passport stamps & train travel - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

ekc11 · 04-08-2007, 05:42 AM

A logistical question --

It's been forever since I've travelled by train internationally through Europe and I cannot remember if they stamp non-EU passports (mine's CDN) when crossing borders (specifically wondering about out of Poland-into Germany)........ If they do, do you recall whether just the country you are entering into stamps you or do you also get an exit stamp from the country you are leaving (like when you are leaving from an airport you pass thru passport control leaving and entering)...

Help!! (i need to know for visa reasons, if i don't get stamped i don't want any hassles later that it looks like i have overstayed my time in Poland as word is they can be pretty strict on such things!)

Thanks sooooooooooooooooooooo much!

Erin

**aliz** · 04-08-2007, 06:00 AM

i went from germany into poland, then back into germany again within the space of an hour and they took a very long time to give me an entry and exit stamp each time. four stamps in one hour! i travelled by car though.

**joe7f** · 04-08-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliz

i went from germany into poland, then back into germany again within the space of an hour and they took a very long time to give me an entry and exit stamp each time. four stamps in one hour! i travelled by car though.

I got a stamp going into Austria and Hungary but only got the Hungarian stamp on the way back. This caused some suspicion when I was flying from Salzburg to Dublin. I look suspicious I guess, so they jotted down my passport information.

Moral of the story, stamps are cool, get lots of them (even if you end up asking for them)

--Joey

**DC_Jessica** · 04-08-2007, 12:31 PM

By train, you get two sets of border "police." I use the quotes, not because these guys are not actual police, but because uniforms are somewhat optional and they will have a stamp, but not always a stamp pad. Especially among and around Poland, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany. Learn how to ask for a stamp or insist on some sort of documentation, or else practice your pantomime! They are local police, not tourist police...

Travel_girl81 · 04-08-2007, 08:00 PM

I went to the Czech Republic from Germany. I only got a stamp on the way back to Germany but the German Police. The stamped my passport the same time that they checked my ticket while on the train.

**Brookers13** · 04-09-2007, 09:15 AM

I never got stamped on any train and only got my passport checked once...bummer I missed out on so many stamps!

**indierock05** · 04-09-2007, 09:24 AM

It really depends on who is checking you, some countries don't even give stamps and some will overload you on entrance and exit (morocco gives 4). As for the dont know how it will affect work, I would say not to worry about it. I stayed in France for 7 months working illegally with no visa and i was never kicked out of the EU when I was travelling around. Just make sure you keep an eye on the date you arent supposed to come back.

You can always leave the EU after the three months (for USA i dont know if the same for CDN) but you can't always come back in.

Good luck!

ekc11 · 04-10-2007, 01:25 AM

Thanks for the help!!

Much appreciated