International border crossings

[g.spinoza]

Originally Posted by bogdymol

Unfortunatelly, thanks to a couple of Romanians that go to western Europe just to gain some fast money from illegal activities, all of the honest Romanians have to suffer.

You're right and I know how you feel too, Italians had (have?) lots of troubles for the same reason. Unfortunately, more than "a couple" of Romanians go west for this reason (as well as more than "a couple" Italians went abroad for the same reason).

Originally Posted by Road_UK

Because it´s funny.

Fortunately I never got stopped during my year in Germany, otherwise it could have probably happened. I know a guy who spent the night at the Police station for saying something like that...

[KONSTANTINOUPOLIS]

Nike Florina (Hellas) - FYROM













www.makedomiki.gr

[hofburg]

^EU founds?

[Surel]

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

The Dutch are drug dealers. All of them.

Not only the Dutch, anyone thats driving from NL through Germany . Funny though, my most throughout check was done by the Czech police... but yeah, coming from NL. I was checked trhee times that day. Twice by Germans and once by the Czechs. The Germans wanted to see only my passport, but the czech police dog didnt like my luggage.... I though, maybe all that cheese inside confused him, but the police said, that he should not be confused by that. Well I guess they were either training, or the dog was no good.

[Verso]

Originally Posted by hofburg

whats the situation in Switzerland? I took tgv Paris - Geneva and they were just looking at us at Geneva train station.

I haven't been to CH since it entered Schengen, but the Italian- and French-speaking Swiss are relaxed, while the German-speaking Swiss are complicated. Once I was smuggling some good Slovenian salamis from Austria into Switzerland (because the Swiss don't have them) and they discovered them.

[Robi_damian]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

Yes, well there is a valid reason for that. The amount of Romanian gangs that cross that border, with the purpose of committing crime in mainly Austria, Italy and Spain got totally out of control.

That has nothing to do with borders. The fact that Romania has (and has always had) very low crime rates means that the responsability for these crime surges is the wishy-washy aproach to crime in AT, IT and E and most of Western Europe.

[piotr71]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

It´s the English reg. A lot of attempted drug trafficking as well as the astronomical price of cigarettes in the UK make British registered vehicles one of the most loved targets for customs officials throughout Europe.

I have never noticed. I am in transportation business for years and drive around Europe a lot using various countries number plates (PL,D, NL,GB). Never had any particular issues with GB reg. Yes, they halted my GB registered car in Eastern France just to ask about the reason of my visit in France. Then the Germans checked the car's log and my driving licence near Bautzen(Bydysin). That's just about the same when using PL, D plates in Europe, however I must admit that NL regs attract much more attention from any customs anywhere.

Also a lot of Eastern Europeans drive British registered vehicles, and tour around Europe without any insurance. (..)

How did you know that?

I like reading your posts cause you have undeniably huge European driving experience. Though, there is a certain issue with some of your statements. For instance; some time ago I read that Eastern European(Polish) couriers' businesses are not as much reliable as yours, British. Hmm? I know some of them from both countries and can't say they differ in any way. Actually, negligence is rather part of British way of working, than any others.

Then, we hear about not insured, GB registered cars driving by Eastern Europeans around old good Western Europe. Hmmm, again.

What's the size of the chip on your shoulder, mate?


Edit: have you got a night cab at last?

[Attus]

What really surprised me about Swiss border control was out of Switzerland. I crossed the Rhine on the bridge between St. Louis (FR) and Weil (D) and I was stopped and checked for passport control by a German and a Swiss border officer. OK, Switzerland is only 1.5 km away, but I've never been checked by an officer of a third nation at any border station.
Of course cars having a D/CH/F plate were not forced to stop, but my Hungarian plate made them suspect me. I was asked what I had done in France and hearing my answer about photographing trains the officer requested to show the camera and checked if there are really photos about trains in that.

However, about an hour later I crossed the German - Swiss border by a train withouth any checks. Halting at Basel Badischer Bahnhof* I was informed that for travelling on I need papers that allow me to cross the border but actually those papers were not checked by any one.

* Station Basel Bad is in Swiss territory but belongs to German Raiways (DB) and travellers have been allowed to use that station to change trains without passport for more than a century. Your documents are (were) checked by leaving the station either by foot or by train (directing Switzerland).

[Robi_damian]

Originally Posted by Attus

What really surprised me about Swiss border control was out of Switzerland. I crossed the Rhine on the bridge between St. Louis (FR) and Weil (D) and I was stopped and checked for passport control by a German and a Swiss border officer. OK, Switzerland is only 1.5 km away, but I've never been checked by an officer of a third nation at any border station.
Of course cars having a D/CH/F plate were not forced to stop, but my Hungarian plate made them suspect me. I was asked what I had done in France and hearing my answer about photographing trains the officer requested to show the camera and checked if there are really photos about trains in that.

However, about an hour later I crossed the German - Swiss border by a train withouth any checks. Halting at Basel Badischer Bahnhof* I was informed that for travelling on I need papers that allow me to cross the border but actually those papers were not checked by any one.

