International border crossings [Archive] - Page 24

MaXxImE

February 20th, 2012, 04:22 PM

Border Spain/Portugal

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6909202175_cbe05771f8_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909202175/)
[/url]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6909203943_eaf9372a47_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909202175/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6909204711_6ff256ab07_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909203943/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6909160139_cea505e510_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909204711/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6909161047_91efe94063_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909160139/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6909162183_133383daa5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909161047/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6909163001_248d31f806_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909162183/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6909163961_d79f2bacf9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909163001/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6909164745_d2197350cb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909163961/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6909165795_f70ef6933f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909164745/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6909166895_58b17699ce_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909165795/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6909170831_4353984361_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909166895/)
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinitron77/6909170831/]

Think

February 20th, 2012, 07:18 PM

I love this thread!

In south Spain they coincide Spain, Morocco, the off-shore british territory of Gibraltar and the off-shore spanish territory of Ceuta (I'm sorry for the quality of the graphics):

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5856/74501801.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/594/74501801.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/6866/53426896.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/53426896.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

So here we go:

Morocco as seen from continental Spain

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2103/1589979253_2eff83b0a0_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaspars/1589979253/)
Estrecho de Gribraltar, desde Tarifa (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaspars/1589979253/) por Chodaboy (http://www.flickr.com/people/gaspars/), en Flickr

Gibraltar (UK)-Spain border

In this photo the bottom is Gibraltar (UK) and the top is La Línea de la Concepción (Spain). The airport is in a disputed area managed by Gibraltar. The "fence" could be seen beyond the airport, and yes, the airport has a level-crossing who is the only land-exit of Gibraltar:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3443/3274900910_22d9a32759_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/harry_nl/3274900910/)
Gibraltar: View of the Airport (http://www.flickr.com/photos/harry_nl/3274900910/) por harry_nl (http://www.flickr.com/people/harry_nl/), en Flickr

From nearly the same spot a closer version of the current border:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3277/3365928683_7f86fda64d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kpmarek/3365928683/)
Gibraltar / Spain Border (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kpmarek/3365928683/) por kpmarek (http://www.flickr.com/people/kpmarek/), en Flickr

As seen from Spain:

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/164/365191861_6793e46f38_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike68/365191861/)
gibraltar border 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike68/365191861/) por Mike 68 (http://www.flickr.com/people/mike68/), en Flickr

People crosses this border all along the day for many purposes, such as buying the newspaper or cigarretes.

Ceuta (ES)-Morocco border

Only some miles away, but now in Africa, we have a small off-shore territory border too. The border crossing is like any other in the world:

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/86/230488209_e976d208ed_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hicham/230488209/)
Border with Ceuta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hicham/230488209/) por hicham daoudi (http://www.flickr.com/people/hicham/), en Flickr

There are a lot of people in the Moroccan side who walk to the border to work in Spain or take goods:

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/26/58973620_db5774ebd6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/peanut/58973620/)
DSCF1104.JPG (http://www.flickr.com/photos/peanut/58973620/) por davidkane (http://www.flickr.com/people/peanut/), en Flickr

The taxis are also the typical image of the Moroccan side:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4077/4827760686_e8367a1b68_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilenella/4827760686/)
Tetouan 0029 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilenella/4827760686/) por SmileNella (http://www.flickr.com/people/smilenella/), en Flickr

Here comes the differences, that is the border between Africa and the European Union, and it's supposed to be the border with the highest GDP between it sides. The European Union has done a high security fence who is so polemic because a lot of people who tried to pass it died:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2089/2410555395_d47f12352c_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunmurlautre/2410555395/)
Ceuta border clôture www.dunmurlautre.net (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunmurlautre/2410555395/) por dunmurlautre.net (http://www.flickr.com/people/dunmurlautre/), en Flickr

The border ends in the beach at the both sides:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3085/2326741117_cdc5744d15_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24154220@N05/2326741117/)
Valla fronteriza en Benzú, Ceuta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24154220@N05/2326741117/) por borjaventura (http://www.flickr.com/people/24154220@N05/), en Flickr

The bottom is Spain and the top Morocco:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6189/6100651410_782505d079_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/velcrew/6100651410/)
IMG_2163 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/velcrew/6100651410/) por Luis.P.Teixeira (http://www.flickr.com/people/velcrew/), en Flickr

tbh444

February 20th, 2012, 11:51 PM

Here comes the differences, that is the border between Africa and the European Union, and it's supposed to be the border with the highest GDP between it sides.

I'd have thought something like Kuwait-Iraq would be a bigger gap, but it's certainly an interesting border.

On a related note out of interest I once worked out the biggest HDI discrepancies between bordering countries - Spain/Morocco was 12th behind:

Libya Niger 0.507
Libya Chad 0.455
Iran Afghanistan 0.43
China Afghanistan 0.42
Algeria Niger 0.414
Turkmenistan Afghanistan 0.387
Algeria Mali 0.383
Uzbekistan Afghanistan 0.358
Tajikistan Afghanistan 0.336
Kuwait Iraq 0.333
Libya Sudan 0.316
Spain Morocco 0.301

Although what's happened in Libya recently might have affected that of course. Incidentally the most 'similar' countries on that measure were
Poland / Slovakia; Ecuador / Peru and Kyrgyzstan / Uzbekistan

Stainless

February 20th, 2012, 11:58 PM

I'd have thought something like Kuwait-Iraq would be a bigger gap, but it's certainly an interesting border.

On a related note out of interest I once worked out the biggest HDI discrepancies between bordering countries - Spain/Morocco was 12th behind:

Libya Niger 0.507
Libya Chad 0.455
Iran Afghanistan 0.43
China Afghanistan 0.42
Algeria Niger 0.414
Turkmenistan Afghanistan 0.387
Algeria Mali 0.383
Uzbekistan Afghanistan 0.358
Tajikistan Afghanistan 0.336
Kuwait Iraq 0.333
Libya Sudan 0.316
Spain Morocco 0.301

Although what's happened in Libya recently might have affected that of course. Incidentally the most 'similar' countries on that measure were
Poland / Slovakia; Ecuador / Peru and Kyrgyzstan / Uzbekistan

Interesting, Where does North/South Korea stand in that list? For borders with a big difference people would naturally suggest USA/Mexico, but I doubt that is too different these days.

tbh444

February 21st, 2012, 12:34 AM

Interesting, Where does North/South Korea stand in that list? For borders with a big difference people would naturally suggest USA/Mexico, but I doubt that is too different these days.

Good point, don't think North Korea has an HDI rating due to lack of data - yes Mexico has relatively high HDI, but it's still a major GDP per capita difference (just worked these out according to IMF 2011 figures, also excluding North Korea - may have possibly missed others!)

Qatar Saudi Arabia 78835
Luxembourg France 49781
Luxembourg Belgium 47152
Luxembourg Germany 46894
Kuwait Iraq 36863
Norway Russia 36689
Brunei Malaysia 33939
United States Mexico 33026
Israel Syria 25926
Spain Morocco 25553

italystf

March 3rd, 2012, 12:01 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungholz
Jungholz is a small Austrian enclave in Germany. Only a point connect it with the rest of Austria (the summit of the mountain Sorgschrofen, 1636 m).
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/f81c127f-476b-46e4-8cc1-4cae99dd1634.jpg

The X painted on the rock is the quadripoint.
http://geosite.jankrogh.com/enklaver/jungholz/Jungholz_marker_110.jpg
http://geosite.jankrogh.com/enklaver/jungholz/Jungholz_marker_110_closeup.jpg

Bosnian enclave in Serbia:
http://geosite.jankrogh.com/enklaver/sastavci/sastavci_cu_orto_small.jpg

Russian enclave in Belarus:
http://www.gipfel-und-grenzen.de/php/onlineeditor.fck/contents/Image/Sankova%20Ausschnitt%20n-36-32.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vennbahn
This is the "Vennbahn", a former railway (now cicle path) connecting Luxembourg with Aachen (Germany) through Belgian territory. The part through German is still Belgian territory. A very narrow strip of Belgian land divides a tiny part of Germany from the rest of the country.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Vennbahn.png
http://www.kwit.nl/imgs/states/venn1off.jpg
http://geosite.jankrogh.com/enklaver/vennbahn/muetzenich.jpg
http://bp0.blogger.com/_LcDIqvQ5-rc/RqwGgQGxlHI/AAAAAAAAAak/oiOcfwpzpuQ/s1600/Roetgen.jpg

Satyricon84

March 3rd, 2012, 02:30 AM

Ben Hai, the old border between South Vietnam and North Vietnam at 17th parallel
http://www.datacarlet.com/vietnam/DMZ.jpg

1965. International Control Commission team patroling bridge over DMZ zone.
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806651417_b696c9dab2%20International%20Control%20Commission%20team%20patroling%20bridge%20over%20DMZ%20zone.%20Feb%201965_O.jpg?m=1312403551

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807264562_08346eb4f7%20International%20Control%20Commission%20team%20patroling%20bridge%20over%20DMZ.%20Feb%201965_O.jpg?m=1312403619

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806643187_ea20115b13%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_2_O.jpg?m=1312403510

Communist billboard in north vietnamise side
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807273584_d2a6818e96%20Communist%20billboard%20near%2017th%20Parallel%20in%20North%20Vietnam_O.jpg?m=1312403684

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806639497_368f1da306%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_37_O.jpg?m=1312403452

Anti-communist billboard in south vietnamise side
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807274396_60528fe2b0%20Anti-Communist%20billboard%20near%2017th%20Parallel%20in%20South%20Vietnam._O.jpg?m=1312403701

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807273844_28e23951b2%20anti-Communist%20billboard%20near%2017th%20Parallel%20in%20South%20Vietnam.%203-1965_O.jpg?m=1312403690

North side of DMZ sign saying "South & North are brothers"
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807273388_00ea8cf8b0%20North%20side%20of%20DMZ%20sign%20saying%20South%20_amp%20North%20are%20brothers_O.jpg?m=1312403679

Loud speakers blaring propaganda at 17th Parallel
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806653601_3b998d59a0%20Vietnams%20Demilitarized%20Zone%20_DMZ_%20-%201965_O.jpg?m=1312403557

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807262942_4674dc6f05%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_20_O.jpg?m=1312403590

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807263024_ffe8292418%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_18_O.jpg?m=1312403594

South vietnamise side. 1961
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806641581_62a80cd2a2%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20-%201961%20_9_O.jpg?m=1312403495

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807263450_3dc429455b%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20-%201961%20_8_O.jpg?m=1312403604

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806641909_c75610b166%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20-%201961%20_6_O.jpg?m=1312403505

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807264174_0d90fa3793%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_4_O.jpg?m=1312403614

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807262242_c390ddbf6a%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_26_O.jpg?m=1312403571

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807262706_1a79458b50%20Ben%20Hai%20River%20_22_O.jpg?m=1312403581

DMZ 1966
http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807270476_a1124d8dc9%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403668

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807268550_a5f9a7e4d8%2018%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403649

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806646127_1f4773bb08%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403517

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806647025_ae915e83cf%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403522

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806647385_eecd2992ce%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403528

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4806650171_22b2ed6f99%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403540

http://tresites.com/hinhanh/var/resizes/VI%E1%BB%86T-NAM-X%C6%AFA/DMZ%20-%2017th%20Parallel/4807269518_a11963b8ac%20Vietnam%20DMZ%201966_O.jpg?m=1312403656

How it looks today
http://images.travelpod.com/tw_slides/ta01/209/c4e/the-ben-hai-river-the-former-border-nth-and-sth-hue.jpg

http://images.travelpod.com/users/danandroz/2.1261838805.ben-ha-river-the-old-north-south-border.jpg

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/6/4809501-Crossing_the_former_border_Tinh_Quang_Tri.jpg

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/promos/Drives8_800.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BALSUqwknYY/TbxuhhovyYI/AAAAAAAAEEs/zBlo9o_6zeo/s1600/Raf+088_resize.jpg

nenea_hartia

March 3rd, 2012, 09:54 AM

@ italystf & Satyricon84: very, very interesting pictures, thank you!

italystf

March 3rd, 2012, 01:35 PM

In 2 months (Jan-Feb '12) 1071 vehicles and 1588 people had been checked at I-A border near Tarvisio. 4 people had been arrested:
-an Ukrainian woman and her Italian husband carrying 350k € of unknown provenience;
-an Italian driving his Porsche Cayenne with fake insurance sticker;
-an Italian carrying an illegal immigrant into Italy.

eucitizen

March 3rd, 2012, 01:59 PM

I guess they checked at the 1st toll station after the border. At the real border only Austrians check sometimes for the motorway sticker. Lately at the 1st toll station on Tarvisio and Brennero there are often the police and the guardia di finanza. So far they never stopped me, probably I don't have a SUV, which is lately seen in Italy as a symbol of arrogance and they are often checked in any part of Italy.

brisavoine

March 8th, 2012, 01:07 PM

Some news about the bridge over the Oyapock River between France (French Guiana) and Brazil (State of Amapá). The bridge is now completed. Road access to the bridge on the French side of the border is complete, and the border checkpoint is complete, but the Brazilian side of the bridge is still... a mess. They are working on road access, and hope to connect the bridge to the Oiapoque-Macapá road by July. Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, would like to inaugurate the bridge in August. God only knows who will be the French president.

