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Can we travel from Gatwick to Paddington Station with bags and NOT use stairs? We will be arriving in early April into Gatwick at 6:30AM on a Tuesday, so we will be on the train by 7:30am to 8:00am. We will each have one large suitcase plus carry on luggage. Will either of the suggested routes from Gatwick airport to Paddington Station allow us to travel the underground without steps? Gatwick Express with transfer to a Paddington Train at Victoria? Thameslink from Gatwick to Blackfriars then change to Paddington? <Q> Neither of those routes are step-free - there's no step-free access onto the Circle/District at Victoria, nor is there step-free access from the Southern half of the Circle/District platforms at Paddington. <S> However, Thameslink to Farringdon and changing onto the Circle or Hammersmith & City should be step-free. <S> Farringdon, I believe, has step-free access between Thameslink and the Circle/Hammersmith & City platforms via lifts (though I think you might have to use two sets of lifts, which might be irritating), and Paddington Northern half of the Circle/Hammersmith & City has lifts. <S> (There's confusion at Paddington <S> because the Circle line uses two completely different sets of platforms depending on which direction you're coming from - the platforms from the northern half of the circle line shared with the Hammersmith & City, as opposed to the southern half of the circle line shared with the District, are step-free.) <S> Another option which requires a change of trains, if you're OK with routes that involve escalators but not stairs, is to get the Victoria line from Victoria (step-free) and change at Oxford Circus (step-free for same-direction interchange) onto the Bakerloo line to Paddington (which has escalators but not lifts). <S> Source: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf and http://content.tfl.gov.uk/avoiding-stairs-tube-guide.pdf <A> The Journey Planner site Travellines will search for step free routes if asked. <S> Entering Gatwick to Paddington with Step free gives as fastest. <S> Gatwick to Victoria by Southern train. <S> Then take TfL bus 36 to Paddington. <S> Note you are going to London at peak rush hour <S> so you could find trains and busses full especially with luggage. <S> (I would consider a taxi from Victoria to Paddington) <A> This journey won't score highly in terms of speed or cost, but does avoid crossing central London with luggage, and makes maximal use of the fact that airports are well designed for people with luggage. <S> Alternatively, if you are making an onward journey from Paddington <S> and it's long distance rather than suburban, Great Western Railways run services from Gatwick Airport to Reading Station, which is usually the first stop after Paddington for fast trains.
| As a slightly (read very) left-field option, National Express coaches run from Gatwick to Heathrow Airport, and the Heathrow Express train service connects Heathrow to Paddington Station.
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Staying 92 days in the Schengen area My girlfriend is from Peru and has been 83 days in France since July.She is coming in December until February where we will both leave the Schengen area.We planned to leave Europe for a few days (using http://www.schengen-calculator.com , it says she needs to leave for 11 days) but the cheapest tickets are 1 or 2 days after the date she has to leave. Is it a big deal to leave after 92 days? Is there any other solution? <Q> but the cheapest tickets are 1 or 2 days after the date she has to leave. <S> Then don't buy the cheapest tickets, buy the cheaper ones. <S> Problems caused by overstaying your visa are far more costlier than the cost of paying some extra money for tickets. <A> Saving money is no excuse to overstay. <S> There might be reasons to extend a visa, for humanitarian or medical reasons and the like, but just saving money is not among them. <S> In theory, she could try and get a D national visa from a Schengen state. <S> In practice, that's not a realistic option in the timeframe. <S> If you are an EU/EEA citizen, and if you can show a permanent domestic relationship, it might be possible to get a family permit in EU countries other than your homeland. <S> Ask at Expatriates SE. <S> But most likely user Hanky Panky is right <S> -- just get out within the time limit. <A> I highly recommend not to overstay only to save a couple of euros. <S> If you save a huge amount of money (which I doubt) you can consider to do a city trip outside schengen area and so save those 3-4 days you need. <S> However, this will be probably more money in total. <S> Edit: <S> Relaxed is right, I somehow forgot this detail in the first part of my answer. <S> Visa extension is only possible in the way o.m. described
| Nobody is going to extend your visa just because you like to save some cash.
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How to prevent people from reading what's on my phone when I'm on public transportation with them? This is inspired by a question on IPS: I have a habit of checking my messages, call data or Stack Exchange stuff that I missed and other social media stuff while I'm traveling using public transportation. Sometimes, while I'm doing this, I'll notice that one of the passengers who are sitting beside me or standing behind me are secretly watching what I'm doing on my phone. I find this situation so uncomfortable that I may have to stop chatting with friends or close the website I'm using. How can I prevent bystanders in public transportation from staring at my mobile phone? <Q> You can get yourself a privacy screen filter : <S> It works by severely reducing the viewing angle of the screen, so that it's only readable by the user who's right in front of it. <S> For example, here 's how it looks on an iPhone. <S> That way, you can still share something on your phone with people around you when you intend to. <A> In addition to the privacy screen suggested in the other answer , there's a couple of strategies I use for this: <S> First and foremost, I wouldn't open or watch anything really private while on public transport. <S> I find that just tilting the phone a bit helps. <S> Where I take public transport, I'm often standing, so there's not really much space to move around and <S> just a slight tilt of the screen can make it really hard to read. <S> I find it works when I read something in a different language, as people will lose interest quite quickly. <S> This works very well if you are travelling or if happen to live in a country where your language is not very common. <S> Of course, if your only language is English, this will not work most of the time. <S> One aspect that I feel is important (and which has been addressed in a couple of answers on IPS) is that the person might not be doing it on purpose. <S> As I often have to stand on crammed trains, sometimes the most appropriate place to look at is somebody's screen. <S> Or I might just be staring into space. <S> As a not so serious side note, I read this article about a new software switching to the camera and showing the person puking rainbows every time somebody peeks on your phone, that should work very well if it's every a real product. <A> For all those people who don't have a privacy screen filter and do not find the "solution" to put the phone away acceptable: Choose a window seat with seats where the orientation changes. <S> The good seats are an A, the entrance is E, the bad seats are an F, explanation follows: <S> E |FA|AA|AF| <S> E <S> |FF|FF|FF| <S> Near the entrance it is very easy to see the phone from the window seat. <S> The only exception is that there is an opaque screen behind you, in this case F changes to A, the seat is ok. <S> Hold your phone so that the angle between window pane and screen is less than 45° and hold it also upright, <S> this prevents reflections and being angled prevents that your direct neighbor can see it. <S> Because the neighbor behind you sits normally with the head in the opposite direction, it would be very conspicous and rude if he tries to change his orientation on the seat to watch your screen (Exceptions are children, they are insatiably curious and often sit inverted, but in this case I normally don't mind if they are watching). <S> If you on the other hand are standing, you need a jacket. <S> Put the phone against the inside of your jacket like if you are putting your wallet in and view it by glancing downwards and sideways. <S> Disadvantage: It is a quite unnatural position, so the people who watched you see that you are hiding your phone and the people who did not watch you see only that you are hiding something in your jacket. <S> So I recommend that only if an asshole does not stop trying to watch the screen despite being noticed by you and other people.
| Unless you value privacy above anything else, I suggest you get a detachable model or a phone pocket with a privacy filter built into it. Just as you wouldn't read your credit card number out loud on the phone while in public you probably shouldn't read confidential e-mails on the train.
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How do I transport fragile items? I'm moving from one country to another every 0.5-1 year. Mostly Europe and Asia. Among all the things that I need for life, there is one thing that I have to sell and buy each time I'm moving: a good monitor. It can fit into my luggage without problem, but considering that the luggage itself is seriously damaged every 2nd-3rd flight, I think this monitor will not survive even the very first flight. And sending it by post is even more complicated than selling/buying. What can I do about it? Hopefully, soon VR will get developed enough to be able to replace monitors :) <Q> The original packaging boxes are a good place to begin; your monitor survived its journey from the factory to your house in that box. <S> (I don't bother with this for wine.) <S> It is also worth noting that under the Montréal Convention , an airline participating in an international journey is strictly liable for damage to luggage in its care up to about 1500 USD, regardless of any contractual term or waiver. <S> I won't go into the legal detail about that <S> but it provides you with a measure of insurance in the unlikely event of damage. <S> I am regularly shipping bottles of wine around in polystyrene boxes as luggage on aircraft; no damage yet. <S> Personally I would say pack your monitor as well as you can, try to protect the screen side from impact damage, and ask the airline to tag it as fragile. <S> It will probably survive > 95% of journeys. <A> The best it to have the original box. <S> This usually comes with styrofoam that fit the shape exactly of the monitor. <S> Within it the monitor is inside a large anti-static bag and I plastic wrap the box for protection in case it gets wet. <S> As thing would have it, this year I travelled twice with 2 monitors. <S> One was in its original box since still had it. <S> Nothing happened to it. <S> It was labelled on 3 sides over the plastic and 3 sides under the plastic in case it got unwrapped. <S> The airline also affixed fragile labels on 3 sides and had someone carry it to the transport rather than going on the conveyor belt. <S> It survived perfectly 4 flights this way. <S> The other monitor was an older but still high-end color-calibratable model for which I no longer had the original box. <S> That one went into a hard-shell Samsonite (other brands make them too <S> but I own four of these <S> and they outlasted newer ones I bought later) <S> suitcase. <S> The monitor was first wrapped in bubble wrap (the kind with large, roughly 1" bubbles) and then wrapped in towels. <S> Another time I had it inside a rolled yoga-mat. <S> The monitor arrived intact from all its flights. <S> Make sure the suitcase is full of softish items though and do not leave empty space as that will cause the monitor to shift and it may lose a bit of its protection. <S> Anecdotally, at one of the stopovers I was asked by customs to come watch them inspect my luggage <S> and they kept asking why I would be travelling with a monitor! <S> I had to explain them it was special and showed colors that others didn't. <A> Wrapping it massively in bubble wrap, and asking the airline to put a fragile sticker can help. <S> I carry bottles of alcohol on almost every flight, and have had zero breakage so far. <S> In close to twenty years. <S> So it's mostly down to your wrapping - and the airline of course... <A> An original box will only survive a few times. <S> They are designed to ship to the end user once and maybe for return to the manufacture. <S> The proper option is a hard case with foam inside cut to fit the monitor. <S> These cases are designed for transporting expensive and delicate equipment. <S> The are water proof and designed to survive significant abuse. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_case
| Your main concern will be about protecting the box from other items falling onto the box, which you can mitigate by storing the monitor in a hard-shell case if possible.
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Can I use a VISA debit card in the Netherlands? It seems that most debit cards issued in the Netherlands are on the Maestro network. Will places that only accept debit cards take my US-issued VISA debit card? From what I could tell, many places aren't familiar with VISA being a debit card. Edit: For anyone else wondering, it turned out that I could not use my VISA debit card at establishments where only debit cards were accepted. Only cards with a Maestro or V PAY logo were accepted. VISA debit cards do work at ATMs though, so you are able to withdraw cash and pay with that. <Q> My partner and I own a bank account in both Netherlands and UK. <S> The Dutch one has a Maestro card and the UK one has a Visa debit card. <S> We've found that the Maestro card is accepted in 99% of shops, even in traveling market stalls. <S> The Visa is accepted in maybe 50% of shops, including most supermarkets (not the Albert Heijn though!), clothing shops and nearly all restaurants. <S> The following rule of thumb has proven true for us: <S> Visa/MasterCard/AmEx are accepted at places where they regularly deal with bills of €100+. <S> We've been living in rural Zeeland for about 3 years now and have frequently traveled to bigger cities. <S> The fact that it is a debit card doesn't change a thing in my experience. <S> Get ready for people to assume <S> it's a credit card though. <S> Keep in mind that to pay in most places in Europe <S> your card should have a chip and a pin code. <A> I have a foreign visa debit card. <S> I've used it plenty of times in Amsterdam when I was there back in 2014. <S> I used it to pay for supermarkets, restaurants, parking, museums without ever being refused. <A> For the merchant, VISA debit cards are no different than normal VISA cards. <S> So if a place accepts VISA, it will accept any type of VISA. <S> If it only accepts debit cards, it won't (since - at least in most places in Europe - "debit card" does not include VISA, even if it is a VISA debit). <A> I had used Visa Gold debit card July 2017 in Amsterdam, no problem at all. <S> I paid at pharmacy, museums, cafes, super markets, bakeries and so on.. <A> We do use (and know) <S> Maestro debit (or V-Pay debit) at almost any store. <S> Visa Debit or MasterCard debit is not being used, show us your US VISA or MasterCard and they will think it's a creditcard. <S> Only in big stores or places where many tourists pay you mostly can use a creditcard. <S> My advice: always have some cash (about 50 euros) and a debit card. <S> I know that there are banks who offer V-Pay combined with a Visa Credit on the same card. <S> That is the best option i think. <S> In term of acceptance, Maestro is still the number 1 in The Netherlands to pay with, V-Pay second. <A> My current experience on Amsterdam airport is that payment with Visa Electron debit card (pin & chip & paypass) <S> didn't work with terminal, when I payed for train ticket, neither in supermarket. <S> Luckily I had enough cash with me. <A> I've just been travelling in Holland outside Amsterdam and found that Visa is often not accepted, only Mastercard or Maestro <A> I am currently staying with friends in The Hague, but have not been able to use my UK Visa debit card. <S> Supermarkets and local ATMs will not accept it. <S> This is contrary to all the opinions on the net!
| The more foreign tourists a shop gets (Amsterdam, The Hague), the more likely it seems to be accepting non-Maestro cards, with it being nearly 100% acceptance in the center of Amsterdam.
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I didn't save/download DS-160. How to retrieve my application after 30 days? I started a DS-160 application. It was saved online but not downloaded/saved on my local drive. When I try to retrieve that now, it could not find the file with the confirmation number. I realize it's been more than 30 days and I only have to upload the file and retrieve but I don't have the file to upload. I have scheduled a visa appointment on this confirmation number. So are there any alternatives to retrieve my DS-160? Any contact or email information where I can reach them? I would highly appreciate it if someone can help me on this. Thank you! <Q> There's another valid way - fill out a second DS-160. <S> There are others online with the same issue, and one called the US Embassy to check : I called the London Embassy to confirm that filling out another DS-160 wouldn't produce any problems, and they said that there is no way to retrieve an application ID and that filling out another DS-160 is the only solution. <S> They also said that it would be the same if I had made a mistake on my application and needed to fill it out again <S> and I had forgot my ID. <A> I had the same problem. <S> I spoke to the US Embassy helpline. <S> They advised that there is no problem <S> and I should fill up a new DS 160 application. <S> Thereafter Ilog-in to my US Visa application site and after logging-in click on the 'Update Profile' link and update my new DS 160 application number and click 'Save'. <S> Thereafter, on the dashboard of the same site, click on "Appointment Confirmation"... <S> you will now see the new DS-160 number updated there with same appointment date and time as has been booked by you previously. <S> It does not affect your already booked visa appointment date and time. <S> I tried it and it works perfectly. <A> If you face any issues doing it, US Embassy helpline should be able to help you out. <S> It worked for me. <A> I booked a visa appointment with my DS-160 Appointment ID before I submitted DS-160, I tried to retrieve my DS-160 and submit just 5 days before the date of my visa appointment <S> but I got <S> the same error "file isn't found with the confirmation number" as it has been 45 days since I saved the application. <S> I panicked as I might not get another appointment immediately, many people still think that they can't change DS-160 Appointment number that they used to book Visa appointment, but all you have to do is fill a new DS-160 and submit that, go to ustraveldocs.com and click on update profile, then submit your new DS-160 number there. <S> You will still have your original appointment and make sure to take a printout of your new appointment confirmation with the new DS-160 Application ID on it. <S> You have 30 days to return to a partially completed DS-160 so don't wait too long to submit your DS-160. <A> I had the same issues. <S> I didn't save to my pc hard drive and didn't login after 30 days. <S> I got the "no matching data found" when i tried to complete my form. <S> I had to create a new DS 160 application number. <S> Then i updated my profile on my account for monitoring visa appointment with the new application ID and i got an instant email for same visa interview date with the new DS application ID on the barcode.
| Basically, you will have to do a new DS-160 and update that information in your appointment page. You can call up US Embassy helpline(based on region), They will be able to help you out.
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Is it possible to buy UK train tickets for whole week? I am going to get train every day from Gatwick Airport station to Horsham as well as return ways during the week. I found a mobile application — trainline — but there is only one ticket available to be bought. Is there something like a whole-week-train-ticket? <Q> A 7-day standard class pass between Gatwick Airport and Horsham costs £32.30, which is slightly cheaper than five day returns (£8.10 each, if you need to travel in the peaks). <S> This counts as a "season ticket" and is strictly personal, so it needs to be attached to a photocard for identification. <S> If you don't have a photocard already, you may not be able to order the ticket online. <S> Bring a passport photo to the staffed ticket counter when you buy the season ticket; a photocard should then be issued free of charge . <S> Whether the time this will take you (and the cost of a photo) is worth the modest savings is for you to decide. <A> I am going to get train every day from Gatwick Airport station to Horsham as well as <S> return ways during the week. <S> The first question is whether you need to travel during peak times or not. <S> If you do (for example if you are commuting to a course that runs with a standard working day) <S> then a 7 day season ticket is likely your cheapest option. <S> If you can stick to off peak times then buying an individual ticket each day may be cheaper on some routes (turns out on this particular one the season ticket is marginally cheaper even if travelling off peak). <S> I'm not sure what the peak time rules for that particular journey are offhand. <S> Note that the peak time rules can be different for "off peak day returns" and "off peak returns". <S> Advance tickets may be cheaper still but they tie you in to a particular train and are limited in number, probablly not worth it for a journey like this. <S> May student card of non-UK country give me a discount? <S> Or my age - 24? <S> There is the 16-25 railcard which is available to anyone in that age range. <S> You should be able to buy it at any manned station with proof of age and a passport-style photo. <S> Older full time students can also get it but the process for that is more awkward and likely to be impractical for someone studying outside the UK. <S> Unfortunately there are a number of caveats that mean it is unlikely to be of use to you. <S> Railcard discounts are not available on season tickets. <S> A £12 minimum fare applies for journeys starting between 4.30am-10am Monday to Friday excluding Advance Fares. <S> This minimum fare does not apply on Public Holidays or throughout July and August. <S> The railcard itself costs £30. <S> If you are only staying for a week and not making any long distance rail journeys it is unlikely to be cost-effective. <A> When I've got to buy for odd days (e.g. it's not worth getting a season ticket just before Christmas) <S> I often buy that day and the next. <S> I'm travelling at peak times; this may not be so easy if you're travelling off-peak. <S> It also requires a staffed ticket office rather than a machine.
| One option that will save you time but not money is to buy several (dated) tickets in one transaction.
