International border crossings

[hercegovac_nin0]

city:Bosanski Samac border crossing between BIH and CRO

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by TheCat

(in Canada and the US we don't have identity cards).

I don't see the use of an ID card anyway. It's just double, you can't visit all countries, and it's only a little cheaper.

I used to have an ID card, but i changed it for a real passport, because back then, a lot of countries needed a passport, like Poland in 2001.

[DanielFigFoz]

In Portugal you have to have a ID card, even if you have a passport.

[Rebasepoiss]

In Estonia, an ID-card is more useful than a passport. The only reason for owning a passport is when you want to travel outside EU.

[picassoborseli]

French-Spanish border at Irun/Hendaye

This sign is in Spain, note that Bordeaux is writ in French!


France 1km in Basque language (Euskera)


The border itself

[x-type]

lol this Frantzia thing made me laugh!! interesting!!! btw, is at La Jonquera written Espanya?

[TheCat]

Originally Posted by x-type

lol this Frantzia thing made me laugh!! interesting!!! btw, is at La Jonquera written Espanya?

lol that's how you say "France" and "Spain", respectively, in Russian (and probably in other Slavonic languages).

[TheCat]

Originally Posted by Chriszwolle

I don't see the use of an ID card anyway. It's just double, you can't visit all countries, and it's only a little cheaper.

I used to have an ID card, but i changed it for a real passport, because back then, a lot of countries needed a passport, like Poland in 2001.

Yeah, but many countries require an identity card to be used for "internal" purposes, whereas a passport is an "external" document. In Israel (where I used to live) every citizen must get an identity card when reaching 16 years of age, and theoretically it must be carried around, although I don't think people always do it. But there it also has to do with security.

The only problem with a lack of such a card is that it creates some messes occasionally. For example, the most universally recognized identification document in Ontario (and probably elsewhere in Canada and the US) is your driver's license card. In Ontario we have another document, the Health Card (because of universal health insurance, I don't think US citizens have such a card), which used to be a common form of ID, but now, for some strange reasons, it is not always recognized. For example, many bars/clubs don't accept Health Cards as proof of age. As a result, there are situations where people who don't have a driver's license effectively lack an ID. I've experienced cases where my friends were denied access in a club because they don't have a driver's license.

As a result, some people get a driver's license (by just passing the theory test) just to have a universal ID, even if they don't ever plan/want to drive a car.

[x-type]

Originally Posted by TheCat

lol that's how you say "France" and "Spain", respectively, in Russian (and probably in other Slavonic languages).

well it's not actually, but i had absolutely no idea that these blue EU signs at the entrance to EU country have scripts at regional languages, such as Basq!

[Stifler]

Originally Posted by x-type

well it's not actually, but i had absolutely no idea that these blue EU signs at the entrance to EU country have scripts at regional languages, such as Basq!

That might be because the Spanish Basque Country (as well as Navarre) is almost independent in terms of road development due to several historical facts.

In Catalonia, I think most of the signs are in Spanish like this one:
image hosted on flickr


But in other kind of signs, it's typical to have both names (Spanish and Catalan), like this one:
image hosted on flickr


Another interesting border between Spain and France, in Somport (Aragón). It's 1,632 masl and there is a tunnel 8.5km length.
image hosted on flickr

[Jeroen669]

The border line I almost weekly cross (Holland => Germany, A77 => AB57). This one has only been used for 9 years (1986 - 1995).

[ChrisZwolle]

To be clear; that border station is not directly at the motorway.

[Jeroen669]

Ok, but it's still a border crossing. Fortunately you can usually drive through on (almost?) all of the motorway bording crossings with holland.

[Sponsor]

"From 21st December, 9 countries will be added to Schengen"
Source: www.onet.pl--> http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/1637686,12,item.html

[Verso]

^ Pre-Christmas gift. Soon after that we start presiding; there's lack of French speakers in our administration, so I'm hurrying up with learning French!

[Qwert]

Originally Posted by TheCat

lol that's how you say "France" and "Spain", respectively, in Russian (and probably in other Slavonic languages).

France is in Slovak Francúzsko, however in Czech it's Francie what is quite similar to Bask.

[Alex Von Königsberg]

In Russian and Ukrainian languages, France sounds exactly like in Basque - Франция and Францiя ("Frantsia") respectively

[TheCat]

Yes, that's what I was referring to. Spain is the same too ("Espanya").

[Czas na Żywiec]

Most IE languages are similiar. Example in Polish:

France - Francja
Spain - Hiszpania

[ChrisZwolle]

Dutch: Frankrijk, Spanje