As for the road from Oiapoque to Macapá, it is still largely a muddy trail that takes 8 long grinding hours to reach Macapá. The Brazilians are working on it, but it is 5 years late due to corruption problems. The federal government has intervened to clean the mess and so they are now earnestly working on it with 1,500 workers paving the road, so they hope to have the road finally paved by 2013, although it seems a bit optimistic to me.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7582/515pxborderbrazilfrancenr5.png

Picture of the Brazilian side of the bridge taken on August 2, 2011:
http://i41.tinypic.com/f4o2hf.jpg

The road from Oiapoque to Macapá, not yet paved:
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u171/marcelocuri/rd2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u171/marcelocuri/4311590.jpg

French side of the bridge:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2nbf5v8.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2lv0h0o.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/f0aiok.jpg

ChrisZwolle

March 8th, 2012, 01:14 PM

I don't think you can cover 550 kilometers across unpaved roads in 8 hours.

brisavoine

March 8th, 2012, 01:34 PM

That's what the newspaper France-Guyane claims. I don't think the entire road is unpaved. Only the section between Calçoene and Oiapoque is unpaved.

Verso

March 8th, 2012, 05:28 PM

How is "French Guiana" actually pronounced in English? Is it [french gayana], [geeyana], [gweeyana] or somehow else? What about "Guyana"? I suppose [gayana]?

g.spinoza

March 8th, 2012, 05:30 PM

^^
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Guiana
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d225/Guyana

Verso

March 8th, 2012, 05:34 PM

^^
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Guiana
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d225/Guyana

Thanks! So I've been pronouncing it wrongly. It's also interesting that they're pronounced differently, but then, they're also written a bit differently.

DanielFigFoz

March 8th, 2012, 05:40 PM

g.spinoza

March 8th, 2012, 05:53 PM

Thanks! So I've been pronouncing it wrongly. It's also interesting that they're pronounced differently, but then, they're also written a bit differently.

Maybe you're pronouncing the Slovenian way :)
Incidentally, Guiana and Guyana are pronounced exactly the same in Italian: Goo-yuh-na.

brisavoine

March 8th, 2012, 06:32 PM

In French it's "la Guyane" ([la gɥijan]) and "le Guyana" ([lə gɥijana]. You can't mix them.

Je vais en Guyane.
Je vais au Guyana.

Je viens de Guyane.
Je viens du Guyana.

Simple, isn't it? :D

AtD

March 8th, 2012, 10:01 PM

It looks to me like the crossing from Spain to Gibraltar still has a lot of controls in place. Is this right? How can this be allowed within the EU?

DanielFigFoz

March 8th, 2012, 10:11 PM

I wouldn't say 'a lot' but there are some. The EU isn't the same as Schengen.

italystf

March 8th, 2012, 10:12 PM

It looks to me like the crossing from Spain to Gibraltar still has a lot of controls in place. Is this right? How can this be allowed within the EU?
Gibraltar is part of UK that isn't a Schengen member. There are also controls between France and UK.

g.spinoza

March 8th, 2012, 10:40 PM

Let alone the fact that relations between Spain and Gibraltar aren't exactly friendly (even though they used to be even worse).

tbh444

March 8th, 2012, 11:08 PM

Interesting, thats not the case in British English (well in SE England, it probably varies), both are Guy-ar-na, more like the second one. French Guiana is always called that and Guyana is sometimes called British Guiana to distinguish from French Guiana. Suriname is rarely called Dutch Guiana but you can hear it sometimes if someone is talking about the three of them which are known as 'The Guianas'.

I'd have thought the usual British pronounciation would be 'what? where?' I used to think of it as like guinea (as in guinea pig) until I noticed the spelling was like the neighbouring country as opposed to the african / pacific ones...

Verso

March 9th, 2012, 12:30 AM

Maybe you're pronouncing the Slovenian way :)
Incidentally, Guiana and Guyana are pronounced exactly the same in Italian: Goo-yuh-na.

No, in Slovenian they're both called "(Francoska) Gvajana".

Stainless

March 9th, 2012, 02:17 AM

I'd have thought the usual British pronounciation would be 'what? where?' I used to think of it as like guinea (as in guinea pig) until I noticed the spelling was like the neighbouring country as opposed to the african / pacific ones...

I have to admit that until a few years ago I was unaware of where most South American countries were located. I only really know about French Guyana due to the space program and an interest in overseas territories.

alserrod

March 9th, 2012, 08:28 PM

Let alone the fact that relations between Spain and Gibraltar aren't exactly friendly (even though they used to be even worse).

Gibraltar is part of UK that isn't a Schengen member. There are also controls between France and UK.

It looks to me like the crossing from Spain to Gibraltar still has a lot of controls in place. Is this right? How can this be allowed within the EU?

There are controls because smuggling. Passport control is not important but smuggling too much.

As well in the bay there are British and Spanish "waters" there are cases where you cross in a couple of meters the border inside the sea and have had cases of both polices crossing by mistake the border when going behind some smugglers.

At Gibraltar there are more societies than inhabitants.

Relations are not bad today. Several years ago a new treaty was signed for both cooperation. One of the points was having an international terminal at airport so then a passenger from a plane from Spain to Gibraltar and going to the border will no cross any border.

Terminal was made. Here you have a lot of pics
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=547755&page=4

and... today no planes go there from Spain (there was one daily only of Iberia).

At Gibraltar, as I know, only British Airways operates from Heathow... and... Iberia and British Airways are... the same entreprise!!!!!!

alserrod

March 9th, 2012, 08:29 PM

http://i56.tinypic.com/2nbf5v8.jpg

Little detail.

Is the only signal with speed limits at France that do not indicates speed limit on motorways?

brisavoine

March 9th, 2012, 08:54 PM

Is the only signal with speed limits at France that do not indicates speed limit on motorways?
Probably, unless there is one on St Martin island.

brisavoine

March 9th, 2012, 09:10 PM

That one is pretty cool. :D

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5218/5538121816_ea7d9cba29_b.jpg

I like the stern tone of that one too. Recth und Ordnung.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2602/3877047161_019f230250_o.jpg

parcdesprinces

March 9th, 2012, 09:28 PM

That one is pretty cool.

Indeed !

Verso

March 9th, 2012, 09:37 PM

That sign is nothing unusual.

Corvinus

March 9th, 2012, 11:07 PM

I like the stern tone of that one too. Recth und Ordnung.

Where is that second sign?
Is the information on it a little bit outdated? Nowadays, the autorisations de séjour of all EU countries should be equally good ...

italystf

March 9th, 2012, 11:54 PM

parcdesprinces

March 10th, 2012, 12:02 AM

Where is that second sign?
Is the information on it a little bit outdated? Nowadays, the autorisations de séjour of all EU countries should be equally good ...

It's apparently near Bouzonville (in Moselle on the Franco-German border, near Luxembourg).

And according to that pic taken by Google street view in 2011, the sign is still there:

http://a.imageshack.us/img846/4205/capturedcran20120309234.jpg

BTW, this road marks the border, here is the same road few hundred meters away, in the small binational village of "Leiding/Leidingen":
http://a.imageshack.us/img205/2243/capturedcran20120309234.png

The street is named "Rue de la Frontière" on the French side (literally "Border Street"), and "Neutrale Straße" ("Neutral Street") on the German side.

_

keokiracer

March 10th, 2012, 12:13 AM

@Italystf: Can you make the pics smaller please? I don't have a 52 inch screen ;)

________________________________________________________
This road is split in half by the border:
Left = Belgium
Right = Netherlands

Click for Streetview (http://maps.google.nl/maps?q=Stekene&hl=nl&ie=UTF8&ll=51.24153,4.03983&spn=0.007617,0.021136&sll=52.281602,5.515137&sspn=3.811118,10.821533&hnear=Stekene,+Oost-Vlaanderen,+Vlaams+Gewest,+Belgi%C3%AB&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.24153,4.03983&panoid=ypOdaEF-z_ieBxF19KevEg&cbp=12,353.24,,0,0.09)
http://www.bndestem.nl/multimedia/archive/02317/BS_17581854_175818_2317138a.JPG
Picture from BN de Stem (local newspaper)

Palance

March 10th, 2012, 08:31 AM

Like here: Belgium right, Netherlands left

http://border.autosnelwegen.net/pix/0003-03.jpg

http://border.autosnelwegen.net/pix/0003-04.jpg

g.spinoza

March 10th, 2012, 09:39 AM

That one is pretty cool. :D

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5218/5538121816_ea7d9cba29_b.jpg

Do you know where is this pic taken?

bogdymol

March 10th, 2012, 09:45 AM

^^ I want to ski there :D

MajKeR_

March 10th, 2012, 11:39 AM

Something from Polish SSC:

Zwardoń (PL) - Skalite (SK)

http://mt0.google.com/vt/data=hILTMq-ctdAlPGoxFx41NT3MIN-UGRHUY0pxx-dMCNEjzuSd8iaahhYVzPuLSbJxg6T0qP4OcSMLYkVS90f8db_Zc1KnYOwCQIYLt9CWfLi0r-WoZaD0WW2En5Bp0gIYUqCprzV--GCGKY-Q0wj2QQmp5PR96NXeOvtHXAHF0GllOPtmJu1avb7ZoUbEzCFsaOB38rfHe4NdWkwwj3hxJA8iETuXrg

Photos taken by los77 at December 25th, 2011.

Fotorelacja z przejście graniczne Zwardoń - Skalite

Data wykonania zdjęć : 2011 12 25

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/64261103.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/64261111.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/64261115.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/64261128.jpg

Śnieg jednak istnieje [Snow still exists] :cheers:

Karlskrona (S) - Gdynia (PL)

Way to Stena Line's ferry terminal.

Photos taken by Gwiazda=jazda at February 6th, 2012.

Przejście S - PL Karlskrona

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9392/dsc00594i.jpg

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/1300/dsc00595g.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/4319/dsc00596dd.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8438/dsc00597i.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7084/dsc00598z.jpg

;)

Verso

March 10th, 2012, 05:02 PM

Austrian-Slovenian border:

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/31735260.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31735260

Attention
State border
1.8-km-long
right roadside

Satyricon84

March 10th, 2012, 05:32 PM

Border crossing between Italy and the self-proclamed Indipendent Principality of Seborga:lol:.
http://anto291.typepad.com/.a/6a0133f38798fd970b01348842a0db970c-800wi
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D5O6qSiszFs/TATC3UpF2LI/AAAAAAAAA4s/F7FoP7aU894/s1600/Guardia.jpg
http://www.lariserva.it/images/j-guardia-seborga.JPG

I have been to Seborga, but there wasn't the man standing in the "custom" :lol:
This sign stands at the entrance in the Principality
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/310168_2645809473499_1503535189_2807391_74283190_n.jpg
"Welcome in the ancient Principality of Seborga". The village is very small, only 300 inhabitants and the streets in the burg are all like this one
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381247_2645812033563_1503535189_2807394_870966192_n.jpg

Verso

March 10th, 2012, 05:40 PM

^^ Is checking documents legal? Is there also control on the Italian side? :D

Satyricon84

March 10th, 2012, 05:54 PM

When I went there, there weren't controls at all. The Principality has also own currency the "Luigino" 1 Luigino = 5 euro if I remember well. You can use it to buy things in the shops or pay the restaurant for example

g.spinoza

March 10th, 2012, 06:06 PM

^^ Is checking documents legal?

No, it's not. I'd indict all of them for high treason.

italystf

March 10th, 2012, 06:41 PM

The "indipendence" of Seborga was proclaimed just to attract tourists. The man who checks passports is just for folklore and has no legal power. Seborga issues its own passports and licence plates but they have no legal value. Cars must also carry Italian plates.

Verso

March 10th, 2012, 09:48 PM

Markowice10

March 11th, 2012, 12:32 AM

Rome, Italy.
The border between Italy and The Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
This really sovereign and legal state.
The Maltese Order is sovereign subject of the international law providing for diplomatic relations from 93 states.

http://fotoforum.gazeta.pl/photo/3/ci/vf/40xo/jYkJWnPwagHna8LMZB.jpg

Interior of the state...

http://fotoforum.gazeta.pl/photo/3/ci/vf/40xo/Blha869KH3ITNiIdaB.jpg

Registration plate S.M.O.M. = Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta.

http://fotoforum.gazeta.pl/photo/3/ci/vf/40xo/G4yuRLPniuJcM8DsoX.jpg

domtoren

March 11th, 2012, 12:44 AM

around Edirne

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb338/remerodecanales/Vastleggeninvolledigscherm10-3-2012132835.jpg

Russian military map\, years 1980ies

Alqaszar

March 11th, 2012, 05:41 AM

There is no border between Italy and the S. M. O. M., because the latter has no territory. The order has some souvereign rights, but unlike the Vatican State, is not a state of its own. Only since its older than most of the European states, it is recognized by some (mostly catholic) countries as an own souvereign entity.