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Tipping for meals in Thailand What are the Thai tipping habits for meals? I expect that it depends on type of establishment: street stalls, budget restaurants, upscale restaurants. I've read that it's common to leave either 10% of the order or coins from the change: which one of them is correct, or are they applicable to different cases? How can I tell from observed features of establishment the amount of tips they expect from the customers? <Q> Tipping is generally not customary in Thailand. <S> For food specifically, there is no expectation to tip and most people either don't or round up the fare, leaving some of the change. <S> While I have been to plenty of nice sit-down restaurants in Thailand, I have read too that there are high end places where tips are more common and 10% is suggested <S> but none of the places I've been to fit into that category. <S> So the basic rule is don't <S> but if you are unsure due to finding yourself in a very swanky place, peek at what other customers leave. <S> Beware though that those types of places may already add a service change, in which case no need to add your own. <S> This is based on my experience but is in line with what many others suggest . <A> But a lot of the chain restaurants will have a tip jar at the cashier. <S> But occasionally if I am in a good mood, I will leave change or 10-20 baht. <S> Maybe a bit closer to 10% at a sit down restaurant if I was impressed. <S> For example, if it was like 280 baht for a meal at a sit-down restaurant, and you were satisfied with the service you might just leave the remainder in the checkbook or when the person is giving you change just hand it back to them immediately and say something like ให้ทิป (hi tip). <S> Not too many venues that I've seen will include the service charge (10% or so); that is more common in Malaysia. <S> They should never ask you for one though. <S> But it's not like Japan where they will actively refuse the tip. <S> The bill is the minimum payment required...and anything over that is "up to you". <S> Tipping is a little more common (although not required) in service industries like beauty (barber/hairstyling, private taxi, massage. <A> As @Itai said, there is indeed no tipping in restaurants, or anywhere else, really. <S> While a large chunk of Thailand is geared towards tourism, and fleecing tourists, tipping is not something that reached restaurants. <S> While people in many tourism-related industries (taxis, massage, etc) expect, sometimes even demand, a tip, they can do this on a case-by-case basis. <S> Asking for a tip in restaurants would mean that all customers, including Thais, would be submitted to it -- which wouldn't fly with the Thai customers... <S> [NB: I travel to Thailand every month for work]
| Tipping is typically not expected in a Thai restaurant.
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Submarine Cable Landing Point in Cornwall, UK A large number of transatlantic submarine cables make landfall in Widemouth Bay, near Bude in Cornwall, UK. I have some questions about visiting this site: What does a cable landing point look like? How close can you get to one? Where is the infrastructure that carries the signals further inland? Is it possible to see one online? I see just a beach when I visit Widemouth bay in Google Maps (though the GCHQ listening station nearby is obvious enough...) <Q> You won't likely see much on the beach though sometimes storms expose parts of cables, which may or may not be in use. <S> Much of the heavy communications infrastructure in Cornwall is hidden underground and in nondescript industrial buildings, bungalow-like buildings, down small roads that claim to lead to farms and such like. <S> Partly security through obscurity. <S> Also the new cable landing stations may be a few km inland with splices hidden underground. <S> There are locked manhole covers on the surface but little else that is visible. <S> Here is a (apparently) disused cable landing station with underground bunker for TAT3/TAT8 just up from Widemouth beach <S> (photo from Google Earth street view): <S> Right on Widemouth Beach, you may be able to see evidence (such as manhole covers right on the beach) of the Europe-India gateway cable & GLO1 landing near the lifeguard station. <S> The actual landing building for those cables is a couple km away, and you won't be able to get close enough to see very much: <A> I have a beach house in New Jersey near the landing points for several cables. <S> The only thing to see is a rusty sign saying DO NOT ANCHOR HERE. <S> This web site says the sign at Widemouth Bay says TELEPHONE CABLE: <S> http://www.picturetheuk.com/uk-tourism/things-to-do/widemouth-bay-telephone-cable-cornwall-4663.html You might enjoy the museum at Porthcurno, all about the early telegraph cables that landed there: http://www.porthcurno.org.uk/index.php <A> I've visited all the Cable Landing Stations in Cornwall, they are all linked up by ducts under 3 roads that run from West Penwith all the way to Bude passing Widemouth Bay. <S> Cornwall also has a few discreet Relay stations half way between Bude and West Penwith to handle the Atlantic cables. <A> Here is a photo I took of one of the cables on a Cornish beach after a storm nine years ago. <S> There is also this excellent You Tube video you can watch and <S> this media report <S> I also wrote this blog post giving a load of relevant links.
| On the beach at Widemouth there are two Post Office Manholes that have HD marked on them near the Lifeguard Hut, these are where the sea cables are spliced onto the land cables which then run up to the nearby Poultry Farm where a large Cable and Wireless Landing Station is situated.
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I will live on a boat while in the US. What's my "US street address" for the customs declaration form? I will be travelling to the US as a tourist for a few days (I have an ESTA, I'm from an EU contry). When you arrive at the border, you must fill a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form 6059B , which the flight attendants usually give out during the flight. What should I put in the box " US street address (hotel/destination) "? I will be living on a boat that will not stay in the same port. edit: a private boat, not commercial <Q> For APIS data, CBP says the following : Transit to a cruise ship: CBP will accept, "transit to Cruise Line and Vessel/Cruise Name" in the address field. <S> The city of cruise embarkation should be included. <S> Example: <S> Street Address: Transit to MV Princess of the Seas City: <S> Miami State: <S> FL ZIP Code: 99999 <S> Presumably the same information is appropriate for the customs form. <S> If the boat you will be staying on is not a commercial vessel, I would still supply its name and, as specifically as you are able, the place where you will embark. <A> When I traveled in the USA (a few years back) <S> I did not have more than the first night booked, when I talked about that with the immigration officer <S> he said I was right in putting in that first address, as that is what they needed. <S> When asked about it, you can explain the boat will be on the move and have the itinerary in your hand luggage, in case they want more addresses. <A> I actually asked an immigrations officer about this about 15 years ago (before ESTA, you filled out the same questions on a paper form on the arriving flight) as I was going to stay in 3-4 different locations during my stay in the US, and the answer was simply: Pick one, preferably one with either a resident or a hotel/motel. <S> I've done that ever since. <S> Nobody I've used has ever been contacted by INS or similar either so it's probably just for reference - in case it's needed.
| So I would say that the name of the boat and the address where you get on should do for you.
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I lost my passport. Can I use my ID or my driver's licence to fly from USA to Mexico? I was checking everything because tomorrow I have to fly to Mexico at 2:00 PM and I have to be at the airport by 11:00 AM, but I didn't find my passport. Can I use my ID or my licence? I'm an American citizen flying from Chicago O'Hare. <Q> You definitively need your passport or an adequate emergency travel document. <S> Not only will Mexico not accept your ID card or driver's license <S> but more importantly , since about a decade already, you are required to present a passport to return when arriving by air. <S> So, unless you want to stay in Mexico for, uh... a longer time, not taking your passport is hardly an option. <S> The airline will refuse to let you board on your flight back (if they ever let you board on the flight to Mexico, which I doubt). <S> But even if they do let you board, you won't make it past the immigrations officer. <S> Sure, you will eventually make it back, but that'll be a lot of needless trouble. <A> According to Timatic (I used the Sky Team interface), the following applies: <S> Please check the document details have been entered correctly. <S> And: Document of Identity issued by United States of America to a national of United States of America is not listed as an accepted document by Mexico. <S> Please check the document details have been entered correctly. <S> And: <S> Official Photo Identification issued by United States of America to a national of United States of America is not listed as an accepted document by Mexico. <S> Please check the document details have been entered correctly. <A> I should note that every US airport I've been to in the last few years (where the airplane is departing for another country) has people showing their passport to board the aircraft (might vary by airline but unlikely). <S> This doesn't qualify as a life or death emergency , but calling your local bureau and explaining the situation might yield you some sort of option that would still allow you to travel.
| They probably won't even let you on the plane in O'Hare without the passport. Driving License issued by United States of America to a national of United States of America is not listed as an accepted document by Mexico.
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Aruba says tourists are not allowed to work there. How strictly should I interpret this? I'm planning a trip to Aruba and so I was checking out the passport requirements. I found them here . Near the top, it says, "During their stay in Aruba tourists are not allowed to work " (emphasis theirs) Does this mean that I can't so much as check my work email? And if so, when I tell my employer about my travel plans, should I mention that if they ask me to do any remote work while I'm there, they'll be asking me to violate the law? I want to use this as an excuse to "turn off" while I'm there. EDIT: Part of the reason I'm asking is because of some forum posts I've found where there isn't a consensus about this being allowed. As for my employer asking me to work remotely, for my job that just means being available in case anything goes wrong and answering emails if anyone needs an answer urgently. EDIT 2: I'm a US citizen. <Q> There are two issues here: "not allowed to work" <S> This refers (normally) to taking [illegal] employment in-country on a tourist visa. <S> And thus avoiding the whole employment visa process, and paying taxes. <S> FYI, here's how Aruba defines work . <S> Generally speaking, Immigration doesn't care about you checking your work email. <S> They're usually more concerned about illegal work and immigration. <S> "an excuse to turn off while I'm there" <S> You don't need an excuse. <S> You're on vacation. <S> Depending on where you're from, pestering you to check your emails and do some work could be a (serious) violation of your country's laws. <S> Using <S> I want to use this as an excuse to "turn off" while I'm there. <S> is beyond ridiculous. <S> Your manager would probably laugh at you so hard your ears would ring even after your vacation is over. <S> Don't. <S> If you need an excuse to not answer emails, you need to find another job. <A> The link you cited states the following: <S> Persons who are considered a tourist are those who travel to Aruba for one of the following purposes: vacation and relaxation, sport, health reasons, family matters, study, religious purposes or a business visit. <S> During their stay in Aruba tourists are not allowed to work. <S> So, the "not allowed to work" part definitely isn't excluding working remotely for your normal (foreign) job while briefly visiting Aruba, even if you're actually conducting business meetings with clients or vendors in Aruba. <S> Odds are your employer knows this, as it's the same in almost every country, so I wouldn't recommend attempting to use that as an excuse to your boss. <S> The "not allowed to work" part in most countries means that you can't get a job working for someone in that country or start a business in that country, etc. <S> while you're there. <S> This is aimed primarily at illegal immigrants circumventing the normal work visa requirements and taxes. <S> While the technical legal definitions often don't define this carve-out well, in reality, even if they do know, no one is going to care that you answered some work e-mails or even did some design work in the evenings during your visit. <S> As long as you can truthfully tell the immigration officer that the purpose of your visit is tourism/vacation, you're good and there's normally no reason to even mention checking e-mails or similar to them. <A> De jure <S> there are dozens of complex laws and regulations regarding remote employment, under which you may or may not need a special visa in order to work in a given country. <S> Tax laws are an additional complication, where countries such as the UK can deem you as a tax resident for spending as little as 16 days on British soil. <S> De facto , as long as you don't mention your remote job to immigration personnel at the airport, there's a 99.99% chance no one will ever find out. <S> There are millions of people breaking the law by being employed at on-site jobs in any given country, so remote workers who travel for short periods of time are a pretty low priority for law enforcement.
| If you want to turn off while on vacation, leave your work phone and laptop at home.
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GlobalEntry / TSA Pre never works at Columbus International Airport. Why? I applied for and received a Global Entry identification card about a year ago. Along with Global Entry, the card is also eligible for TSA Pre. On every occasion, when departing from Columbus International Airport (CMH) I've gone into the TSA Pre line only to be told I can't use the card and have to go to the back of the standard security line. The card has worked fine when entering through Global Entry. As well as the TSA Pre lines at other airports. I've never received a satisfactory answer as to why I can't enter through TSA Pre at CMH. The most I've been told is it has something to do with my airline ticket and not being pre-approved. Thankfully, the delay in switching to the standard security line has never caused any missed flights or other issues, but I'd still like to know why my identification isn't allowed. Any ideas? <Q> Your boarding pass, and only your boarding pass, indicates whether you have access to TSA Pre for your current flight. <S> First, you have to be flying on an airline that participates in the program. <S> See <S> TSA Pre✓ <S> ® Participating Airlines . <S> Second, you have to give the airline a valid Known Traveler Number. <S> For you, that will be your Global Entry number. <S> Third, you have to not be too unlucky. <S> Pre-check authorization is never guaranteed. <S> However, I have always got it when flying on a participating airline that has my Global Entry number. <S> If all the conditions are met, your boarding pass will be marked as having TSA Pre, and you can use the Pre-check line. <A> Patricia's answer is completely correct. <S> Just having Global Entry or even directly registering for PreCheck itself isn't sufficient to get the benefit. <S> You must actually have your Known Traveler Number or Global Entry number on your airline reservation. <S> The question <S> How does one inform airlines of one's KTN, if the KTN was issued after a booking had been made? <S> covers how to add your KTN to reservations that you have already booked. <S> Additionally, most airlines allow you to add your KTN to your frequent flier account with that airline so that it will automatically be added to future reservations you make with that airline. <S> For airlines where you don't have an account, you'll need to add your KTN manually for new reservations. <A> Have you done this? <S> It's called your "Known Traveler Number" on most airline websites. <S> Without this, you won't automatically get TSA Pre benefits. <S> Incidentally, GlobalEntry is primarily about getting expedited customs and immigration treatment when you re-enter the United States from other countries. <S> TSA Pre is a bonus benefit that was added later.
| You need to register your trusted traveler ID number with your airline flight booking.
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Walking away from my connecting flight on a domestic [US] return journey. What are the consequences? Onward trip: PIT -> PHX -> SLC (AA)Return trip: SLC -> JFK/NYC -> PIT. (Delta)Can I just skip my NYC to PIT flight as I plan to be in NYC for the holidays? I don't care about being refunded for that component of the journey. No checked-in luggage. How would TSA/Airlines react? Also I am staying in the USA on a student visa (unaware how that impacts this case, but my ID proof for TSA is always my passport). <Q> If you did this a lot, it's possible an airline might ban you from flying it, as this is called hidden city ticketing - fares are based on city pairs, not routes, so it's possible e.g. to fly NRT-YVR-SEA <S> (Tokyo Narita-Vancouver-Seattle/Tacoma) for less money than NRT-YVR. <S> Do it occasionally? <S> Probably not a problem. <S> Do it regularly? <S> You may be invited to fly on another airline permanently. <S> You mention having no checked bags, but for the benefit of others, checked bags will go to the final destination. <S> Another warning point: if your flight gets cancelled or rescheduled, you may not end up passing through the city you want, as you booked passage from A to C, even though you bought A-B-C. <S> The airline could fly you A-C directly, or A-D-C. (In my example above, you could get rebooked <S> NRT-YYZ-SEA - Narita-Toronto Pearson-Seattle/Tacoma - and the airline would be within its rights.) <A> Most terms of carriage state some variation of the theme: <S> If any portion of the ticket or leg of a flight is not used, any subsequent legs will automatically become invalid. <S> Furthermore, any checked luggage will usually be tagged for the final destination. <S> (However, you can even get around this if you ask check-in staff nicely <S> and they have a good day.) <S> However, you only propose skipping the very last leg of your return trip. <S> As long as the airline doesn’t think you are using that excessively to get around its pricing schemes (cf ‘hidden city ticketing’), nobody will stop you and you will likely face no consequences. <S> Your final leg will be recorded as no-show. <S> Since you do not have any checked luggage, that makes it all much simpler for the airline staff; they will wait maybe a minute of courtesy before declaring you didn’t show up. <S> People do that all the time and airlines have complicated schemes of overbooking flights to a certain percentage because they know a certain number of people will not show up. <S> Other answers have mentioned that there may be repercussions if you do that too often and too regularly with the same airline. <S> I have no reason to disbelieve the general validity of that statement. <S> I do want to point out that you will have to do it a lot and very obnoxiously for them to actually decide that they care. <S> TSA has nothing to do with the entire process; it is all between the airline and you. <A> That said, you could probably get away with it once.
| This is not allowed and could lead to you losing your frequent flier miles or being banned from flying that airline.
