Passport Picture And Apply: To secure your passport-a husband and wife may have a joint passport if traveling together-apply to the nearest passport office in some large city (the New York offices are: Downtown-45 Broadway; Mid-town-630 Fifth Avenue) or to the head office in Washington, or, if no large city is handy, apply to the most convenient U.S. District Court. To get your first passport you are supposed to bring proof of citizenship, such as a certified copy of your birth certificate, also two passport-size photo-: graphs 2%" by 3", a letter stating the purpose of your trip ("pleasure" or "tourism" is enough), and you must be accompanied by an adult U.S. citizen, not related to you, who has known you for two years or more and will serve as an identifying witness.
One more word on the passport. It is good for two years ($10) and enewable for a further two years ($5). Then it expires and you must get new one, which is easy this time. Just present your old passport, a new ;n dollars and two newly taken photos. Then fill out the application. Your Id passport will be canceled and returned to you as a keepsake.
It permits you to enter any train any time destined for anywhere in the kingdom, for a period of 5 days or 10 days, and anywhere, means everywhere. If you had the stamina for it you could legally live on trains, 120 hours for the 5-day card, 240 hours for the 10-day card. For the shorter period, in 3rd class, the cost is now a mere $7, for 2nd $12, for 1st (but many local trains carry no first) $17. If you double the period to the 10-day card, the cost is far from doubled. It is now $10, $17 and $24. This abonnement (somewhat similar to one in Switzerland) is a thing only for the rugged. You are tempted to use your bargain card too much! But if you want this alluring bargain, arm yourself with a passport picture and apply at any important station a day or two ahead of the day you propose to start your chain travels.
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