I highly doubt that S. M. O. M. numberplates would be regarded as legal in some states.

x-type

March 11th, 2012, 10:35 AM

I have 5 crediti from the Federazione di Damanhur.

does it worth to visit?

Markowice10

March 11th, 2012, 06:17 PM

There is no border between Italy and the S. M. O. M., because the latter has no territory.
.

Buildings SMOM in Rome and Malta have the status of exterritoriality.

Verso

March 11th, 2012, 06:22 PM

does it worth to visit?Yeah, there're some nice temples.

Buildings SMOM in Rome and Malta have the status of exterritoriality.That's like saying Italy borders the US since there's a US embassy in Italy and an Italian embassy in the US.

g.spinoza

March 11th, 2012, 07:22 PM

Buildings SMOM in Rome and Malta have the status of exterritoriality.

Extraterritoriality is different from actual territory. A SMOM building in ROME with extraterritoriality is still Italian territory, with some limitations. Therefore, SMOM has no territory.

Corvinus

March 11th, 2012, 08:22 PM

Yokohama Customs, at Yokohama International Sea Port - a "border crossing" point of Japan.
Pic taken in 2009.

http://i.imgur.com/YruD8.jpg

Sign pointing to the Int'l Passenger Terminal:

http://i.imgur.com/vBPhT.jpg

Dan

March 11th, 2012, 10:07 PM

g.spinoza

March 11th, 2012, 11:43 PM

Please, don't quote the pictures. There's no need for us to load all the pictures twice.

italystf

March 12th, 2012, 01:32 AM

"Canned food" found by policemen inside a car crossing the I - SLO border at Fernetti:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6943157963_f8fdba7a6a_o.jpg
Between two pieces of bread 50 grams of... weed
http://www.giornalettismo.com/archives/207651/il-panino-alla-marijuana/

Verso

March 12th, 2012, 05:25 AM

^^ Vegetarian sandwich.

LMB

March 12th, 2012, 07:47 AM

It's apparently near Bouzonville (in Moselle on the Franco-German border, near Luxembourg).

And according to that pic taken by Google street view in 2011, the sign is still there:

BTW, this road marks the border, here is the same road few hundred meters away, in the small binational village of "Leiding/Leidingen":

The street is named "Rue de la Frontière" on the French side (literally "Border Street"), and "Neutrale Straße" ("Neutral Street") on the German side.

_

As for the information boards, they are everywhere in that area.

I've seen it, the right side is Saaarland (yuck!). Indeed the street names are funny. There's a German bus that serves the nearby French village, and the road is serviced by the French, even though it's partially completely in Germany.

Here's the bus line: http://hal9000.physik.uni-saarland.de/PTDB/SAARLAND/route.php?idxrun=5620&idxline=100204&prodtype=ANY&description=line+422

...and the stop: http://hal9000.physik.uni-saarland.de/PTDB/SAARLAND/stop.php?idstop=49004&stopname=Grenzhof%2C+Leidingen+Wallerfangen

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 03:01 AM

How were the other 'inner-iron-curtain' crossings those times? Unfortunately I have never crossed one of them, my most interesting border in that time was between East and West Germany.

And my most interesting crossing in the last few years was UAE-Oman.

In order to understand this, you need to know that the communist regime worked with great police and army presence everywhere, you couldn't just go around wherever you like. In the really hardcore communism you needed a permit just to leave the town/territory you lived in. Like in North-Korea today. On the other hand crime levels were extremely low. The Soviet Union needed buffer zone in case of war with the west, that included the countries that had a border with the soviets. Yugoslavia didn't, that's why they went soft on them. As far as i know there are still police posts in Ukraine and Russia, and they stop everyone and ask where they going and why, and if the person is a foreigner the procedure can take longer, even include some bribe as well.

So for example in Hungary in the early years of communism (1947-1956) one couldn't travel around, couldn't leave Budapest, the capital without a permit. There were police posts on the road around the country and there were inspections as if you would cross a border but you were just traveling within the country. I have a friend who was a taxi driver at the time and he told that he left Budapest with a passenger on board and came back in a smaller path that the police didn't inspect.

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 03:06 AM

Another friend of mine was a border guard in the Austrian-Hungarian border. He told that one had to be very trusted person by the communist regime to be at the western border. They didn't just sent there anybody, but only those who were trustworthy of the government. They were one of the few soldier formations who got real bullets in their guns (2 year service in the military was mandatory back then to every adult males). Once my friend got passed by an east German car while he was on patrol in a path leading to Austria. He shot one round in the air as a warning, and rang the next checkpoint (the phone was built in a tree's body), they arrested the German, turned out he was half asleep, woke up from the gunshot and was really terrified. However a long interrogation started for the trespasser, and my friend was complemented.

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 03:08 AM

There were some hardcore communist leaders in the eastern block for example Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania, and it was commonly known that Romanian border guards liked to funk around with people so most avoided going there.

In 1989 we went on a holiday trip from Hungary all the way through Yugoslavia to Greece, then to Turkey, Istanbul, then to Bulgaria. It was a one-month-long journey. There was no problem passing to YU, crossing the country we were only once stopped by police but nothing else. Then arriving in the YU-GR border there was a long line waiting, the guards took their time. We spent about a week in Greece then went to Turkey. On the GR-TR border there was a long cue again customs check and everything, even with the car we had to go through a wheel bath to make sure were not carrying any disease. My father told me all this was because the Greek and the Turkish were not very good friends.

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 03:21 AM

When i was 2 years old we moved to Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union and lived there for 5 years. My father got a scholarship in a Moscow university and decided to move my mother and me with him as well. I don't remember a lot from this time but they told me there was really hard to find a home for rent, because it was illegal for a foreigner to rent a flat there. We were not allowed to leave Moscow, only to travels to home (Hungary) and back. Half the time we went by plane and half the time by train. The train took 2 days to get there and the inspection in the SU-HU border was very through. It took hours. They looked in every bag, woke up everybody in the middle of the night to check identities.

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 03:22 AM

It was of course common to smuggle things because in the SU there was a shortage of clothes, you couldn't buy jeans, and on the other way machinery and tools were very cheap there (Russia had plenty of steel:) ). So my father told me he used to smuggle drillers, grinding machines, planers and other hardware stuff. The luggage on the plane could not exceed 20kgs but the hand luggage wasn't controlled, so a lot of people carried these heavy machines in hand, and after boarding the plane put in the overhead closet. It was a miracle the plane didn't crash because of the overweight they said :lol:
Once my dad had his suitcase full of iron stuff as usual and the flight was canceled, he had to go to the other end of the airport, few km-s being one of the biggest airports in Moscow with all the heavy stuff :)

Chilio

March 13th, 2012, 11:17 AM

On the other hand crime levels were extremely low.
It's quite an offtopic, but this is not true. Officially crime levels were extremely low, because communists wanted to show their society is perfect - that's why they hid facts about crimes, child mortality, serious illnesses etc. Crimes levels were probably the same, but never got to official statistics :) As well as numbers of disabled people or people with mental problems, who were sent to distant mountain villages to be hidden in almost concentration-camp-looking like hospitals and caring homes.

Mr. America

March 13th, 2012, 05:41 PM

Polish - Belarussian border in Koterka:

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6095/dscn3067j.jpg
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3892/dscn3074g.jpg
Za szlabanem, w stronę Białorusi
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8789/dscn3076f.jpg
W stronę Polski
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/306/dscn3077p.jpg
Koniec drogi
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/1302/dscn3078t.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/1623/dscn3079c.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6742/dscn3082r.jpg
Jakieś pomysły, co to za zabudowania?
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3470/dscn3083i.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1652/dscn3084d.jpg
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/7706/dscn3085.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5120/dscn3086e.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/411/dscn3087s.jpg
Pas graniczny w stronę Terespola
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4048/dscn3088z.jpg
I w stronę Białegostoku
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4105/dscn3089e.jpg
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8269/dscn3090v.jpg
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/1286/dscn3095.jpg

Genesis01

March 13th, 2012, 06:23 PM

It's quite an offtopic, but this is not true. Officially crime levels were extremely low, because communists wanted to show their society is perfect - that's why they hid facts about crimes, child mortality, serious illnesses etc. Crimes levels were probably the same, but never got to official statistics :) As well as numbers of disabled people or people with mental problems, who were sent to distant mountain villages to be hidden in almost concentration-camp-looking like hospitals and caring homes.

You have a point there. What i meant was drug problems was a lot lower, there was fewer crimes committed by the poor because everybody had to have a job even when the person didn't do anything all day at the workplace, and tax frauds weren't exist because one wasn't allowed to have a company.

Corvinus

March 13th, 2012, 06:44 PM

italystf

March 13th, 2012, 07:53 PM

Of course no Commie regime whatsoever is needed to keep order - there are many examples of states with law & order and security that never ever had Socialist dictatorship: Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, ...
The last one isn't very democratic.

Chilio

March 13th, 2012, 08:41 PM

he didn't say democratic states, just said states that never had commie dictatorship. :)

Verso

March 13th, 2012, 10:28 PM

The last one isn't very democratic.

When I flew to Malaysia (just a transfer), I remember we got cards to fulfill (I didn't have to though) where it said in the end "Be forwarned death for drug-trafficking". It makes you feel a little uncomfortable.

fbeavis

March 14th, 2012, 04:46 AM

A house bisected by an international border. Eat in one country and shit in another maybe.

http://media.economist.com/images/20090530/2209AM2.jpg

More:

http://whereisyvette.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/derby-line-customs-sign.jpg

http://top5s.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/576.jpg

alserrod

March 15th, 2012, 12:38 AM

Yes, the lower level of crime in many areas simply resulted from the fact that Commie-style repression and surveillance also applied to criminals.
Another remarkable example of this: Gypsy crime. In those times, probably many of them didn't really work hard (just because of formally having a job and workplace), but at least, with being supervised much more, they had far less chances of simply roaming the streets in gangs and stealing, robbing, mugging ordinary people. Plus, they could not play the "racist card" (first disrespect the rules and then calling racist those who want to sanction them).
Of course no Commie regime whatsoever is needed to keep order - there are many examples of states with law & order and security that never ever had Socialist dictatorship: Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, ...

1939-1975 at Spain there was a dictatorship government (but fascism, not Socialist).

The government made the following rules:

- No passport for anybody except people allowed. If no passport, people could not leave the country.

- A new identity card, which it is still in use. Really... it is mandatory for every people older than 14 years old, but... you could need it for opening a bank account because its number is required, or just for some airplane companies (this week I made my daugther's ID card, and she is only seven months old).
With ID card was possible to identify every citizen and was allowed and required for any document nevertheless where in the country.

- For too many years, areas around borders where allowed only for citizens of those areas. Should you want to go there, you had to ask for a visa (allowed only to be about 30-50 km from the border, not to cross it)

- In 1939, after the civil war finished, police asked to any citizen who was not living there before the war (to know why the mobility...).

But... there was a flight Moscow-Madrid and someones more. Being in opposition to those countries it was possible to go by plane if authorization adquired.

For several years, only Argentina had an embassy. In the 60s a lot of countries started opening embassies and in the 70s, the USSR opened its embassy and later all eastern European countries (and upside down from Spain in those countries).

Firs USSR embassy was just an appartment in the centre of Madrid, but the flag was in the window.
Comunist party was forbidden and it is know that all of them where walking sometimes around there because it was the only site in Spain where that flag was legal and they wanted to see from the street.

I crossed border to Portugal in 1987, being both UE, and passport was required in the border by both countries.

DanielFigFoz

March 15th, 2012, 12:40 AM

1939-1975 at Spain there was a dictatorship government (but fascism, not Socialist).

- No passport for anybody except people allowed. If no passport, people could not leave the country.

:lol: Thats quite a funny typo (or left out word)

italystf

March 15th, 2012, 01:00 AM

Wow, interesting testimoniances. Didn't know that fascist Spain was similar to commie countries regards borders and right of travel. So France had a sort of iron curtain in the south until 1975?

NorthWesternGuy

March 15th, 2012, 01:01 AM

Here I have something for those tired of seeing pages and pages of unrestricted borders.

Mexicali Port of Entry #1, under renovation process.

8Hb2-NYF16s

Corvinus

March 15th, 2012, 06:52 PM

tbh444

March 16th, 2012, 12:02 AM

alserrod

March 16th, 2012, 12:20 AM

Wow, interesting testimoniances. Didn't know that fascist Spain was similar to commie countries regards borders and right of travel. So France had a sort of iron curtain in the south until 1975?

yeah... but quite different.