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Can I apply for a US visa in Myanmar as an Indian citizen? I am a Indian passport holder. I am in Myanmar (Burma). Can I get a visa for the USA from here? <Q> You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate, but be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence. <S> So the answer is <S> yes , you may apply for a visa. <S> However be aware that unless you are resident in Myanmar it could be difficult for the US consulate there to assess your personal situation and therefore a rejection becomes much more likely. <S> I'd advise you to either become a local resident before applying or to apply when back in India. <S> I would add that applying for a visa here in Prague I wasn't even asked to prove I'm a local resident. <S> My work contract and my bank statement was all they've needed, however this was at one of the least busy US consulates in the world and my passport is from a country that is a VWP candidate. <S> Applying at the Yangon consulate as a non-resident with little local ties could be a dangerous proposition. <S> In addition the US Consulate in Myanmar states that : All nonimmigrant visa applicants must show strong community, family, professional, and economic ties to Burma. <S> This shows that by default , they expect you to be a local. <S> P.S. <S> There are situations where a particular US consulate routinely receives a lot of applications from neighboring countries because it's the closest consulate to where they live. <S> In this case the consular employees would not be surprised to see documents from a third country and the above wouldn't apply. <A> US visa officers are mostly trained to deal with documents issued in the country where the embassy is located, so they may well not be familiar enough with Indian documents to be able to determine whether you have sufficient ties there and can safely be issued a visa. <S> So again, you can do it, but it's not recommended if you don't live in Burma. <A> I once asked the same question from an American consulate, and the answer I got was (paraphrasing): <S> You can apply anywhere, but applying in a different country than where you live may affect your chances of success. <S> I am sorry, I am not allowed to tell you more. <S> @JonathanReez's answer basically says the same. <S> I wrote this answer to point out something else: When I was given this answer, I found it very frustrating because of a cultural disconnect between how paperwork is done in many European countries vs the US. <S> I was used to relatively clear requirements: bring documents A, B, C and a notarized translation of D and you're good. <S> (In practice: "You should've brought E too, in triplicate, and C doesn't have a stamp, so come back tomorrow".) <S> The American way of doing things is very different. <S> There are not going to be very clear rules. <S> You "just" need to convince the visa officer that you won't break the terms of the visa. <S> There is no clear set of requirements to satisfy to <S> guarantee success, and you can never be certain about how exactly they will make their decision. <S> There is no rule such as "you can apply in country X if you present a residence permit for said country". <S> Most of the responsibility stays with you, and if you are uncertain about how to fill out a form, or what documents to prepare, you won't get any help. <S> Consulate workers are not allowed to give you information that would create the appearance that they are helping you succeed with your application. <S> You will simply need to make your own judgement about whether the visa officer will find your reason for applying in Myanmar acceptable.
| According to the US State Department : You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You can apply for a visa in Burma, but at the visa interview, officers will want proof of ties to your country of residence, and if you don't live in Burma, you won't have Burmese documents proving ties.
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How widespread is credit card acceptance in Iran? I have a business trip to Tabriz, Iran, and wanted to know if it was possible to pay my hotel and domestic flights by credit card or if I should also get cash to cover my hotel and flight expenses. Do you recommend exchanging currency at the airport? <Q> I highly doubt it. <S> To answer your second question, I recommend to exchange currency in the city, there are lots of currency exchange shops in the city that offer lower commissions. <A> Beside the facts Gigili pointed out in their answer you can also find some websites that allow you to pay online for your hotel reservation, e.g. pintapin ; but anyway, you should always carry a big load of cash with you in Iran if you don't have a local debit card! <A> you get a MahCard instead of carrying cash around. <S> Mahcard is a travel debit card for tourists in Iran. <S> for more information look at https://www.mahcard.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/themahcard/
| So i think you better have cash to cover your hotel/flight expenses. International credit cards can't be used in Iran and Iranian credit cards can't also be used outside the country.
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Are there any luggage storage facilities in Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai)? Are there any luggage storage facilities in Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai)? If so, how long can one store items for? <Q> They charge per block of 3 hours and then per day up to 30 days, although the rate changes after a week. <S> Count below $4 per day, you pay in VNDs though. <S> Your luggage must be locked, does not matter if it has zippers or not but they want to see a lock or they will refuse to store it. <S> It is not written anywhere but that is what I was told by the attendant this year. <S> It seemed like a secure place with a guard 24 hours/day. <A> (from 2016) yes, there was one in Terminal 2. <S> I think it is on Level 2, but unsure. <S> Open 24 hours. <S> Usual advice of "do not store anything valuable there" applies doubly there. <S> This includes things you wouldn't normally consider valuable, such as iPhone charging cable. <A> We got a lot of luggage and had to wait until check-in time. <S> I stored 4 hours and just costed me about 3$ for my bag. <S> For me the price is reasonable and the service is professional. <S> You can find more information about the address, and price on internet. <S> Its store is in 49 trang tien.
| There is a facility on Terminal 2 on the upper floor (as already mentioned in the other answer). I used WhaleLO luggage storage last month when I came to Hanoi city with my family.
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Do I need tickets for the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Las Vegas? Do we need to buy tickets to visit this place? Can those who are not staying at Bellagio visit this place? <Q> The display is free, open 24-hours in-season, and accessible to whoever has access to the hotel lobby, i.e. the public. <A> I've walked into it several times. <S> There's no form of admission control. <S> You do not have to be a guest there-- <S> we are locals, we have never stayed in the Bellagio. <S> (Just to keep this current: Sep 2018, still no access control.) <A> I think that everyone passing in Bellagio can visit the garden. <S> It will be the first example of a town requiring a stay in order to visit an attraction. <S> You can book a room in another village, town or even country (Switzerland is not that far). <S> For tickets more info at https://g.co/kgs/xBXhQn Edit <S> : this is valid for the original question ~that did not mention Las Vegas~. <S> I am aware <S> is of little value now as for info about tickets, opening time and <S> so on can be easily found in internet without asking SE travel. <S> And this independent of being the Tour Eiffel the original or a copy.
| There are no restrictions posted on the website , and the entry on the Las Vegas tourism site, Vegas.com, similarly notes no restrictions and that no reservations required.
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Mobile boarding for Ryanair for non-EU citizens? I am traveling back to Italy tomorrow but I forgot to print the boarding pass (I do have the PDF on my phone). I wanted to confirm whether I really needed to print it before going to the airport and that I cannot just use my phone. I have seen the other questions related to this but they seem to be very old. <Q> Based on my personal experience: you cannot use pdf on your phone. <S> But if you checked-in, chances are good that Ryanair won't charge you for printing your boarding pass. <S> But don't do it at check-in counter, go to the Ryanair information counter. <S> Another option <S> : you can try to print your boarding pass in a copy-shop at the airport if there are any. <A> I printed the boarding pass to be safe but still used the pdf on my phone to pass through all of the checkpoints. <S> It does say that on Ryanair's website but at the airport in Budapest (to Milan, Italy), there was no need to show them the printed pass. <A> I wouldn't trust them with a 10 foot pole. <S> I have the boarding pass on my Ryanair mobile app, but I am an American citizen with residency in Spain and have a residency card which may not be enough for money grubbing Ryanair which threatens to charge 55 Euros or 55 pounds (around the price of my round trip!) <S> to print out a boarding pass (much more than the much hated Spirit Airlines in the States). <S> I am printing off the boarding pass but will try the mobile app first and see what happens. <S> This really sux because who has a printer nowadays? <S> Everyone does everything with their mobile. <S> If this airline were not so freaking cheap and did not go where I want to go, l would be willing to pay more and not be subject to their numerous indignities. <A> Ryanair will not accept a PDF of your boarding pass on a phone, and are notorious for charging a lot of money for printing boarding passes at the airport. <S> The link takes you to a page where you can select Apple, or Android/Google Play to download.
| However even if you have already printed a boarding pass you can still use Ryanair's new mobile boarding pass app .
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Hotels in Las Vegas near Caesar's Palace that accept 18 year olds I plan on staying in Las Vegas for a conference in August. I'm planning this early because there are going to be some problems when it comes to age restrictions and I want to make sure everything is ready when the time comes. I'm 16 years old at this time but will be 17 by August. My friend is 17 at this time, and he will be 18 by August. I was wondering what hotel is closest to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas that allows reservations and check-in to be done by an 18 year-old. Unfortunately, it seems like Caesar's Palace has a minimum age of 21. <Q> You will find it difficult to reserve a hotel room in Las Vegas if you are 18–21, and it is next to impossible to reserve a room in your own name if you are under 18 anywhere in the U.S. <S> Vegas.com , the site operated by the tourism bureau, is not comprehensive, but includes minimum age requirements and seems to be reasonably reliable. <S> The only hotel it lists on the Strip renting to 18+ is the Travelodge Center Strip, and the only off-Strip hotel is the Westgate, which is a distance away near the Convention Center. <S> The policies page for Hilton Grand Vacations suggests that they are another option. <S> Note that policies are always subject to change, so these properties may no longer be options come August, whereas others might be. <S> You may have additional options if you are willing to stay downtown or in other parts of the city, although public transportation is costly (the SDX bus is $6 for a single ride or $8 for a daily pass). <S> The only other listing of hotels <S> I was able to find was at booking site LasVegasHotel.com , but this list is not reliable, as it lists examples which the official site states are 21+ <S> (e.g. Skylofts at MGM Grand) and moreover lists the Riviera, which was demolished almost three years ago. <S> There are alternatives to hotels, of course. <S> Wherever you choose to stay, and regardless of where you make your reservation, I would call in advance and confirm that they will in fact accept reservations from people under 21. <S> When you check in, the staff will ask for identification, and you do not want to be caught out if they accepted the online reservation in error. <A> The Westin Las Vegas is a half mile east down Flamingo Road from the strip, just behind the Flamingo Hotel. <S> Thier hotel policy page on their website explicitly states: <S> Age Requirement Policy <S> Guests must be 18 years or older with photo identification to reserve a guest room. <S> Guests younger 18 must be accompanied by an adult. <S> A valid, government-issued ID is required as proof of age. <S> Given the large hotel casino resorts bordering Ceasar's Palace <A> This is completely anecdotal, and outdated (over a decade ago), but here goes. <S> When I was 17, my friends and I took a road trip to Vegas. <S> I had a debit card (Visa) which we thought would be enough, but we kept getting ID checked and turned away. <S> We made our way down the strip and started getting to the seedier places. <S> Finally, we just asked each place we went to, "do you check IDs?". <S> Finally, the Algiers Hotel front desk man said no, and we were able to enjoy a very disappointing weekend in Las Vegas.
| , I believe the Westin is the closest hotel which meets your requirements. Las Vegas has several hostels, and you could also attempt to make a reservation on a service like AirBnB, where the minimum age is 18. In general, I have found any hotel which also operates a casino on their property requires a minimum check-in age of 21 years.
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Italian credit card not accepted in the Netherlands? I spent a couple of weeks in the Netherlands recently, and I was surprised that my Italian bank-issued MasterCard credit card was not accepted in a lot of venues. It was almost a 50%-50% chance of being accepted by the POS terminal. This is a chip & pin card with an RFID tag too, and when it worked it also worked by simply touching it on the POS, so I assume it's up to technical standards. On the other hand the Maestro debit/ATM card issued by the same bank worked effortlessly everywhere (it did not have an RFID tag so I always had to insert it and type the PIN code). Now, I'm a bit amazed. It's almost 2018, some years ago the EU went through the SEPA harmonization process. The EU payment service directive 1.0 has been in place for several years, and I would assume that credit card liability rules between merchants, banks and customers would be the same all over the EU, and there was reciprocal acceptance. Instead, it looks like merchants (or banks too?) can "discriminate" credit cards by national origin. Is this all regular? <Q> Many places in the Netherlands only accept debit cards as they usually incur lower merchant fees than credit cards. <S> Using credit cards isn't as popular in the Netherlands as it is in other countries. <A> Dutch person here. <S> I can confirm that creditcards are rarely accepted. <S> Mostly because of the fees for businesses en we use our debit cards the most (Maestro). <S> This is called "PIN" and is very easy to accept and lower fees. <S> Some places still need cash <S> but i can not even remember when i had to withdraw some cash from an ATM :-) <S> Big department stores (like C&A or De Bijenkorf) or tourist areas in/around Amsterdam will accept creditcards (Visa and MasterCard, sometime AMEX).If <S> you want some more info, let me know! <A> I doubt that this is national discrimination. <S> Perhaps there is an issue with the "chip" on it. <S> I'd suggest calling your credit card issuer, explaining your problem, and asking if replacing the card might make sense, or if they're aware of any other difficulty that could be causing you problems. <S> If it's larger charges that don't work, and smaller ones that do, perhaps it's an issue of the charges being declined because of your traveling. <S> Ensuring your issuer is aware of your travel will maximize the chances of the charges succeeding, and reduce any suspicion that your card is being used fraudulently by someone else.
| More likely, it's some sort of glitch with your card.
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Can I drive from Belgium to Sweden without a valid Schengen visa? I promised my girlfriend to take her to see the Northern Lights. We live in Belgium and because of the visa application, she cannot leave the country for 6 months... We already drove to France, Germany, and The Netherlands and as expected, there was no visa check, so it went without problems. However I never drove to Denmark or Sweden, so I don't know if things are different there. I know there are some bridge crossings and I worry it has some kind of border control. Does anyone know anything about this? <Q> I know this isn't exactly what you're asking, but the optimal solution is to receive a temporary Schengen visa from the Belgian authorities that would allow her to travel within the Schengen area without worrying about spot checks. <S> AFAIK all Schengen countries can issue one for the duration of the residency permit processing period, as they don't want people stuck in the country for an indefinite amount of time. <S> For example, Czech authorities call this visa sticker a " Bridging label ". <S> I have asked a separate question here on how to obtain such a visa sticker from the Belgian authorities. <A> Sweden suspended Schengen automatic freedom of movement between Denmark and Sweden in January 2016, and then partially lifted that suspension in May 2017. <S> However, they still require ID and proof of eligibility to enter Sweden , which is established on arrival at the Swedish side of the border (previous restrictions required checks before travellers left Denmark). <S> These checks were prolonged in November 2017 . <S> I wouldn't risk it. <A> As for Sweden, they stop almost all buses at the Öresund bridge, and perform checks on selected cars (though most are waved through). <S> The best bet would be to either: take the Helsingör-Helsingborg ferry or a ferry from Travemünde or Sassnitz to Trelleborg. <S> At the ports of Helsingborg and Trelleborg, few cars are stopped. <S> ( safest ) <S> There won't be any border checks, and at the gate the boarding pass is normally enough, or sometimes they may look at the passport ID page to identify you as the ticket holder <A> When I crossed the bridge from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Malmo (Sweden) on my car with Russian number plates in 2015, I was stopped at the Swedish side and we had to show our passports, tell the officer our purpose of the visit, plans for the trip, etc. <S> So the border checks are definitely real. <S> Probably if your number plates are from one of neighboring countries, you have much less chance to be stopped, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
| Denmark has spot checks at its land border and ports, but these are quite rare (although as mentioned in a comment, they are reportedly becoming more frequent). Fly on a non-low-cost airline to Sweden (such as Brussels airlines to Bromma), and with only hand luggage.
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Is "departure time" when the plane leaves the gate or when it takes off? Is "departure time" when the plane leaves the gate or when it takes off? Seems like every single flight I take is delayed, but I can't tell how badly. If I have a flight that has a "departure time" of 5:20 PM, for example, and it leaves the gate at 6:30 and takes off at 6:50, is that a 1 hour and 10 minute delay or a 1 hour and 30 minute delay? <Q> For most major airlines, this is actually recorded automatically - the moment the brake is released the 'departure' time is recorded, and the moment it is re-applied at the destination the 'arrival' time is recorded. <S> On departure the parking brake is only released once the entire plane is boarded, the jetbridge/stairs have been removed, and the plane is ready to actually start taxiing (although in practice it might not actually taxi at that time due to any number of factors including other planes blocking it). <S> On arrival, the parking brake is set only after the plane has arrived at the gate, and before the seat-belt sign is extinguished and the jetbridge/stairs are bought to the plane, and before the door is opened. <S> In some cases a slightly different definition is used. <S> For example the European Union "EU261" compensation uses the time that the aircraft door is opened as the arrival time. <S> So in the example given, the flight is at most 1 hour and 10 minutes delayed - although it could be less if the plane was ready to taxi before it actually started doing so. <S> What is generally seen as far more important is the arrival delay, which will frequently be significantly less than the departure delay. <A> There are a few times (depending on who is measuring it): <S> The block time (airlines measure this) <S> - this starts and ends when the plane starts and stops moving. <S> The flight dispatcher (staff responsible for the flights departure) is the one that actually clears the plane to move. <S> Once the parking brake is released by the cockpit, there are certain timers that start automatically in the to record the flight. <S> The departure slot - this is the time slot given to flight from the tower. <S> There are many airlines given the same departure slot ; and they must start moving within a certain time limit of this slot, otherwise they are pushed back into the scheduling queue. <S> The departure time - this is the time, after which, the airplane cannot be boarded. <S> It is considered secured for takeoff. <S> All ground people are removed, the doors are closed and armed. <S> However as a passenger (unless you pay attention to the announcements) you may not know when this happens. <S> Sometimes the flight senior will announce this, sometimes the pilot will announce this. <S> Now as far as passengers are concerned, you are really only worried about the departure time because all other times of concern are calculated based on this time. <S> It is what determines when the check-in opens. <S> It is what determines when the gate closes. <S> Delays from this time determine any compensation you may be owed. <S> have consequences for the entire schedule; pilots and the airline's operation centers always try to "make up" any lost time here in the air (by flying faster or higher, or by changing the routing). <S> If your departure is delayed by a margin that cannot be compensated for, this can have serious impacts across the entire schedule of that airline and indeed across many other airports. <S> Scheduling and on-time performance is one of the many factors that determine the cost for servicing a route. <S> A delay is always avoided; however an early departure can also be problematic (you may not make a specific landing slot on time, or your arrival gate may not be available to you causing you to park on the apron or a longer taxi, etc. <S> etc.) <A> Departure Time is when the flight is scheduled to leave the gate. <S> Most importantly (to you), it's when the gate is closed and (normally) passengers may no longer board. <S> You might sit at the gate for a while before you're cleared for pushback, depending on traffic (and other factors). <S> In your example (flight is scheduled for 05:20, actual pushback at 06:30, takeoff at 06:50), that flight would be delayed by 1h 10m. <S> Note that it might be moved up in the queue for takeoff, so the delayed arrival time might be less than 1h 10m. <S> But there are many variables. <A> Not directly an answer to your question, but when you speak about flight delays, the departure time is not what actually matters. <S> What matters is the arrival time . <S> And at least in the EU, that has a definite, legal answer: <S> The plane counts as arrived when the doors open. <S> I see some answers and comments here that get this part wrong, which I why I'm posting this answer. <S> Maybe the US is different, though. <S> Source: <S> https://www.bottonline.co.uk/flight-delay-compensation/claim-guides/definition-of-arrival-time <A> 1:10, <S> but that's not the end of the tale. <S> Airplanes can make up time and post an improved arrival time ... <S> but not so likely in your case . <S> Regardless, it's not over til it's over. <S> I have seen airlines intentionally pad the schedule: <S> an uneventful on-time departure usually results in an early arrival IME, and even a slightly late departure can result in an on-time arrival. <S> That is one advantage of air flights, which are scheduled by segment; trains can't pad except at the final destination - and they can't leave a station earlier than carded. <S> A late departure may be for connecting passengers whose plane is itself late, and for whom the alternative would be an overnight stay, ruined plans, and great expense and trouble for the airline too. <S> Now if you want to know more about the flight aspects of this, you could re-ask this question over on aviation stack exchange.
| In general, the departure and arrival time are considered the time that the parking brake on the plane is released and applied respectively. In general, the exact length of a delay on departure is not all that relevant.
