International border crossings

[g.spinoza]

Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't know that.

[panda80]

Originally Posted by tbh444

Also it's easily confused with Moldova (top middle). Strange that 2 so different countries (Andorra and Turkey) should be in their own little category.

Moldova's flag is not there. Moldova became independent in 1991, being integrated in Russia or Romania till then.

[bogdymol]

Originally Posted by Penn's Woods

Oy.
The Vatican's not part of Schengen?? I'm visualizing a border post at the entrance to Saint Peter's Square....

That "border post" is a security check area before entering the area of St. Peter's Basilica. I was there in 2008 and no passport or ID checks were required, only a security check for weapons and other illegal goods.

[invincibletiger]

Deve Bair border crossing between Macedonia and Bulgaria

[Verso]

Originally Posted by panda80

Moldova's flag is not there.

It's between Georgia and Montenegro (the uppermost flag).

[DanielFigFoz]

Originally Posted by nenea_hartia

In Romania the monthly wages of the customs officers is about 400-700 €. Not so much in European standards, but enough in Romanian standards. And a low salary should not be a motivation to became corrupt. Although many of them really are, especially at the Eastern and Northern border crossings with Ukraine and Moldova or the Southern border with Serbia, the main points for smuggling cheap goods into Romania, especially cigarettes.
A lot of these officers have been arrested these days, in an anti-corruption police operation started by Bucharest: see here.

It wouldn't surprise me if they earn just as little in Portugal. Well, the minimum wage in Portugal is €500, but the average wage is €700 so it wouldn't be too bad.

[Haljackey]

Conceptual images of the Windsor-Essex Parkway: a new highway which will link Detroit, USA and Windsor, Canada via a new bridge at the border crossing.









Video


Website: http://www.weparkway.ca/

The Windsor-Essex Parkway will create a full freeway link at the busiest border crossing in the world (in terms of trade $).

Construction starts later this year. Prep work begun in 2010.

[Moravian]

Originally Posted by bogdymol

That "border post" is a security check area before entering the area of St. Peter's Basilica. I was there in 2008 and no passport or ID checks were required, only a security check for weapons and other illegal goods.

The control at St.Peters Square (just at the colonnade) is quite normal security check like at the airport. It is not focused on the passport or ID card control - even if you are crossing one border line. The tricky point is that there is only one-way-traffic. Behind this security control at the entrance gate to the Basilica the visitors have to decide if they want to enter the church or if they want to walk up the cupole or visit the crypts....If the tourists want to visit the local information center and postal service (southern part of the square) they leave that restriction/protected area and it is not possible to come back again without the passing through the security control at the northern part of the square (again). The suitable clothing is required for visiting of the Basilica.
There are only two "border crossings" in Vatican City - this one at St.Peters Square and the Northern Gate, the official entrance of the Vaticans Museum. Another issue are the extraterritorial buildings of Vatican in Rome (Lateran etc.).
Quite interesting fact is that the Vatican State is "closed" (de facto it concerns museum and the Basilica - for tourists) at night (8 p.m - 7 a.m) and you could visit only the square.....

[tbh444]

Originally Posted by Haljackey

Conceptual images of the Windsor-Essex Parkway: a new highway which will link Detroit, USA and Windsor, Canada via a new bridge at the border crossing.

I was amazed to read recently that there is no way of travelling between Detroit & Windsor on foot, given the downtown areas are so close together (unless you happen to be competing in the annual Detroit Marathon), I wonder if this extra capacity might allow them to rectify this?

[Eulanthe]

Originally Posted by Moravian

There are only two "border crossings" in Vatican City - this one at St.Peters Square and the Northern Gate, the official entrance of the Vaticans Museum. Another issue are the extraterritorial buildings of Vatican in Rome (Lateran etc.).
Quite interesting fact is that the Vatican State is "closed" (de facto it concerns museum and the Basilica - for tourists) at night (8 p.m - 7 a.m) and you could visit only the square.....