It was a fascist government, and apart of the Eastern European countries, the "enemies" were dissident citizens

While second world war, Spain remained neutral (civil war end in april 1939 and IIWW started on september 1939, there was no army to participate) but it is known that should they got involved, they will help Germany (Franco and Hitler had an interview at Hendaye, France, about this)

After IIWW, for about ten years at least, all countries did not forget the possition of Spain while the war, even if it was always neutral.

New embassies started to be opened at Spain but slowly.

But the "enemy" was those dissident citizens with the government. That's why they invented the ID card and the passport was given only to citizens allowed to quite the country.

Foreing citizens could enter Spain without no problem. There was no restriction except for several countries.
Other thing... is that it was very inusual to visit Spain in those years.

So... French citizens could enter Spain without any problem. The problem was for Spanish to exit to France.

P.S. At Portugal the government was not very different, but other country. All borders were controlled as well as the other ones but it was not used to quite the country because if you were catched at Portugal without correct passport you were assured to be returned to Spain and upside down (being similar governments, they had "cooperation")

DanielFigFoz

March 16th, 2012, 12:32 AM

LMB

March 16th, 2012, 01:27 AM

You have a point there. What i meant was drug problems was a lot lower

Sorry to continue the off-topic conversation: perhaps in Hungary the drug problem was smaller, but not in Poland. Communism was no paradise, so people did heroin. Lots of people...

erxgli

March 16th, 2012, 04:38 AM

What are typical waiting times at the common MEX -> USA crossings? (bearing in mind the issues of illegal immigration and drug trafficking routes)
What questions do U.S. customs officers typically ask from
- Mexicans
- Americans
- 3rd-country tourists
What do they check in/on the vehicle?
Are there smaller, "village" border crossings outside main routes where waiting times are reduced?

I live in Reynosa Mexico, the city has three international bridges that connect with 3 cities in Texas, Reynosa-Mission, Reynosa-Hidalgo and Pharr-Reynosa. The waiting times range from 5 minutes to over an hour at times, it depends on time of day and day of the week. weekend tends to increase the timeout.

Crossing into the U.S the migration officers ask for your visa, they ask where you're going and if you have anything to declare, then they let you cross, although some migration officers look into your vehicle to check if you are carrying drugs or something illegal.
If you are a U.S. citizen, the officer will ask for your passport, verify your citizenship, ask if you have something to declare and then welcome you back to the United States

when you cross into Mexico, you have to wait your turn in the "red-green light area", If you get the green light, proceed on slowly past the inspection area. If you get the red light, a Mexican Customs inspector will indicate where you need to park for inspection and the soldiers will ask if you have anything to declare and they will check if you are carrying weapons or ammunition. Firearms and ammunition are illegal in mexico, nearly all illegal arms seized in mexico come from the United states.

El Tiburon

March 16th, 2012, 05:37 AM

alserrod

March 16th, 2012, 07:24 PM

I think that the Portuguese government let people out more than the Spanish (I saw more, I'm not saying that it was easy though, just easier than with Spain) and also had better foreign relations, but it was still an awful regime.

That's thrue. Every country had its relations and government. And borders were controlled in both sides as with any country or airport.

But there were cases of Portuguese or Spanish dissidents arrested by police in the other country and returned inmediately. That's why in Spain people always though in going to France and not to Portugal.

zsmg

March 16th, 2012, 09:52 PM

Another friend of mine was a border guard in the Austrian-Hungarian border.Heh I admit I first thought your friend was over a 100 years old (Austria-Hungary was a very long time ago after all :lol: )

Verso

March 16th, 2012, 10:57 PM

^^ And there were no border controls in Europe in those times.

italystf

March 16th, 2012, 11:43 PM

^^ And there were no border controls in Europe in those times.
Really? Also between Italy and Austria - Hungary?

Verso

March 16th, 2012, 11:53 PM

I'm not sure, but border controls were introduced after WWI. You could've gone to Moscow without checking documents.

Alex_ZR

March 17th, 2012, 12:39 AM

I'm not sure, but border controls were introduced after WWI. You could've gone to Moscow without checking documents.

Are you sure? What was than purpose of this passport back in days?

http://brightbrown.fastmail.fm/passports/1.21%20-%20Austro-Hungarian%20Passport%20from%2019th%20Century.jpg

Verso

March 17th, 2012, 02:21 AM

^^ I don't know, that's what Wikipedia says. :dunno:Before 1914, it was possible to travel from Paris to Saint Petersburg without a passport.[2] When the First World War came to an end, the practice of issuing passports and performing routine passport controls at national frontiers remained and became the norm in Europe until the implementation of the Schengen Area in 1985.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement#History

More about it here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Schengen_Agreement#Pre-Schengen_free-travel_zones_in_Europe).

NorthWesternGuy

March 17th, 2012, 04:44 AM

I live in Reynosa Mexico, the city has three international bridges that connect with 3 cities in Texas, Reynosa-Mission, Reynosa-Hidalgo and Pharr-Reynosa. The waiting times range from 5 minutes to over an hour at times, it depends on time of day and day of the week. weekend tends to increase the timeout.

Crossing into the U.S the migration officers ask for your visa, they ask where you're going and if you have anything to declare, then they let you cross, although some migration officers look into your vehicle to check if you are carrying drugs or something illegal.
If you are a U.S. citizen, the officer will ask for your passport, verify your citizenship, ask if you have something to declare and then welcome you back to the United States

when you cross into Mexico, you have to wait your turn in the "red-green light area", If you get the green light, proceed on slowly past the inspection area. If you get the red light, a Mexican Customs inspector will indicate where you need to park for inspection and the soldiers will ask if you have anything to declare and they will check if you are carrying weapons or ammunition. Firearms and ammunition are illegal in mexico, nearly all illegal arms seized in mexico come from the United states.

Basically what this fellow forumer said.

1.-The waiting times are proportional to the size of the city and the importance of the trade route.

Mexicali has 2 border crossings, the normal waiting times are 30-60 min, but during Christmas and New Year (Dec 25 & Jan 1) there are virtually no waiting time. Though on American holidays it's madness, the times can be up to 2-3 hours at the line.

Sonoyta, a small town on the Sonora-Arizona border, most of times doesn't have waiting time, but on holidays the entire town becomes divided by the line of cars waiting to enter the USA. (Sonoyta is between Phoenix and Puerto Peñasco AKA Rocky Point, a coastal city and popular tourist destination).

2.-What he/she said. If you are a third-country citizen, well... I'm sure the better relations the USA and your country have, the less questions they ask you :lol:

3.- Mexican customs officers look for illegal money (huge amounts of money whose origin you can't prove), besides ammo and weapons. When you enter Mexico you can choose between two options: declare lanes or nothing-to-declare lanes. If you choose to declare, you show your merchandise and pay the corresponding taxes. If you choose not to declare, you must cross a lane with a traffic light. If it turns green, you're free to leave with no questions. If it turns red, customs officers will proceed to check your vehicle. The bad thing is when you bring lots of stuff you bought in the US without declaring, if you get red light you'll have your stuff confiscated for sure, the red or green light is a matter of luck.

NordikNerd

March 17th, 2012, 09:11 AM

Mexicali has 2 border crossings, the normal waiting times are 30-60 min, but during Christmas and New Year (Dec 25 & Jan 1) there are virtually no waiting time. Though on American holidays it's madness, the times can be up to 2-3 hours at the line.

The border at Calexico was featured on the Tv-show "America's Border Security"
on channel 10 here in Sweden.

Also like "Border security Australia" a similar show.

italystf

March 17th, 2012, 10:47 AM

Basically what this fellow forumer said.

1.-The waiting times are proportional to the size of the city and the importance of the trade route.

Mexicali has 2 border crossings, the normal waiting times are 30-60 min, but during Christmas and New Year (Dec 25 & Jan 1) there are virtually no waiting time. Though on American holidays it's madness, the times can be up to 2-3 hours at the line.

Sonoyta, a small town on the Sonora-Arizona border, most of times doesn't have waiting time, but on holidays the entire town becomes divided by the line of cars waiting to enter the USA. (Sonoyta is between Phoenix and Puerto Peñasco AKA Rocky Point, a coastal city and popular tourist destination).

2.-What he/she said. If you are a third-country citizen, well... I'm sure the better relations the USA and your country have, the less questions they ask you :lol:

3.- Mexican customs officers look for illegal money (huge amounts of money whose origin you can't prove), besides ammo and weapons. When you enter Mexico you can choose between two options: declare lanes or nothing-to-declare lanes. If you choose to declare, you show your merchandise and pay the corresponding taxes. If you choose not to declare, you must cross a lane with a traffic light. If it turns green, you're free to leave with no questions. If it turns red, customs officers will proceed to check your vehicle. The bad thing is when you bring lots of stuff you bought in the US without declaring, if you get red light you'll have your stuff confiscated for sure, the red or green light is a matter of luck.
How they know if you bought that stuff in the USA in this occasion, if you throw away packagings?

Blaskovitz

March 17th, 2012, 01:47 PM

Are you sure? What was than purpose of this passport back in days?

http://brightbrown.fastmail.fm/passports/1.21%20-%20Austro-Hungarian%20Passport%20from%2019th%20Century.jpg

This is pass from Galicja in German and Polish.

zsmg

March 17th, 2012, 03:39 PM

Are you sure? What was than purpose of this passport back in days?Just because there were no border controls within Europe doesn't mean you don't need a passport I would assume that if you wanted to visit the USA or the Ottoman Empire you would have still needed a passport. ;P

italystf

March 17th, 2012, 04:01 PM

Just because there were no border controls within Europe doesn't mean you don't need a passport I would assume that if you wanted to visit the USA or the Ottoman Empire you would have still needed a passport. ;P
In the past border checks were enforced to control trades of goods, including between different Italian states before 1861.

DanielFigFoz

March 17th, 2012, 07:31 PM

Are you sure? What was than purpose of this passport back in days?

Proof of identity probably

NordikNerd

March 17th, 2012, 09:52 PM

ChrisZwolle

March 17th, 2012, 09:55 PM

The Italian - Slovenian border will take about 0 seconds as there are no border checks.

NordikNerd

March 17th, 2012, 09:58 PM

The Italian - Slovenian border will take about 0 seconds as there are no border checks.

Looking at Google earth it seems like a major checkpoint with several lanes.

italystf

March 17th, 2012, 10:15 PM

Looking at Google earth it seems like a major checkpoint with several lanes.
They didn't demolished old facilities after SLO joined Schengen in 2007. For Slovenian motorways (Ax routes) and expressways (Hx), you need a vinjeta (15EUR for a week). In Slovenia you need a fire extinguer and a first aid kit in your car. If you drive from Trieste to Rijeka no vinjeta is needed. If you go from Trieste to Umag you can avoid vinjeta by taking local roads instead of H5. Queues at SLO-HR border are common in summer, expecially on weekends.
Trieste - Koper is about 30 mins by car. In Trieste is better park on private parking lots near rail and bus station or on the seafront near the aquarium, but you have to pay. Streets are overcrowded and traffic is chaotic at peak hours. Everything interesting in Trieste is within walking distance.
If you will drive to Comacchio, follow the A4 towards Venice, then the A57 and finally SS309 to Ravenna. Trieste - Comacchio is around 3h. You can also reach Comacchio all the way by motorways, via Mestre, Padua and Ferrara, but you will spend more for fuel and toll. The Ferrara - Comacchio motorway is very substandard.

For any info about north west Italy, PM me. I'm glad to solve your doubts.

g.spinoza

March 17th, 2012, 10:24 PM

does slovenia have any special rules, like [...]bringing fire extinguisher or something like that.

You don't have to worry about special equipment. As per the Vienna convention (or is it the Geneva convention?) you can travel in any agreeing country with just the equipment required in your own country.

italystf

March 17th, 2012, 10:31 PM

Just checked: the first aid kit is mandatory, the fire extinguers only for vehicles over 3500kg.

alserrod

March 18th, 2012, 02:10 AM

How they know if you bought that stuff in the USA in this occasion, if you throw away packagings?

Andorran borders are strongly controlled by French and Spanish police as well as it is a full small duty free country.
At Spain they will check ALL, ALL, ALL cars. You open the car and a police ask for a random baggage to be checked. They know that smuggling is only made if the full car has something to be declared (and you need several journeys to make a little bussiness...).

They will accept everything considered as "self goods". For example your photo camera. You can buy a new camera, throw the box and papers... and they will say nothing.

They will accept you carried it before entering Andorra (they know it is possible that you didn't but they are not worried in those cases).

But... there are some goods that it is very difficult to explain that you carried to that country just to have two days holidays or similar.

Furthermore, should you carry legally any good, you can declare it before quiting Spain and entering Andorra. They will give you a document that can be shown when coming back as a proof that the good is legal (nothing to declare there).

