A British woman was left in floods of tears and hundreds of pounds out of pocket after a surprise holiday to celebrate her and her boyfriend’s anniversary went up in smoke due to a little-known passport rule she had fallen foul of.

Carla Acosta thought she was heading on a surprise romantic getaway to one of the most stunning destinations in Europe. But she was stopped from boarding her flight by airport staff due to the passport issue that she had no idea about.

She’s now looking to warn other people to make sure to check their travel documents before going to the airport so as to not encounter a similar issue and lose out, both emotionally and financially.

Passport issue ruins holiday

29-year-old Carla was gifted the trip to the Italian capital city of Rome by her boyfriend to celebrate another year of being with her partner.

But the London-based fashion designer was left with her head in her hands and being consoled by her boyfriend after falling foul of an EU passport rule by just four days.

“My boyfriend surprised me with a six-day trip to Rome to celebrate four years of us being together and at that moment I remember feeling super excited to go on the trip,” Carla said.

“As it was a surprise and I only had about 10 to 12 days to get everything in order.

“My biggest worry was getting my leaves approved at work and what I was going to wear for the trip. Checking my passport didn’t even cross my mind in all the excitement.”

Carla and her boyfriend in the airport (Carla Acosta)

Passport issue explained

The couple arrived at the airport for their early morning flight, checking in for the flight at the counter before heading in to the airport waiting areas.

But when approaching her boarding gate to get on the plane to Rome, Carla said the staff were shocked at how she had got that far with her passport saying what it said.

“My passport was set to expire on June 10th and I was flying on March 14th and didn’t have three months from that day to the expiration day,” she said.

“I had missed it by just four days. I was told I couldn’t board the flight because of the three month validity rule, and it made me feel horrible.”

Since Brexit, under EU law Brits must have a passport with an expiry date of at least three months after the planned day to leave Italy.

This counts for any country in the Schengen Area, which is Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Left disappointed and £400 out of pocket (Carla Acosta)

‘Go without me’

Carla said she had told her partner to fly without her as they had friends waiting for them to arrive but he refused.

“If you buy your own ticket and something like this happens you probably feel stupid and disappointed, but as it was a gift from my boyfriend, I felt extremely guilty that I had not checked my passport,” she said.

“I cried a lot and felt really bad for my boyfriend because it was a waste of his money, and we couldn’t go to Rome to celebrate our relationship.”

In total the couple lost £400 on flights and hotels, with Carla calling it a ‘huge let down’.

Better check that expiry date (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

She said: “Now, I always check my passport and visas before planning each trip. I wasn’t aware of the three month rule to go to EU countries, and I wish I had been more careful. My advice to other travellers would be to always be extra cautious and check your travel documents before planning your trips so this doesn’t happen to you.”

Post Office data indicates that January is a peak time for passport renewals. In 2024, the January to March period saw a 69 percent increase in passport renewals at Post Office branches compared to the rest of the year.

With the government recommending a three-week renewal process, acting promptly is essential to avoid extra costs or disruptions ahead of February Half Term.

UK tourists heading to Spain this summer are being warned over a travel rule that, if broken, could end up in you being banned from most of Europe for up to three years.

With almost 18 million Brits jetting off to Spain in 2023 alone, it is safe to say that the post-Covid years have brought us back to normal when it comes to heading overseas and enjoying a bit of sun or a long weekend city break.

But life after Brexit has meant those who hold a UK passport no longer get the freedoms that came with belonging to a European Union (EU) member state.

Since Brits voted to leave the EU in 2016, life in Europe has changed significantly.

With freedom of movement now a thing of the past for UK passport holders, Brits must obey the rules that come with entering the Schengen Area.

If you have a passport from a country in the Schengen Area, you can freely move between all other countries that are also in the area. Spain is one such country but post-Brexit, we aren’t.

Heading to Tenerife? Take note (Getty Stock Images)

Schengen 90/180-Day Rule

This means that Brits are now subject to something called the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule.

Rather clunky sounding, it’s pretty simple in reality. It means that you can only go to Spain for up to 90 days within any 180 day period. So roughly three months in a six month window.

But the rule also applies to the other 26 countries in the Schengen Area, so if you visit any of them that also counts towards your 90 day quota.

There are 27 countries in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Brits love Barca (Getty Stock Images)

Overstaying your welcome

Under the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule, you can get in serious trouble for overstaying your welcome.

And by the end of 2025, you will flag on the EU’s official immigration system if you do this with the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

The systems will replace the need for old school stamping of passports. Instead, Brits will have their entry and exit in to the EU automatically registered through fingerprint scans, your name, and taking photos of your face.

If you overstay the 90 day allowance, you can expect to find yourself banned from the EU for up to three years. The EU says: “A non-EU national who stays in the Schengen area beyond 90 days (without a residence permit or long-stay visa) is illegally present, which can result in a re-entry ban to the Schengen area.

“Working in the Schengen area without a work permit is also illegal (even if less than 90 days) and can likewise result in a re-entry ban to the Schengen area. Depending on the Member State administrative penalties may also apply.”

Idyllic town of Garachico on Tenerife (Getty Stock Images)

Official UK government rules for Brits entering Spain

You can travel without a visa to the Schengen area of Europe which includes Spain.

This is for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies if you travel:

• as a tourist
• to visit family or friends
• to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
• for short-term studies or training

If you plan on working in Spain the rules are different and worth checking out on a case by case basis.

Following the recent news of severe turbulence hitting a Singapore Airlines flight, the most turbulent flights in the world have been revealed – with two of the routes being in Europe.

If you’ve ever been on an airplane, chances are that you’ve experienced some form of turbulence.

