Customs

[bs1313]

I wasn't sure which topic to put this question under, but I found this one to be most suitable.

When we go from country to country do we go through customs each time? Like when we take the Eurostar from London to Paris do we go through customs in Paris. And our flight from Paris to Venice, will we go through customs? I assume so...

[me]

no customs check. within EU there's no customs and, normally, no immigration check between Schengenzone countries. (Schengenzone is most of Western & Central Europe. but, not UK, Ireland or, until November, Switzerland.)

so, London to Paris would require immigration, but no customs. Paris to Venice would require neither. [but, you will have a security check before boarding a plane. the security will prolly want to see your passport as ID]

- d

[madamtrashheap]

Bret, as David writes, there is an open boarder policy between all Schengen Zone members (as David wrote, Switzerland is not part of this, so there are border checks and these will likely continue past November, so I'm told). If by "Customs" you mean Immigration/Passport Control, then it varies. But as far as checking for transporting food, etc, then no.

If you're on the train, you'll find that border checks do still occur, but not always, so keep your passport handy (I was just checked at the Austrian/Italian border on a train, but first time in a while that's happened). On planes, you'll always need your passport to fly (unless you have an EU ID card) within the EU and will be checked by the ground staff at check-in as well as when you enter the gate for boarding. When you land in Venice, you shouldn't have to go through Passport Control as you've made a flight within the EU, but that isn't guaranteed as checks are getting more stringent. If you fly from London to somewhere in the EU, you still have to go through Passport Control as the UK is considered a "frontier border" thus checks are made at departure and arrival for these flights. And yes you'll get a stamp in your Passport

[bs1313]

YES!! I want the stamps, makes it look like I have been more places!!!

[madamtrashheap]

bs1313 said:

YES!! I want the stamps, makes it look like I have been more places!!!

Thought that might have been a reason for your question!

You won't get a stamp at every crossing (esp on trains), so if your friends don't believe you that you've been to all those places, then show them photos, and if they still don't believe you...get new friends! ;D

[me]

actually, on my 2004 trip, i wasn't even checked at all "Frontier" crossings! crossing on trains from Hungary to Austria, and Germany to Switzerland, no one even asked to see a passport.

on that same trip, however, crossing on a train from Italy to Slovenia, my passport was checked. never stamped, though.

- d

[bs1313]

Well that was part of the reason for the question but the other reason was because I want to be prepared for EVERYTHING! I have been to Europe twice but I tend to get stressed out easily and I don't want to be fumbling around being a target for tourist theft!

[pointofnoreturn]

I only got 2 stamps - one in London and one in Athens. The rest of places I've been to in Europe (via flight) didn't stamp my passport.

You can ask for one I guess... if they look friendly enough to give it to you.

[WillTravel]

You have a good point about fumbling about. When you take your passport or money or credit cards out, for whatever reason, don't get rushed or flustered, but take your time to put it back securely. That's what I try to aim for with whatever slightly new or different thing I am trying (a new metro system or new airport or whatever). It's when I get unnerved or rushed that I misplace stuff, but if I take the time to think about what I'm doing, I'm usually fine.

[me]

madamtrashheap said:

If you're on the train, you'll find that border checks do still occur, but not always, so keep your passport handy

inside the Schengen zone, you could always have your id checked at any time. AFAIK, that's the reason UK/Ireland give for not joining up. [my understanding is that there are no random id checks in UK, checks are only with "probable cause"]

- d