It is very infrequent... but with a 30 min. delay in the border it can be done.

Maybe, Gibraltar and Andorra borders at Spain are the borders with more control for customs, more than any airport.
At any airport they will check you do not have drugs, weapons and few things more. In a 20 kg suitcase you cannot carry so much than inside a car.

But from Andorra and Gibraltar you will see very few passport controls and a lot, lot, lot of baggage controls.

italystf

March 18th, 2012, 02:36 AM

Satyricon84

March 18th, 2012, 03:19 AM

Barciur

March 18th, 2012, 06:47 AM

You don't have to worry about special equipment. As per the Vienna convention (or is it the Geneva convention?) you can travel in any agreeing country with just the equipment required in your own country.
It would be nice if the Belarussians followed that :nuts:

x-type

March 18th, 2012, 10:03 AM

I have some vague plans of visiting Italy, arriving around 11 o clock in Trieste on saturday june 16th.

I thought of paying a short visit to Istria before going the other way in the direction Comacchio, Italy.

The border south of Trieste, how long does it take to pass it on a saturday in june. 1 hour or more? Do I need a vignette ? how much does it cost ? does slovenia have any special rules, like environmental sticker, bringing fire extinguisher or something like that.

Is the istrian SLO/HR border less time consuming?

If I arrive in Trieste 11.00 How much time do I need for a roadtrip to Koper-SLO including 1h stay there and return trip back to Trieste ?

you don't need a vignette for reaching Koper. i mean, you need if you will use H5. but you can easily reach Koper using free state road 741. tip: at the border crossing keep on right and just after it take exit to OMV gas station. from there it is not hard to follow direction Škofije and Koper.

about SLO/HR border: that weekend you will pass it in few minutes. but next weekend (23.-24.06.) will be disaster because 22. and 25.06. are holidays in Croatia and people will go for short trips that weekend. if not on border, there will be crowds on toll stations in HR. :)

g.spinoza

March 18th, 2012, 10:56 AM

I have been in Livigno in 2006. It was in April and the only access for Livigno was through the Foscagno pass (SS301); the Forcola of Livigno pass was still closed due snow. We were three young boys (I was 22 y.o. and my friends were 20 y.o.) in a Opel Corsa so apparently a car to stop for a control. Instead nobody stopped us. There was a guard but he seemed too much busy to don't freeze in the snow (the checkpoint is in Trepalle - 2.069m - and it has an altitude over 200m higher than Livigno - 1.816m.). But in general yes, there are controls. I guess now with higher VAT in the rest of Italy people living close to Livigno goes there to buy things more than in past, so should be more controls. This is Trepalle and the SS301 going to Livigno (6 Km far away)

The same experience I had, but I went there in December, so probably it was even colder :)

But when I was a kid, back in the 80s, we went there with my family and I remember we were stopped at Foscagno pass and checked.

eucitizen

March 18th, 2012, 01:43 PM

Jeroen669

March 18th, 2012, 01:52 PM

I´ve been to Livigno last summer. I remembered travelling from Sankt Moritz towards Bormio three checkpoints: the first one directly after leaving the main road Sankt Moritz - Poschiavo, the second one on the actual border and the thirth one a few kms east of Livigno. At none of these checkpoints have I been checked.

I wasn't even aware at first that I had entered a duty-free zone. It just thought it was a nice route to travel towards the Stelvio pass. I was quite surprised to see regular unleaded for just €1,08 per liter. :)

bogdymol

March 18th, 2012, 01:56 PM

On some newspapers I read that in France it is mandatory for all drivers to have aboard an alkohol tester and this should be valid also for foreign drivers. It is another violation of the Vienna convention, but maybe it is just an exageration of the newspapers.

I've read that foreign people that are just visiting France with their own cars don't need to have this alcohol tester in their car. I think it's just a newspaper exageration. Journalists do this very often.

eucitizen

March 18th, 2012, 01:59 PM

Yes I was thinking it was just an exageration to show how the French are bad. :)

Surel

March 18th, 2012, 02:11 PM

A similar situation exists in Livigno, a VAT-free town in Italy near the CH border. Goods, expecially fuel, tobacco, alchol and electronics are very cheap there but you can export them freely only within a certain limit, otherwise you must declare them and pay a fee. Border checks are stricly enforced, they didn't check passports because is the same country but they inspect vehicles. I know people (family with children, not suspicious) that had their car and luggage inspected everywhere for a half of hour. Has anyone in this forum been there? Personal experiences would be interesting.

I was in Livigno with friends in August 2007 when we headed towards Aosta. Someone had this crazy idea we would tank very cheap there. That seemed a good idea because sometimes the spot consumption went up to 40 l per 100 km on the display, when you stepped on the gas pedal in the middle of a hill. On average it was around 12 l I think. It really did not compensate the time and gas we lost trying to find Livigno but it was nice ride there.

Well it was nice anyway because of the landscape and we visited Lichtenstein as well. We were four young guys in an old Audi A8 with CZ plate... We were not stopped by anyone on the way to Italy. When we went back to CZ from Chamonix we were visiting friend in Konstanz. We were again not stopped on the Swiss border when entering or leaving Switzerland on the way there. When leaving Constanz we could have chosen two ways. One went only through Germany and was bit longer, or we could have go back to Switzerland and go through Switz to Bregenz and further on to München etc.

I had a hunch we should not go through Switzerland again, that we were already lucky enough with the border controls. Well we did go throug Switzerland and indeed they stopped us at the control as the only car. They let us drive to the garage and let us empty the car completaly. We spent there about two hours. It was rather funny, because when leaving the Chamonaix we just came from Mont Blanc and we threw all the clothing and things into the trunk, really did not care about packing from that time on. So the dirty socks etc were everywhere. Well, like four guys after 10 days climbing holliday... The switzz officers had really funny job that day. Though they did not even check my pockets, nor had a dog. So If I carried something they would not find anything.

Anyway it was great car trip and holliday involving digging the bogged down Audi A8 into the muddy german field around 8 pm, the quatro did help, but the heavy beast was just hell heavy. Don't ask me how we got there in the first place :D.

parcdesprinces

March 18th, 2012, 02:26 PM

I've read that foreign people that are just visiting France with their own cars don't need to have this alcohol tester in their car.

Actually, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true ;).
Since all the foreign people driving on French roads must respect French highway code (and all the French laws when they are in France btw), then it obviously includes this new decree (not to mention that I read it in numerous French articles and on several official websites of the French authorities).

Oh, and honestly, can't you afford a couple of single-use breath alcohol testers which cost less than €2 each ? :|

italystf

March 18th, 2012, 02:27 PM

bogdymol

March 18th, 2012, 02:33 PM

Actually, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true ;).
Since all the foreign people driving on French roads must respect French highway code (and all the French laws when they are in France btw), then it obviously includes this new decree (not to mention that I read it in numerous French articles and on several official websites of the French authorities).

Oh, and honestly, can't you afford a couple of single-use breath alcohol testers which cost less than €2 each ? :|

So you are saying that if I am in Germany and I want to do a 3-hour visit in Strasbourg (http://g.co/maps/b653d) I need to buy that alcohol tester? It's not that it's expensive, but I don't think that those 2€ are well spent.

And btw: you said "a couple". How many should you have in your car? One is not enough? And what's the puropose of this devices? If you get stopped by the Police they test you with your own tester?

ChrisZwolle

March 18th, 2012, 02:35 PM

I never drink and drive, the breathalyzer obligation for every motorist is an insult to people's common sense.

You need enforcement, not silly stuff like breathalyzers. Typical symbol politics.

You need a shopping list of what's obligated and what not in Europe nowadays.

bogdymol

March 18th, 2012, 02:39 PM

I also never drink and drive. I don't have any problem with random alcohol tests taken by the Police, but if they want to test my alcohol level (which is 0) they should bring their own testers.

parcdesprinces

March 18th, 2012, 02:51 PM

And btw: you said "a couple". How many should you have in your car? One is not enough? And what's the puropose of this devices? If you get stopped by the Police they test you with your own tester?

As far as I understood, you must have at least one non-used tester, and since the purpose of this decree is to make drivers take responsibility, so, having a minimum of two in your car will allow you to test yourself whenever you need, and still having at least one non-used tester as asked by the decree.

BTW, the implementation of this decree is planned for next july, and drivers who don't have testers won't be fined until next november.

PS: Oh, and Police patrols will continue to use their own testers during the Police controls of course.

bogdymol

March 18th, 2012, 02:53 PM

As far as I understood, you must have at least one non-used tester, and since the purpose of this decree is to make drivers take responsibility, so, having a minimum of two in your car will allow you to test yourself whenever you need, and still having at least one non-used tester in case of police control.

Why would I test myself? I know that if I drink even a little bit I shouldn't drive.

edit: or you mean... testing myself after a long night + hangover? To see if any alcohol is still in my blood since last night?

Surel

March 18th, 2012, 03:06 PM

Zero tolerance and strict enforcement would be better policy in my eyes.

Attus

March 18th, 2012, 03:06 PM

And how should one know this alcohol tester is mandatory in France? I've never heard about it before reading this thread.

parcdesprinces

March 18th, 2012, 03:11 PM

edit: or you mean... testing myself after a long night + hangover? To see if any alcohol is still in my blood since last night?

Yep, for example... Or:

Why would I test myself? I know that if I drink even a little bit I shouldn't drive.

That's not the case of many French drivers, who drink one or two (or more) glasses of wine during dinner or during lunch, or a beer or two in the afternoon, or an aperitif etc..... and then drive.

Actually, alcohol is the leading cause of death on French roads (around 1,300 people, out of approx. 4,000, are killed each year because of that over here)

parcdesprinces

March 18th, 2012, 03:14 PM

And how should one know this alcohol tester is mandatory in France?

Ignorantia juris non excusat ! / Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi ! / Ignorance of the law excuses no one !

;)

g.spinoza

March 18th, 2012, 03:19 PM

Actually, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true ;).
Since all the foreign people driving on French roads must respect French highway code (and all the French laws when they are in France btw), then it obviously includes this new decree (not to mention that I read it in numerous French articles and on several official websites of the French authorities).

That's not true. As I said, a road agreement between many nation in Europe states that you don't have to comply with all equipment requirements of another country. I drove for a year in Germany, where first aid kit and fire extinguisher are mandatory aboard, but since I had and Italian car, I didn't have to comply.

parcdesprinces

March 18th, 2012, 03:21 PM

^^ Maybe, but according to the French authorities, it's not the case regarding this decree (and many others btw) !

At least, that's what I read.

g.spinoza

March 18th, 2012, 03:28 PM

^^ Maybe, but according to the French authorities, it's not the case regarding this decree (and many others btw) !

At least, that's what I read.

You have to fight abuse. I would not pay. What can they do, put me in jail?

bogdymol

March 18th, 2012, 03:45 PM

You have to fight abuse. I would not pay. What can they do, put me in jail?

I think that they would fine you. But since you are from another country you might just not pay it and nothing will happen (though I'm not sure if you have to pay on the spot or not...).

Coccodrillo

March 18th, 2012, 04:45 PM

I don't understand the checkpoint between Sankt Moritz and Poschiavo, inside Switzerland.

He didn't say "between St Moritz and Psochiavo":

the first one directly after leaving the main road Sankt Moritz - Poschiavo

So I suppose he refers to this custom: http://maps.google.ch/maps?q=Poschiavo&hl=it&ll=46.411679,10.050599&spn=0.001354,0.002411&sll=45.98921,8.934546&sspn=0.021826,0.038581&hnear=Poschiavo,+Grigioni&t=h&z=19

Surel

March 18th, 2012, 05:48 PM

I think that they would fine you. But since you are from another country you might just not pay it and nothing will happen (though I'm not sure if you have to pay on the spot or not...).

If you dont pay a fine on time you might be later suprised about the size of such a fine when it finds you in the end.

Corvinus

March 18th, 2012, 07:33 PM

At any airport they will check you do not have drugs, weapons and few things more. In a 20 kg suitcase you cannot carry so much than inside a car.

German tourists in the USA often shop a lot of clothing (jeans, etc.) being significantly cheaper over there. Then, the "cunning" ones just cut all price tags and march through German customs with a full suitcase of bought stuff - undeclared, of course :angel1:

cinxxx

March 18th, 2012, 08:59 PM

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6993342135_22a226b0c6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6993342135/)
DE - B21 - entering Austria (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6993342135/) by cinxxx (http://www.flickr.com/people/27108337@N03/), on Flickr

Flickr map: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6993342135/map/

Satyricon84

March 18th, 2012, 09:16 PM

Mount Athos/Greece border
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/484511_3494399647723_1503535189_3146716_1945461179_n.jpg

http://www.hellasbyfoot.com/wp-content/gallery/wikipedia/800px-athos_grenze_frangokastro_01.jpg?f22064

NorthWesternGuy

March 18th, 2012, 09:52 PM

eindhoven the best

March 19th, 2012, 06:05 PM

Border Crossing Loking to Castel the Netherlands Province Limburg (Hill Area)

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9990/dsc01864wg.jpg

Looking from the Castel in the Front village Kanne Belgium and the hills in the distance belong to The Netherlands
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3749/hillj.jpg

italystf

March 20th, 2012, 10:29 PM

Mount Athos/Greece border

A question: if someone break this laws (ex. a woman enter there) what are the legal consequences? I don't think Greek police has the right to act there, neither monks have the power to arrest people.