* Station Basel Bad is in Swiss territory but belongs to German Raiways (DB) and travellers have been allowed to use that station to change trains without passport for more than a century. Your documents are (were) checked by leaving the station either by foot or by train (directing Switzerland).

Was this in the past few years? I also heard that sometimes Swiss guards do stop cars, even after entering Schengen. Obviously, no pass check, just questions and the sort.

[Attus]

Originally Posted by Robi_damian

Was this in the past few years?

Exactly August 5 2009.

[hofburg]

Originally Posted by Verso

I haven't been to CH since it entered Schengen, but the Italian- and French-speaking Swiss are relaxed, while the German-speaking Swiss are complicated. Once I was smuggling some good Slovenian salamis from Austria into Switzerland (because the Swiss don't have them) and they discovered them.

is salami illegal in Switzerland?

[Verso]

Originally Posted by hofburg

is salami illegal in Switzerland?

No, but I had too many of them.

[alserrod]

Originally Posted by Attus

What really surprised me about Swiss border control was out of Switzerland. I crossed the Rhine on the bridge between St. Louis (FR) and Weil (D) and I was stopped and checked for passport control by a German and a Swiss border officer. OK, Switzerland is only 1.5 km away, but I've never been checked by an officer of a third nation at any border station.
Of course cars having a D/CH/F plate were not forced to stop, but my Hungarian plate made them suspect me. I was asked what I had done in France and hearing my answer about photographing trains the officer requested to show the camera and checked if there are really photos about trains in that.

Interesting.

Does anyone know more cases of a control outside borders?

[Road_UK]

Originally Posted by piotr71

I have never noticed. I am in transportation business for years and drive around Europe a lot using various countries number plates (PL,D, NL,GB). Never had any particular issues with GB reg. Yes, they halted my GB registered car in Eastern France just to ask about the reason of my visit in France. Then the Germans checked the car's log and my driving licence near Bautzen(Bydysin). That's just about the same when using PL, D plates in Europe, however I must admit that NL regs attract much more attention from any customs anywhere.



How did you know that?

I like reading your posts cause you have undeniably huge European driving experience. Though, there is a certain issue with some of your statements. For instance; some time ago I read that Eastern European(Polish) couriers' businesses are not as much reliable as yours, British. Hmm? I know some of them from both countries and can't say they differ in any way. Actually, negligence is rather part of British way of working, than any others.

Then, we hear about not insured, GB registered cars driving by Eastern Europeans around old good Western Europe. Hmmm, again.

What's the size of the chip on your shoulder, mate?


Edit: have you got a night cab at last?

In some Eastern European countries, mainly Poland, Lithuania and Romania, people go out to the UK and buy scrapped vehicles. They either drive them back themselves, or they are being put on trailers for shipment to their own countries, leaving the UK numberplate on. Once they are done up, they are back on the road again. Now, my understanding is that in Poland you cannot import a RHD and have Polish numberplates on them. So people leave the UK plates on. So how does one insure a vehicle in Poland with a foreign plate on? If you look around in Dover, while you are waiting for the ferry, you will see that a lot of drivers of UK registered vehicles don´t speak any English. Also, driving around in Poland and Lithuania, like I do sometimes, you will find an enormous amount of UK registered vehicles on the road, some of them parked at factories. British people intend to take their cars to France or Spain, where they enjoy their holidays most, they normally don´t go on holidays on industrial estates around Vilnius.

About my comment about Polish express drivers: You know as well as I do that the cost of fuel is rising out of the pan at the moment. And as wages and margins are a lot lower in Poland, then in western countries, filling your van up in Germany is the equivalent of a Brit buying a villa in Marbella. So they drive slooooow, seldom exceeding their speeds by 100 km/h. My boss doesn´t like that. We are a European EXPRESS delivering company, and while I got a lot of respect for my Polish colleagues, sometimes it just doesn´t work. And even though a lot of Polish companies and owner drivers have resulted to undercutting in the west, as they are a lot cheaper, there are still companies out there who won´t go down that road. Thank God for that, as there wouldn´t be any British, Dutch, German or French drivers left...

[Surel]

There are more than half milion Poles in GB...

Green card insurance is valid throughout the Europe.

You can buy transport insurance, in fact it is obligatory. You would have to provide with some accident rate/police checks statistics of polish cars on European roads without insurance.


Hopefully the EU is not a package from which you would pick only sultanas and leave the rest inside, though ppl/nations try that all the time.

[Suburbanist]

I've driven dozens of thousand of kms in Europe, always on cars.

So far, I've been checked by police only a few times. aMong them:

1) Andorra-Spain border station. The Spanish had spotted a bag from a store in Andorra where I had bought winter clothing and they asked me if I had bought arms or munition (I realized it was also a hunting store)

2) Liechtenstein-Austria border. I was moving to The Netherlands, had some packed boxes of used books and the official demanded me to open them

3) random city roadblock in Stuttgart 3am. They had military-style personnel doing the checks with heavy weaponry. Scary but fast.