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How does one get and where does one apply for a passport from another country? How does one get and where does one apply for a passport from another country? My country's passport doesn't give much visa-free entry. I heard getting a passport from another country open doors to travellers. <Q> If you are already a citizen of a different country (which can sometimes be the case even without your knowledge, but still has to be claimed to benefit from being one), you should be able to find some information on the legal procedures to follow online. <S> Most commonly in such cases, you will have to deal with a consulate of that country in your area. <S> If you are not a citizen of any other country, you're mostly out of luck. <S> Every country has its own citizenship laws, and there's no universal recipe to the simpliest way to acquire a second citizenship, it depends on your personal situation. <S> However, if you happen to be rich, you might consider legally purchasing citizenship from such places as St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Vanuatu (again, you can find more of these places and more info about them on the internet). <S> The pricing commonly starts around $120,000 and can go all the way up to $1,000,000 and above. <S> As you may have noticed, all (or most, if speaking generally) of these places are islands, quite a few of which have struggled through devastating events such as hurricanes. <S> This is why these islands are selling citizenship, this is their way of rebuilding their economies. <A> You normally need to be a citizen of a country to get a passport. <S> To do that you would, in most cases, have to live in the country for some time first before you can qualify to become a citizen. <A> As others have said, you first have to be a citizen of the country whose passport you wish to have. <S> Citizenship can be acquired by <S> By Birth (Jus soli) - by soil. <S> This is given who babies who are born in the country. <S> Some countries allow unrestricted Jus soli , some insist that atleast one of the parents are legally resident at the time, some don't allow it at all. <S> By Birth (Jus sanguinis) - <S> by decent. <S> This is given to a baby, because their parent(s), or an ancestor, had that citizenship. <S> Some countries allow unrestricted Jus sanguinis , some require each generation be registered before the next one's birth, some don't allow it at all. <S> By naturalization. <S> Most counties will confer citizenship on a foreigner of good standing who has been legally resident (and working) in that country for the previous 5-10 years. <S> The period is sometimes reduced if the person is married to a citizen. <S> By investment. <S> Some (mainly smaller or poor countries) allow persons to invest a sizeable amount of money to the country, and in return they will be given citizenship. <S> If you are interested in gaining a second citizenship, then you should check the citizenship(s) and birth-places of you, your parents, and your grandparents. <S> Some countries do allow this to go further back, including Germany (anyone whose ancestors were expelled by the Nazis), Italy (anyone who has an ancestor in the male line born in Italy since the formation of Italy in 1861), Spain (anyone who can prove that an ancestor was expelled from Iberia due to the Moorish invasion of 756-768). <S> There are others, but you'll need to research your family tree, and then check each countries citizenship laws. <S> Also, some countries allow Jus soli and Jus sanguinis to be granted to persons (or ancestors) who weren't born in that country, but in region that that country holds a territorial claim to. <S> For example, Ireland treats Northern Ireland (part of the UK), as part of Ireland for citizenship reasons. <S> There can be consequences of gaining second citizenship, especially if the country has compulsory military service - you should check that before applying. <A> @user4551's answer covers most of it, but there are a few countries (Italy, Ireland, and Lithuania come to mind) where you can claim citizenship and hence get a passport if your grandparents or parents (and sometime great-grandparents) were citizens of that country. <S> A Google search should help you find out if there are any other countries like that, but here's one example for Italy: Italian Consulate of San Francisco .
| To acquire a passport from another country, you need to be a citizen of that country.
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How should I expect a non-gender-conforming woman to be received in India? I'm going to be traveling in India for the first time alone in the near future and I'm excited to explore, but I've also seen a few questions here / articles suggesting that women should be somewhat cautious while doing so. Some of the advice people give is to dress modestly, but most of it doesn't apply to how I usually present - I have very short hair and dress in somewhat masculine clothing at home. Would kicking that up a notch while I travel be more likely to get people to leave me alone, or make them more hostile because it's odd? If it's relevant, I'll be mostly in Hyderabad, but I'm hoping to take a few days' trip to somewhere nearby. <Q> As an obvious non-Indian, you will stick out either way, and however you dress, will stick out too. <S> Otherwise, they typically consider all western habits different (or even strange, depending on how far off the beaten path you go), and probably will not even realize that you are not fitting any western norm perfectly (and if they do, they wouldn’t ever mention it). <S> I am travelling there often with female colleagues who wear pants and have short hair, and I didn’t have the impression that anybody ever even realized. <S> It can be dangerous to dress as a woman in shorts, deep-cut blouses, or other wear that a rather conservative dressing community would consider ‘sexually attractive’; again, that depends on where you go. <S> In typical business environments, nothing would happen. <S> Common courtesy and sense should dictate to not do that, similar as you would not walk in a church in the US in a bikini <S> - it’s not illegal, but it’s asking for trouble. <S> I don’t think you need to be afraid of anything related to your outfits. <A> For posterity, during the trip I only received maybe 1 catcall in 2 weeks, though I can't say for sure whether that had anything to do with how I dressed. <S> Also people were certainly right that visibly foreign people stand out no matter how they dress. <S> However, I don't think the prior answers fully captured the other part of my question about how a gender-non-conforming woman would be received. <S> No one was was actively hostile, but in Delhi and Hyderabad most buildings have security checkpoints that are split between men and women. <S> You will almost always get a pat-down at them by a guard of the gender you present. <S> People tried to send me to the men's line or questioned why I was in the women's line at all of them, and often got flustered or frustrated when they realized their mistake. <S> People also frequently try to hail you over to shops or tuktuks or what have you by gender ('hi sir/ma'am'), and this can lead to some awkward interactions once your gender is clarified. <S> It wasn't enough stress that I'd recommend anyone changing how they dress if it's important to them, but if your primary goal is to not get a lot of attention, dressing more boyishly is probably not the way to go about it. <A> India and especially Hyderabad is a conservative city, but you will find an interesting mix of modern and positively ancient in most cities. <S> However, dressing boyishly will not really raise hackles or draw undue attention which I think is the core of your question. <S> Otherwise for the most part no one will be critical of your clothing choice. <S> People are generally welcoming and will go out of their way to be nice and helpful. <S> Most places, even far flung areas are used to seeing tourists, so no issues there. <S> The articles on women safety that you refer to are useful and should be kept in mind. <S> Generally try to have company with you or if you are travelling solo then try to be in safe places. <S> There are many places where you can be by yourself and be safe at all times. <S> E.g. Auroville near Pondicherry is one such place.
| I never felt unsafe, but many people I hung out with while here asked why my hair was short, why I dressed the way I did, or generally expressed some discomfort with my gender presentation. Generally, people are very friendly and embrace visitors, they are curious, and very nice and indirect with critique.
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Is there an inflatable pillow that can be inflated by hand : a piston, hand pump or a rotating handle? Is there an inflatable pillow, preferably ultra-light material, and inflatable by hand, not by blowing with the mouth. May be with a small hand piston or hand pump. There are these torch lights that charge by rotating a handle, somewhat like that. To be used in (Indian non-AC) trains. I am not good at blowing through little nozzles. Or the pillow I end up buying are too unfriendly to blow, require pressing the nozzle too tightly to see a tiny opening and have to blow till eyes pop out, like a lung exercise! <Q> I have never seen pillows that have a build in pump <S> Most of them are foot operated but the smaller ones can mostly be hand operated as well. <S> And besides dedicated pumps, many small bike pumps can be used for pillows as well, as long as you have the right attachment or adapter. <S> Like the red one in this picture <S> (Picture taken from a shop catalog .) <S> Shops that are likely to sell pumps: Out-of-doors sports shops. <S> Camping equipment shops. <S> Toy shops near bodies of water, where they sell blow up balls and use on the water airbeds. <S> Bike shops and shops selling bikes and parts will most likely have a wide range of bike pumps, often with the needed attachment as part of the set or separate. <A> Yes there is google for "self-inflating pillow" google for "foot pump" or "inflator" etc. <S> google for "bicycle pump" and "pump adapter" Substitute your favourite search enging for google. <A> There are self-inflating pillows, which work in the same manner as self-inflating sleeping mats, no blowing required, just open the valve and air is drawn into the internal foam structure. <S> To deflate they need rolling tightly with the valve open and then close the valve to keep the pillow compressed. <S> The one's I've seen are quite lightweight but they are definitely bulkier than ones you have to blow into.
| but I have seen many pumps that can be used for pillows, inflatable balls, small airbeds and so on. Just a bike pump will not do, as you can not connect it.
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Time zones and capital cities What are the two closest capital cities in different time zones in order to celebrate New Year's Day in both capital cities? <Q> Well this is an easy one to answer if you ask the right question! <S> "What is the only capital city with 2 different time zones "? <S> You can celebrate New Year twice in Nicosia (capital of Cyprus), once in each half of the city! <S> Nicosia now holds two distinctions. <S> It is the last divided capital in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall — a United Nations buffer zone separates the Greek southern part of Cyprus from the Turkish-Cypriots in the north — and it is also the only world capital that follows two time zones. <S> ... <S> And no one is quite sure what to do on New Year's Eve. <S> ... <S> Michalis and Tanur say if they can make their mixed marriage work, the politicians should be able to mend fences between the two communities. <S> The couple is organizing two street parties on New Year’s Eve to celebrate but also to protest the time difference. <S> After midnight in the north, they plan to pass through the buffer-zone and celebrate the New Year again in the south. <S> ... <S> Of course, everyone can just wait for spring and the return of Daylight Savings Time, when all Cypriots will be back on one time zone. <S> Source <S> This is the only world capital with two time zones <A> Distance between the two is 1500km, however you'd probably need to charter a flight as there don't appear to be direct flights between the two. <S> There are flights via Auckland, New Zealand Or much much closer, although one isn't technically a capital city: Apia, Samoa (UTC +13) to <S> Pago Pago, American Samoa (UTC -11). <S> Distance between the two is 125km. <A> Speaking of capitals, Minsk (Belarus) and Vilnius (Lithuania) seem to be the closest. <S> Minks is in UTC+3, Vilnius is in UTC+2. <S> There are approximately 170 km between them. <S> It would be hard to travel this distance in less than one hour. <S> The next closest pair would be Seoul and Pyongyang (South and North Korea). <S> There are about 200 km distance and 30 (!) <S> minutes time difference (UTC+9 and UTC+8:30).
| While these aren't quite the closest, they potentially give a decent amount of time to get from one to the other and still celebrate New Years in both: Apia, Samoa (UTC +14) and Rarotonga, Cook Islands (UTC -10).
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What is the biggest altitude difference between two points visible from each other and where are they? People who have been to Geneva surely have admired the view of Mont Blanc. On clear days it is possible to see the mountain which is 70 km away and more than 4000 m higher than the city. (To be honest, I don't know whether one can actually see the peak but it's not too relevant.) This motivates the question: What's the biggest altitude difference between two points on earth which are visible from each other and where are they? I'd prefer if the two places are actually really visible from each other, so please at least indicate in your answers if one of the places is covered in smog or clouds most of the year or one point only appears as a small glimmer on the horizon from the other. Of course there's no clear line between passing and not passing these criteria, but I hope that's okay. I tried to find an answer on the internet and this site but without any success. Maybe I used the wrong keywords. <Q> Aconcagua , Chile - 6,962m, visible from the Pacific Ocean. <S> Is the highest peak outside of Asia, and less than 150km from the coast. <S> See also this forum thread Mountains near the Ocean <S> which lists both mountains closest to the ocean, and also tallest mountains visible from the ocean. <A> You can see Kangchenjunga's peak , at 8,586 m above MSL, from the top of Durpin Hill near Kalimpong, at 1,372 m. <S> That's a difference of 7,214 m. <S> I have a picture of this somewhere which <S> I'll attach if I find it. <A> Candidates would be... <S> In Asia/World: Mount Everest , visible from Tiger Hill. 6258 meter altitude difference. <S> Mount Kangchenjunga is visible more prominently from the same hill, for a 5996 meter difference. <S> 4192 meter altitude difference. <S> Also consider Mount Ararat , visible from Yerevan. <S> 4147 meter altitude difference. <S> In North America: Mount McKinley , visible from Wonder Lake. 5580 meter altitude difference. <S> As stated in the answer below it is also visible from Anchorage on clear days, for a 6190 meter difference. <S> In Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro , visible from Himo, Tanzania. <S> 5054 meter altitude difference. <A> I'll nominate Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley), whose summit (6190 meters) can be seen from sea level at Anchorage, Alaska on a clear day. <S> Here's a blog with such a picture posted: <S> And another: <S> From what I can gather, such views don't happen every day as the peak of Denali is often in or above the clouds; but they're not ridiculously rare either. <A> If you want to check if a mountain will get in the way between two points, then this site is handy. <S> It is intended to be used to check line-of-sight for transmitters. <S> It shows a side-elevation from the transmitter, with a high above the ground, and a line descending to the ground at the given second point. <S> https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/ <S> Edit: I'm not sure it takes account of the curvature of the Earth.
| In Europe: Mount Elbrus , visible from nearby village.
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Check-in of hand luggage I often fly with easyJet. Almost on every flight gate attendants inform passengers that due to the high number of passengers some trolleys will be checked in for free, even if the passengers already checked in another bag at the desk before arrving to the gate. Sometimes gate attendants ask for volunteers , who check in their hand luggage in exchange of speedy boarding. Recently I was checking in my bag at the desk, when the attendant asked me. "Sir, would you also like to check in your other trolley for free?" Wow, great idea. With the simple risk of losing the bag during handling I had the comfort of not having to carry that heavy small hand trolley with me, extract and put the laptop back inside for xray scanning, no questions asked by the security officers, etc. I would like to ask if it is or not standard practice for easyJet or other airlines to allow free checking in of hand luggage, given that the bag the passenger is carrying follows the sizing rules. It would be perfect for traveling with forbidden objects (including your favourite 200 ml bottle of shampoo or shaving blades) without having to purchase a bag check-in allowance. Or just in order not to worry about security officers questioning the items you are carrying onboard (with the risk of being forced to dispose of them). <Q> Yes, it's not unusual for airlines to offer this. <S> I've never had it happen at bag drop, but both Easyjet and BA have sent me a text on the day of a flight (when I was travelling with hand baggage only) to say that I can send my cabin bag as checked luggage for free. <S> In that case, it has to be hand luggage sized, but follow the rules for checked luggage, so regular sized bottles of shampoo are OK. <S> However, I think they only do this when they're expecting a lot of hand luggage on the flight, so you can't plan on avoiding the checked baggage fee that way. <A> Thank you all for your contribution, but now my answer deserves the acceptation mark. <S> I got an official response from easyJet <S> Dear /usr/local/ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ, thank you for contacting easyJet. <S> We inform you that easyJet offers a service call hands free for this purpose. <S> It allows you to check your cabin luggage into the aircraft at the cost of 5 euro, and you can request it directly at the bag drop desk in airport. <S> We hope to have you soon on board again. <S> Kind regards,easyJet customer service <S> Final comments <S> If the flight is full from the check-in list you can always try to ask the check in clerk if they allow free check in of cabin bag, but no result guaranteed. <S> Asking is always free. <S> And if they allow, consider it a personal favour. <S> You may also try to show yourself close to bag drop deadline (as reported on your ticket), but again no guarantees. <S> If you want to make sure you won't dispute with security officers and/or bring the bottle of wine you wanted to gift your friends without purchasing a checked bag allowance, it costs 5 euros/pounds. <S> Definitely cheaper than normal bag allowances. <A> There are lots of advantages to checking a bag if it contains nothing you need at the airport or during the flight. <S> As you've mentioned, you can put things in it that aren't allowed through security, and you don't have to drag it all through the airport. <S> I do it on almost every trip. <S> And in general, I pay a checked-bag fee to be guaranteed that I can do that as soon as I get to the airport. <S> If you want to save that fee, you can take a chance, don't pack things that can't go through security, drag the bag all the way with you and check it for free at the last minute at the gate. <S> I don't see much benefit in that. <S> Would it be cool if the airline didn't charge to check bags? <S> Would it save time at the gate? <S> Sure it would. <S> But they aren't going to do that. <S> They've become quite fond of those checked-bag fees, and being able to advertise what appears to be a lower price as a result. <S> Some airlines may do it once in a while to delight you and save themselves time when they know the flight is super full, but that's not the same as going back to the days of no baggage fees. <A> There's no sidestepping on prohibited items, in fact, more items are forbidden in the terminal than in checked baggage. <S> You're already passed through bag check at the terminal entrance. <S> If you're asking if this is a way to avoid the fee for otherwise carry-on sized bags, yes, it is, 100%, and the airlines are fully aware of this. <S> This is simply because a delay is more costly than any fees collected at the gate, which would take even more time. <S> Finally, it's actually less risky to check bags at the gate because the path to the hold is much shorter, so less opportunity to get lost.
| What you observed is very common and has been a standard practice literally for years .