Verso

March 20th, 2012, 10:48 PM

Women break all-male Mount Athos ban (http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/27/us-women-athos-idUSL2673593220080527) :D

g.spinoza

March 20th, 2012, 11:09 PM

^^According to the regulation, not even female animals are allowed in. One of the stupidest things I've ever read :)

bogdymol

March 20th, 2012, 11:17 PM

^^ Do they eat chicken there?

g.spinoza

March 20th, 2012, 11:20 PM

^^ Only roosters :)

bogdymol

March 20th, 2012, 11:21 PM

Do they drink milk / eat cheese? :D

*we all know that milk comes from the female animal

g.spinoza

March 20th, 2012, 11:28 PM

^^ Just imported :)

As we say in Italy: "everyone's a f*ggot with somebody else's *ss" :D

Chilio

March 21st, 2012, 09:53 AM

Do they drink milk / eat cheese? :D

*we all know that milk comes from the female animal

Maybe monks don't know it and still try to milk the male animals and drink what they get from them...

Mr. America

March 22nd, 2012, 09:42 AM

^^ :lol:

Another city divided by border - Cieszyn/Cesky Tesin:

Looking to Poland...
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lmqauv.jpg

...and to Czech Republic:
http://i44.tinypic.com/jhxai8.jpg

(Pictures from Google Street View)

cinxxx

March 22nd, 2012, 11:08 AM

Can the trip point between Hungary, Slovakia and Austria be visited?
Is there a car road?

panda80

March 22nd, 2012, 01:44 PM

^^I see a road from Deutsch Jarndorf in Austria that crosses to Hungary 400m SW from the tripoint. From there there is a dirt road or you can go by foot.

italystf

March 22nd, 2012, 06:51 PM

Some pictures of old border of Eastern Europe

Border between Italy and Yugoslavia in 1972:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ebillotto/Trieste/ef54.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~billotto/Trieste.htm

Queue at Bulgaria - Yugoslavia border in 1986
http://54.img.v4.skyrock.net/543/hisarli/pics/2250986033_1.jpg

Yugoslavia (Kosovo) - Albania in 1999
http://gdb.rferl.org/323730C7-767B-4BCD-8C13-83B8EFCDCFB6_mw800_s.jpg

Bulgaria - Yugoslavia (no date, I guess 70s by car models)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oPLt-cEjhbw/THs1sqsl-XI/AAAAAAAAAHo/fvG6N5z2lCs/s640/Kalotina+at+the+Bulgarian+Yugoslav+border.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oPLt-cEjhbw/THs18TYLzuI/AAAAAAAAAHw/UgbpyjON81M/s640/border+point+at+Kalotina.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oPLt-cEjhbw/THs2Q_XKc1I/AAAAAAAAAH4/7aRdYl0My2Q/s640/Kalotina.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oPLt-cEjhbw/THs2aXRM8CI/AAAAAAAAAIA/gvkcv2trds4/s640/Bridge+on+the+Sofia.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oPLt-cEjhbw/THs2sLsyB4I/AAAAAAAAAII/SK7aAWMacV0/s640/International+Highway+No+5.jpg

Austria - Yugoslavia (Wurzenpass)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nGQhgTxbzTU/S8zwcljM95I/AAAAAAAAWIU/aOPKdShMc28/s1600/ceuta+1+001.jpg

Soviet Union - Afghanistan in 1989
http://cryptome.org/info/af-war-arch-1008/pict241.jpg

Soviet Union - Estonia in 1920 (rail border)
http://www.estonica.org/media/files/images/59/599765213206-ew_piir_komarovkas_jpg_800x800_q100.jpg

West Germany - Czechoslovakia in 1989
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/EI-AX742_WALL_P_G_20091102175918.jpg

Border between Soviet Union and another country (not specificated)
http://radfilms.com/Enroute_Moscow_1957_Russian_Border_Sign_copy.jpg

Border between West Germany and East Germany:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg/800px-Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Grenz%C3%BCbergangsstelle_Marienborn_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg/800px-Grenz%C3%BCbergangsstelle_Marienborn_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Herleshausen_border_crossing.jpg/800px-Herleshausen_border_crossing.jpg

Checkpoint Bravo in Berlin on A115 motorway (1972)
http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0402-0016%2C_Potsdam%2C_Grenz%C3%BCbergang_Drewitz-Dreilinden.jpg/120px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0402-0016%2C_Potsdam%2C_Grenz%C3%BCbergang_Drewitz-Dreilinden.jpg

Checkpoint Charlie in 1984
http://www.sagarmatha.com/images/ccharlie.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Mackenrode_border.jpg/800px-Mackenrode_border.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Freilandmuseum_Behrungen_5.jpg/800px-Freilandmuseum_Behrungen_5.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-N0415-365%2C_Grenze_zwischen_Th%C3%BCringen_und_Bayern_bei_Asbach.jpg
http://www.feelingeurope.eu/Images/checkpoint_1961-03.jpg
http://davisfields.smugmug.com/Berlin-2006/East-and-West/pohl/943777847_Uw8Bv-L.jpghttp://www.western-allies-berlin.com/installations/checkpoints/alpha/img/helmstedt-checkpoint-alpha.jpg
Inner German border in 1990
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Grenz%C3%B6ffnung_Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_2_%28G.Mach%29.jpg/800px-Grenz%C3%B6ffnung_Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_2_%28G.Mach%29.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/02_border.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/03.jpg

italystf

March 22nd, 2012, 07:13 PM

Egypt - Gaza Strip
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lIWa5EEyxeM/TUiXbj56GaI/AAAAAAAADVg/NhtkixeUHfY/s1600/Rafah%2Bborder%2Bcrossing%252C%2BEgyptian%2Bside%2B-%2Bthe%2B%2527prohibited%2527%2Bgate.jpg
http://www.ccun.org/images/2010/October/24%20p/Lifeline%205%20aid%20convoy%20vehicles%20crossing%20the%20Rafah%20border%20between%20Egypt%20and%20the%20Gaza%20Strip%20on%20Thursday%2021oct10ptv.jpg

Israel - Lebanon
http://www.republicdomain.com/photos/bulkupload//wallpapers11/Israel-Lebanon-Border.JPGùhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Israel_lebanon_border.jpg
http://chlf.org/FreeSamples/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/lebanon-border-crossing-near-Fassouta-Israel.jpg

bogdymol

March 22nd, 2012, 07:56 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg/800px-Kontrollpunkt_Helmstedt_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg

It's nice to see pictures like this from the past, but when I travel I prefer today's situation :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Upk_DrnQqd0/TmuxzAXMGKI/AAAAAAAAEf4/oCcpUhehh8A/s1024/DSC_0457.JPG

fbeavis

March 22nd, 2012, 11:33 PM

Just hope this isn't you the next time you're bringing in your undeclared jeans or camera across a border :lol:

35es5cSX_7Y

ChrisZwolle

March 22nd, 2012, 11:34 PM

The Dutch are even in East Germany

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Grenz%C3%BCbergangsstelle_Marienborn_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg/800px-Grenz%C3%BCbergangsstelle_Marienborn_1_%28G._Mach%29.jpg

g.spinoza

March 22nd, 2012, 11:37 PM

The Dutch are even in East Germany

Dutch people... no, better yet: Dutch cars are everywhere. :cheers:

Nikkodemo

March 23rd, 2012, 12:01 AM

Awesome retro pics and it´s very interesting the situation of Mount Athos. :eek:

italystf

March 23rd, 2012, 12:33 AM

The Dutch are even in East Germany

Maybe they were just travelling to West Berlin through DDR. BTW, driving to Eastern Europe wasn't so unusual for Western Europeans. My father went to Romania, Czechoslovakia and off course Yugoslavia in 70s and 80s and he said there were other Italian tourists there.
However a friend of him had to skip his trip to Poland because his car was at the mecanics' and he couldn't use her wife's car because in the visa was already written the car model and number plate and changing car wasn't allowed by the strict bureaucracy.
My father was stopped and fined by some self proclaimed cops (they had no uniform) because he entered in a rest area on the highway near Prague crossing the solid white line. They were probably only locals looking for money from "rich" Westeners.

panda80

March 23rd, 2012, 09:48 AM

g.spinoza

March 23rd, 2012, 09:58 AM

^^In the 70' and 80' romanian Black Sea beaches were full of foreign tourists. It wasn't very hard for a westerner to come to Eastern Europe, but it was much harder for somebody from east to go to west.

One of the most famous Italian comedy movies on the 80s, "Un sacco bello" by Carlo Verdone, had one of its principal characters planning a road trip to Poland to "buy" love from Polish girls using nylon stockings as "currency" :D

italystf

March 23rd, 2012, 11:30 AM

One of the most famous Italian comedy movies on the 80s, "Un sacco bello" by Carlo Verdone, had one of its principal characters planning a road trip to Poland to "buy" love from Polish girls using nylon stockings as "currency" :D

In another (very funny) comedy by Carlo Verdone ("Bianco, Rosso and Verdone") is shown the I - A border al Brennerpass before Schengen. In this movie you can find many scenes filmed on Italian motorways and Autogrill.

g.spinoza

March 23rd, 2012, 11:38 AM

In another (very funny) comedy by Carlo Verdone ("Bianco, Rosso and Verdone") is shown the I - A border al Brennerpass before Schengen. In this movie you can find many scenes filmed on Italian motorways and Autogrill.

Yeah, I posted that here a while ago :)

If you want to see how Brennerpass was in early '80s you can take a look at this clip from Italian comedy movie "Bianco rosso e Verdone". The clip is in Italian, but I think it can be enjoyed also by non-speakers because 1-the main character doesn't speak at all, 2- the wife at the beginning speaks only German. It's the story of an Italian immigrant in Munich that goes back to Italy to vote. Any resemblance to real events and/or to real persons, living or dead, is purely NOT coincidental :D :D

P5ETPCyRIe8

However, if you don't want to have a good laugh and just want to see the road, Brennerpass starts at 5:20

panda80

March 23rd, 2012, 02:53 PM

One of the most famous Italian comedy movies on the 80s, "Un sacco bello" by Carlo Verdone, had one of its principal characters planning a road trip to Poland to "buy" love from Polish girls using nylon stockings as "currency" :D

Many other "currency" was used, like jeans, cigarettes, commodities that were very scarce at that time. They were used also to bribe police or customs officers.

Alex_ZR

March 23rd, 2012, 05:04 PM

^^ People from Yugoslavia also used to use that kind of "currency" while visiting Eastern block. "Vegeta" spice mixture, for example, was very popular in Romania and USSR. :)

cinxxx

March 23rd, 2012, 05:11 PM

And still is popular ;). We called it "supco".
Also popular were Eurocrem and Cipiripi.

g.spinoza

March 23rd, 2012, 05:13 PM

^^ Never heard of it :)

cinxxx

March 23rd, 2012, 05:25 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Podravka_Vegeta.jpg/800px-Podravka_Vegeta.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegeta_%28food%29

http://www.swisslion-takovo.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/proizvodi/konditori/eurocrem/eurocrem-45g.jpg
http://www.swisslion-takovo.com/proizvodi/konditori/eurocrem/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocrem

g.spinoza

March 23rd, 2012, 05:27 PM

^^ Yeah, I know, I already seen the wiki page. It's there that I realized I've never heard it. Is it sold in Germany too? 'Cause I don't remeber having seen it in stores while I was living there.

cinxxx

March 23rd, 2012, 05:29 PM

I bought Vegeta in Kaufland here, so yes, it's sold in Germany :).
Eurocrem, I didn't see on the market, but in a Turkish shop, I did, 1€ a chocolate tablet.

g.spinoza

March 23rd, 2012, 05:39 PM

^^ Well, I've never even heard of Eurocrem, even though they make it here in Brescia :) :) In Italy of course Nutella is king of the market, and second it's probably Crema Novi:
http://www.gastronomia-online.com/files/2009/11/Crema-Novi.jpg

But I learned to make excellent hazelnut cream on my own, so I don't buy either :)

Verso

March 23rd, 2012, 05:44 PM

I still call every kind of hazelnut cream "eurocrem". :D (although I doubt they still sell it here)

cinxxx

March 23rd, 2012, 06:47 PM

You can find Eurocrem in Serbia for sure, I know I bought last year.
Also in Timisoara, a little more expensive...

alserrod

March 23rd, 2012, 09:07 PM

The Dutch are even in East Germany

Dutch people... no, better yet: Dutch cars are everywhere. :cheers:

It was posted in a Spanish thread about road and motorways history.

