136
votes
Accepted
Did I opt out of compensation by accepting meal vouchers?
You were given meal vouchers because the EU air passenger rights regulations require the airline to provide "meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time" (regulation 261/2004, ...
85
votes
Accepted
The UK has voted to leave the EU. How does Brexit affect people traveling to the UK and vice-versa?
As of today, no. Nothing has currently changed (other than currency prices, which are of interest to international travelers).
There will be a prolonged negotiating period over the next several ...
- 85.6k
80
votes
Accepted
I suspect my cellular carrier may be breaking the EU free roaming directive. What can I do about it?
No, your carrier is not breaking the policy : https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm
Here are the relevant parts :
The limit is calculated ...
- 646
62
votes
Accepted
Does the GDPR entitle me to refuse to show my boarding pass at EU airport shops?
You can demand that explanation. In this explanation the shopkeeper/company will try to explain what they do with the data, how long they keep it, and why they think it is legal.
If it is legally ...
- 34.1k
51
votes
Accepted
Can't smugglers just walk straight through E.U. customs checks?
Random inspections do happen. Their frequency depends on the ratio of customs officers to passengers at that time of day and on other factors.
There are also x-ray checks of some or all of the ...
- 34.1k
51
votes
Accepted
I need to fly between two European countries once a month. What is the cheapest way to do it?
There is no truly practical discount card for regular flights in Europe that I am aware of. You are looking to fly often and this comes at a price. That being said, there is a number of tweaks where ...
- 26.2k
47
votes
Accepted
Am I entitled to compensation after flight delay due to aircraft problem blamed on a "hidden defect"?
In summary.
A special exception to the usual right to compensation was created by a recent ECJ judgment, where it considered hypothetically that ‘hidden manufacturing defects’ might be exceptional ...
- 37k
47
votes
Accepted
Can we use the "EU citizen only" lane when travelling by car with one non-EU passenger inside?
You are entitled to use that lane, not merely by car but also in airports, etc. as you are in fact covered by the EU freedom of movement (as the spouse of an EU citizen travelling with her).
The same ...
- 101k
46
votes
Accepted
French A roads, Spanish E- roads, Dutch E roads and German roads
Yes, there is such a system. The roads marked with a green label and letter E are marked in accordance with this system: E47 on the Denmark map is the European route 47, E1 on the Portugal map is the ...
- 6,955
41
votes
Can a non-EU citizen travel freely within the Schengen area without passport?
Schengen does not remove the requirement to have appropriate documentation when crossing borders (or even within a country). It only removes systematic checks at borders.
You can still have spot ...
- 60.1k
40
votes
Accepted
EU compensation - fire alarm at the Flight Crew's hotel
The courts (up to and including the European Court of Justice, which has the final say) have followed a slightly zig-zagging course in interpreting the "extraordinary circumstances" concept, so it is ...
40
votes
If denied entry to EU, what US city do they send me to?
Most of the time, if you are refused entry to a country, you will be sent back to the airport from which your flight to that country departed, usually on the same airline which carried you to that ...
- 61k
39
votes
Accepted
What's the longest scheduled flight one can take within the EU?
Air Berlin flight from Düsseldorf to Düsseldorf is a 12 hour sightseeing flight covering a distance of 9780 km.
- 2,608
38
votes
Accepted
Auto/Manual transmissions in Europe
As a European, I would say that we definitely tend to drive manual cars way more than automatic, although automatic cars are becoming more common especially in city settings.
Compared to, let's say 10 ...
36
votes
Using passport of country of nationality after being granted refugee status
I'd be very careful and seek legal advice before doing this, perhaps from a local organization that assists refugees. In Canada, seeking protection, even just a new passport, from the country a ...
- 85.6k
34
votes
Accepted
Should a non-EU citizen always carry his/her passport in Germany?
When staying in Germany, you are by law required to be in the possession of a valid and recognized identification document, but not to carry it with you. This applies both to German citizens older ...
- 51.7k
33
votes
Accepted
Bringing whale meat in to the EU
The EU has banned all imports of whale products since 1982.
Penalties can include imprisonment and large fines.
Poland explicitly prohibits import by travellers of products of CITES species (no ...
- 5,052
32
votes
Accepted
What happens with your ticket if you are denied boarding due to a temperature check? (EU)
The question is indirectly touched upon in EU regulation No 261/2004 (the main regulation on compensation for missed or cancelled flights):
(j) "denied boarding" means a refusal to carry ...
- 101k
31
votes
Accepted
Traveling from Germany to other countries by train?
As long as you stay within the Schengen Area, you should be able to travel freely without any systematic passport checks, so in most cases, it looks exactly like domestic travel.
The Schengen Area is ...
- 60.1k
30
votes
Does the GDPR entitle me to refuse to show my boarding pass at EU airport shops?
Certainly, in the UK you can refuse. This has become common practice since the public found out the stores were pocketing the 20% sales tax savings with out sharing.
Here is a link to the British ...
- 595
29
votes
The UK has voted to leave the EU. How does Brexit affect people traveling to the UK and vice-versa?
Bottom line: Tourists, visitors, and transit cases are not affected by the UK's vote to leave the European Union.
The relevant issues are about asylum seekers and some types of EU nationals who seek ...
- 84.4k
29
votes
Accepted
Denied boarding apparently covered up as a delayed flight
TLDR: You were lucky to get your 300 Euros.
Here's what probably happened. 'Olorin' discovered a problem and thought they might have to delay your flight. They sent out a notice warning all ...
- 62.6k
28
votes
Traveling to Switzerland from the US with a transit in the Netherlands, what is the maximum amount of currency I may carry with me?
There seem to be two different things asked here. The question title is just, "Traveling to Switzerland from the US with a layover in the Netherlands, what is the maximum amount of currency I may ...
- 13.1k
27
votes
Accepted
VAT refund for a conference ticket in Sweden
According to the organizers, 'there is no VAT return for private citizens'.
This is a conclusive answer. VAT refunds are intended for things which will be exported from a country. For example, if you ...
- 14.2k
26
votes
If my non-stop flight is cancelled and I'm put on a slower indirect flight, am I entitled to compensation?
See https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm for an overview of the EU air passenger rights.
Layovers, by themselves, do not matter. But if the rerouting you're ...
26
votes
Accepted
Is there a limit on the number of a single item I can take with me on a plane?
The airline won't care and won't know, as long as you pack it all in a bag that meets its luggage requirements (weight/dimensions). That's also why they won't even publish guidelines and let you make ...
- 101k
26
votes
Auto/Manual transmissions in Europe
Is that the case in the rest of EU, or just a Spanish thing?
Percentage of cars with automatic transmission among 2018 sales (sales, not current fleet, and EVs are regarded as having automatic ...
- 49.4k
24
votes
Accepted
How to contact border authorities in EU/Schengen countries?
The competent bodies in each EU/Schengen state can be reached at the following e-mail addresses (mostly belonging to national departments, i.e. not a specific airport/crossing):
Austria: bmi-ii-2@bmi....
24
votes
Can we use the "EU citizen only" lane when travelling by car with one non-EU passenger inside?
In addition to Relaxed's answer here are the relevant articles backing it:
Regulation 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code)
Article 2:
‘persons enjoying the right of free movement under Union law’ means:
(...
- 757
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