Pololski

I'm going through Denmark through Germany to Netherland. Will law enforcement officers stop to inspect me?

dorkypants

Among the "Schengen" group of European countries (look up "Schengen" on wikipedia), there are now virtually no border controls. I've crossed regularly between Italy and France, and less often between Italy and Austria. In a car on a highway, you're lucky if you notice so much as a national boundary marker. On a bicycle, you may well stop to snap photos of the marker, but you may well be the only human being in the vicinity.

imi

At ferry border ports in particular you may well have your passport checked...

German border police are still the most vigilant in my opinion, especially if you're coming from Holland...

If you have a Schengen passport the controls will be perfunctory...

cyclezealot

On the French Spanish border, you might find the "doune," stopping motorists from time to time to see if you are illegally bringing in excess cigarettes or liquor.. Doubt they 'd worry about cyclists doing such.. When there are some kind of security concerns they might stop cars with motorists who don't look like they are carrying an EU passport.. Normally borders are unwatched. And if the road is not an 'auotroute,' it's quite unlikely anyone will even be present.. We've crossed over from Belgium to Germany several times..... Few hardly ever notice the presence of the border..

raybo

Here is one border crossing between Germany (far side) and Switzerland.



Ray

Shimagnolo

They still haven't gotten over that unfortunate incident involving Botto, eh?

imi

Sorry, lost me there... Botto? I googled it but no luck... I don't keep up on the news. Care to enlighten me?
I was thinking more of the drug smuggling from holland into germany...

imi

Lovely picture Ray! Some of the border crossings make me all fuzzy nostalgic about the good old days of hassle and searches

Shimagnolo

You've been here for over a year w/o encountering Botto???

CB HI

https://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=345116

chrisch

I cycled through these countries last summer and was never stopped.

stokell

I've had my passport checked on ferries and when going through the France/England chunnel, but once on the mainland I roam freely. On the boundary between Belgium and Germany kids were playing in the abandoned border post. How wonderful that is. Too bad we can't do that in North America.

spinnaker

That link goes nowhere.

imi

Nope

jurjan

If you take the small bordercrossings (like the one Ray posted) you're not LIKELY to get checked.
but remember: a bordercrossing is still that, even if small and not permanently manned: they (the infamous 'they') can still do spot-checks etc.
If you think of smuggling etc: I wouldn't run the risk.
If you don't want the humiliation of someone sniffing your dirty undies: mmmmhhh...

But in all honesty: you'll probably never even be looked at while crossing.

acantor

When I crossed from Switzerland into Italy via bicycle, there was a VERY perfunctory check at the border. Other than that... nothing.

Machka 

I've cycled between France and Belgium, and France and Germany, with no more fuss than there is when I cycle between states here in Australia or provinces in Canada. You're cycling along a road, and all of a sudden there's a sign saying something like "Welcome to France" or "Welcome to Germany". No border patrols or anything.

I've been back and forth between England and France on ferries a few times, and I have had to ask them to look at and stamp my passport ... they just want to wave me right through. I think, however, that when we bought the tickets we might have had to show our passports at that time.