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How to obtain the return flight boarding pass? Believe it or not, I've never flown before... I am flying United Airlines for a vacation for about a week and then I'm flying back via United Airlines. I read online that starting 24 hours before my flight I can check in online and United Airlines will give me a boarding pass to print. However, I'm not sure what to do on my return flight since I won't be anywhere near a printer and I don't want to find a print shop and pay to have the passes printed. I really couldn't find any answers on Google... And I feel stupid even asking this... But how do I get a boarding pass for my return flight? <Q> Quite simply, you go to the airport 3 to 4 hours before the flight, check the information boards for your flight number and the checkin desks serving that flight, and then go to those checkin desks. <S> There you will be checked in by an airline representative, your baggage checked and you will be handed baggage tags and your boarding pass. <S> In other words, you do it the old fashioned way :) <A> You have quite a few options, though specifics may vary based on the airline and the specific flight (not all airports accept mobile boarding passes, for instance): <S> most hotels have a "business center" or even dedicated boarding pass printing workstations. <S> You can go there, connect to the airline's website, do your online check-in, and print your boarding pass. <S> This is probably overkill nowadays. <S> you can check-in online using your laptop, tablet or mobile phone, and get a mobile boarding pass. <S> Depending on the airline, whether you use the website or app, and the operating system on your mobile phone, this may be an e-mail, a PDF in an e-mail, a PDF to download, a boarding pass in the app, a boarding pass in the Apple Wallet... <S> Don't know United's app, but in general, I would recommend you use their app, it'll give you the best experience on a mobile phone. <S> you can check-in online, and not retrieve your boarding pass. <S> You'll be able to get it either from the kiosks at the airport, or from the check-in/baggage drop desk. <S> you can just do the regular check-in at the airport. <S> Note that not all airlines allow this, and some may charge a fee for this (shouldn't be the case for United). <S> Also, if you haven't pre-selected seats while booking, this leaves you a lot less options. <S> It also means that in case of overbooking or other issues, you'll often have a lower priority. <S> I strongly recommend you check-in online, the earlier the better. <S> If you have luggage to check in, you'll have to go through a kiosk or check-in desk anyway, so you'll be able to get your boarding pass at that point, but your presence will already have been confirmed, your seats assigned, etc. <A> When you go to the airport there, there are literally everywhere kiosks, about as big as a 10-12 year old kid, where you can print your boarding passes. <S> on the touchscreen you can select your airline, enter your code and then print your pass. <S> Usually these are situated right before where you check in your luggage. <S> Also, what you can do is online check in, and just have the QR code ready on your mobile. <S> All they need is that QR code. <S> So many people just check in with the mobile and have the QR code scanned from their mobile. <S> Just put brightness to max if it doesn't scan properly. <A> United has a mobile app that allows checking in 24 hours in advance - and it will then give you a boarding pass right there in your phone. <S> Assuming you have a working data connection (wifi, or data plan that works where you are traveling) <S> I find this the best option. <S> Not only do you get your boarding pass, but it gives decent updates on flight status - gate number, delays, seating map... <S> it even includes maps of airports to help you find your way to your gate. <S> It helps to create a frequent flyer number - I'm not sure how well the features work if the app doesn't "know who you are". <A> The simple and, uh, comprehensive answer is: (A) <S> you get it at that departure airport from a human (B) <S> you get it at that departure airport from one of the kiosks , (C) <S> you get it online, and print <S> it <S> (D) <S> you get it online, and you actually don't bother printing it; you just keep the PDF on your phone, or (E) <S> you actually don't need to get it online. <S> That's it. <S> Protip. <S> Nowadays like most people I just use "E" all the time. <S> But. <S> Even in this day and age, I find it incredibly useful to have a print out (C). <S> A simple example, at many airports (say, Chhatrapati currently), merely to get in the door just after the taxi there's a line and a basic security bloke, who really prefers something primitive - a paper print out. <S> (Ironically of course, that would be tremendously easier to fake than some digital hook up.) <S> And of course your phone can run out of electrons, etc. <S> As many have mentioned, how cautious you should be depends hugely on where you're flying.
| Just get the app of that Airline and it will organize some sort of virtual a on-screen boarding pass.
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Where is the largest road network that shares a landmass with, but is disconnected from, a larger ('main') road network? Living in Europe I would imagine that in theory, and probably in practice, I could hit the road with a car and drive all the way to e.g. Malaysia, because the road network consists of "millions" of roads connected to each other so that I could eventually hit my destination by just driving. Other land masses besides Afro-Eurasia have their own mainland-wide road networks which likely connect the distinct points of the continent. The same goes with islands such as New Zealand and Australia. I'm interested in where I can find the largest road network that shares a landmass with, but is disconnected from, a larger ('main') road network? In this example there is a primary road network (in black) in a land and an additional road network (in green) which isn't connected to the land's primary road network. To define how roads are connected, roads connected by a bridge or by unpaved road count as a connection, but e.g. ferry connections do not count (as one can't drive continuously from one end to other - however if the ferry takes you to an island, the road network would be part of another land mass's road network). The US's gaps in Interstate Highways seem like a case where the roads are still connected to each other, so they likely do not provide a sufficient answer. I have read of cities that have been built in the "middle of nowhere" which could have independent road networks. Also vast land masses with a challenging nature such as Antarctica or Greenland possibly have separate road networks which are not connected to each other nor to any other land mass. Maybe one of these could be the answer to the question. <Q> South America is physically connected to North America, but there's a jungle/marsh area in the middle that has no roads through it <S> (the Darién Gap ). <S> Several people have crossed the Gap, but this is a major expedition. <S> Most took at least 30 days to travel the 100 km length of the Gap. <S> There are several bridges across the Panama Canal, so Panama north of the Gap is connected to the US. <S> The Canal is man-made, so I don't consider that as separating 2 landmasses. <A> At first I thought this was ridiculous. <S> How would cars get to the green area? <S> Then I remembered the far north of Canada, my own country. <S> Isolated villages and towns have roads with cars on them, but are not connected to the main road system. <S> Cars come in by train or boat. <S> Here are Moosonee and Moose Factory : <S> You can see they distinctly have a road system. <S> It is not connected to other roads in Canada and you cannot drive to Moosonee. <S> You can drive between these in the winter on an ice road, but not in the summer. <S> Random facts: A factory is to a factor as a rectory is to a rector - while the word is now applied to "a place where things are made" that was not the original meaning. <S> Moose Factory is among the oldest permanent settlements in Canada. <S> I have been to both towns and saw no moose. <S> Also this "far north" place is at the same latitude as London, UK, and Berlin, DE. <A> The city is at sea level and surrounded by mountains that isolate it from the mainland of North America despite being connected by land. <A> Due to the Darién Gap <S> I believe the answer you're looking for is the north and south half of the Pan-American Highway. <S> The Darién Gap is a 66 mile long break in a 19,000 mile long road system not to mention the road networks that connect to the Pan-American Highway in the north and south. <S> Of course this doesn't match your diagram of an island of roads encircled by a larger network of roads but it should match the rules you described. <A> A good candidate (if North/South America is not counted) may be the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. <S> This would mean that the road network covers an area stretching about 900 km from north to south, and about 400 km west to east. <S> This network is almost certainly not connected to the main Eurasian road network. <S> The total length of the network is probably much harder to estimate. <S> The total population in Kamchatka is around 300,000 people (although some of them may not be connected to the main road network). <A> The road to Cape Wrath is isolated from the rest of the Scottish road network by the Kyle of Durness - it can be crossed by driving across the beach at low tide. <S> If that's not enough, the area is also a live missile range. <S> It's about 14km as the crow flies from Cape Wrath to the Kyle of Durness. <A> The entire nation of Japan has 1.2 million kilometers of roads, which makes it the nation with the sixth-largest road network in the world . <S> While some of these roads are presumably on outlying islands (such as the Ryukyu Islands) that are disconnected from the main Japanese road network, the great majority of these roads are on the four main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikuko, and Kyushu, as well as on other small islands connected to these by bridges. <A> Sfantu Gheorghe in the Danube Delta covers an area a little less than 4 by 2 kilometers. <S> There are cars there, but you have to bring them by riverboat. <A> Not a winner, but still of significant distance at probably almost 600 km at times would be the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road <S> A 600 km long stretch of road built each year over non permanent ice. <S> Whilst it is built each January from South to North (leaving no length unconnected to the main N America road system), it is likely to generally melt each spring from South to North, leaving much or most of the length unconnected.
| Juneau, Alaska would be a definite candidate. According to Open Street Map there seems to be a highway system connecting cities as far apart as Palana in the north, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Ust-Bolsheretsky in the south (closer inspection using Bing Maps indicates that there seems to be a road connection as far south as Ozernovskiy). If I'm understanding the rules correctly, the answer is almost certainly the road network of Japan.
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Can I transit through Guangzhou into Beijing from Melbourne to Almaty and still get visa-free transit? My current plan is to go from Melbourne, Australia to Almaty, Kazakhstan. I am an Australian citizen. The flight itinerary is shown below, but it transits through Guangzhou and I noted that Wikipedia (not the best source) says that : both flights must have no stopovers of any kind within Mainland China prior to arrival or after departure at the port of entry, and the outbound flight's first stop or destination must be in a different country than the inbound flight's However, I am assuming that since I don't officially pass Chinese Immigration until Beijing, this doesn't count. But can someone confirm this? Also do the times match up for the 144-hour visa? In Kazakhstan I can get a visa on arrival. <Q> You're not eligible for the 144-hour visa exemption, as you would need: to be entering China in GZ; <S> You're not. <S> and leaving China from somewhere in Guangdong. <S> You're not. <S> In Beijing you are probably not eligible for the 72-hour visa exemption, as you're arriving from a Chinese city. <S> However, since you arrive in CAN at 15:20 and leave PEK at 05:55 (+1), you are eligible for 24-hour transit without a visa . <A> However, I am assuming that since I don't officially pass Chinese Immigration until Beijing... <S> That's wrong: you'll clear immigration in Guangzhou, then catch the Beijing flight from the domestic sector. <S> And if flying domestically in transit, you can remain in China no longer than 24 hours, whereas you're staying for 6 days. <S> So again, you need at least a transit visa. <S> It can be issued as a single or double-entry visa for a stay of max 10 days per entry. <A> tl;dr: you need a visa for the proposed itinerary. <S> We have a general thread for visa-free transit in China: <S> What are the rules for China's visa-free transit programs? <S> Your itinerary does not work out for a number of reasons: <S> you are passing immigration in China, wherever your first stop is, i.e. in your case CAN. <S> That is also what counts for the visa-free transit rules. <S> For 72h/144h visa-free transit, you need to transit from a direct flight from abroad (country A) to another direct flight to abroad (country B) while staying in the same city/region, i.e. no domestic connecting flights. <S> you could qualify for 24h visa-free transit (where the regional restrictions are lifted, though see the added restrictions for Guangzhou in the linked post ), but for this your planned stay of about six days is too long. <S> Therefore you require a visa, or you would need to enter Beijing on a direct flight from abroad.
| You will need a Chinese transit (type G) visa
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Cruise from Venice to Greece and back - visa requirements We are landing in Venice and taking a cruise to Greece and back to Venice. Do we need a multiple-entry visa or will a single-entry be enough? <Q> That depends on the cruise. <S> Both Italy (where Venice is) and Greece are members of Schengen, and the single/multiple-entry thing goes for the Schengen area, so if you only enter the Schengen area once, you only need a single-entry visa. <S> But if the cruise includes a stop in one of the non-members of Schengen that you'll pass (e.g. Albania), you'll technically enter Schengen multiple times and need a multiple entry visa. <S> Without having done any work to verify it, my guess would be that the companies arranging that kind of cruise would either be quite explicit about leaving Schengen (meaning every passenger would need a multiple entry visa) or (more likely in my mind) would stay inside Schengen. <A> It looks like most if not all cruises between Venice and Greece stop at one or more ports outside of the Schengen area (Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split...). <S> This theoretically means there should be exit/entry checks, and possibly the need for a multiple entry visa, but there are lots of exceptions (mostly based on where passengers can embark/disembark), and <S> only the cruise operator will really know. <S> There does not seem to be much information on the topic on the relevant websites I checked, so you'll probably have to call them to be sure. <S> To be on the safe side, I would personally request a multiple-entry visa whatever they tell you. <S> You'll definitely need one if you actually go ashore in one of the non-Schengen ports. <A> Sea ports are in most cases considered external Schengen borders except if you use a regular ferry connection directly between two member states. <S> Private boats going between Italy and Greece are for example always subject to immigration control and cruises are usually not considered as as regular ferry connections. <S> There are however many exceptions in force to simplify cruise tourism, but as I wrote, you must check with your cruise line to see if they apply in your case.
| You probably only need a single entry visa, but it depends on the exact arrangements between the cruise line and the port and immigration authorities. Only your cruise line can give a definitive answer.
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Domestic flights for foreigner in Colombia I will be traveling to Cartagena, Colombia at the end of January. I will be there for 8 days. I want to go to Bogota. I am having trouble finding out how to go about it. I want to fly, not take a bus. My questions: If I book a ticket today will I be paying more? Can I even book a domestic plane ticket from another country (I'm in the USA)? If I wait to get to Cartagena and book a ticket for the next day, will that cost more? I read I can avoid foreign transactions fees by adding "en-co" at the end. <Q> Yes, you can book via a global service like Expedia or Hipmunk, but the rumor you've heard is also correct: you can get significantly cheaper seats by booking on a Colombian site . <S> For example, if you visit avianca.com <S> (the international site) and search for flights from Cartagena to Bogota on the randomly chosen date of February 7th, the cheapest flight on offer is US$87 : <S> But if you visit the local avianca.com.co and do exactly the same search, the cheapest flight is COP 128,600 , or only US$45 -- that's 48% cheaper ! <S> For avoidance of doubt, you can book these fares outside Colombia and they're available to all who know where to find them. <S> (This is different from countries like Peru, where "resident fares" require local ID and the ID will be checked before they let you board.) <A> Please don't overthink this or worry about it so much. <S> If you want to price shop, see what price they give, then try to book the exact same flight at the airline's website. <S> Finally, 'foreign transaction fees' are usually related to the payment method. <S> Even if you do have one, they are typically very small. <A> You can easily book a one way ticket from Cartagena to Bogota on any reputable US website, <S> such as www.hipmunk.com. <S> LATAM and Avian offering 10+ non-stop flights per day <S> and it's around US $80 for a one way <S> ticket (late January, mid week). <S> LATAM can be as cheap as $63. <S> I don't think it gets any easier or cheaper than that. <S> What would be wrong with such a solution and what exactly is the problem you are trying to solve ?
| For Colombia, there's really nothing stopping you from buying a ticket Cartagena-Bogota from any regular travel web site, Expedia, Kayak, etc.
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Are there any restrictions for accommodation in New York? I am looking to go to New York next year and a friend told me that there are restrictions on how long you can stay or where you can stay. Something to do with their laws. I live in Greece by the way. Is this above true? I want to spend at least 10 days there. <Q> I've never heard of limits on how long you can stay in NYC. <S> Perhaps he's confusing this with restrictions on how long people can rent a dwelling mostly aimed at peer-to-peer rentals like Airbnb <S> The New York State Multiple Dwelling Law, which covers buildings with three or more units, prohibits transient rentals of fewer than 30 days at a time, unless the owner is present for the time a guest is renting. <S> These laws are aimed at residents trying to rent their house/apartment. <S> They don't affect you directly. <A> TL/DR: <S> 10 Days in New York City is absolutely no problem in any way. <S> However, what you friend my be referring to <S> is a collection of residency and rental rules that usually hit around the 30 day mark. <S> This is the distinction between a short term and long term rental which brings different rules and taxes. <S> Also, New York has some wonky tax and residency rules. <S> I recall (fuzzy) <S> a company I worked with would not allow non-New York residents to stay in New York for more than two weeks at a time and would not allow them to commute to New York for more than six months. <A> No there are no such restrictions, at least not for the city itself. <A> Hostels may have a certain limitation on how long you can stay. <S> For example, Hostelling International NYC has a maximum of 20 nights per calendar year (see http://hinewyork.org/about/faq/ )
| Obviously you need a visa or other permission to enter the US, and there are restrictions on how long you can stay in the US, but not how long you can stay in the city.
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Is there a program that allows non-US/Canadian citizens to avoid going to secondary inspection when crossing the land border? I've started a job in Canada that requires me to drive to the US occasionally. At the border this week I've learned that apparently all non-US/Canadian citizens have to go to secondary screening to receive their I-94s. This is time consuming and annoying if you do this often. Is there a program that would allow one to avoid this process and get stamped into the US without leaving the car? <Q> Unfortunately all land border users who are not somehow exempt from the requirement to have an I-94 (i.e. American citizens and LPRs, visa-exempt Canadians and Bermudians and maybe BCC holders), and who do not already have an I-94 that is valid for the time to be spent in the US, will need to go inside to secondary and pay the $6 to get one. <S> Once you have the I-94, however, you'll normally be admitted by primary inspection on subsequent trips, and perhaps be allowed to enter at Class B Ports of Entry, for as long as that <S> I-94 is still valid. <S> Once it expires you'll need to go inside to secondary to get a new one. <S> A frequent VWP traveller can hence expect to visit secondary not (much) more than once every 90 days. <S> you receive to 6 months. <S> It also permits extensions to be applied for while in the US if you are unavoidably delayed beyond the expiry of the I-94 you entered with. <S> I'm not positive how this all interacts with air travel <S> but you may find that if you fly to the US and then subsequently enter by land you may be admitted by primary for the remainder of the (paperless) I-94 you received for the flight (I'd be interested to know if someone has experience contrary to this). <S> If so, a mixture of land border and air travel might keep you out of secondary at the land border altogether. <A> Foreign but resident citizens (in Canada and the US) can qualify to get NEXUS, a trusted traveler card that helps save time when crossing the Canada/US border, or into either country from abroad. <S> You may want to do some research to see how your I-94 is affected by being a member, but it might save you some time. <A> The only way AFAIK, which only applies to VWP nationals (and AFAIK you're not one) is to get an ESTA. <S> In this case, at major road crossings and the Vancouver train station, I've been told on the phone by the local CBP officers you'll not need to obtain the form.
| While an occasional visit to secondary is unavoidable a VWP traveller can reduce the frequency at which you have to do this to twice a year by applying for a B visa, as this extends the validity of the I-94s
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I am a Jamaican travelling on a B1/B2, transited through the US but never stayed, what does this US stamp mean? I traveled through the US on 13 August to get to India. I didn't leave the airport, just got on a connecting flight, but the immigration officer stamped my passport to leave the US by February. Do I have to pass back through the US before February 12, although I didn't stay in the US. I am a Jamaican passport holder. <Q> The stamp in your passport means that you must leave the US on or before 12th February. <S> You did that – you left later on 13th <S> August – so you have nothing to worry about. <S> On your return journey to Jamaica, you'll get another stamp that will also say "You must leave within six months." <S> The reason for the date on the stamp is that, in the US, there's no separate system for transit. <S> Once you'd been through passport control, there's nothing to stop you picking up your luggage and leaving through the airport's front door, instead of taking your flight to India. <S> So the US treats transit through the country in mostly the same way as visiting it. <A> Next time you transit through US you will receive a new entry. <S> You don't have to transit within the period provided by the last one. <S> You're fine. <S> You can easily confirm your departure record with the CBP here . <S> It will have your entry and exit record related to the stamp in question. <S> When you visit/transit next time and if they admit you, it will be a new entry and a subsequent exit with its own conditions. <S> Because you already hold a visa superior to the transit visa they allowed you to stay for 6 months, and you left the US within 6 hours (hypothetically). <S> No one is going to take any issue with that. <S> Next time you transit through the USA might as well enjoy the privileges granted to you due to your visa and the subsequent admission instead of staying put at the airport for God knows how long. <A> You may need to keep evidence of leaving, or arrival at your next port out of transit. <S> It is not unheard of to be falsely accused of overstaying a visa based on flaky records. <S> You should be OK, but it never hurts to be sure.
| No , you have used that entry and left the US long ago.
