travel to the eu from uk

Travelling in the EU

Your rights & eu rules.

As an EU national, you enjoy the right of free movement. This means you’re entitled to travel, work and live in another EU country. If you’re a citizen of a Schengen country  – which is most EU countries – you’re also free to travel to other Schengen countries without the need for border checks.

As an EU national, you can also benefit from EU-wide passenger rights for travel into, out of or within the EU by air, rail, bus/coach or ship. You can travel with pets and other animals in the EU provided you comply with the rules (pet passports). There are EU limits on taking alcohol, tobacco or cash with you to another EU country. Each EU country can set its own limits or restrictions, so check before you go.

Travelling to or within the EU? Follow the links below to check which documents you need to take.

Documents you need to travel in the EU

Information on travel documents needed by EU nationals, non-EU national family members, non-EU nationals and children when entering the EU or travelling across it. Find out what to do if you lose your passport or it expires when travelling in the EU.

Public Register of Authentic travel and identity Documents Online (PRADO)

View authorised travel and identity documents issued by EU countries and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

Schengen – ID-free travel zone

What is it.

The Schengen area is a travel zone without borders between the 29 Schengen countries. It allows EU nationals and many non-EU nationals to travel freely without border checks. Since 1985, it’s kept growing, and now covers almost all EU countries and a few non-EU countries (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland). It guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU nationals.

Any person, irrespective of nationality, can travel between Schengen countries without going through border checks. However, national authorities can carry out police checks at borders between these countries and in border areas.

Having abolished their internal borders, Schengen countries have also tightened controls at their common external borders on the basis of Schengen rules to ensure the security of those living or travelling in the Schengen area.

See all the Schengen countries

Common visa policy

The common visa policy enables non-EU visitors to make transit or short stays to the Schengen area. A short-stay visa issued by one of the Schengen countries generally entitles them to travel through all Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

In practice, this means that if you’re cleared to enter one Schengen country, you can travel to any of the other Schengen countries without having to show your travel document again.

Follow the links below for more information about your rights when travelling in the EU.

What can you take with you?

Information on what you can take with you when travelling in the EU, including pets, food, alcohol, tobacco and cash. Find out the luggage restrictions when flying from an airport in the EU and which EU countries use the euro.

Air passenger rights

Information on where and when EU air passenger rights apply and how to make a complaint. Find out who to contact if you need help or advice with your claim.

Assistance for travellers with disabilities or reduced mobility

Information on your rights if you’re travelling in the EU with a disability or reduced mobility. See if you’re entitled to an EU disabled parking permit.

Further information

Using the euro

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Everything you need to know about travel to Europe after Brexit

Do you need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit? Here’s how the rules are looking in 2024

Way back in 2020, the UK left the EU and Brexit took effect. Since then, a hell of a lot has changed about how we travel. There’s now plenty of extra stuff to think about when planning a trip overseas to Europe (especially if it’s for longer periods). So, we ’ve rounded up all the changes to the rules that we’ll have to follow, now that we’re no longer EU citizens. Here is everything you need to know.

RECOMMENDED: 🌤️The best city breaks in Europe for 2024 🏩The best hotels in Europe 🚄The best European sleeper trains launching in 2024 🏂The best affordable ski resorts in Europe

You should probably check your passport

Up until January 2021, all UK citizens with a valid passport were able to travel freely throughout Europe. Now, though, you may need to renew your passport much earlier than you might think. On the day you travel, your passport must have at least six months left before it expires, or you might not be able to travel to any EU countries, or the EEA states of Iceland , Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland . (The old rules still apply for travel to Ireland.)

You can check if you need to renew your passport before travelling using this tool from the British government, and you can apply for a new one here . Make sure you renew it at least a couple of months before you’re planning to travel, as it may take several weeks to process applications in busy times (including right now).

You can no longer apply for an EHIC

Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will remain valid until its expiry date, but you can no longer apply for a new one. In 2021, the UK government launched a replacement scheme, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) , which will entitle you to necessary state healthcare for free or at reduced cost in Europe and other countries with reciprocal arrangements such as Australia and New Zealand . You can apply for one on the official GHIC website .

Free mobile roaming is a thing of the past

The guarantee of free mobile roaming throughout the EU, the Schengen area and the Norway, Iceland and Liechenstein, came to an end on December 31, 2020. It ’s best to c heck with your phone operator to find out about any charges you may incur in the country you’re travelling to.

