I’m a dual passport holder – but which one should I use?

Simon Calder answers your questions on dual passports, visiting Vancouver and where to get some sun in February

Wretched biometric rules will add an extra layer of red tape for UK citizens (Getty)

Q I am lucky enough to be a dual passport holder, UK and Irish. I believe that an Irish passport holder exiting the UK and entering the European Union will avoid the forthcoming biometric passport control issue. Coming back, however, how does this apply? For example: can I use my EU passport to enter the EU and when returning use my UK passport to enter the UK? And what happens if I book flights just using the EU passport?

Paul Connolly

A Once the European Union entry-exit system is running, the value of an EU passport for British travellers will increase still further. The wretched fingerprinting and facial biometric rules – to which we asked to become subject – are currently slated for introduction in November. Once the extra red tape becomes a reality, I predict a surge in applications for Irish passports for those fortunate enough to qualify.

Those of us with only a UK passport will have to line up for fingerprints to be taken (on first entry to the Schengen Area) and to have facial biometrics checked (on every arrival and departure). In contrast, EU passport holders will be able to breeze through a fast-track channel. The only check border officials can make is that the document is valid, and that it is yours.

Anyone like you who can swerve the system should do so. You will enjoy much smoother progress, and also reduce the queues for us single-passport unfortunates. You could happily enter and leave the EU and wider Schengen Area on your Irish passport and return to the UK on your British passport (there are no formal checks outbound). But I am not sure why you would want to do that: you can speed through the UK Border just as fast with an Irish passport as with a British document.

In your position I would leave the UK passport behind, and check in for every flight, ferry or train using your Irish one. Simple and effective.

Winter days are short and struggle to top 6C in Canada’s beautiful west coast city (iStock)

Q Would you recommend a trip to Vancouver in January, and what are the key activities?

James T

A I love Canada’s big, beautiful west-coast city – but I would never be inclined to visit in midwinter. Much of Vancouver’s intense attraction involves outdoor life. In January the temperature struggles to exceed 6C and rain is expected on most days. While you might get lucky with some sunshine, the days are short, with nine hours or less of daylight. Compare that with late March, when days are warmer and offer at least 12 hours between sunrise and sunset.

The extra brightness will make all the difference for appreciating the spectacular harbour setting. In spring – or right through to October – you will be able to savour experiences such as the shoreline bike ride around Stanley Park and the trip out to the Museum of Anthropology. And Grouse Mountain, Vancouver’s very own 4,000ft mountain just to the north of the city, offers skiing as late as May.

At any time of year, you can enjoy the cultural combo of the Museum of Vancouver and Vancouver Art Gallery; regrettably what promises to be the spectacular new Vancouver Art Gallery, due to be complete by 2020, is now unlikely to open before 2028 (which is when I plan to make my next visit). You can also devour Canada’s most delicious and diverse cuisine; Gastown, Yaletown and Granville Island are among the best areas to sample.

Vancouver’s added superpower is its proximity to some other superb North American locations. The British Columbia capital, Victoria, is a ferry voyage or a seaplane flight away. From here you can sail across to the San Juan Islands, part of US territory, and onward to Seattle – another great city, and from where you can take the amazing Cascades train along the coast and back to Vancouver.

The Met Office says warm sunny days in Tenerife are the default – even in February (Getty)

Q I am looking for two weeks of sunshine in late February/early March. It needs to be warm (25C-plus) and near the beach. Best places to look at?

Neil W

A The later you can travel in February, the better – avoiding the crowds of half-term holidaymakers will make the trip much cheaper and more serene. Going as late as possible will also mean likely temperatures are slightly higher.

The problem I have coming up with a crisp answer to your question is the temperature stipulation. My go-to location for late winter/early spring, as well as late autumn/early winter, is the Canary Islands archipelago. These Spanish Atlantic islands are only about five degrees (or 350 miles) north of the tropics. For Tenerife, the largest isle, the UK Met Office says: “Warm sunny days are the default even in February.” You can expect an average of six hours of sunshine, but average highs are only 21.4C – and only a degree warmer in March.

Access is cheap and easy, with loads of flights from the UK taking typically four hours and plenty of competition keeping fares and holiday prices keen. So you might want to trade those benefits for a few degrees of heat.

If not, then you could consider the Red Sea coast of Egypt: either Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai peninsula, or Hurghada on the African “mainland”. I can guarantee the water will be warm and tempting. Tui – Europe’s biggest holiday company – says the average daily high in air temperature is 25C in February and 28C in March.

Fares and holiday prices are higher because of the extra distance – Manchester to Sharm el-Sheikh is over 660 miles further than to Tenerife – and an extra £75 in air passenger duty applies. But to compensate, local living costs are low.

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