some of these ancient warriors are still stalking the grounds? According to the hotel website, a local man named “Big Angus” spent the night in the hotel’s most haunted bedroom on a bet, determined to prove there were no ghosts. That never ends well, and unfortunately for Big Angus, they found him dead on the ground below the next morning.

Dragsholm Castle, Denmark

Today, Dragsholm Castle is a hotel and restaurant. However, for James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, it was the worst of prisons. The former husband of Mary Queen of Scots, Bothwell was driven away from his wife by nobles who opposed him and the marriage. He spent the last 5 to 10 years of his life chained in the dungeon here, and if some stories are to be believed, even death offered no escape for him.

If you want to spend Halloween at any of these hotels, you’ll need to expedite your passport if you don’t already have one. Normally, it takes at least six weeks for a passport to be issued unless you pay a $60 expedite fee to the Department of State. Even then, it takes three weeks, by which time Halloween will have come and gone. To get your passport in time, you’ll need to either make an appointment at one of 24 regional passport agencies in the US or use a private company like RushMyPassport. There’s nothing supernatural about our service: we simply hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours, with no appointments, lines or waiting.

Let us help you expedite your passport today!

Germany’s Oktoberfest is going on even as we speak- millions of people from all over the world gathering together to celebrate their love for a cold, frosty brew. Sounds great, doesn’t it? If you feel like you’re in your element in the midst of a large crowd of very drunk people, sure. However, as Matador Travel’s Karyn Johnson discovered, the reality of Oktoberfest is often far less glamorous and far more vomit-filled than the hype. She says:

“This is great if you love meeting people from all over the world, but if you’re looking to mingle with Germans while experiencing a bit of the local culture, you might want to look at any of the smaller Oktoberfest celebrations going on throughout Deutschland. They’re every bit as festive and the beer flows just as much, but they’re less tourist-clogged.”

So, where are these smaller, saner Oktoberfest alternatives? Everywhere, really, but here are some of the most notable:

Cannstatter Volksfest

Canstatter Volksfest lasts three weeks, from late September to early October. Held in Stuttgart, Germany, the festival has much more to offer than beer: carnival rides. local foods, and games beckon as well. The Cannstatter Volksfest was originally an agricultural festival and was founded by the “farmer king,” King Wilhelm I, in 1818, but very little of the original “4-H” vibe remains.

Hamburger Dom Winter Festival

The Hamburger Dom Winter Festival celebrates more than just beer. It attracts locals and tourists alike to the city of Hamburg with carnival rides, games and more. This year’s Winter Dom takes place on the weekend of November 11.

“Auer Dult” Festival

Held in Munich, the Auer Dult is like Oktoberfest’s quieter, more laid-back sibling. A combination of a street market and a carnival, it features beer tents along with carnival rides and the largest ceramics market in Europe. This year, it takes place from October 15th to October 23.

Oktoberfest Hanover

The Oktoberfest in Hanover is the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world. Still, with “only” a million attendees, it’s much more manageable than Munich.

Kulmbacher Beer

Located in northern Bavaria, this beer festival takes place in August, so you’re out of luck this year. It might be worth marking on your calendar for next year, though- the brew is supposed to be a secret traditional recipe served nowhere else and at no other time!

If you’d like to attend a fall beer festival in Europe this year, you’ll need to expedite your passport. Regular processing takes at least six weeks, so it’s really too late for that. If you expedite your passport application via the Department of State, you’re still looking at around three weeks before you’ll have your passport in hand. For faster service, you’ll need to make an appointment at one of the country’s 24 regional passport agency offices, or use a private expediting company like RushMyPasssport for convenient processing in as little as 24 hours.

Expedite your passport with us today!

“We come from the land of the ice and snow, where the midnight sun and the harsh winds blow…” Led Zeppelin, “Immigrant Song”

If you’ve always wanted to visit “the land of the ice and snow,” check out the new contest on the “Faces of Scandinavia” website. (h/t Gadling)

To enter, all you have to do is comment on one of the many personal stories posted on the site. The comment stream is pretty active, so you do have some competition, but in January a winner will be randomly selected from amongst the commenters-and who knows, it could be you!

If you win, you get 2 nights each in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. The prize includes transportation to Scandinavia via Icelandair, and transportation between each city via trains and a cruise. Lodging is also included, naturally.

Unfortunately, the contest’s “blackout dates” pretty much exclude the winner from being able to enjoy the “midnight sun” phenomenon that occurs from around the middle of May to the middle of summer, depending on where you are in Scandinavia. Still, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm are interesting and fun cities no matter when you go-and it’s hard to argue with free!

Of course, if you win, you’ll need a valid passport to go. You’ll want to get your passport application in as soon as possible, as it can take 6 weeks or even longer if you request regular processing. Expedited processing is available but costs an additional $60, and it can still take 3 weeks for you to get your passport in the mail.

The fastest way for you to get your passport application processed is to make an appointment at a US passport agency office or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. RushMyPassport will deliver your paperwork directly to the Department of State, and can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Submit your passport application today!

On June 1st, 2009, the rules governing travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will change. Currently, only air travelers need a passport to re-enter the United States-land and sea travelers can use a photo ID (like a driver’s license), and proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate). In just a few short weeks, land and sea travelers will also be required to show a passport.

To make it easier for frequent travelers to carry the appropriate travel documents, the government has introduced a cheaper, wallet-sized passport card. Please note that the passport card is valid for land and sea travel only-air travelers to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean still need the full-fledged (and full-priced) passport book.

How long does it take to get your hands on a passport card? Try 2 to 3 months…there is currently no way to expedite a passport card, only a passport book. If you’ll be crossing the border after June 1st and you haven’t applied for a passport yet, you’ll need to apply for a passport book to make sure you have the appropriate documentation by the deadline.

Fortunately, expediting a passport book is easy to do. You have a couple of different options. First, you can expedite your passport through the US Department of State, although you will still have to wait at least 3 weeks. If you want to be absolutely positive that you get your passport by June 1st, a private passport expediting company is the best way to go.

These companies expedite your passport by delivering your application directly to the US Passport Agency, where it goes to the top of the stack for processing.  With a private passport expediting company, you can have your passport processed in anywhere from 24 hours to a little over a week, depending on how soon you need it.

Be prepared for June 1st-Expedite your passport today!