AP-7 motorway in the border Spain-France was open in the 70s and one forumer posted a scanned page of the newspaper where it appeared the news.

The news said that the first car crossing that border was Dutch.

Zagor666

March 23rd, 2012, 09:16 PM

And still is popular ;). We called it "supco".
Also popular were Eurocrem and Cipiripi.

Cipiripi :banana: its great,but Kinder-Lada(today Lino-Lada)is even better.I can eat a whole Glas on one day http://www.cosgan.de/images/midi/konfus/c085.gif (http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php)

We were in Constanta the first year after Causescu´s death and it was very interesting to see how a eastern europe beach on the black sea looks compare with some beaches in spain or italy,today its completely differend

veteran

March 25th, 2012, 09:27 AM

Border between Slovakia (Trstené pri Hornáde) and Hungary (Kéked). (http://maps.google.com/?ll=48.563204,21.341972&spn=0.057143,0.169086&t=h&z=13)
Border line is there from 1920 when was the (Czecho)Slovak-Hungarian border confirmed definitively in Trianon.

Situation on map from 1927 (Nádošt = Trstené pri Hornáde, SK).
http://www.abload.de/thumb/klipb0zip.jpg (http://www.abload.de/img/klipb0zip.jpg)

Situation on map from 1958.
http://www.abload.de/thumb/klip_3jpx2q.jpg (http://www.abload.de/img/klip_3jpx2q.jpg)

There is currently only loose-surface road - a new asphalt road for regular traffic (6,5 m wide) is expected in June 2012.

Current situation from Google Earth.
http://www.abload.de/thumb/klip_2swlo6.jpg (http://www.abload.de/img/klip_2swlo6.jpg)

Border stones (S = Slovensko, Slovakia; MO = Magyarország, Hungary):
http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_0922w3lwl.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_0922w3lwl.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1030jelx6.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1030jelx6.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1031ynyac.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1031ynyac.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1033uylkt.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1033uylkt.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_0926jpyze.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_0926jpyze.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1022ayxi5.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1022ayxi5.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1023eglhz.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1023eglhz.jpg) http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_1024jsze4.jpg (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_1024jsze4.jpg)

Border line in the middle - on the left side Slovakia, on the right side Hungary.
http://www.abload.de/img/img_1026keapl.jpg

Border line goes along the right side of burnt field. Left side - Hungary, right side - Slovakia.
http://www.abload.de/img/img_10292nxqc.jpg

Old table POZOR! Štátna hranica (DAGNER! State border) on Slovakian side (from pre-Schengen era).
http://www.abload.de/img/img_1028uebwz.jpg

Slovakian side, ca. 200 meters from border line. This house was a seat of Czechoslovak financial guard in 1930'-es. Today it's an apartment house.
http://www.abload.de/img/img_1035a8bmj.jpg

Look from Hungarian side to Slovakia (ca. 200 m from border line)
http://www.abload.de/img/img_1018fgahi.jpg

Corvinus

March 26th, 2012, 11:20 AM

A crossing at an altitude of over 3000m a.s.l:
(actual Swiss border is about 100m ahead, signed by a large Swiss cross on the ski run)

http://i.imgur.com/G10Gz.jpg

alserrod

March 26th, 2012, 12:28 PM

Are they any border controls down sky resort?

Corvinus

March 26th, 2012, 01:05 PM

The resorts (villages) down at the base are entirely in their respective countries, so no border controls there. Also, there weren't any installations up there on the slopes.
You may, however, have customs officers patrolling on skis at the actual border line. They may then ask for an ID and if there is anything to declare.

alserrod

March 26th, 2012, 02:38 PM

but... what about if you go skiing and you use for a border crossing illegally? are they enough controls there or they have self controls in their villages?

MattiG

March 27th, 2012, 09:49 AM

but... what about if you go skiing and you use for a border crossing illegally? are they enough controls there or they have self controls in their villages?

Switzerland has joined the Schengen agreement. So no problem.

cinxxx

March 27th, 2012, 10:59 AM

Is there still border control between Austria and Liechtenstein?
Do you get a stamp on your passport? :)

italystf

March 27th, 2012, 11:01 AM

Is there still border control between Austria and Liechtenstein?
Do you get a stamp on your passport? :)
No, also Liechtenstein joined Schengen last December.

Corvinus

March 27th, 2012, 01:24 PM

Switzerland has joined the Schengen agreement. So no problem.

Well there can be some if you are smuggling, since Switzerland is not in the EU customs area. You could e.g. transport large amounts of cash, or some expensive new watch undeclared, which is against the law.
But concerning this, the same applies to ski runs as to "green borders" down in the valley - you don't have a customs officer every 50 meters.

bogdymol

March 27th, 2012, 02:15 PM

Do you get a stamp on your passport? :)

No, you don't get a stamp on your passport at the border crossing, but I know that there is a tourist office in Vaduz where (for a fee ~5€) you can get your passoport stampped with a Liechtenstein visa.

MattiG

March 27th, 2012, 06:11 PM

Well there can be some if you are smuggling, since Switzerland is not in the EU customs area. You could e.g. transport large amounts of cash, or some expensive new watch undeclared, which is against the law.
But concerning this, the same applies to ski runs as to "green borders" down in the valley - you don't have a customs officer every 50 meters.

Yes, of course, but that does not make the border crossing itself illegal. The border crossing is legal and the smuggling is illegal.

Godius

April 3rd, 2012, 08:33 AM

A1/A16 near Hazeldonk.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/7039090929_dc1f23425e_b.jpg
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/nik81/7039090929/in/set-72157629359978138)

mappero

April 3rd, 2012, 11:22 AM

^^ Driving there several times per month :)
Any idea why those scanners above the road are flashing in violet?
But it's easy to avoid this :D

ChrisZwolle

April 3rd, 2012, 11:35 AM

It's an electronic border control (ANPR). Some say it's in violation of the Schengen Treaty.

the Ludovico center

April 3rd, 2012, 11:38 AM

^ ^ ^ Just by looking at the nature of asphalts & paints alone you always know when exactly you have crossed the Dutch-Belgian border :)

Thermo

April 3rd, 2012, 12:34 PM

^^ Absolutely. Another example (B-NL) :tongue2:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_5hyF1em0ZBw/TObLt6hhwKI/AAAAAAAAGnE/v4B45T0EPbQ/s912/100_1922.JPG

Nordic20T

April 3rd, 2012, 11:40 PM

German-Swiss border, Grenzach-Wyhlen - Basel.

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/Nordic20T/Strassen%20International/D-CHGrenzach-Wyhlen1.jpg

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/Nordic20T/Strassen%20International/D-CHGrenzach-Wyhlen2.jpg

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/Nordic20T/Strassen%20International/D-CHGrenzach-Wyhlen3.jpg

Mr. America

April 4th, 2012, 12:34 AM

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/Nordic20T/Strassen%20International/D-CHGrenzach-Wyhlen2.jpg

Border control?

eucitizen

April 4th, 2012, 12:35 AM

Probably custom control.

Nordic20T

April 5th, 2012, 12:20 AM

^^ Yes, only customs. Since Swiss Franc is that strong, there are more controls because of the (maybe) increased number of shopping tourists.

He just took a careful look at me and my car and then let me pass without asking or checking anything.

mappero

April 5th, 2012, 09:46 AM

It's an electronic border control (ANPR). Some say it's in violation of the Schengen Treaty.

Exactly! We have right to move freely across the ex-EU-borders as free movement law! So I don't know why this electronic system is scanning my car plates everyday... Maybe claim to Strasbourg could resolve this problem.

PLH

April 5th, 2012, 11:21 AM

In what way scanning plates prevents you from moving freely across the border?

CasaMor

April 5th, 2012, 11:44 PM

Tarifa/Tangier - Spain/Morocco - Europe/Africa (the photographer is in Europe)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6893585371_c4bc5185ee_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6893286249_606422bf4a_b.jpg

by jose.rambaud

Fabri88

April 7th, 2012, 10:20 PM

Italy → Austria (Reschenpaß)

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/55275465.jpg

keokiracer

April 7th, 2012, 10:39 PM

On Germany-trip this happened at the Czech-German border (link) (http://maps.google.nl/maps?q=49.617946,12.414492&ll=49.629838,12.446136&spn=0.126088,0.338173&num=1&t=h&z=12). Took 20 mins.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-poIN3d2O8ZU/T4CZA25q2xI/AAAAAAAAGtM/lt21PFjovaY/s800/Berlijn-Dresden-Praag%2520144.JPG
Not a suprise though. They regularly control there and the first 20 kms in Germany we only saw 1 other bus and 2 other cars. They had nothing to do :lol:

Surel

April 9th, 2012, 01:42 PM

the_Aristocrat

April 9th, 2012, 04:51 PM

Two videos I made when crossing a border:

WA6evO0TdJo

Passing the Austrian / Italian border on the Brenner Pass @ 09m50

mUxBgc9UKBg

Passing the Dutch / German border at Oldenzaal (highway A1 / A30) @ 05m25

MattiG

April 9th, 2012, 11:30 PM

Exactly! We have right to move freely across the ex-EU-borders as free movement law! So I don't know why this electronic system is scanning my car plates everyday... Maybe claim to Strasbourg could resolve this problem.

So...?

We have a right to freely drive on the European motorways, too, and the police has a right to scan the licence plates on those roads. Nothing is in contradiction.

You may be interested in the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement, by June 14th 1985. The Statement 3 of the Article 2 tells us that the Schengen agreement does not prevent the local authorities from taking the actions the local legislation allows. The camera surveillance done by the police is legal in most of the member countries, I presume, and it is legal in the vicinity of the intra-Schengen borders, too.

The Schengen agreement is about crossing the borders freely but it is not about crossing the borders without any control.

g.spinoza

April 10th, 2012, 12:16 PM

Italy-Switzerland border (the yellow line) at the terminal cable car station at Plateau Rosa (3500 m), near Breuil-Cervinia. Customs area is located at the left, near the skier in white coat and black pants. The officer did basically nothing :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5VZgrNIDz-k/T4QByaasU7I/AAAAAAAAJow/29O_5A1RJwo/s800/IMG_4452.JPG
taken by me

parcdesprinces

April 10th, 2012, 01:47 PM

Italy-Switzerland border (the yellow line) at the terminal cable car station at Plateau Rosa (3500 m)

Speaking of which, here is the Franco-Italian border at the Pointe Helbronner (3,462 m (11,358 ft)).
Pointe Helbronner is located on the cable car line above the Mont-Blanc massif & glaciers between Chamonix (France) and Courmayeur (Italy), this cable car line, which was the highest in the World when it opened in 1955, reaches 3,778 m at the Aiguille du Midi "station" (where the summit terrace & the restaurant are at 3,842m). I took the entire line two times, and I have to say that it's quite spectacular, especially the view above glaciers, and of course the view of the Mont-Blanc and all the other 4,000m+ summits.

Here are two maps:
http://imageshack.us/a/img29/425/tracciatotmb.gif

http://imageshack.us/a/img560/264/04302007161208515co2.jpg

------

Pointe Helbronner (the border is marked by the white & yellow line):
http://imageshack.us/a/img443/1084/puntahelbronner094.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img259/9377/53615531.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img407/3389/picturechxphp.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img687/3589/549511894104d883f994o.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img560/4599/img1247b.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img15/6580/p1040381azs.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img140/4051/helbronnercrucifix.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/9595/24536388.jpg

-------

The cable cars (blue ones are on the Italian side, red ones on the French side):
http://imageshack.us/a/img27/3015/img1245uu.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img805/6813/puntahelbronner1.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img641/5728/img1263o.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img339/8434/99052215.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img402/5494/82749589.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img560/7196/img1334n.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img571/4606/19785657.jpg

--------

Bonus: Aiguille du Midi :):
http://imageshack.us/a/img812/7973/aiguilledumidi12.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img217/7972/40295836.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img41/2361/p1170714u.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img35/576/03tlphriqueaiguilledumi.jpg

bogdymol

April 10th, 2012, 02:38 PM

Who said that Schengen borders are boring?

Thank you for the pics! I would love to ski in that region.

Verso

April 10th, 2012, 05:33 PM

Pointe Helbronner is located on the cable car line above the Mont-Blanc massif & glaciers between Chamonix (France) and Courmayeur (Italy), this cable car line, which is the highest one in Europe, reaches 3778 m at the Aiguille du Midi "station"

Klein Matterhorn cable car reaches 3,820 m.

Corvinus

April 11th, 2012, 12:47 AM

^^

(pic taken in March 2012)

http://i.imgur.com/Awtnf.jpg

alserrod

April 11th, 2012, 01:53 AM

IN-CRE-DI-BLE!!!!!