Border checks may feel a little different

At border control, you will now need to use separate lanes from EU citizens when queuing. Officials may also be more inquisitive than before, asking you to provide a return or onward ticket and prove that you have enough money for the length of your initial stay.

Your driving licence will still be valid – but you’ll need a ‘green card’ proving you have insurance too

Despite reports British drivers would soon have to apply for an ‘international driving permit’ before travelling to the Continent, according to the terms of the Brexit deal, UK licences will still be valid within the EU.

According to this advice by the Foreign Office , you do not need a ‘green card’ (proving you have car insurance cover when driving abroad) when driving in the EU. However, countries where they do apply include Albania, Azerbijan, Moldova, Türkiye and Ukraine. 

Visas are now required for longer stays

If you’re a tourist, you won’t need a visa for short trips to most EU and EEA countries. You will be able to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. To stay for longer than 90 days, or if you ’re working,  you will have to get a visa or travel permit.

The EU has set up this short-term stay visa calculator to help travellers calculate how much longer they can stay in Europe. Visit the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s ‘travel advice’ pages  to find out the application process for each country.

The rules for Bulgaria, Croatia , Cyprus and Romania will be different (this is because they aren ’t in the Schengen area ): visits to those four countries will not count towards the 90-day total. 

These arrangements are up to date as of January 2024. They may change, so check back soon for the latest updates on travel to Europe.

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How are Brexit travel restrictions easing – outbound and inbound?

Exclusive: everything you need to know about significant changes to the rules the uk asked for after leaving the eu, article bookmarked.

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After the vote to leave the EU, the decades-long ease with which the British have holidayed , worked and lived in other member states has ended.

The UK negotiated for British travellers to the Schengen Area (covering much of Europe ) to be limited to a stay of 90 days in any 180 days . So UK passport holders with second homes in the European Union cannot spend more than three months of the winter living there, unless they have a hard-to-obtain long-stay visa.

Conversely, the UK has made it much tougher for many European visitors to come to Britain – insisting they have passports rather than national ID cards. That decision has devastated inbound tourism in some areas of the UK.

Yet both these policies, chosen by the British government, are beginning to unwind.

These are the key questions and answers on how travel rules are easing between the UK and Europe.

What was the situation while the UK was in the EU?

Right up until the end of 2020, which included the Brexit transition period, British travellers could stay as long as they wished in the European Union, up to and including their passport expiry date (UK citizens who happen also to have a passport from Ireland or another EU nation still enjoy this freedom).

But when negotiating the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, the government arranged for the UK to be treated as a “third country”. This means British travellers are subject to exactly the same restrictions as passport holders from many other states, such as Venezuela, Tonga and East Timor. Yet unlike those countries, the UK has extremely close ties with the European Union.

Were we expecting to join that particular club?

No. Immediately after the 2016 referendum, Boris Johnson assured UK travellers nothing would change after Brexit. He said: “British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to study; to buy homes and settle down.” That turned out not to be true.

At around the same time, his colleague, David Davis, the first Brexit secretary, promised: “There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.”

What are the current rules for British travellers to the EU?

While the UK was in the EU, the fact that many British passports were issued for over 10 years was irrelevant. But the issue date is now significant. A UK passport must now comply with two rules for travel to the European Union and wider Schengen Area :

• Day of arrival in the EU: less than 10 years since issue.
• Day of intended departure from the EU: at least three months remaining to expiry.

These two rules are independent of each other, so ignore any nonsense you may have read insisting “UK passports run out after nine years and nine months”.

Third-country nationals may also be asked to justify their travel plans, including financial means, accommodation arrangements and a ticket out of the Schengen Area before they exceeed the stay limit.

Just remind me about the Schengen Area?

This is the “passport-free” zone for travel between most European nations. It is named after the village of Schengen in Luxembourg, which is on the border of France and Germany – a symbolic location, where the former frontier infrastructure is now out of use.

The Schengen Area includes almost all the EU countries except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania – plus Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City.

How long can I stay in the Schengen Area?

“British citizens do not require a visa if spending up to 90 days over a 180-day period in the Schengen Area,” says the French government.