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Can EU citizens 'border-hop' between Schengen countries to prolong their 90-day maximum stay? The European Commission states that EU citizens have the right to reside on the territory of another country "for up to three months without any conditions other than the requirement to hold a valid identity card or passport". Importantly, there is no requirement to register with the local authorities for a residence permit. Unfortunately, it is not stated how you would count the period of three months or in another words when it would reset. For non-EU residents' Schengen visa, the '90 days in any given 180 days' rule is clear. However, I'm not finding any such rule for the 90-day maximum that applies to EU citizens. A few examples:- Can a EU citizen alternate between two countries indefinitely with no conditions (e.g. stay in Schengen country A for 90 days, then 90 days in Schengen country B, rinse and repeat)?- Can a EU citizen stay 90 days in Schengen country A, move to Schengen country B for a weekend trip, then stay in Schengen country A again? How often could they do that in a given year? <Q> The freedom of movement rules are promulgated as a directive which means it is up to each member state to flesh them out in its own laws. <S> As such, it differs considerably between member states which registration requirements they impose on EU/EEA citizens -- and where they do, they don't have to use the same detailed criteria for when the registration requirement kicks in. <S> Importantly, individual citizens don't usually get to interpret the directive by themselves <S> -- the national law is what the national law is, and to the extent that doesn't match the directive it is up to the European Commission to (try to) force the relevant government into compliance. <S> It seems very unlikely that the Commission would bother to quibble about each member state's exact rules for how to determine when a new 3-month residence period starts, unless those rules look like an attempt to circumvent the intent of the directive. <S> All a citizen can reasonably rely on without actually researching the national law in question is that he won't have to figure out where and how to register as long as his circumstances match the usual case where he stays for no more than three months, and then leaves and doesn't return (other than under obviously "not actually living there" circumstances) for a long period of time compared to those three months. <S> In practice, a member state's enforcement of its registration rules will not be based on border crossings specifically, but on other kinds of case-by-case evidence that the person in question has been living in the country for so long that he needs to register. <A> Yes, they can, indefinitely. <S> However, the penalty for staying longer than three months without registering (not "90 days") must be proportional to the penalty imposed upon a country's own citizens for not registering. <S> In particular, they cannot be deported. <S> In most countries this is a fine; in others there's no penalty at all. <S> There seems to be no rule about how long an absence is required to interrupt the three-month period because it's not particularly important to determine that except to defend against a penalty. <S> The controlling legislation is directive <S> 2004/38/EC . <A> EU/EFTA countries except Switzerland <S> This rule is extremely flawed altogether: as Schengen countries don't record movements between them (even when internal border checks do take place, most commonly when entering Sweden or Switzerland by bus), there's no way to track someone's presence in one member state vs. another. <S> Furthermore, an EU/Schengen citizen cannot be deported or banned from these countries unless they pose a proven health or security risk. <S> And even if they are, keeping a Schengen citizen out of another Schengen country will be nigh impossible in practice, again because of the largely open borders. <S> Thus, the actual question is moot: not only is the issue not addressed in legislation with regards to EU/EFTA citizens, but even if it were it would be virtually impossible to enforce (just as with the 90/180 rule for residence permit holders). <S> Switzerland <S> For EU/EFTA citizens, a residence permit must be obtained for stays longer than 90 days within 180 days. <S> Failure to comply with this can lead to hefty fines. <S> Again, however, entries and exits are not recorded, even when entering/exiting Schengen through a Swiss airport, and so this is hard to enforce, although I have been subject to a raid by municipal police in my apartment complex, whereby my ID card and residence permit were briefly taken for verification. <A> And contrary to what it seems to be at the first glance, the country you repeatedly enter may be totally fine with this: Remember that for the 90 day period in country B (unless you register) your country of residence A basically stays responsible wrt. <S> social insurance. <S> E.g. if I being German with previous residence in Germany go to Italy and within the 90 day period need to go to the doctor, the German health insurance will be responsible to pay to the extent the Italian health insurance would pay if had residenza (and health insurance) there. <S> Of course, the German health insurance will make me pay their fees for this - and they would be in a very unpleasant category <S> (default fee is about 800 €/month) if I didn't register correctly with the German health insurance. <S> In other words, not registering may turn out to be rather more expensive than registering. <S> This is even more if I'd then start working in Italy <S> : I'd automatically pay taxes, including health insurance. <S> But without registering I wouldn't get the health insurance benefits from Italy, and without the form from the Italian health insurance saying I'm registered there, the German health insurance will not let me get out of that very expensive category and will go on sending bills (and if you don't pay them, they won't forget or forgive that, neither). <S> So in case of the employment contract without registering residence, I'd pay twice. <S> Of course, if you move the other way round, you may get German health care for, say, the Italian taxes you still pay. <S> Germany doesn't care as Italy has to pay for that. <S> However, Italy may start asking questions after a while (e.g. the tax office may have a questionnaire to determine where the "center of your life" is).
| As @phoog says, yes, you can do that.
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In 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow, would Amtrak be much faster than a bus? Traveling from Boston to New York Tuesday night. Light snow forcasted. (What speed would a bus drive? MPH. What speed would a train ride? MPH) <Q> Even more so for a heavy vehicle. <S> Snow melts easily by the passing of vehicles and so most motorways do not have more than a very thin layer of snow after an inch (2.5 cm) of snowfall. <S> At 4 inches (1 dm), it starts making a difference, depending on the rate of falling. <S> Both bus and train take between 4 and 5 hours, only the bus is more affected by traffic, so if you arrive around rush hour (which is pretty long in NY), the bus might take even an hour longer than predicted. <A> 1" isn't a storm, but it could combine with other factors to cause problems on the highway. <S> The snow will not affect Amtrak's Boston-NYC corridor. <S> 1 inch of snow is nothing to them. <S> As for the highway, 1" generally isn't a lot... <S> but that depends on how it affects the roads. <S> Is it a temperature range where road salt works effectively? <S> Is it a busy time when the DoT is making max effort to keep the roads clear? <S> I've been out on Sunday mornings after an inch of snow, and seen road crews do almost nothing. <S> It's certainly possible to drive in an inch of untreated snow, but it's more work <S> and it's slower going. <S> In ultra-congested areas like Boston or NYC: you are very dependent on the behavior of other people . <S> If somebody else has a problem, they can create a traffic jam either because of looky-loo's or lane closures, or they can flat out close a highway with a serious accident. <S> Now everybody's cramming onto the detour routes which simply don't have the capacity. <S> It gets bigger and worse if a semi is involved, and they tend to be the first to have problems in bad conditions, especially if wind is added. <S> I've driven stretches of highway with literally 100 flipped over semi's in the median or ditch... and not one single automobile. <S> Add to that, ordinary urban traffic jams. <A> 2.5 cm of snow where I live wouldn't do a thing to bus schedules, unless we got rain prior - i.e. rain started freezing, and turned to snow. <S> If that happens, all bets are off. <S> Also, buses tend to be pretty secure in slippery conditions. <S> The vehicles are big and heavy, and have significant weight over their drive wheels. <S> (This, from a local bus company that I asked on a very slippery day a winter or two ago.)
| One inch (2.5 cm) of falling snow changes pretty much nothing.
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Vietnam visa requirements for UK citizens Do I need a visa for Vietnam if I arrive in July 2018? I can only find information that states no visa is required for UK citizens arriving in Vietnam before 30 June 2018. I hold a full UK passport. <Q> I'm not sure if this information is still useful for you but UK citizen can enter Vietnam under visa exemption for 15 days as long as meeting 2 conditions:- <S> The passports are valid in at least 6 months- <S> The gap 30 days between 2 free visa visits are requiredOr if you want to stay longer in Vietnam, you need to apply for a visa. <S> You can use our service (I work for them in customer service) to apply for visa on arrival . <S> It's very quick and convenient. <A> The best way to find out the likelihood of this is contacting the Vietnamese MFA. <S> Or, to be safe, you can just get an e-visa <A> A visa is definitely required if you want to stay more than 10 days and the immigration police are really unfriendly so if you have a return ticket a month ahead you'll have to cough up. <S> You're supposed to have a "letter of introduction <S> " I'm in the back of a cab now <S> or I'd give you a link but <S> Vietnam Visa Company will get you a month / 3 month whatever. <S> If you're planning to go in and out regularly cough up for a multiple entry visa, I think mine was $99. <S> Enjoy your trip, it's a fabulous country.
| No one knows - it depends on whether the visa exemption gets extended.
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Delay compensation for multi-legged flight If I was on a flight from India to England via Kuwait, and the India -> Kuwait leg is delayed (by 5 hours), causing the Kuwait -> England leg to be delayed by 24 hours, is compensation still payable? The initial delay was for a leg entirely outside of the EU, but the whole journey was to the EU. The airline is Kuwait Airways, which isn't based in the EU I am guessing. Thanks! <Q> Regulation EC261 applies only to flights: <S> departing from the EU or with a destination in the EU, operated by an EU carrier <S> So you're not entitled to any compensation (or to the duty of care) under those regulations. <S> If your flight had departed from the EU or had been operated by a EU carrier, yes, the whole trip would have counted, and the delay at the final destination could have triggered compensation. <A> Unfortunately, you are not eligible to claim compensation. <S> As Kuwait Airways is not an EU carrier, and even the departure airport was not in EU. <S> Conditions when You may had received delayed flight compensation <S> : - You should have been departed from an EU airport - Or travelled with an EU airline to an EU airport - Delay should be of more than 3 hours an arrival airport <S> You would have received compensation up to 600 Euros, if you would have taken your flight from England to India with Kuwait Airways. <A> As far as I can tell you had the "Right to care" which means that in case of a long delay the airline would provide: reasonable refreshments or meals. <S> means of contacting 2 people outside the airport hotel accommodation if necessary and transportation between the hotel and the airport. <S> These arrangements will be advised by the airline depending on the length of the flight and the duration of the delay. <A> Since you were departed from the Non-EU airport and also the Kuwait airlines is not EU regulated airline thus you cannot claim compensation under EU regulation 261/2004.
| You could get compensation or a refund in case if the flight was canceled within 14 days of the date of travel or it was delayed and you did not fly & filed a refund/reimbursement.
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Is Morocco Safe for Tourists? We are planning our summer holiday and Morocco seems good value. I have read conflicting reports about the country though, some reports suggest it is not safe to leave your hotel complex. I am especially concerned as we have 3 teenage girls who are all blonde and this seems to attract unwanted attention in some places! We are a white British family, never been to Morocco and would be looking for a package deal to a hotel. <Q> Yes you will attract unwanted attentions. <S> It is safe, as long as you follow good old common sense.(among others) <S> Keep valuable at home or in your hotel room <S> (for example, you don't need you gold watch) <S> Keep an eye on your belongings (watch for pickpockets) <S> Be mindful of scams, be and stay polite and just walk away if feeling uneasy. <S> Dress and behave conservatively. <S> (follow local customs) Follow local customs, laws and regulations. <S> If you keep to the big cities, Fes, Marrakesh ,Rabat and Casablanca <S> you should be OK. <S> If not feeling more "adventurous" I'd get a local guide (recommended by your hotel) <S> when doing some sightseeings. <S> I could point that to you to (remember concerning terrorism, there are unfortunately no safe places anywhere anymore): <S> https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco or to for some tips https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/safety-in-morocco/ <A> Safety is relative to the individual. <S> I, being from South Africa, consider myself to have a high tolerance for risk. <S> I would consider Morocco a safe country - but my tolerance could be different to you and your family. <S> Crime is relatively rare for most tourists if you take the correct precautions and closely watch your possessions. <S> Since you are British, you should / could follow the advice of your country. <S> https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/safety-and-security <S> Also, read the Stay Safe section on this page. <S> https://wikitravel.org/en/Morocco <A> I and my boyfriend (I more or less blond) have done a 3 week bicycle trip in Morocco 1 year ago: we were traveling alone also in quite remote and very non-touristic areas (Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains) and sleeping "wild" in a tent. <S> The people were happy to see some "foreign faces" but were not intrusive. <S> Children asked sometimes for some sweets. <S> In very touristic cities (like Marrakesh) the people are sometimes very intrusive and desperately want to sell you something, and the cities are horribly crowded. <S> None the less nobody was really aggressive toward us. <S> I would definitely recommend a vacation in Morocco (the country is very beautiful), but maybe not in the most touristic cities (but avoid west Sahara because of politic situation, border areas to other countries and Rif Mountains). <S> Also outside you can find some nice hotels but you can then more enjoy the time and the nature without being "attack" all the time to buy something. <S> The probability of robbery is also then smaller. <A> I visited Morocco together with my blonde girlfriend last summer. <S> Experiences where mixed. <S> We've been to Cassablanca, Marakkesh, Essaouira and ended up in Taghazout for a week of surfing. <S> In general, everything was ok and nothing happened. <S> People had warned us about Marrakesh <S> so we where ready to fend street merchants off. <S> We both had the feeling that it wasn't as bad as people told us. <S> Yes they asked you to buy stuff a lot, but if you told them no, they left. <S> I definitely have had worse experiences on this front. <S> However, you will hardly see any women on the street on a general day. <S> This can sometimes come across as intimidating. <S> For us this was especially true at the Gnawa festival in Essaouira where we left because middle aged men kept touching my girlfriend's bum. <S> Not a great experience. <S> Apart from that it was a good holiday. <S> Especially in Taghazout where, mainly because of the surf culture, people are way more relaxed towards tourists. <S> But also the rest. <S> Marrakesh really looks like a city from a fairy tale. <S> One last thing. <S> This is one of those countries where you need to be careful with the food.
| Our impression is the following: in the more non-touristic areas the people are nicer and we felt more safe.
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Handshake while holding own right elbow I have recently had contact with an acquaintance from Eastern Africa (I think from Ethiopia or Somalia). When the person greeted me, she shook my hand while holding her elbow of the right arm with the left hand (see image). After this happened a few times, I figured it was not just a coincidence. Does this gesture have any meaning? <Q> It's a sign of respect. <S> A bit like using both hands to shake yours. <S> (Source: I lived in Africa for something like 7 years.) <S> I personally found this more common in West Africa than East Africa. <S> Edit: <S> Perhaps as clarification, the right elbow typically is held with the left hand, as if to support the right arm. <S> But, I've also often seen 'just' touching the right forearm with the fingers of the left hand. <A> As MastaBaba said , it's a sign of respect. <S> As an Ethiopian, most of us were taught as children to hold our hand (anywhere on the forearm) <S> when greeting elders (basically anyone older). <S> It is considered rude to shake hands without holding one's arm, and in most cases the person (elder) will be offended. <S> Sometimes, the person may also look down during the handshake, which is also another sign of respect. <A> Having lived in Uganda Africa for almost 8 years I think I can answer your question. <S> Here in Uganda its a sign of respect. <S> I often place my hand on my elbow when shaking the hands of the elderly because I acknowledge their old age and their knowledge. <S> It means they acknowledge you and respect you. <S> Like @Kidus answered its considered rude to not place your other hand on some part of your forearm. <S> Sometimes the person will nod his/her head toward the ground while shaking your hand, Its also a sign of respect and it would be disrespectful not to follow suit. <A> I assume this from reading The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency books (set in Botswana) where the main character refers to this as the proper way of shaking hands. <S> A foreigner who shows respect by shaking hands this way goes up in the character’s estimation. <A> Just as another place where it is done, this is the standard way of shaking hands in the sport of Taekwondo. <S> See this page for example: <S> Shaking Hands A Taekwon-Do handshake is always given with two hands. <S> With the right hand extended, place the left hand palm down under the right elbow. <S> This is a gesture of respect and should be used at all times, even outside the dojang, when giving or receiving items, as well as when shaking hands. <A> My experience is with Nepal, transaction like paying or gifting are conducted with the right hand. <S> Placing the left hand on the right elbow connotes greater respect or formality to the transaction. <S> Adding the hand to elbow is like changing "Its nice to meet you" to "Its very nice to meet you" or "Thank you" to "Thank you, sir".
| I think it is the respectful way of shaking hands.
