Top 5 Reasons to Rush Your Passport for Spring Break - Expedited Passports

I know it seems impossible, with the Midwest being pummeled by snow like it is at the moment, but spring is just around the corner. That means that it’s time to start making Spring Break plans, booking rooms and buying tickets.  One item to think about: Will you be staying in the US this Spring Break, or traveling outside of the country? If you have the resources, there are actually quite a few great last-minute deals on trips available at the moment. Here are 5 worth rushing your passport for:

Kids Stay Free at Club Med

Book by February 28th, and you can take a family vacation at one of 32 Club Med resorts around the world. For each adult reservation you make, one kid can stay free.

Fly to the Bahamas for as Low as $198 Round-Trip

Via Orbitz, Airtran is having a sale that can get you from Houston, Texas to Nassau, Bahamas for $198 round-trip. Book now to stake out your place in the sun!

Fly to Europe or Iceland for $219 One Way

Iceland Air will fly you to London or Copenhagen for $219 each way, as long as you don’t mind being routed through Iceland. Of course, if you’re not sick to death of snow, you could just go to Iceland and bask in the warmth of their hot springs.

Four Nights in the Bahamas for $299, Including Air

CheapCaribbean.com has a 4-night vacation package in the Bahamas up for grabs for $299 including air.

Paris in the Spring for $699 Including Air

If beach vacations aren’t your thing, Virgin Vacations has a 6-night vacation in Paris for $699 per person, including round-trip air, hotel and breakfast.

Ideally, if you plan to leave the country for Spring Break, you’ve already applied for your passport. If you don’t expedite the application, it takes at least 6 weeks to process. Even if you do pay the Department of State an additional $60 for expedited service, you should still allow at least three weeks.

For faster service, in most cases the easiest way to rush your passport is with a private expediting service like RushMyPassport. We offer processing times as low as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment at a passport agency office or travel out of your way to get there.

Need to rush a passport? Talk to us today!

It may still be cold and gloomy outside in many parts of the country, but make no mistake: spring is coming! That means it’s time to start planning for Spring Break.  And if your Spring Break plans are taking you outside of the country, you may need to get a passport.

To help you with your travel plans, here are the passport requirements for some of the more popular spring break travel destinations:

Mexico

Warm blue water,  gorgeous beaches and margaritas galore-what more could you want in a spring break destination? You probably need to get a passport before you can go party in Cancun, though.  For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

US Citizens Visiting Mexico Face New Passport Requirements

Canada

If you prefer skiing and other winter sports to lazing around on the beach, Canada has some excellent ski resorts.  Most trips to Canada will require a passport.  For details of Canada’s passport requirements, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

Europe

If you have the funds, springtime is one of the best times to visit Europe. The weather is nice, and because “high season” for travel to most European destinations is in the summer, visiting Europe in the spring means you get lower prices and fewer crowds.

Travel to Europe always and without exception requires a US passport.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean is another great place to go for a laid-back vacation filled with sun and sand.  However, most Caribbean travelers will need to get a passport before they leave.  For details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Cruises

A spring break cruise allows you to easily visit many different destinations for a great price.  Passport requirements for cruises depend on where you go. For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go On a Cruise?

If you need to get a passport for Spring Break, you’d better hurry-you don’t have much time. Regular passport processing can take at least 6 weeks. The government’s expedited processing option takes 2 to 3 weeks and costs an additional $60 plus overnight delivery fees.

If you need to get  a passport sooner than that, the most convenient way  is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  An expediting company will deliver your documents to directly to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Get a passport today!

We may still be stuck in the depths of winter, but Spring Break is just around the corner, and it’s time to start planning your spring vacation. If you are vacationing outside of the US this year, it’s important to check and see what kind of travel documents you will need. New passport regulations went into effect on June 1st, 2009, and passports are now required for more destinations than ever before. Here’s the scoop:

On June 1, 2009, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative went into effect.  Now, the law requires that US citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean by land or sea carry a passport book or another WHTI-compliant document, like a passport card,  an enhanced driver’s license or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card. Previously, you could just bring your driver’s license and your birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization certificate.

However, if you’re going on a cruise for Spring Break, you might be able to get by with just your driver’s license and birth certificate, assuming that your cruise begins and ends at the same US port. Check with your cruise line to see what documents are required, but consider applying for a new passport anyway-you’ll need it if you have to fly home for an emergency.

Also, if you’re under the age of 19 and you are traveling outside of the country for Spring Break with a church group, school group, sports group or cultural organization, you can just bring a copy of your birth certificate as long as your group is under adult supervision. Again, though, it’s better to have a passport.

If you are flying anywhere outside of the United States, even if it’s just to Mexico or Canada, you must have a US passport-no exceptions.

The time to apply for your passport is now-in fact, according to the University of Arizona’s passport acceptance office, students only have 5 days left to apply for a passport with regular processing. Applications need to be in by February 12th if you are using the government’s expedited processing option for your new passport.

This is based on the University of Arizona’s Spring Break-you may have more or less time depending on when your school lets out.  Check your dates, and make sure to allow 6 weeks for regular processing and 3 weeks for expedited processing.

You should also be aware that applying for a new passport through a private passport expediting company  can make the application process much easier as well as drastically reduce your processing time.  For example, RushMyPassport.com can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

Are you looking for an environmentally friendly alternative to the normal spring break routine of beer and bikinis?  Treehugger has come to the rescue with a detailed list of the 7 Greenest Spring Break Destinations.  For example, you could spend your spring break hanging out in an eco-cabin in Ireland, insulated with hemp and warmed by a pellet stove and relaxing with some yoga and a nice massage.

Or, you could lounge around on the beach in Mozambique, staying in an eco-friendly “banda” and pumping some much-needed tourism dollars into the local economy. If organic farming is your passion, you can learn from organic farming masters all over the world through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.  There are also plenty of opportunities for volunteer work.

However, the destination you choose is only part of booking a “green” spring break.  What Treehugger leaves out of its article is suggestions for “green” ways to get to all of these exotic places.  Ecosalon has a helpful article on their blog that describes ways to find eco-friendly flights and cars as well. For example,  you can score last-minute travel deals on Hotwire.com and then pay for a carbon offset for flight as you check out.

However, spring break is almost here, so if you want to go to any of these places, you’ll need to get an express passport if you don’t already have one.  At this point, your best bet for getting an express passport in time for spring break is to go through a private expediting company.

Expediting companies act as couriers, delivering your passport application by hand directly to the US Passport Agency.  This allows you to move to the front of the line and get your passport processed quickly, in as little as 24 hours.  Or, if you can wait just a few days longer, you can get express passport processing at a more affordable price.

Visit our homepage to see the different options that we offer and order the express passport package that best meets your needs!