The simplest way to look at this: if you enter the Schengen Area on 1 January 2024, having not been in the zone for the previous 90 days, you would be able to stay there until the end of March. You would then need to remain outside of Schengen for another 90 days, until late June.

Of course most people will have more complex travel plans than this. The question to ask on the day you plan to travel to the Schengen Area is: going back 180 days (almost six months), on how many days have you been in the the zone?

If the answer is less than 90 days in the past 180 days, you are entitled to enter the Schengen Area. But how long you can stay depends on a “rolling count” – on each day, you must look back 180 days and work out how many days you have been in the zone.

What happens if I overstay?

Third-country travellers are generally given three days’ grace on breaking the 90-day limit. Any longer than that and they are likely to be handed an entry ban for one year. This applies throughout the Schengen Area – not just the country in which you overstayed.

I want to stay longer. Can I?

Many British people with second homes in France or a tradition of spending winter in Spain are in this position: they do not want nor need residence, but simply want to stay longer than three months.

Each country has its own version of a long-stay visitor visa. For France, the answer is a visa de long séjour (VLS-T). The six-month version entitles the holder to make multiple trips to France. To get one, you will need to provide evidence of income and/or financial resources. You must attend an interview in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, have fingerprints taken and pay €99 (£87) for the visa along with a processing fee of about £30.

Spain has a similar “long duration” visa, for which you have to submit:

• a medical certificate showing you pose no threat to the Spanish people
• an official document confirming you have not been in trouble in the past five years
• evidence of at least £2,000 per month to support your intended stay.

You must attend an interview at a Spanish consulate general in London or Edinburgh.

A long-stay permit for a specific EU country does not mean that you are entitled to spend more than 90 days in 180 in other Schengen Area nations. But any time spent in the country for which you have a visa does not count towards the 90-day tally.

What is changing?

Some local politicians in France have been campaigning for their government to make it easier for British property owners to stay longer than 90 days.

UK citizens with second homes in France can make a useful social and economic contribution to communities, especially in rural area. Kicking them out after less than three months – in accordance with the rules the British government asked for – stops them spending money in the locality and supporting businesses and cultural events.

On 19 December 2023, the Senate and National Assembly in Paris voted in principle to grant long-stay visas to British property owners more or less automatically.

The exact amendment notes that life has got much more difficult for British property owners since Brexit: “If these difficulties find their roots in the sovereign decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the fact remains that many of their nationals actively participate in the dynamism of the local economy in our territories.

“Thus, in view of the unique links which unite our two countries and the importance of this public for the French economy, this appeal amendment wishes, by way of derogation, to ease the conditions of entry into French territory for British citizens who own second homes in France.”

If it is rubber-stamped, it would allow British property owners to spend as much of the year as they wish in France. Any time spent in France will not count towards the 90-day limit in the rest of the Schengen Area.

Stephen Jolly, of the pressure group France Visa Free, said: “France is helping us solve the 90-in-180-day problem for some British visitors.

“Eventually we want to see a truly reciprocal mobility arrangement between the UK and each EU country. But for the time being this change in French law is huge. It shows that the French are willing to address the adverse effects of Brexit.”

Surely this must apply throughout the EU – not just France?

No. While the common Schengen Area rules are decided in Brussels and cannot be modified by individual states, each EU nation is sovereign and is free to offer long-stay visas for its own territory to anyone it wishes.

What is different for Ireland?

Freedom of movement for UK citizens and unlimited length of stay in Ireland is guaranteed under the provisions of the Common Travel Agreement . Any time spent by British travellers in the Republic does not count towards the time limitations for the rest of Europe.

People who live in Northern Ireland are exempt from the 90/180 rule if they have a passport from the Irish Republic, which is easily obtained by most people in Northern Ireland. They have an automatic right to travel anywhere in the Schengen Area and other EU countries, even though Ireland is outside the Schengen Area.

The government in Dublin says: “Irish citizens continue to have EU citizenship wherever they live. They continue to enjoy the right to travel and live and work anywhere in the EU.”

Do the EU countries outside Schengen have different rules?

Each of Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania has its own individual 90/180 day limits. A British traveller could therefore effectively keep “flipping” between Schengen and those other countries – though frontier officials may demand to see evidence of financial means.

What about travel to the UK for Europeans?