No, not quite.

There actually are some border controls by both the Vatican City and Italy. From what I've seen over the course of several days, the Italian "Guardia di Finanza" are normally hanging out at some point along the Via della Concilliazione and on Via di Porta Angelica. I've witnessed them doing random ID checks - so these can be considered selective border controls. The Vatican police are also monitoring the border on the square too.

On the other hand, the Vatican City enforces proper border control on the border crossing Via di Porta Angelica/Via del Belvedere. A valid pass in combination with ID is needed to enter into the Vatican City at this point - though you can access the Church of St Anne without needing a pass. This is pretty much the reason why the Vatican isn't part of Schengen - they would have to abandon the control at this point, and obviously, they aren't willing to do so. I'm also sure that the border crossing located on Piazza del Sant Uffizio is also restricted to pass holders only.

It would perhaps be best to say that while the Vatican City still has border controls, these are relaxed in certain areas.

[Rombi]

Originally Posted by DanielFigFoz

It wouldn't surprise me if they earn just as little in Portugal. Well, the minimum wage in Portugal is €500, but the average wage is €700 so it wouldn't be too bad.

You are joking. So it's true that Portugal is called "sick man of europe" as The Economist said... really unbelievable if you think that in middle ages it was one of the reachest countries in the world

[Moravian]

Originally Posted by Eulanthe

No, not quite.

There actually are some border controls by both the Vatican City and Italy. From what I've seen over the course of several days, the Italian "Guardia di Finanza" are normally hanging out at some point along the Via della Concilliazione and on Via di Porta Angelica. I've witnessed them doing random ID checks - so these can be considered selective border controls. The Vatican police are also monitoring the border on the square too.

On the other hand, the Vatican City enforces proper border control on the border crossing Via di Porta Angelica/Via del Belvedere. A valid pass in combination with ID is needed to enter into the Vatican City at this point - though you can access the Church of St Anne without needing a pass. This is pretty much the reason why the Vatican isn't part of Schengen - they would have to abandon the control at this point, and obviously, they aren't willing to do so. I'm also sure that the border crossing located on Piazza del Sant Uffizio is also restricted to pass holders only.

It would perhaps be best to say that while the Vatican City still has border controls, these are relaxed in certain areas.

Thanks a lot for the detailed information. Well, the Lateran Accords are not the integral part of the Schengens "package"....

The entrance gate Via di Porta Angelica/Via del Belvedere is always guarded - as I know. I did not know the public access is (generally) possible there - maybe with the exception of the St.Annas church. There are barracks of the Swiss Guards as well.

As I know - at the Piazza del St.Uffizio/Santa Maria della Pieta - there are also security controls (there is a fence) in case that the public audience takes place at the Aula Paolo VI. But there is the regular border crossing in the day-time.....

[aswnl]

Originally Posted by Haljackey

Conceptual images of the Windsor-Essex Parkway: a new highway which will link Detroit, USA and Windsor, Canada via a new bridge at the border crossing.

The Windsor-Essex Parkway will create a full freeway link at the busiest border crossing in the world (in terms of trade $).

Construction starts later this year. Prep work begun in 2010.

Why are they going to destroy so much residential homes alongside Talbot Road and Huron Church Road ???
On Google Maps there seems the route could also be build parallel to a power transportation line about a mile more to the west, thus destroying far less buildings.

[Ingenioren]

Norway - Sweden Border crossing at 13:09...

[g.spinoza]

Ingenioren, you posted your driving video in three different subsections... I thought crossposting was not allowed in forums...

[Ingenioren]

Sorry, didn't know that!

[JeremyCastle]

A few years ago, a friend and I drove to Norway from the UK. Taking the ferry from Dover to Calais, the border posts were not open, the border posts were closed. Well, we did show our passports I think with our booking reference number to someone in a booth, but I don't think they were border people. So, my passport was not stamped with a Schengen stamp (I'm American).

