# European Border Crossings



## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Had an interesting series of events on our recent trip to the UK and Italy via France. Strictly via air but it still seems relevant to ED.

First flight was from the US to Paris for a connection to London. We had to go through security in Paris for the connection but not Immigration. On arrival in London, we went through both Immigration and Customs.

Next flight was from London to Venice where we once again went through both Customs and Immigration.

Return flights required an overnight in Paris (tough duty). After arrival, we did not have to go through either Customs or Immigration (one carry on bag and two checked through to Detroit on the next day's flight). Basically we just walked off the airplane and into the Terminal where we could go as we pleased without any border formalities. We did have to go through Immigration on departure for a passport check but it seemed strange with no check on entering France.

I know that EU citizens do not have to show passports with in the EU but I assumed non EU citizens would have to be formally admitted to the country. However, we did not in one instance (Venice to Paris) and did in two others (Paris to London and London to Venice). I suppose the London experience could have been caused by it being the first actual stop from the US but I don't really understand the full drill form London to Venice and absolutely nothing concerning Immigration and Customs on the Venice to Paris trip. Is it because the UK has not adopted the no EU passport drill?:dunno:

Not a big deal but I suppose if you lost your passport somewhere in the EU, you could still travel freely until time to go back to the USA if our experience is any indication.

Cheers


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## iversonm (Nov 15, 2004)

The United Kingdom is not one of the Schengen states, meaning it is not part of the "open border" group of countries. This is why your passport was checked when you flew from and to London.


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## claud 3 (Jun 27, 2005)

Drove from Munich to Verona Italy in May. Never saw a border crossing, or even a sign saying "Welcome to Italy". I got off the Autobaun once in what I thought might be Austria to buy the window sticker and a drink. Nope--the gas station lady said I was still in Germany, but sold me the Austrian toll sticker. 
On the return trip from Italy to Austria there was a border crossing checkpoint at the Brenner Pass. All our passports were checked, and the Austrian guard made me stick the toll sticker on my windshield.


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## mapezzul (Jun 14, 2005)

I feel like every time we go through Frankfurt we do customs twice once getting off the plane and once getting on the plane, drives me nuts. We now avoid Frankfurt and LHR at all cost (financially).... I rather spend the extra money than stand in a line for ever.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

X3 Skier said:


> I know that EU citizens do not have to show passports with in the EU but I assumed non EU citizens would have to be formally admitted to the country.


Has nothing to do with citizenship. Once you are within the Schengen lands, there is free movement although countries can from time to time do controls.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

claud 3 said:


> and the Austrian guard made me stick the toll sticker on my windshield.


It wasn't on? Good thing you already had the sticker (had you not been in Austria before with the car?)


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

claud 3 said:


> Drove from Munich to Verona Italy in May. Never saw a border crossing, or even a sign saying "Welcome to Italy". I got off the Autobaun once in what I thought might be Austria to buy the window sticker and a drink. Nope--the gas station lady said I was still in Germany, but sold me the Austrian toll sticker.
> On the return trip from Italy to Austria there was a border crossing checkpoint at the Brenner Pass. All our passports were checked, and the Austrian guard made me stick the toll sticker on my windshield.


We pass few border crossing in our trip but never was stopped. 
Germany-	Switzerland border









Switzerland- Italy









France - Spain


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

In 2006 my wife and I flew from Los Angeles to Munich, connecting through Paris. Paris involved a terminal change, although our bags were checked through to Munich.

At no point did our luggage go through customs, either in Paris or Munich, although we went through immigration in Paris, sans our luggage. Go figure.

Later, on the same trip, we drove our ED car from Munich to Prague then to Berlin. Upon re-entering Germany from the Czech Republic, German border guards detained us for about 20 minutes because our passports had not been stamped when we first entered the EU in France. We had to pull out airline tickets and all sorts of documentation to prove that we hadn't overstayed out 90-day vistor's visas. We'd only been in Europe about 5 days and the car was brand new.

-Robert



X3 Skier said:


> Had an interesting series of events on our recent trip to the UK and Italy via France. Strictly via air but it still seems relevant to ED.
> 
> First flight was from the US to Paris for a connection to London. We had to go through security in Paris for the connection but not Immigration. On arrival in London, we went through both Immigration and Customs.
> 
> ...


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## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

We sought out the patrolled border crossings for our passports. I wanted to have them stamped as a memory, despite the Schengen rules. It seemed like the Autobahn/Autostrada routes did not have crossings, but B roads were more likely.


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Austria was occasionally stopping cars at the boarder this summer because of the EU soccer championship (they were hosting with Switzerland). I would see it open one day, then controlled the next day depending on the game schedule.



claud 3 said:


> Drove from Munich to Verona Italy in May. Never saw a border crossing, or even a sign saying "Welcome to Italy". I got off the Autobaun once in what I thought might be Austria to buy the window sticker and a drink. Nope--the gas station lady said I was still in Germany, but sold me the Austrian toll sticker.
> On the return trip from Italy to Austria there was a border crossing checkpoint at the Brenner Pass. All our passports were checked, and the Austrian guard made me stick the toll sticker on my windshield.


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

We flew from Johannesburg to Frankfurt last week and passengers were screened by two guys in plainclothes in the jetway before boarding the plane. I assume they were German agents as they greeted people with "Guten Tag". When we landed in FRA, as soon as we exited the the jetway, there were 6 or 7 uniformed guys standing across blocking the way and selectively stopping people and asking to see passports. Maybe they're getting a lot of illegals from South Africa. :dunno:


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

Back in the Iron Curtain days, those stamps meant something. I recall getting a stamp from Czechoslovakia in three colors that took up an entire page of my passport. In modern days, the stamp is usually just a black rectangle or triangle, and frankly I'd rather that boarder agents didn't know what other countries I'd been in.



Gig103 said:


> We sought out the patrolled border crossings for our passports. I wanted to have them stamped as a memory, despite the Schengen rules. It seemed like the Autobahn/Autostrada routes did not have crossings, but B roads were more likely.


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## bimmercontrol (Jul 15, 2007)

Robert A said:


> Back in the Iron Curtain days, those stamps meant something. I recall getting a stamp from Czechoslovakia in three colors that took up an entire page of my passport. In modern days, the stamp is usually just a black rectangle or triangle, and frankly I'd rather that boarder agents didn't know what other countries I'd been in.


stamps dont mean much if your passport was scanned at any border. i looked over at the computer once at heathrow. showed every single border crossing i was at since the passport was issued.

they come in handy when they dont have a computer, your passport wasnt scanned, or you went through some small crossings. and of course if you get pulled over by cops that just want to see the stamp

no point lieing to customs these days :tsk:


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

claud 3 said:


> Drove from Munich to Verona Italy in May. Never saw a border crossing, or even a sign saying "Welcome to Italy". I got off the Autobaun once in what I thought might be Austria to buy the window sticker and a drink. Nope--the gas station lady said I was still in Germany, but sold me the Austrian toll sticker.
> On the return trip from Italy to Austria there was a border crossing checkpoint at the Brenner Pass. All our passports were checked, and *the Austrian guard *made me stick the toll sticker on my windshield.





> *chaz58:* _*Austria was occasionally stopping cars *at the boarder this summer because of the EU soccer championship (they were hosting with Switzerland). I would see it open one day, then controlled the next day depending on the game schedule_.


Look closely at *claud's* photo. " Asfinag" are not "border guards"; it is "Autobahnen- und Schnellstraßen- Finanzierungs- Aktiengesellschaft"--basically the organization that operates the Autobahnen in Austria and collects the money for the vignets. Since money is involved, they tend to be quite vigilent.


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