Similar to a boat bobbing up and down in choppy waters, turbulence is caused by patches of rough air.

Rough patches of air are most frequently caused by adverse weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, flying over certain terrains or too close to other planes.

There is also the phenomena of ‘clean-air turbulence’ which is caused when two bodies of air moving at different speeds meet and often takes pilots by surprise.

When a plane encounters turbulence, the aircraft will judder up and down or side to side.

Thankfully turbulence is – in the majority of cases – nothing to worry about, however nervous flyers are often sent into a panic the moment they see the seatbelt sign light up.

Turbulence can often leave passengers frightened. (Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images)

And the recent devastating events of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, which saw one passenger die as a result, have worried those already nervous flyers even more.

If you’re not a fan of bumpy flights, it might be worth checking out this list from forecasting website Turbli, which has compiled the 10 routes from 2023 which were known to experience disruption, which includes two short-haul European trips.

The most turbulent flight route from 2023

Coming in at number one is a flight between the South American countries of Chile and Bolivia, with the 1905km route having the highest eddy dissipation rate (the metric used to measure turbulence) last year.

The second most turbulent

Coming in second place is a 210km trip between Almaty, Kazakhstan and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The most turbulent European routes

The first of the two European routes which make the list is Milan, Italy to Geneva, Switzerland – a route which crosses the high peaks of the alps – which ranks as the fifth most turbulent.

While the similarly mountainous route from Milan, Italy to Zurich, Switzerland comes rounds out the list at number 10.

Other turbulent routes

Flights through China feature the most, with the country appearing on the list four times, while Japan has two flight routes which rank amongst the most turbulent.

Turbulence is usually nothing to worry about, though the recent events on a Singapore Airlines flight have left many shocked and nervous to fly. (Getty Stock Images)

Here’s the list in full:

1. Santiago (SCL) – Santa Cruz (VVI)
2. Almaty (ALA) – Bishkek (FRU)
3. Lanzhou (LHW) – Chengdu (CTU)
4. Centrair (NGO) – Sendai (SDJ)
5. Milan (MXP) – Geneva (GVA)
6. Lanzhou (LHW) – Xianyang (XIY)
7. Osaka (KIX) – Sendai (SDJ)
8. Xianyang (XIY) – Chengdu (CTU)
9. Xianyang (XIY) – Chongqing (CKG)
10. Milan (MXP) – Zurich (ZRH)

Meanwhile, Turbli also reported that the most turbulent airports of 2023 was awarded to Santiago (Chile), followed Wellington (New Zealand) and the Japanese airports of Natori, Sapporo, Osaka, Tokoname and Tokyo.

In-flight turbulence is unlikely to cause a plane to crash, however extreme cases have caused injuries (and sometimes fatalities) to passengers in the cabin.

The case of extreme turbulence on the Singapore Airlines flight earlier this week lead to the death of 73-year-old British passenger Geoffrey Kitchen yesterday (21 May).

The father-of-two, who was known to have a pre-existing heart condition – is thought to have suffered a heart attack amid the chaos on the London to Singapore flight.

One of the leading names at Carnival Cruise Line has issued a warning to passengers who are heading to the UK or Europe on their holidays with them – or any other cruise line for that matter.

John Heald works as Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador and senior cruise director as well as being a popular figure among the Carnival community, with the Brit regularly taking to his Facebook page to answer queries and questions relating to travelling with the company.

From replying to fuming parents after Carnival confiscated their child’s Christmas present to issuing a ‘do not do this’ warning over ship restaurants, he’ll approach the tough topics in an open and fair style.

Following on from a busy festive period, John took to his Facebook page this week to issue an important announcement to those who will be travelling with Carnival or any other cruise line for that matter, from 2025 and beyond.

Carnival travel document warning

John’s update came after one passenger emailed in asking about travel documentation and what they might need to make sure their holiday had no hiccups when departing or stopping off at ports.

“Good morning John,” the email read.

“Could you please clarify the travel documents we need for a trip to Rome / Mediterranean later this year? If I have looked correctly the process is not available yet. Thank you.”

In response, John explained some major rule changes that have already come in across the UK, as well as new rules in the planning for the majority of Europe.

John Heald is a leading voice for Carnival (Desiree Navarro/Getty Images)

He said: “Thank you and unlike the UK where starting January 8, 2025, US citizens traveling to the United Kingdom for short visits, tourism, or business, including those just passing through UK airports will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), the European Union has yet to confirm what will be needed.

“There will be a visa needed or ETIAS as it is called. But at the time of me writing this it has not been decided by the EU when this will start.

“As soon as we know our Chief Communications Officer Chris and his team will send emails to all who sailing with us to Europe so please stay tuned for that plus I will keep you informed as well.”

The UK ETA is needed or you won’t get in (DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) explained

Securing an ETA gives you permission to travel to the UK. It’s not needed if you have a UK passport or have permission to live, work or study in the UK.

It’s also not needed if you have a visa. British and Irish citizens need not apply.

Once secured, an ETA will give you permission to visit the UK for tourism, or to visit family or friends, for up to six months. It also applies for short term business and studying reasons.

It’ll cost £10 to complete with the application process found here.

The ETIAS visa waiver is expected to go live this year (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Europe’s ETIAS explained

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System visa waiver, or ETIAS, will be needed to visit the Schengen Area of Europe. It costs €7 per person, which is around £6 for Brits.

Once secured you can travel to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

What an ETIAS visa waiver does is allow you to travel to and stay in the European Union for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. If you have a passport from any of the above countries, you need not apply.

The system for ETIAS is expected to go live on 1 May, 2025, but is subject to change. There is also a six month transition period that comes with its introduction; a time in which travellers will be told of the need for the visa waver without having to actually have one.