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High quality free mapping service for Germany Is there a high-quality free mapping service for Germany comparable to the great IGN maps of France available for free on Geoportail ? I am looking for something that can be used to plan hikes and discover new areas. <Q> Mapping is done by the federal states (Bundesländer), so you have to look at the respective land surveying office (Landesvermessungsamt). <S> E.g. for Bavaria, there is the Landesamt für Digitalisierung, <S> Breitband und Vermessung Bayern , and they link to their own mapping site, the BayernAtlas . <S> You can find links to all Landesvermessungsämter at the end of this Wikipedia article . <S> An overview of the mapping sites (2013): Die Bundesländer <S> und ihre Online-Kartendienste für topografische Karten . <A> I don't think there is something official similar in Germany. <S> You can use Kompass , which use OSM data. <S> I don't know where they get the elevation model from though. <A> As user24582 wrote, official maps are available in many places. <S> The best freely available map data (available online, using smartphone apps or a (Garmin) GPS device) is based on Openstreetmap - crowdsourced maps. <S> In most areas the data is by far better than other online maps, often even better than official maps which tend to be a bit outdated and not so much focused on tourists. <S> There are many OSM-based themed maps available, specializing on different use cases, such as hiking, car-routing or even horse riding. <S> For offline use (smartphone, GPS) <S> For online use I recommend https://hiking.waymarkedtrails.org/ <S> which includes many hiking routes. <S> Here you can find a comparison of different OSM based maps with Google maps to get an impression of the level of detail available: http://tools.geofabrik.de/mc/#14/50.1096/8.6855&num=4&mt0=mapnik&mt1=google-map&mt2=public_transport&mt3=hike_bike
| my personal recommendation would be http://freizeitkarte-osm.de/ .
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Leave Mumbai Airport after Check-In I am planning to check-in my luggage 4 hrs before an international flight. Once I check-in my luggage and receive the boarding pass, can I leave the airport and come back after 1.5 hrs? I have an Indian passport. <Q> Just dropped my Mum at Mumbai airport this morning and there are security guards outside the check-in hall. <S> They were checking tickets and id of passengers entering. <S> That being said, one of them tried to prevent 2 people leaving, but they said they were signed out and another guard motioned to let them through. <S> So it was OK and if you can drop your bag off that early, should be able to get out again. <S> Also, there was some kind of government visitor last night (17th), so security might relax a bit after they've left. <S> Edit: ignore this, sounds like the security was normal from comments above. <S> The main problem is going to be getting away from and back to the airport in 2-3 hours. <S> It's not exactly well connected. <S> You'd be able to make Andheri, or Ghatkopar on the metro, but I can't imagine what you'd actually want to do around there (a 2 wheeler would open up more options). <A> It's just a big hall behind the entrance doors. <S> So if Mumbai airport doesn't have some peculiar plan, you can leave it and come back later at any time. <A> I have done this several times! <S> Whenever I had a connecting flight halt more than a 4hr, I went out to buy stuff or eat something. <S> So the answer to your question is <S> YES, they do allow <S> If you are holding valid <S> ticket(When <S> I say valid, it means your flight is scheduled and not departed yet) of any flight, you are good to go out and come in any number of times at any Airports in India. <S> You valid ticket and identity proof are two things security will check. <S> Hope this helps!
| In most airports check-in area is not a secured area and you can enter it and leave it as you wish, no matter whether you have a boarding pass or luggage or whether you plan to fly or not.
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Do I have to show passport to board an international flight? I feel like I've had to show my passport to the gate agents (along with my boarding pass) boarding international flights. However, I haven't flown internationally in a few years, so I don't remember too well. A friend of mine who has flown internationally recently, said that they never asked for his passport at the gate. My reasoning is that if I turn out not to have a passport and immigration in the arriving country don't let me in, the airline will be responsible to take me back to the US. I'm specifically wondering about travelling out of the US into Canada, but curious to know for other countries (or is it an airline policy thing?). <Q> I've flown United, Air Canada and WestJet from the US to Canada. <S> All three required to see my passport prior to boarding, although United generally does the checks at the gate but prior to anyone boarding the aircraft. <S> (Canadian airports don't check ID at security, but instead, do so at the gate, even for domestic flights.) <A> If you cannot enter the target country, the airline has to fly you back on their own nickel, and it has to pay a hefty fee. <S> Therefore, airline always check your authorization to enter the target country. <S> They use a dedicated global database (TIMATIC) to know what you need for that (that DB maps every citizenship with every country, and lists requirements). <S> Most of the time, they are very strict, for example if you fly to Germany as a german citizen, and show them your Personalausweis, or if you fly to the US and show them your Global Entry card, they don’t accept it, even though it is legally sufficient for entering - but <S> TIMATIC doesn’t say so. <S> TIMATIC does list special options for Canada - US, so you can do that without a passport, and use Nexus, etc. <S> instead. <S> Otherwise, you will not get a boarding pass without showing that proof. <S> Taking your question more literal: there is not necessarily a passport check at the gate . <S> That happens on and off, depending seemingly on mood, airline, and time of the day. <S> But there is always a check before you get a boarding pass. <A> It has become the norm now to check and scan your passport first at security, then customs, and finally upon boarding your international flights along with your boarding pass of course. <S> It would be wise to download the "Mobile Pass" app to streamline your re-entry into the US upon your return flight. <S> Mobile Pass is TSA's app which eliminates the Border Card. <S> They also have a handy "MyTSA" app for up to date info. <S> Always remember, you are responsible for yourself.
| Returning to the US from a Canadian airport, you will be required to show your passport (or a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS) at the gate as you board.
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Can a connection in Singapore airport be too long? I am looking currently at flights from Darwin, Australia (DRW) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV). There are not many offerings on airline websites for routes between these airports. The itineraries I found have a very long connection in Singapore (SIN) airport, around 18 hours. I don't really mind the long connection, but would wish to remain "airside" and not have to go through immigration/passport-control and "formally enter" the country (Singapore). What I found is quite a convoluted route, with Singapore Airlines and Finnair through Singapore (SIN) airport and then Helsinki (HEL) airport. I am wondering whether there would be any issue with staying for 18 hours "airside" in transit in Changi airport in Singapore. Main issues I can think of are: There will be an issue passing on my baggage when the connection is so long, so I will need to go pass immigration and collect it myself. I could probably travel with carry-on baggage only if that will help. Maybe there is simply a limit on how long a passenger is allowed to stay "airside" in transit? <Q> Changi airport in Singapore is a good place for long stopovers. <S> The airport is set up for it with an airside hotel, and other great facilities, and stopovers of a whole day are not unheard of. <S> If you have a stopover of more than 8 hours the airport also offers free tours of the city http://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-experience/attractions-and-services/free-singapore-tour.html <S> You have to be checked in, with ticket and boarding pass (possibly a visa) <S> and you cannot take hand luggage with you <S> (they let you leave it at the luggage storage unit). <S> The tour lasts just under 3 hours. <S> Airside in the airport there are great places to eat, shop, and as mentioned in the comment under your question a cinema. <S> As long as you are booked on one ticket your luggage should be tagged all the way to the final destination. <S> If however it's separately ticketed <S> then you MAY have to clear immigration and collect your luggage before re-checking in. <S> In that case, you will need to check whether you need a transit visa which would depend on your nationality. <S> Some transfer information is here <S> http://www.changiairport.com/en/passenger-guide/transit.html <A> Yes! <S> This <S> Will my luggage transfer during an 18h layover in Changi? <S> answer refers to a twitter message by singapore airlines confirming that during an 18h layover at Changi the baggages are checked through to final destination and you don't need to pick them up. <S> You can even sleep in a hotel "airside"! <S> [Website of airside hotel] <S> See the testemony from someone who did it here: <S> During our 8-hour layover in Singapore (arrived at 1AM and left at 9AM), we were able to take advantage of one of the three Ambassador Transit Hotels located within the airport proper. <S> This means that after landing, you don’t need to clear Customs or leave the secure area of the airport. <S> You go from your gate to the hotel and go to sleep. <S> Rooms can be booked in a 6-hour block with a three 1-hour extensions so the max time you can stay is 9 hours. <S> source <A> This partially depends on the ticket and airline, so you need to check with your airline(s) directly. <S> Typically it works as follows: <S> A connection with less than 24 hours, is a "layover". <S> Your bags will not be returned. <S> You should get the boarding passes for all segments at check-in for the first segment. <S> A connection of 24 hours or more is a "stopover", you are expected to pickup your luggage and check in again. <S> That's when you get the boarding pass for the next segment. <S> All larger airports are open all night. <S> You can stay airside as long as you like. <S> There is actually a website dedicated to this. <S> For Changhi see: https://www.sleepinginairports.net/asia/singapore.htm <A> As stated in Timatic, the database used by Airlines: TWOV (Transit Without Visa): - Holders of confirmed onward tickets for a maximum transit time of 24 hours. <S> In other words, you can connect airside, with your lugagge checked through, for max 24 hours.
| You can stay "airside" if your layover is less than 24h as long as it is the same booking into and out of Changi (assuming you are flying with Singapore Airline).
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Transit time, United to Primera at Newark I am booking flights for my son, Syracuse to Newark dep 19:35 arr 20:58 (United),then Newark to London Stansted dep 22.50 (Primera Air). This is in May. Will there be enough time for him ? <Q> I'm going to take a different tack from the zillion-and-one questions about making connections at Newark-Liberty to highlight an issue that does not receive much attention at TSE. <S> Technically speaking, United doesn't fly SYR-EWR; it contracts that route to Commutair or ExpressJet dba United Express. <S> That isn't a problem in and of itself, but those airlines operate so-called regional jets. <S> As these are small planes, these flights are generally the first to suffer delays or cancellations for anything from a mid-afternoon thunderstorm to air traffic congestion, and Newark is in the most congested airspace in the country. <S> Second, Primera does not offer online check-in for Newark departures at this writing, and does not even offer self-service kiosks. <S> Therefore, your son would need to exit the secure area after arriving (almost certainly at Terminal A), take the AirTrain to Terminal B, wait in line for check-in and document review at the Primera counter, then proceed back to TSA screening to get to the boarding gate. <S> Without checked luggage, this might be possible, but there is no margin for error. <S> If there is any kind of flow control program in effect, if the ground services are short-staffed and there is a delay before the plane can park at the gate or allow passengers to disembark, if your son accidentally boards a train going the wrong direction, this will all make for an extremely stressful experience. <S> And because you would be buying the two tickets separately, as Primera does not have any partnerships with other airlines, you are assuming 100% of the risk. <S> If there is a freak blizzard and your son misses the connection, Primera has no obligations to him. <S> He is a no-show, and under the Conditions of Carriage you agree to when you purchase the ticket, the seat is forfeit. <S> Most of the larger international carriers will, as a customer service gesture, let you stand by on a later flight, but ultra low-cost carriers are not known for their customer service. <S> I would allow ample time, four hours at a minimum. <S> Airports are stressful enough as it is; there's little to be gained by adding to it with tight scheduling. <A> However, with two separate bookings, it's risky, especially if he has any checked luggage. <S> With separate bookings, you are arranging your own connection and are responsible for the consequences. <S> If his first flight is delayed, the second airline will not care, and you'll be responsible for the cost of a new flight, which can be substantial, along with expenses during the delay, potentially overnight. <S> If your son has any checked luggage, he'll have to go to baggage claim, wait for the bags, and check them in for his next flight. <S> And at Newark, he'll likely have to change terminals and go through security again. <S> All of that will take a fair amount of time, more-so if he's unfamiliar with the airport or not an experienced traveler. <S> In short, I would not do this. <A> The connection is technically not possible, if you have luggage. <S> Even if you ‘fly’ out of the plane to the luggage belt, grab your stuff, and continue to the check-in counter of the other airline, you need to check your luggage two hours before the offical start time for international flights . <S> So you are already late before you landed. <S> Make sure to have your boarding pass for the second flight before you enter the first. <S> As others mentioned, if there is a delay, you blew the full cost for the second roundtrip. <S> You have no regress rights against anyone.
| If this were a single ticket (you can have multiple flights on one ticket, but a single transaction with airlines that interline), 1:48 is sufficient time (depending on your tolerance for delays and the consequences of not making it to London as planned). With no luggage, it is easily possible; unless there is significant delay, you probably have 90% chance to make it.
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Flight Cancellations and Delays I was hoping someone could help please?- Basically I flew from the states to the UK and one of my flights was cancelled and delayed and my airline provided no compensation to me while others were given some compensation. I had a flight from Chicago to Newark- I got to Newark at 12:30 am so I had to wait 8 hours for my flight to London Heathrow, which I was fine with since I paid for that ticket. Albeit, when I got onto my 8:30 am flight, it was first delayed for about 3 hours and was then cancelled- we were told there would be another flight leaving at 7:30pm so we would have to wait. We were also informed to go to the customer service desk, people were given food vouchers, I was speaking to some people who had just got there an hour before the flight and they even received $60 and a hotel. However when I informed the customer service team that I had already been there for 8 hours, they only offered me $20 worth of food vouchers- while others were given $60 and a hotel. We ended up being boarded onto the plane at 8:30 pm even though we were supposed to leave at 7:30 pm and then we were delayed again and finally took off at around 11:30 pm. The reasons for all the delays were due to issues with the plane's brakes. They have provided me with no compensation, I went on their website (united cares- united airlines) and filled out a form- almost 2 weeks later I have received no response. Is there anything I can do? I just feel it's unfair that I was practically in the airport 23 hours- while others who were only there for an hour or two were actually compensated. <Q> Officially, you are not due any compensation. <S> The US does not have rules around compensation for such events, and as you were flying a US-based airline TO the EU, then European Union laws do not apply. <S> Unofficially, UA generally does provide compensation in cases like this. <S> Firstly, I would suggest NOT referring to the '23 hours'. <S> That was YOUR choice to book such a connection, and not in any way the fault of the airline. <S> What matters is the length of your delay, which was seemingly 15 hours. <S> As this was a delay through the day, United would NOT normally offer hotels in such a situation, however it is very possible that they did to their Business/First class passengers, as well as their very frequent flyers - I'm guessing you were neither of those. <S> United's standard "meal voucher" is $20. <S> For a delay that long I would have expected them to give you at least 2 vouchers, but again they have no legal requirement to do so. <S> United WILL give compensation in a case like this IF the delay was caused by an issue with their aircraft (as opposed to weather/etc). <S> Normally this will be done automatically via their customer care website - I would suggest trying that again and making sure you enter the correct details for the flight, at which point it should immediately offer you a (probably fairly small) number of Frequent Flyer miles or a compensation voucher. <S> If that doesn't work, email the united customer care email address (on the back of your Mileage Plus card if you're a United frequent flyer member, or otherwise Google will find it for you) and raise the issue. <S> They may take a week or so to get back to you, but they will offer you compensation of some form. <A> Other than indemnification of damages as protected by the Montreal Convention, it's mostly up to each carrier to decide how they want to compensate you (or at all), and how they want to take care of you <S> (if there had been an overnight delay the situation would have been different). <S> It is perfectly possible they could have different compensation policies based on: the cabin travelled in (first / business / coach...) <S> the fare class (a full non discounted fare vs a highly discounted fare) the fare rules ( <S> if the ticket is refundable, they have an incentive to take care of you to avoid cancellation) <S> the frequent flyer status the perceived "fragility" of the passenger (elderly, sick...). <S> and of course the human factor (a smile can go a long way). <S> I believe it's unusual under normal circumstances for a hotel to be provided for a day-time delay, but they could do it for high-value passengers. <S> Unless you know the specific circumstances of each passenger, it's difficult to compare what kind of compensation or service you were offered. <S> On the other hand, if you can actually justify damage, you may be eligible for compensation under the Montreal Convention, though this is often a complex endeavour, and quite limited in scope. <A> You can claim compensation in US too. <S> US Tarmac delay rule specifies US air passenger rights which addresses the problem of passengers being stranded on the ground of aircraft, denied boarding, flight delays or missed flight connections. <S> The rule states that, airlines are not allowed to wait for more than four hours on international flights or over three hours on domestic flights and also protects air travelers against involuntarily denied boarding. <S> Here you can find all the information http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/flight-delays . <S> Hence according to the rule, UA should compensate you for your delayed flight. <S> United Airlines has a bad reputation for delaying and denying passengers to board the aircraft. <S> In fact, every airline does not provide passengers with compensation and would try to lure the passengers with coupons or vouchers. <S> In order to claim compensation, you can directly contact the airline via email or customer support (that you have already done, but there's no response), so you can contact any online claiming company which can help you with getting your compensation without any hassle or alternatively you can hire flight claim lawyer.
| Contrary to (for instance) flights originating in the EU or operated by a EU airline, flights from the US operated by a US carrier have very little protection, and definitely no automatic compensation by law or regulation.
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Why is so difficult to fly across the 2-year old threshold with (some) airlines? I found it almost impossible to get acceptable tickets to fly with my daughter if she reaches 2 years old during a round-trip. Their website (I'm talking about 2 European companies, one low cost and one standard) don't allow to proceed even trying to pay the forward flight as a child as well. Buying tickets for forward and return flights separately is not an option because the prices are 5-6 times higher. Their offices say I should be able to buy tickets as a child, but they should try on their own before... As an alternative they might sell the tickets directly but with extra fees due to the offline procedure. Of course, whenever possible, you can change the dates to avoid such a "problem", but I cannot find a reason why websites cannot charge one flight as infant and another as child, when the birthday happens in between. Among all billions of passengers every year I assume it shouldn't be so uncommon. Why do they discourage such a travel? <Q> The answer to why it's so difficult is because infants under 2 don't have their own seats, while children over 2 do . <S> Therefore: Infant tickets are cheap (10% of adult fare is typical) because they cost the airline nothing, it's just two people in one adult seat. <S> But because of this... <S> They don't want to give an essentially-free infant a child seat, because that will take up an actual seat that could have been sold to an adult at full price. <S> They can't let the child be booked as an infant on the way back, because there may be aviation regulations that prohibit seating a child over 2 as a lap child during takeoff/landing. <S> So your options are to purchase a child fare for the whole journey (which may require reaching out to a travel agent or the airline directly), or to purchase separate one-way tickets , one as infant and one as child. <S> That said, from personal experience flying with two-year-olds, I'd recommend biting the bullet and getting them their own seat, since at that age trying to hold them in your lap for a long flight on a packed plane is about as pleasant as wrestling with a bag of octopuses. <A> As outlined in a related question , airlines never bother verifying the dates of birth you enter when checking in or purchasing a ticket. <S> Therefore the simplest solution is to "age up" your daughter by a year and book a return child ticket instead of the cheaper infant ticket. <S> You may also complain to the airline about the quality of their booking systems, but there's not much you can do otherwise except going around the system in some way. <A> Book the flight with the child's age as of departure, as a return trip, and you should have no problems. <A> Book your daughter's travel as two one-way trips, one as an infant and one as a child. <S> Then call the airline and have them link the booking references to your round-trip one.
| Consequently, most airlines have the policy that if a child turns 2 during the validity of the ticket, they're not eligible for an infant fare and have to purchase a child fare.