One of the flagship Brexit policies on immigration was to end the right for Europeans to travel to the UK using national identity cards . In October 2021, the then-home secretary Priti Patel banned what she called “the use of insecure ID cards for people to enter our country”. She said it was imperative to “clamp down on the criminals that seek to enter our country illegally using forged documents”.

The consequences of banning IDs?

The ban disenfranchised more than 200 million European Union citizens who have ID cards but not passports from visiting the UK. It almost wiped out the previously healthy inbound tourism from groups of EU schoolchildren. Many diverted to the remaining European Union nations where English is the main language: Ireland and Malta.

The UK Institute of Tourist Guiding reported a 99 per cent drop in school group bookings from Europe for summer 2022 compared with pre-Brexit, pre-Covid 2019. And Patricia Yates, chief executive of VisitBritain, told MPs: “You will find destinations like Hastings absolutely decimated by a lack of school visits.”

What has changed now?

In December 2023, the current home secretary, James Cleverly, announced a U-turn . He said: “We are making changes to allow children aged 18 and under, studying at a school in France, to visit the UK on an organised educational trip without the usual passport or visit visa requirements.

“EU, other EEA and Swiss national children will be able to travel on their national identity card.”

Lord Ricketts, chair of the European Affairs Committee said: “We now urge the government to get this extended to children studying in all EU states for the benefit of both sides.”

How does the UK benefit from allowing in tourists with ID cards?

European citizens can use their national identity cards to visit any EU/Schengen Area country, as well as a number beyond those borders. With such extensive freedom to travel with a document that they have to own anyway, many Europeans do not bother with the red tape and expense of procuring a passport.

While some prospective travellers may obtain a passport specifically to visit the UK, many will not.

The United Kingdom has therefore restricted access to the closest thing any country can get to free money: inbound tourism. Overseas visitors bring highly desirable social and economic benefits. They boost local amenities, create jobs and improve international understanding.

What does the UK government say now?

“This is a hugely exciting time for our country, one filled with potential and opportunity.

“This is a government that possesses the ambition and determination the UK needs to succeed now and for many years to come.”

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The U.S. issues new travel guidelines, warning that Iran will avenge the killings of senior commanders.

The State Department has barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel. Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back over the deadly bombing this month of an Iranian Embassy complex in Syria.

• Share full article

By Liam Stack and Eric Schmitt

• April 12, 2024

Several countries including the United States have issued new travel guidelines for Israel and the surrounding region, as the Israeli military said its forces were “highly alert” for a possible Iranian strike in retaliation for the killings of several commanders.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back at Israel over the bombing of an Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, this month that killed three generals and four other military officers. An American official said on Friday that Washington expects an attack by Iran against Israel that would be bigger than recent attacks in the long shadow war between the two countries, but not so big that it would draw the United States into war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel, the first time the U.S. government had restricted the movement of its employees in this way since the war in Gaza began more than six months ago.

On Thursday, Britain told its citizens that they “should consider leaving” Israel and the Palestinian territories “if it is safe to do so.” On Friday, India told its citizens “not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice,” while France advised people not to travel to Israel, Iran or Lebanon and evacuated the families of French diplomats from Iran.

Asked about the U.S. travel warning , Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, said at a news briefing Thursday: “We have seen Iran making public threats against Israel in the past few days.” He declined to provide details about any specific information that prompted the warning.

The new guidelines bar U.S. government employees and their families from traveling to locations outside the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba metropolitan areas “out of an abundance of caution” until further notice. The State Department said U.S. personnel could move among those areas for personal travel.

The top American military commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, traveled to Israel to coordinate a response to possible Iranian retaliation, U.S. officials said.

“Our enemies think that they will divide Israel and the United States,” the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a statement on Friday after meeting with General Kurilla. “They are connecting us and are strengthening the relationship between us.”

If Iran attacks, he added, “we will know how to respond.”

On Thursday, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the armed forces were “highly alert and prepared” for any action Iran might take, even as the timing and scale of any response remained unclear. Analysts say that Tehran, which has long used a network of proxy forces to project power across the Middle East, wants to avoid igniting a full-fledged war that could drag in the United States and threaten the survival of Iran’s regime.

“For years, and even more so during the war, Iran has been financing, directing and arming its proxies — in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen — to attack the state of Israel,” he said. “An attack from Iranian territory would be clear evidence of Iran’s intentions to escalate the Middle East and stop hiding behind the proxies.”