Later, I left the Schengen zone by plane in Lisbon(staying in the Schengen zone during that time) and the border guard at the passport control booth kept flipping through my passport. I had no idea what she was doing, finally, with a confused look on her face, asked me how I entered the Schengen Zone. I said "I drove via a ferry between the UK and France but the border posts were closed." She gave me a strange look. I thought something bad was going to happen, but finally, after staring at me for a few seconds, she just placed the Schengen exit stamp in my passport and I was on my way.

Also, another time, flying into Bergen, Norway from London Gatwick, my passport was opened by the Norwegian border people, but they didn't stamp it either, just when I left Norway.

Anyone have any similar experiences to this? Are there any legal consequences that are supposed to be in effect for people who don't receive a stamp, or for the border guards who don't give one?

[x-type]

you are Amercian. you are protected as Javan rhino, so you will hardly get into some trouble because of that

[Moravian]

Originally Posted by JeremyCastle

A few years ago, a friend and I drove to Norway from the UK. Taking the ferry from Dover to Calais, the border posts were not open, the border posts were closed. Well, we did show our passports I think with our booking reference number to someone in a booth, but I don't think they were border people. So, my passport was not stamped with a Schengen stamp (I'm American).

Later, I left the Schengen zone by plane in Lisbon(staying in the Schengen zone during that time) and the border guard at the passport control booth kept flipping through my passport. I had no idea what she was doing, finally, with a confused look on her face, asked me how I entered the Schengen Zone. I said "I drove via a ferry between the UK and France but the border posts were closed." She gave me a strange look. I thought something bad was going to happen, but finally, after staring at me for a few seconds, she just placed the Schengen exit stamp in my passport and I was on my way.

Also, another time, flying into Bergen, Norway from London Gatwick, my passport was opened by the Norwegian border people, but they didn't stamp it either, just when I left Norway.

Anyone have any similar experiences to this? Are there any legal consequences that are supposed to be in effect for people who don't receive a stamp, or for the border guards who don't give one?

It depends. Sometimes it is better to ask for the Schengen entry stamp (always squared stamp) at the simple evidence or the confirmation of the entry border point. You could be checked not only when you leave the Schengen zone however almost everytime and everywhere in Schengen backlands. You could avoid some inconveniences during those police checkings However I would not expect big troubles for US-passport holder.

The fact is that the Schengen borders at the Channel is something a bit special. No doubts, UK border authorities takes care about the control but - first of all - at the enter point in Calais (when you try to enter the British Isles). On condition you are leaving UK that is not their "key focus". And French police? It is varied. Sometimes they check the ferry or Eurotunnel passingers very carefully (focused for international-coach-lines - for example) - security control included, sometimes, it is the matter of few seconds or the control booths are closed or empty and there are only security officers....
The fact is that the U.K/Schengen (the fact that U.K is participated at Schengen as well (police collaboration) - it is another matter...) could be campared with the Swiss/Schengen borders before 2009. It was not the "100%" Schengen frontier - not all border booths were "under operation" all the time......

I have no experience with the current eastern border of Schengen but the previous border (before 12/2007) - the attutide of the customs/police staff at the border was varied as well. It depends if you pass through the larger border crossing or the smaller one (there were usually more time to screen the travellers certainly carefully)...and what time etc...The fact is that Austrians took usually care about the entry stamps (no so for exit stamp), Germans checked people quite carefully as well but did not take care about stamps so much. The handling at Italian/Slovenian borders - was less or more "moody"...
It depended - in case you were non-Schengen-zone-citizen - on your reply - where you were travelling to, for how many days, the reason of your trip etc., no wonder if you attracted more attention......

Well, somewhere the fortress is protected by walls and the iron curtain and the round the corner - there is a hole in fence...

[Verso]

Kuzma/Bonisdorf used to be the only international border crossing between Slovenia and the Austrian state Burgenland:


http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26511417 by GBview