Border Crossings - What To Expect

Easy or Frustrating, They're Part of Travel

1) where you are in the world and
2) how you arrive at the border.

Border crossings are where you generally accumulate those stamps in your passports... you know... those rubber stamps from Immigration Officers that say that you've entered a foreign country... or returned to your own country.

People complain that they don't get them in their passport anymore when they enter Europe.... well, you may or you may not. Depends on the country you enter. You probably won't get new stamps if you drive across or fly across borders in Europe either what with the Eurozone.

When You Fly Across Borders

If you're flying from country to country it's fairly standard procedure. We've pretty much gone through that with Airport Arrivals and Airport Departures.

If you're driving, taking a bus or walking it may be a whole different thing.

What to Expect At Road Border Crossings

We've driven across borders in several places. As we mentioned, in much of Europe, you'll barely notice when you've crossed a border.

At some border crossings in countries newer to the Eurozone, you may have to pass through a few formalities. It's hard to tell.

At other borders, you will have to present your passport to officials on both sides of the border. There may or may not be paper work to fill out.

Going the other direction, our passports and rental car documents were checked, but it took a much shorter time at a busier more urban border crossing.

There is generally not a departure tax when you cross by land, but expect the unexpected. (Near disaster when we had spent all of our Bulgarian Levs but had to pay to cross the International Bridge. Levs or Euros only!! No Romanian Leis or US Dollars, no credit cards. Good thing we had a few Euros.)

Rental Car Tips:

• Always check with your rental car company that it is OK to take your car across borders. This can vary from country to country AND from rental company to rental company.
  
• Check on the type of insurance you need for each country too.
  
• Check with the rental agent to see what documentation you need for crossing the border.
  
• And... check to see if you need to buy a Vignet or road tax sticker. A stop to pay for one of these may be required even if you don't have to stop for Immigration formalities!

On a custom tour to Tibet and Nepal, we went overland back to Nepal. At the border, our Chinese guides dropped us off. We went through Immigrations on the Chinese side, walked across the Friendship Bridge and went through Immigrations on the Nepal side before our Nepalese driver picked us up.

U.S. citizens should remember that passports are necessary at the Canadian and Mexican borders. That changed a few years ago. (You can get a U.S. Passport Card, but you do need more than your driver's license.)

How Long Does Crossing Borders Take?

This can vary. It can be no time at all if you can breeze through with no check. It can take a frustratingly long time if there is a line... or a lunch hour... or a bus in front of you.... or someone with a complication in front of you. All of those things have happened to us.

If you are negotiating border crossings on your own... allow plenty of time. You wouldn't want to be driving back to the airport across the border and run into a delay.

Tours will usually build enough time into their itinerary.

River cruises through Europe shouldn't give you problems. On a hydrofoil trip from Hungary to Slovakia, we were dropped off at the wharf with no formalities at all

Cruise ships will usually assist you by passing the passenger list through as a whole or having Immigration Officials on board.

If you're sailing yourself from country to country... well, I get seasick in the bathtub, so I can't advise you on that.

The main thing at any border crossing is to stay calm and not let delays frustrate you. Be polite to the Immigration Official, smile, and don't complain. It's all a part of travel, and complaining will probably only slow things down even more.

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it!   Judy and Mark

New! Comments