Liam Stack is a Times reporter covering the Israel-Hamas war from Jerusalem. More about Liam Stack

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Gazans released from Israeli detention described graphic scenes of physical abuse  in testimonies gathered by U.N. workers, according to a new report.

Britain, the United States, France and other allies of Israel have voiced their anger over the death toll in Gaza, but when Iran launched a missile barrage at Israel, they set it aside . At least for the moment.

The Israel pavilion at the Venice Biennale is closed this year, since its creative team decided not to exhibit work  until there was a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, but it was nonetheless the site of a large demonstration .

Mobilizing the American Left: As the death toll in Gaza climbed, the pro-Palestinian movement grew into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States . Democrats are feeling the pressure.

Riding Rage Over Israel: Jackson Hinkle’s incendiary commentary  has generated over two million new followers on X since October — a surge that some researchers say is aided by inauthentic accounts by the online celebrity.

Psychedelics and Trauma: Thousands of festival-goers were using mind-altering substances when Hamas-led fighters attacked on Oct 7. Now, scientists are studying the effects of such drugs at a moment of trauma .

Turmoil at J Street: The war in Gaza has raised serious concerns within the Jewish political advocacy group about its ability to hold a middle position  without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left.

France, India, Russia, UK issue travel warnings over Israel-Iran tensions

Warnings come as Tehran promises reprisals against Israel for the deadly April 1 attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria.

Countries including France, India, Russia, Poland and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens against travelling to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and, in some cases, the wider region amid threats of an Iranian attack in response to a strike this month on its consulate in Damascus.

Iran has threatened reprisals against Israel over the strike in the Syrian capital on April 1, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, leading to fears of an escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Keep reading

Iran’s khamenei promises ‘israel will be punished’ for syria strike, who was mohammad reza zahedi, an iranian general killed by israel in syria, irgc warns israel attacks ‘won’t go unanswered’ as iran marks al-quds day, tensions rise amid expectations of iran retaliation against israel.

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on Friday advised its citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In a statement on the social media platform X, the ministry added that relatives of Iran-based diplomats will return to France and French civil servants are now banned from conducting any missions in the countries and territories in question.

The UK told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and Palestine over the “possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran”.

In an update, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against “all travel” to northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank – excluding occupied East Jerusalem and Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Russia strongly recommended its citizens “refrain from travelling to the region”, emphasising security risks in Israel, Lebanon and Palestine.

“The situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone as well as in the area of the ‘Blue Line’ between Lebanon and Israel remains unstable,” its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry also advised against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.

“It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,” it said in a statement. “Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings.”

India’s statement covered Iran and Israel, calling on Indians not to go to the two countries until further notice in view of the “prevailing situation in the region”.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Indian citizens who are in the two countries should observe “utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”.

Germany meanwhile warned its citizens to leave Iran specifically, saying escalating tensions could affect exit routes.

“In the current tensions, especially between Israel and Iran, there is a risk of a sudden escalation,” the Foreign Office said. “German citizens are at concrete risk of being arbitrarily arrested and interrogated and being given long prison sentences. Dual citizens with Iranian and German nationality are especially at risk,” it added.

Separately, German flagship airline Lufthansa extended its suspension of flights to and from Tehran until Thursday and will not use Iranian airspace during that time.

Real and viable threat, US says

The United States has restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba areas.

An imminent attack by Iran on Israel is a “real” and “viable” threat, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Friday, adding that Washington would make sure the Israelis “have what they need and that they’re able to defend themselves”.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Joe Biden said: “We are devoted to the defence of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”

The top US commander for the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, is also in Israel for talks with its military officials on security threats. His trip was moved up from a previously scheduled date “due to recent developments”, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said on Thursday.

After Kurilla discussed the tensions with Iran with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday, Gallant said the US and Israel were “shoulder to shoulder” in facing possible threats.

“We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond,” the defence chief added.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting a person familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday that Israel was preparing for an attack by Iran as soon as Friday or Saturday.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the Israeli army announced that it was preparing on all fronts offensively and defensively.

“A couple of weeks ago, the Israelis increased their alertness level, calling up reservists and bolstering air defence systems,” she said, adding that Israeli officials said they were prepared for anything.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip since October 7 and sent in ground forces, killing at least 33,600 Palestinians and injuring more than 76,000. Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel killed more than 1,100 people there.

