PASSPORTS

It's 135 dollars. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

For just the book, it's $100. For the book and the card (like a driver's license, but issued by the federal gov, basically), it's $120. It's only $45 for the card alone, but the card is only good for travel over land borders, so Mexico and Canada. If you need it for any kind of cruise or air travel, you'll need the book. I do recommend getting them together if you can, just because it's handy to have another photo ID card.

As for where to get them, post offices often process them, but not all locations do so. You can locate regional offices here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/where/where_4851.html

Oh, sorry, Danielle is right if you go after July 13. I think if you went this week, you could still pay on the old fee schedule, though.

I know there are places like kinkos that will take your picture.

mine expires next year. I went to the website to see what it would charge but it's totally confusing.

Your post office is the best place to go for your passport. Most of them require an appointment, so call ahead. The post office charges a little more for pictures, so go to Walgreens or somewhere to get your picture taken (make sure it's a specified "passport photo") and then take that with you to the post office.

Yeah, expect to pay about $10 for official passport photos. But definitely make some calls tomorrow to find out if you can save that money by doing it before July 13th, when the new fees go into effect!

Prices go up next week... go now if you can!

Starting July 13 prices will go up across the board135 for a first-time U.S. passport for adults (ages 16 and older). The current fee is $100. $110 for U.S. passport renewal for adults. The current fee is $75.

We didn't make an appointment at the post office, but we did have to wait a long line because we went on a Saturday. Make sure you bring check or cash, because they did not accept any card payment.

Something to remember that may not come in handy for you, but will for people like me:

I believe it was NAB who posted that if you get a passport within a year before your wedding, you can get your name changed on the passport for free after the wedding. So I'm waiting until October, prices going up or not, because it will save me money.

We got ours in May. They took 2 1/2 weeks to arrive. I would try to go to the post office during the week to avoid the lines. You can use a debit card, but not a credit card. We took the pics at Walgreens. Its easier if you fill out the form online and then just hand it to them - give them your drivers license and birth certificate. Voila -you're done!

For those in Houston, Texas, try going to the big downtown post office (77201), at the end of Congress at Franklin. I needed a passport to shoot a wedding in Mexico, and read all sorts of horror stories about it taking many months to get a passport.

I got my passport pics at Walgreens for a few bucks (they look terrible...they just used a cheap point and shoot camera...but it worked I guess), then went to the post office with no appointment with my paperwork. There was only like one person ahead of me. 10 minutes later I was finished and on my way home...totally painless.

My passport arrived in the mail about 5 days later!

Good lord..have the fees gone up? I got mine 3yrs ago for $75 total. I got it at my local post office.