More pics... and more info about that border, please!!!!

alserrod

April 11th, 2012, 02:04 AM

Another mountain ski resort border. This time between France and Spain in the RN-134 / N-330.
Down of the mountains we have the 8,1 km Somport tunnel which avoids to cross these mountains.

The road is one of the old Pilgrim's St. James lane.

At Spain there is a down-hill ski resort, the oldest in Spain (just 1 km away from border) and a very small part of a cross-country ski.
At France there is the major part of the cross-country ski resort.

In fact, the cross-country ski resort is called "Candanchu - Le Somport" and is absolutely international.

Here you can have a map of the Candanchu ski resort

It is only in Spanish. You can see the different ski lanes and the colour (a lot of black ones!!). In the right you have "circuito de fondo" that it is part of the "Candanchu-Le Somport"

http://www.candanchu.com/imagenes/plano.pdf

This is the map of the French side but the border appears.
In the left, the Somport mountain pass. All the ski lanes and in black, the border. Most of them are at France but not all, so you can do cross-country skiing in a binational ski resort

http://www.lesomport.com/images/plandespistes.pdf

g.spinoza

April 11th, 2012, 08:18 AM

Klein Matterhorn cable car reaches 3,820 m.

Klein Matterhorn is the mountain you can see in my previous picture:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5VZgrNIDz-k/T4QByaasU7I/AAAAAAAAJow/29O_5A1RJwo/s800/IMG_4452.JPG
taken by me

It is reachable by cable car only from Zermatt, but they are building another cable car to there from Testa Grigia Plateau Rosa, which is where I took the picture.

alserrod

April 11th, 2012, 10:09 AM

About the Somport border

This is Candanchú ski resort. It is in Spain but the border (and St. James Pilgrim's highest point of the route) is behind the forest. The valley that goes ahead takes to Astun ski resort (3 km from Candanchu), the mountains in the left makes border with France

The cross-country ski will start in the left but very soon will be France with no signals.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Candanch%C3%BA_desde_el_Tobazo.jpg

Same photo on winter. The border is again behind the forest in the middle of the photo. All the top left side of the photo is France

http://www.nevasport.com/fotos/buzon/95845.jpg

This resort is in Spain but in the left of the photo you have the cross-country ski which is almost all in France

parcdesprinces

April 11th, 2012, 01:14 PM

Klein Matterhorn cable car reaches 3,820 m.

OK, fixed :baeh3::

Speaking of which, here is the Franco-Italian border at the Pointe Helbronner (3,462 m (11,358 ft)).
Pointe Helbronner is located on the cable car line above the Mont-Blanc massif & glaciers between Chamonix (France) and Courmayeur (Italy), this cable car line, which was the highest in the World when it opened in 1955, reaches 3,778 m at the Aiguille du Midi "station" (where the summit terrace & the restaurant are at 3,842m). I took the entire line two times, and I have to say that it's quite spectacular, especially the view above glaciers, and of course the view of the Mont-Blanc and all the other 4,000m+ summits.

BTW, as far as I know, the Klein Matterhorn lift is not precisely a "cable car line" between two resorts/cities but simply a "cable car lift", unlike the line/connection between Chamonix and Courmayeur (which is 21km long and includes, among others, the Aiguille du Midi cable car lift), so that's why I wrote that this cable car line is the highest one in Europe. ;)

g.spinoza

April 11th, 2012, 01:17 PM

^^ Correct. Its record was short-lived, though, because in 1960 the Merida cable car in Venezuela reached 4,765m

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9rida_cable_car

Verso

April 12th, 2012, 02:26 AM

BTW, as far as I know, the Klein Matterhorn lift is not precisely a "cable car line" between two resorts/cities but simply a "cable car lift", unlike the line/connection between Chamonix and Courmayeur (which is 21km long and includes, among others, the Aiguille du Midi cable car lift), so that's why I wrote that this cable car line is the highest one in Europe. ;)

People don't use the cable car to get from Chamonix to Courmayeur (you have a tunnel for that), but to get to Aiguille du Midi.

Cyganie

April 12th, 2012, 04:29 AM

Mae Sai (Thailand) → Tachileik (Myanmar)
(taken by me in 2010)

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2347/img0203q.jpg

View to the south:
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/928/img0204dd.jpg

...and towards Myanmar in the north:
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/407/img0205fb.jpg

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/9178/img0207ww.jpg

http://1.1.1.3/bmi/img820.imageshack.us/img820/1276/img0208en.jpg

cinxxx

April 12th, 2012, 08:33 AM

Bietingen (DE) - Thayngen (CH)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/6941144454_22f02f8d3a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6941144454/)
P1080360 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6941144454/) by cinxxx (http://www.flickr.com/people/27108337@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7087214241_92f6e97abf_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/7087214241/)
P1080361 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/7087214241/) by cinxxx (http://www.flickr.com/people/27108337@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/6925694552_bc6eb84fbe_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6925694552/)
CH - E41/E54 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27108337@N03/6925694552/) by cinxxx (http://www.flickr.com/people/27108337@N03/), on Flickr

Corvinus

April 12th, 2012, 09:33 AM

Entering the Netherlands at seaport in Hoek van Holland:

http://i.imgur.com/4Ux78.jpg

The lower, illegible sign is the "keep right" reminder for islanders.

parcdesprinces

April 12th, 2012, 03:42 PM

People don't use the cable car to get from Chamonix to Courmayeur (you have a tunnel for that), but to get to Aiguille du Midi.

Well, during summer (especially because the connection with Courmayeur is closed during winter), much more people than you think take the line entirely (From Cham. to Courmayeur e.g. to enjoy a good meal in one of the great restaurants of Courmayeur, or for food shopping etc) and then back to France by bus by the Tunnel (and vice versa).
I did it twice as I wrote earlier, and trust me we were far from being alone to buy such a ticket. Actually this trip with the view above glaciers etc is a tourist attraction by itself... Much more than the Aiguille du Midi ascend.

Corvinus

April 12th, 2012, 05:58 PM

A3 (D) -> A12 (NL)

photos taken in April 2012

1. Border ahead in 1 km

http://i.imgur.com/Acq9b.jpg

2. the actual border

http://i.imgur.com/UkH4T.jpg

kmieciu

April 25th, 2012, 09:00 PM

Świecko, Poland - Germany (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=90794309&postcount=4039)

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8480/p1120372w.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9076/p1120381n.jpg

http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/933/p1120388.jpg

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/6398/p1120400.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1897/p1120406.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/498/p1120492c.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6141/p1120450h.jpg

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6695/p1120466.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7772/p1120489.jpg

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9761/p1120340.jpg

Verso

April 25th, 2012, 11:14 PM

Border crossing Ljubelj/Loibl between Slovenia/Yugoslavia and Austria in 1980s:
http://www.delo.si/assets/media/picture/20120425/Panorama__Ljubelj_80leta.1.jpg

An Austrian trying to smuggle coffee into SLO/YU (probably a Yugoslav working in Austria or an Austrian trying to sell coffee in Yugoslavia):
http://www.delo.si/assets/media/picture/20120425/Panorama__Kava_Ljubelj%2070%20l.1.jpg
http://www.delo.si/druzba/panorama/cez-ljubelj-po-alvorado-in-pralni-prasek_2.html

alserrod

April 26th, 2012, 01:05 AM

Was illegal to import coffee?

I read the maximum quantities to import to my country for these goods and today they allow until 600 EUR in any kind of food (some of them have more restrictions, but not food). They only make controls at Andorra and Gibraltar because from France, Portugal and Morocco or by plane it doesn't worth to make smuggling with these goods.
(and from Andorra and Gibraltar it is not the best bussiness...)

Verso

April 26th, 2012, 03:22 AM

Was illegal to import coffee?

Only 1 kg per person (so the whole family went shopping, not just a driver). There was hardly any real coffee in Yugoslavia in 1980s, just cheap copies (like "coffee" from cereals).

MattiG

April 26th, 2012, 06:40 AM

italystf

April 26th, 2012, 07:22 AM

Only 1 kg per person (so the whole family went shopping, not just a driver). There was hardly any real coffee in Yugoslavia in 1980s, just cheap copies (like "coffee" from cereals).

Why? Was difficult for foreign companies export there?
Italians went to Yugoslavia to buy cheap fuel, cigarettes and meat.

xerxesjc28

April 26th, 2012, 08:49 AM

BTW, this road marks the border, here is the same road few hundred meters away, in the small binational village of "Leiding/Leidingen":
http://a.imageshack.us/img205/2243/capturedcran20120309234.png

The street is named "Rue de la Frontière" on the French side (literally "Border Street"), and "Neutrale Straße" ("Neutral Street") on the German side.

_

Can people cross to either side with out getting in any sort of trouble? There is a town like that between the USA and Canada up in the North East and if people cross over a line on the road they get ticketed or something. You have to apparently go to a customs port and get authorization even if they just going across the street to buy something. There are cameras everywhere too, and police will swarm the person if they cross over, not sure if that is only on the USA side or both sides.

Here is an article on it http://www.nowpublic.com/press/us-canada-border-towns-face-security-crackdown.

And here is another article on another town http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/us/nation-challenged-inconveniences-us-town-reached-via-canada-suddenly-boxed.html I really don't understand why the USA has to treat the Canadian border like it was a 3rd world country so sad.

cinxxx

April 26th, 2012, 08:54 AM

^^Being both members of the Schengen agreement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area), people can cross between these countries anytime, anywhere, without any problem :)

alserrod

April 26th, 2012, 10:29 AM

And I suppose Police can cross for several kilometres the border if is running to catch someone of just checking around the border without controls.

At Schengen treaty countries these are normal "borders". You can find old control points but not used today. New streets, motorways, etc... are being built without any space for control points.

alserrod

April 26th, 2012, 10:32 AM

600 EUR? If I remember, the EU-regulated limit is 300 EUR in the non-air traffic in case of importing goods from non-EU countries.

Sorry, you are right.

300 EUR if land border and 430 EUR if plane or ship border... and applies also for goods from Canary islands, Ceuta and Melilla where they do not pay VAT and other taxes.

As far as I know, if packs are opened (so then not able to be sold) before crossing the border, it is duty free.

Anyway, by car, 5 people = 1500 EUR...

Edit.... official page
http://www.agenciatributaria.es/AEAT/Aduanas/Contenidos_Privados/La_Aduana_espanyola/Folletos_informativos/regviaje_11_10.pdf

bogdymol

April 26th, 2012, 10:37 AM

And I suppose Police can cross for several kilometres the border if is running to catch someone of just checking around the border without controls.

If there is a police pursuit in country A they can cross the border into country B, but just for 30 km. When they approach the border crossing they have to announce the Schengen boureau in their country (A) that they are in a pursuit and approaching the border, and then the Schengen boureau in country A will announce the one from country B, and they will send a police patrol there to continue the chase in the country B. That's the agreement.

PS: Romania did an exercise with a cross-border pursuit few years ago with Hungary.

alserrod

April 26th, 2012, 10:49 AM

If there is a police pursuit in country A they can cross the border into country B, but just for 30 km. When they approach the border crossing they have to announce the Schengen boureau in their country (A) that they are in a pursuit and approaching the border, and then the Schengen boureau in country A will announce the one from country B, and they will send a police patrol there to continue the chase in the country B. That's the agreement.

PS: Romania did an exercise with a cross-border pursuit few years ago with Hungary.

Not necessary 30 km. Spain has a treaty with Portugal of 50 km and I think only 10 with France.

If a police is running away to catch someone and they cross the border, police can cross the border too with the following considerations:

- No more than distance approved (as I said, 50 km Portugal-Spain, what means entering from Spain until a lot of Portuguese territory and upside down)
- Advise the other country police as soon as possible
- If arrested, they have to give him to the other country police. They can ask for an international movement for arrested people... but they cannot arrest him and cross the border again.
- They cannot interrogate arrested people. Just arrest and giving to the other country police

And they are allowed to cross the border as many times as they need for borders controls. They will not make a control on road, but they can be making surveillance for possible delinquents.

Sometimes it is more effective to know who is the person you have to catch than making a 100% control.

italystf

April 26th, 2012, 11:08 AM

Not necessary 30 km. Spain has a treaty with Portugal of 50 km and I think only 10 with France.

If a police is running away to catch someone and they cross the border, police can cross the border too with the following considerations:

- No more than distance approved (as I said, 50 km Portugal-Spain, what means entering from Spain until a lot of Portuguese territory and upside down)
- Advise the other country police as soon as possible
- If arrested, they have to give him to the other country police. They can ask for an international movement for arrested people... but they cannot arrest him and cross the border again.
- They cannot interrogate arrested people. Just arrest and giving to the other country police

And they are allowed to cross the border as many times as they need for borders controls. They will not make a control on road, but they can be making surveillance for possible delinquents.

Sometimes it is more effective to know who is the person you have to catch than making a 100% control.

Italy: 10km Austria (roads), 20km Austria (motorways) and 30km Slovenia (roads and motorways).