Israel has also stepped up strikes against Iranian personnel and allies in Syria and Lebanon and has traded near daily cross-border fire with the Lebanese group Hezbollah since the start of the war.

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

This clever travel hack lets you enjoy access to some of the world’s luxury airport lounges AND free bubbly for a right bargain

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SHOPPING – Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.

Until now, the closest we’ve got to the feeling of luxury when flying was walking past the designer shops in the airport on our way to the loo.

But there’s a new and nifty way for us to travel in style and feel like we’re living that bad and bougie lifestyle on a budget.

Priority Pass is the world’s largest independent airport lounge access programme and basically offers you jammy discounts on over 1400 lounges across 600 cities in 148 countries.

Suffer from pre-flight nerves? The heaving crowds pouring out of every corner won’t help. But with Priority Pass , you get access to the calm and quiet lounges and get to ease in to vacation mode in style.

The lounges also offer free Wifi to keep you connected and something to eat and drink, including free alcohol in most. A complimentary glass of something bubbly? You don’t have to tell us twice.

Also, it doesn’t matter what ticket you’re flying on. You could have nabbed the last seat by the loos in economy and still be able to enjoy a feeling of decadence in the lounges.

Plus, if you arrive early you may even be able to enjoy some luxury treatments. A calming head massage before we head off? What a time to be alive.

A Standard Plus Membership is £229 per year , which works out to just over £19 a month. For that, you get ten free lounge visits and you can pay £24 per visit for a plus one.

The Standard Membership is just £69 per year and that means every visit to the lounge is just £24. Which, considering you get free Wifi and food and drink, is a straight up bargain, right?

And we also have some extra fab news as Metro readers can now get 30% off Standard and 20% off Standard Plus .

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UK weather-related insurance claims reach record £573m

Flood and frozen pipe damage caused by series of storms, says Association of British Insurers

Storms and heavy rain pushed up weather-related home insurance claims in the UK by more than a third last year to a record £573m, according to industry data.

The repair bill for storm damage and other extreme weather during 2023 was £150m more than in 2022, the Association of British Insurers said, contributing to an overall 10% rise in residential property claims settled last year.

The increase was fuelled by a succession of storms including Babet, Ciaran and Debi, according to the ABI. The weather total includes flood damage as well as burst pipes in freezing temperatures, which accounted for £153m, mainly at the beginning of 2023 at the tail end of a cold winter.

The average weather-related payout was approaching £5,000 in 2023 compared with a little over £3,000 in 2022.

The ABI data only goes back to 2017, and in real terms, taking inflation into account, British weather damage claims in the past may have rivalled the 2023 record, especially during the winter floods of 2015-16 , and the summer floods of 2007

Nonetheless, the weather trend appears unlikely to have reversed in 2024, with continuing wet weather and a succession of winter storms. Storm Henk triggered almost £150m in claims in the first week of January alone, according to PwC estimates. This January was the wettest on record for 250 years, although a mild winter, including the warmest-ever February , may have reduced burst pipe claims.

Louise Clark, policy adviser at the ABI, said: “Extreme weather events may not feel so rare as they used to as we grapple with a changing climate.

“Insurers continue to be there for affected homeowners, with payouts hitting record levels after a particularly difficult autumn and winter, with seemingly countless storms, from Agnes onwards, leading to significant flooding. While insurance will continue to protect homeowners and businesses, we can’t afford to lose momentum on our flood defence programme.”

High temperatures have also prompted other insurance claims, with 2022’s summer heatwave reportedly contributing to a 45% rise in subsidence cases that year.

The ABI said total property payouts across homeowners and businesses reached £4.9bn in 2023, just over half for residential claims, or around £13m a day on average.

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While the total number of claims remained fairly level, the average claim paid to businesses and homeowners rose to £6,235, an 11% increase compared with 2022.

Despite rising premiums in 2023, the ABI said that, adjusted for inflation, the average cost of combined buildings and contents cover for a home has fallen by 13% since 2017.

• Insurance industry
• Extreme weather

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Storm Kathleen: Scotland hit by high winds, heavy rain and travel disruption

Storm Kathleen sweeps across west of UK and Ireland – in pictures

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