4) Gilze-Rijen NATO air base perimeter road. I was joyriding at 40km/h late at night around the base, just killing time and burning gas honestly, and I was stopped by a car with 2 soldiers who asked if I had any problems or if I was lost.

[Road_UK]

Originally Posted by Surel

There are more than half milion Poles in GB...

Green card insurance is valid throughout the Europe.

You can buy transport insurance, in fact it is obligatory. You would have to provide with some accident rate/police checks statistics of polish cars on European roads without insurance.


Hopefully the EU is not a package from which you would pick only sultanas and leave the rest inside, though ppl/nations try that all the time.

You are not reading my posts properly. There is no point answering to yours, I´d only be repeating myself. Nobody has said anything about Polish cars. And you can only insure vehicles in a country from where it is registered.

[piotr71]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

In some Eastern European countries, mainly Poland, Lithuania and Romania, people go out to the UK and buy scrapped vehicles. They either drive them back themselves, or they are being put on trailers for shipment to their own countries, leaving the UK numberplate on. Once they are done up, they are back on the road again. Now, my understanding is that in Poland you cannot import a RHD and have Polish numberplates on them. So people leave the UK plates on. So how does one insure a vehicle in Poland with a foreign plate on?

Not many importers of British cars would bring them to Poland by themselves. It's much cheaper to load them up on a trailer and ship them in. Not many of them (importers) would risk driving across Europe without cover.

So, let me make it clear why some would bring a British car to Poland:

1. 95% of GB registered cars belong to Poles living and working in the UK. They are insured, taxed and mot-ed. Mostly bought with finance in the region of 7000 pounds. Polish people usually purchase quite modern and fresh models just to show up how good living in Britain is and how quickly they succeeded in the foreign land. A car is still matter of prestige in Poland.

Why these cars are so common on Polish roads? As we all know, Poles are not rare sight in Britain and as people bonded to certain traditions most of us need to visit our families several times a year. And trust me, it's unimaginable amount of travellers going up and down every day.

2. 5% - Trade. Almost all imported British cars will be broken and sold for parts. Some of them will get a steering wheel on the correct side and will be driven by proud and happy Polishmen.

If you look around in Dover, while you are waiting for the ferry, you will see that a lot of drivers of UK registered vehicles don´t speak any English.

I don't use English either while talking to another Pole, even in we have a chat in Dover's ferry terminal

Also, driving around in Poland and Lithuania, like I do sometimes, you will find an enormous amount of UK registered vehicles on the road, some of them parked at factories.

Apart from what I have written by now, some Easterners alongside a regular job in the UK run their own business in countries of origin. I visited many places (GB plated) in Poland and Slovakia which would not be taken as attractive by British holidaymaker, nor even Polish .

One more word about insurance. There is a Polish branch of A-plan broker who does not mind insure UK registered cars by phone call from Poland.

About my comment about Polish express drivers: You know as well as I do that the cost of fuel is rising out of the pan at the moment. And as wages and margins are a lot lower in Poland, then in western countries, filling your van up in Germany is the equivalent of a Brit buying a villa in Marbella. So they drive slooooow, seldom exceeding their speeds by 100 km/h.

Yes I agree, they rather crawl than drive.

[Road_UK]

Thank you for clearing a few things up, but if they genuinely live in Britain (a lot of them do, agree) then the least they can do when they take their vehicles abroad, is to leave their tax-discs on.

There are a lot of Brits living here in Mayrhofen, and they keep their British registered cars, because it is cheaper then in Austria. But they have a home address in the UK, where they can keep them insured. Tax disc is a different matter, Austrians are not interested in British tax discs.

[Surel]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

You are not reading my posts properly. There is no point answering to yours, I´d only be repeating myself. Nobody has said anything about Polish cars. And you can only insure vehicles in a country from where it is registered.

I should have written cars diven by Poles with whatever plate they have. By polish I meant that they belong to a polish citizen.

If you have GB plate, you are registered in GB, if you are registered in GB you have to be insured, if you are insured in GB you are insured in the whole EU. Read this

Since there is more than half milion Poles in GB and most of them drive a car it is only logical that you will se many of them in Dover, as well as many of them in Poland, since they are seasonal workers. They may as well reside in the UK and spend substantial part of the year in Poland. When you go to Romania you will see many Italian plates because of the same reasons.

As for the second.

Poland face charges at the EU Court of justice for not allowing registering of RHD vehicles. It doesnt really mean that vehicles registered in GB by Polish residing in PL are not insured. They are just insured in GB where they are also registered, MOT done, TAX paid. The only thing that those drivers face is a fine from Polish authorities for not having registered their car in their country of residence.

Its the same like if I took my car registered in the CZ and used it in NL where I reside without having it registered there. The only thing I face is fine from NL authorities. The insurance is valid.


Therefore I asked about a statistic about the accidents when the cars with polish drivers and GB plates were not covered by an insurance.