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Post by me on Dec 20, 2007 14:39:46 GMT -5
in just a few hours, Schengen zone gets even bigger. most of the 2004 EU entrants, i think all but Cyprus, join Schengen. as of midnight, you can drive from Narva, Estonia to Sagres, Portugal without passport checks, as long as you don't detour through Switzerland. but, that'd take a while - it's more than 4,500 km!  |
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Post by Eagle on Dec 20, 2007 16:42:31 GMT -5
David, I'd forgotten that some new members would be joining the E.U. this year. Which countries are the new entrants?
Hopefully most of them will adopt the Euro, as it sure makes travel convenient!
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Post by me on Dec 20, 2007 22:54:28 GMT -5
these 9 are all places that joined EU in 2004, that are now in Schengen zone [for land borders (at airports starting on March28)]: Hungary, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. per the news article i just saw, the 10th state which joined EU in 2004, Cyprus, didn't yet implement Schengen. [hopes to implement in 2009, after non-EU states Switzerland & Liechtenstein which plan implementation in November 2008]
joining Euro zone is another, in many ways bigger, step. but, Slovenia, last one on the above list, adopted Euro as its official currency at the start of this year.
but, what i've read sez no new Euro countries are expected until after 2010. [Slovenia was unique getting in as fast as it did]
if traveling in the near future to the non-Euro EU states, you can probably get by with Euros. well, maybe not in UK. per an earlier thread, English vendors don't even like Scot £ notes. they might not take too kindly if you try to pay with €.
- d
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Post by me on Dec 20, 2007 23:51:39 GMT -5
Hopefully most of them will adopt the Euro, as it sure makes travel convenient! actually, there might not be a big rush to join Eurozone. as you may know, UK & Denmark have opt outs in the EU treaties. Sweden is using a loophole to stay out of Eurozone. Slovenia joined as soon as they could. and, it seems, most of the other new states are eager to join. as Malta has a history with UK, they might not be as interested in the Euro. i haven't read anything about it. |
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Post by Eagle on Dec 21, 2007 1:58:46 GMT -5
David, interesting to hear that Slovenia is now using the Euro. That will make travel a bit easier next year, if I decide to try an Eastern Europe tour!
Under normal circumstances I keep five different currencies on hand when travelling (Cdn$, US$, UK£, € and CH$), but having to use several different currencies for Eastern Europe is going to be a bit of a nuisance. The biggest problem is getting rid of the excess before leaving the country (especially the coins, as they're nothing more than paper weights outside their home area).
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Post by me on Dec 21, 2007 18:47:00 GMT -5
Slovenia has been officially in Eurozone almost a year now. i wonder how the prices there compare to the rest of the Eurozone? Under normal circumstances I keep five different currencies on hand when travelling (Cdn$, US$, UK£, € and CH$), but having to use several different currencies for Eastern Europe is going to be a bit of a nuisance. you keep all 5 on hand? in cash? wow - i bet that's a mess to keep them all straight! even in the bad old days, i didn't keep more than two kinds of money at a time, i don't think. (one in each of my front pockets) [well, i kept a greenback c-note with my passport for emergencies. on my most recent trip, that was a €100 note] - d |
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Post by me on Dec 28, 2007 17:24:13 GMT -5
 forgot about another non-Schengen area one would need to avoid: Russia's province of Kaliningrad - the part of former East Prussia with the city then known as Königsburg. won't make much difference for Russians. they've needed travel documents to make a land journey between Kaliningrad province and the rest of Russia since the break-up of Soviet Union; no? as of midnight, you can drive from Narva, Estonia to Sagres, Portugal without passport checks, as long as you don't detour through Switzerland. but, that'd take a while - it's more than 4,500 km!
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Post by herrbert on Dec 28, 2007 18:50:13 GMT -5
forgot about another non-Schengen area one would need to avoid: Russia's province of Kaliningrad - the part of former East Prussia with the city then known as Königsburg. won't make much difference for Russians. they've needed travel documents to make a land journey between Kaliningrad province and the rest of Russia since the break-up of Soviet Union; no? as of midnight, you can drive from Narva, Estonia to Sagres, Portugal without passport checks, as long as you don't detour through Switzerland. but, that'd take a while - it's more than 4,500 km! You could already make more km's, as you could already drive from Cabo de Sagres to Nuorgam, Finland, without showing you pasport. Good for 5630 km's  |
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Post by me on Jan 1, 2008 22:27:35 GMT -5
but, what i've read sez no new Euro countries are expected until after 2010. [Slovenia was unique getting in as fast as it did] boy did i get that wrong. as of today, Malta & Cyprus are also in Eurozone. as Malta has a history with UK, they might not be as interested in the Euro. i haven't read anything about it. one trick: 10K Britons stationed in Cyprus will also be using € as official curency. can the home islands be far behind? - d |
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forgot about another non-Schengen area one would need to avoid: Russia's province of Kaliningrad - the part of former East Prussia with the city then known as Königsburg. 