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Buying domestic flights in India online We're a 50+ couple flying to India this summer. I'm trying to buy domestic flight tickets from Delhi to Kullu, from Jaipur to Delhi and from Amritsar to Rishikesh. When I tried to buy the tickets on the Air India website, the purchase couldn't be processed although I tried numerous times. If it might be relevant, I'm from Israel. Is there an alternative website for purchasing these tickets? <Q> You can use the following sites: https://www.makemytrip.com <S> https://www.cleartrip.com <S> I personally use Cleartrip. <A> There are multiple websites that you can use for domestic flight tickets in India. <S> Apart from the ones mentioned in the answers. <S> I suggest you look at https://www.skyscanner.co.in/ to get the consolidated results. <S> There you can also find some websites that accept the payment in dollars or your currency (they run under the Indian domain, however, the operations are managed overseas) and at times offer the cheapest rates. <A> 2 are already mentioned above, apart from this there are more: <S> Goibibo.com Akbar Travels.com <S> yatra.com <S> Expedia <S> Trivago <S> Note <S> : Some of these sites may have restrictions on using an Indian credit card. <S> If you face this issue, best call the airlines office directly and book. <S> Apart from Air India there are other airlines which have great service: <S> Jet Airways, Air Vistara, Indigo
| There are multiple websites that aggregate the airlines fares and allow booking.
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Dual Colombian/US citizen traveling on a Colombian passport I recently had an immigration nightmare. I am a seasoned traveler and think I made an amateur mistake. However, I'd like some guidance if you have some advice. I am a dual Colombian-US citizen. I recently reclaimed my Colombian citizenship. I booked a trip to the Dominican Republic. I was granted entry no problem. However, I was refused exit because I did not have a visa for entry to the US. They did not care that I was a dual citizen. I prefer to travel on my Colombian passport but unless I get a visa, I cannot. Does anyone know how to get a visa to be able to travel on the Colombian passport for entry back to the US? <Q> You'll need a US passport. <S> If you tried to apply for a visa on your Colombian passport, you'd be asked what other citizenships you hold. <S> Once you tell them you're a US citizen, they'll stop looking at your visa application, because visas are only for foreigners. <S> So while you may prefer to travel on your Colombian passport, that's not an option in this case. <S> If you don't have a US passport with you (or don't have one at home someone can send to you), you'll need to contact the nearest US Embassy for assistance. <S> They can handle passport applications, but it may be quicker to get an emergency travel document to get back to the US, assuming you are in a hurry to get home. <S> Here's their page on lost/stolen travel documents (not exactly your situation, but similar), and on requesting an emergency appointment . <S> You can also email "passport and citizenship inquiries" to sdoamericans@state.gov if you have questions about their local procedures. <S> You may also want to review our general question: <S> I have two passports/nationalities. <S> How do I use them when I travel? <A> They did not care that I was a dual citizen. <S> I prefer to travel on my Colombian passport but unless I get a visa, I cannot.. <S> Exactly. <S> Colombians require a visa, and as you're also American, you cannot get a visa. <S> Whether you tell people in the DR <S> you're a dual citizen <S> is irrelevant - without a US passport check-in staff <S> will not let you board a flight to the US. <S> Although you'll be let into the US, the airline could be heavily fined if letting you board. <S> So you'll need to get a US passport or transportation letter at a US embassy. <A> You ask Does anyone know how to get a visa to be able to travel on the Colombian passport for entry back to the US? <S> Unfortunately, you cannot. <S> Visas are by law to be issued only to "aliens," which you are not. <S> From the US Foreign Affairs Manual , in particular part 9, the handbook for consular staff: You may not issue a nonimmigrant visa to an individual who has been determined to be a U.S. citizen.
| To enter the US you need a US passport, period.
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How to verify, with different airlines, that the broker booked the flight correctly? I bought 3 interconnected flights via Kiwi.com, but have been reading so many negative reviews and experiences with this online broker. Many of the problems look to be connected to the booking not forwarded to the airlines, or details (e.g. regarding additional luggages) not transmitted (leading to pay again when checking in at the airports). I wonder what I can do to prevent issues when I will travel to such flights? Is there a way to have a confirmation of the booking (with my name and passport number) from the airlines, so that I can be sure that my flights have been requested and paid ? Checking the state of flights on some flight-tracking website, so to be aware of eventual variations/cancellations/delay. I've also paid for the Premium Insurance but I'm not sure if that would help. Would it be better to try to get a refund and buy with via another company? EDIT From the confirmation email I have: a PNR (same for all 3 flights) 3 E-Ticket numbers 1 single E-Ticket number PNR is in the format accepted by the first airline, but is not recognised by the system on the website. The second & third flights airline (Etihad Airlines) website says No special characters or numbers allowed regardless of what I digit. I tried their Check-in form, that doesn't give the error but says my booking doesn't exist... Additionally CheckMyTrip reports a different PNR for the 2 Etihad flights (but still not recognised on their website), not appearing at all in the ticket sent me by Kiwi.com... What can I do? EDIT 2 I called all the different airlines to confirm the booking of the flights, the inclusion of the luggage and the eventuality of automatic pass-through for the luggage at the changing airports. Also, Kiwi.com specifies for each flight that the passenger will have to check-out and check-in again (having to pass again all the security controls, and actually eventually having a visas to just step-in & step-out of the country). Calling the single airlines confirmed in which cases the pass-through is automatic (for example with Etihad I won't need to do anything, regardless of what the default text from the Kiwi.com confirmation says). To note that the for almost all airlines customer services I got the chance to call in my country to speak in my mother language and confirm all the flights. Also the PNR given by Kiwi.com was not valid for any of the airlines , but they gave me the right PNR after providing the ticket number. I can only suggest to spend the time (and hopefully not the money) to call and verify each step of your flight with your airlines. Usually their customer services are a lot better than the customer services from online brokers (e.g. calling eDreams they gave me 2 other different numbers to call to get minimal info about the flight: 1 for free, fake; 1 highly expensive, working). EDIT 3 - All right! I finally got my flights. Everything went smooth. I confirmed before leaving (twice, in two different airports) that the passage of luggage is automatic when there is a single ticket number .What Kiwi.com writes in its email is just misleading; probably an automatic text just to disclaim any responsibility in case something goes wrong. Not really professional..... I'd suggest to use Kiwi.com just to find routes, not to book. Or to book with them just when having already some experience and confidence with international/intercontinental travelling (to not get confused by a fuzzy booking agent). <Q> This also is your chance to reserve specific seats or special diet meals. <A> It's too late to book via another company and Premium insurance is quite useless. <S> However, you should receive from Kiwi by mail, within 24 hours, your digital tickets, which should contain respective ticket numbers and reservation code to verify each reservation on the respective airline sites. <A> Just checked my confirmation from Kiwi and that's what I have: <S> Kiwi number is 6-digit length and it is <S> the same for all legs of your route. <S> It doesn't checkable on airline sites, only on Kiwi site. <S> PNR numbers (alphanumeric) are unique for each leg of your transfer and are perfectly checkable on air carriers sites. <S> At least mine are. <S> So you can have 5 different PNRs with one Kiwi booking number. <S> If your PNRs are not checkable against the air carriers' systems, then something is wrong with them, and you should definitely contact Kiwi <S> so they give you the correct reservation numbers. <S> You says that you have same PNR for all three flights which is obviously wrong. <S> Checking via CheckMyTrip works for me as well, and should do for you too.
| Once kiwi gives you the airline booking references (likely by email) use them to check your bookings on the airline websites.
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Accessing Karlsruhe from a major airport I'm going from Seattle to Karlsruhe. Since the flight to Karlsruhe from Seattle is really expensive, I am looking for options to arrive to Karlsruhe from alternative airports (Frankfurt or Stuttgart) and then find alternative forms of transportation. Any suggestion on which airport and form of transportation? Also, if I could buy my tickets once I get there instead of in advance, it would help a lot, since it's my first time to Germany and unfortunately I can't speak German. <Q> Stuttgart is a regional airport. <S> You will find domestic flights going from Frankfurt to Stuttgart, but it generally isn't worth the effort to look them up for such a short distance. <S> There may be direct flights from the U.S. into Stuttgart, but again, they aren't worth the effort to look them up. <S> It's pretty much the same as with Karlsruhe Airport. <S> Frankfurt Airport has a long distance train station with direct trains to Karlsruhe. <S> The train ride is about 90 minutes, trains go each hour and cost 30 to 60 Euro, depending how much in advance you settle on a specific time (or not at all). <S> You can book tickets at http://bahn.de/en , from <S> is Frankfurt(Main)Flugh , to Karlsruhe <S> Hbf (or <S> whichever bus/tram stop you want to go to in Karlsruhe). <S> Or use one of the long distance travel ticket machines at Frankfurt Flughafen station, they also have an English menu. <S> Ticket counter is also an option, they should be able to talk to you in English. <S> It's a good idea to look up the train and bus/tram schedules at bahn.de even if you don't buy a ticket online. <S> They also have all local bus/tram schedules in Germany. <A> It is probably worthwhile to look into getting a Rail&Fly ticket . <S> The general ideas are as follows: <S> They must be booked through your airline in conjunction with an international flight to/from Germany. <S> (There are some exceptions for some flights to/from European cities that are also served by Deutsche Bahn.) <S> Not all airlines offer this service but most non-discount airlines that aren’t KLM/Delta that offer service to Germany provide this option. <S> They cost 29€ Per person per direction for 2nd class. <S> (Double the price for first, optional seat reservations are extra.) <S> They are valid on any train including ICE trains. <S> After a flight, they are valid on the calendar date of the flight and the following calendar day. <S> Before a flight, they are valid on the day of the flight or the proceeding day. <S> Unless you are travelling a short distance, these tickets offer a very cheap price with incredibly huge flexibility so even if things go incredibly wrong with your flight, you don’t have to worry about losing the value of your purchased train ticket. <S> They also allow you to opt for the airport which has the cheapest/most direct flights (which is usually Frankfurt). <S> Most major German airports have built in Train stations and since Germany has high speed rail links (up to 300 km/h). <S> Germans generally have good English, especially in industries which often interact with foreigners such as rail and air transport. <A> Definitely Frankfurt since the train station is in the airport. <S> The airport actually has two train stations: one for regional trains (S-Bahn) and for regular long distance trains (Fernbahnhof). <S> You definitely want the second one (Fernbahnhof). <S> Every two hours there is direct train, that doesn't require changes. <S> Tickets can bought at www.bahn.de <S> and it's substantially cheaper if you buy them two weeks or so ahead of time. <S> There are currently only two airlines that go non-stop from SEA to FRA which are Lufthansa and Condor. <S> Lufthansa will run you around $1300, Condor can be as little as half of that <S> but they don't fly every day, so <S> you have to have some flexibility in the dates. <S> "normal" flights with a single layover should be around $1000. <S> All prices are mid week, mid February. <A> A note on German train booking, if for some reason you are not using rail&fly <S> (whose availability and price is dependent on the flight carrier you choose): you get two prices for each train, "fixed" and "flexible". <S> Fixed (which is a condition of almost everything offered as "savings fare") means that you are buying a ticket for a given train and if you miss that train for whatever reason (except by fault of the Deutsche Bahn itself) you have to buy a new ticket to travel later. <S> The Flexiticket is valid for any train travelling that day, and in connection of the uncertainty of intercontinental flights and the stress of long travel to an unfamiliar destination, I would consider it money well invested. <S> As for booking from home, you can buy the train ticket under bahn.de, payment by credit card is accepted, and you are obliged to carry with you a printout of the ticket. <S> As said above, compare prices with Rail and Fly first - it seems that you will be paying around 40 Euros from Frankfurt with the ICE. <S> This is the price for one direction, you don't get discounts for booking the return journey at the same time. <S> For the preferred order of airports: the other answers already explained why Frankfurt is by far the best choice. <S> If for some reason you want to compare to second-best alternatives, then Stuttgart (1-2h), Strasbourg (1-2h), Paris (2-3h) and Zürich (3-4h) would come into consideration, in order of reduced time spent on board of a train. <S> For basically all of those, you can find connections with only one layover somewhere other than Frankfurt, so if the options you have through Frankfurt are very inconvenient for you, you can shop around to see what happens if you fly to one of those. <S> Smaller airports which are physically closer are unlikely to be a better choice because of more layovers or worse train connection.
| Book a flight to Frankfurt Airport, then take the train to Karlsruhe.
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Is there a way to see my complete Oyster card travel history online? I have been using the same (visitor) travel/Oyster card to on TfL for several years and would like to see my full history for all my visits to London. I know there is a way to see at least recent history for my card use at ticket kiosks on the Tube system in London, but I would like to see all of it, and without having to visit London to do so, really to download to for analysis. Is there a way to see my complete Oyster card travel history online? Can I download it? <Q> Creating an account for an Oyster card will only show you the past eight weeks of travel. <S> After this eight week period, the data is anonymised. <S> However, if the card has been irregularly used, there may some older data on the card itself , according to TFL: We retain data about the individual journeys made using your Oyster card for eight weeks after the card is used. <S> After eight weeks, the journey data in the ticketing system is disassociated from your card (ie anonymised). <S> This eight-week period is considered reasonable to enable customers to verify or make enquiries concerning their journeys (for example, for refund purposes). <S> Customer names and contact information associated with a registered Oyster card will be retained for two years after the card was last used or had a season ticket or pay as you go credit added. <S> Some journey information is also stored on the Oyster card itself; this comprises the last eight journeys and related charges, up to three season ticket products, (generally the most recent three tickets, including future dated), and the last two incomplete journeys. <S> If you are an irregular user of your Oyster card, the data stored on the card may be older than eight weeks. <A> As other answers have said, the TfL website does not retain the journey history permanently. <S> However, you can download journey history statements in .csv <S> or .pdf. <S> Better, if you want to avoid having to download journey history statements manually, you can subscribe to have weekly Oyster journey history statements sent to you by electronic mail , in .csv <S> and/or in .pdf <S> (very useful if submitting expense claims for business travel). <S> That way, so long as you do not lose your electronic-mail account, you will have a complete history of weekly statements online via your electronic-mail provider. <A> It looks like you can get about ten months of history by logging into the Transport for London website, if you have an account for your Oyster card. <S> (My Oyster cards have been active since September, 2007.) <S> It is quite possible that TFL might have more records on file for law enforcement or other purposes, but it may take special effort to acquire such records, if they exist. <S> https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/oyster-online-account is the web page for accessing your account.
| As other answers have said, you need to sign-up for an online account at https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/
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Am I going to have trouble flying without my full name on the ticket? In my passport, my name is Firstname middlename1 middlename2 lastname, and in the ticket is LASTNAME/FIRSTNAME MR. Will be a problem? I'll travel from Brazil to Bali, Indonesia and according to the agency I bought the ticket from, there's no problem and it's common. The airline is Qatar Airlines and I have looked this link , which says that the passenger name can't be changed after the booking has finished. But I don't know if it is a problem. <Q> It's fine, as long as the first and last name are correct. <S> I also have several middle names that I never use anywhere, and it has never caused any problems. <A> I have two surnames. <S> Usually, my tickets have only last surname and first name. <S> Also, I already had tickets printed my first name and my two last names without space. <S> I never had any issue on that. <A> Before I ask this question here I sent an e-mail to Qatar Airlines and they also answer my question as below: <S> Dear, Thank you for contacting Qatar Airways. <S> We thank you for taking the time to communicate with us <S> and we look forward to welcome you aboard. <S> Yours sincerely, Qatar Airways Support
| With regard to your email, please be advised that Qatar Airways check in counter will be checking the first name and last name of the passenger only, thus if passenger has a multiple names or middle names which are not reflecting in the ticket, it is still considered as good for travel.
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Rent a car at Palm Springs airport I'm going to Palm Springs in March for a conference for 1 week. Then, I will do a small road trip to California. I need to rent a car. I arrive at Palm Springs on the 3rd but I only want to rent a car from the 9th. Most of the car rental companies are at the airport. Are these rental car companies accessible if I come from outside the airport? I know some places where the rental companies are in the terminal and only accessible for the people who just took a plane. <Q> Yes, the rental car companies at Palm Springs Airport are accessible even if you did not arrive by air (speaking from experience of having rented from PSP before) <S> In fact, I can't think of any airport in the US where this would not be possible. <A> Rental car companies have desks in the airport because that's a big source of business for them. <S> They will quite happily do business with anyone, and their yards are usually outside the airport boundary. <S> Most will have offices and pickup arrangements in the city centre too. <S> Get some quotes online, pick a company, phone their local office and ask what arrangements they have. <S> Some may even deliver to your hotel. <A> I'm not sure if it's the case in Palm Springs, but often, there are additional charges if you rent at an airport instead of another location. <S> If you will be renting and dropping your car off away from the airport, it will often save you money to avoid the airport location. <S> Here is some information: https://www.wired.com/2014/12/silly-fees-rental-car-blame-local-politicians/ ... <S> the airport fees are often called "concession fees". <S> Also, https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2017/04/26/rental/304971001/ states that there is an 11.1% concession fee charged at Palm Springs Airport.
| There are also numerous rental locations around Palm Springs that are not at the airport.
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UK citizens traveling to Ireland with a child having no passport, what's the alternative for the ID? I understand from various answers here, and from .gov.uk that I don't need a passport to travel to Ireland: I can just show my UK driver's license. But what if I'm travelling with a 10 year old child who does not have a passport, and obviously no driving license either. Is there some other form of ID which would be accepted? <Q> The child would not need a passport, but you must be able to prove that you are their legal guardian. <S> Assuming that you are flying, the best thing to do would be consult your airline's webpage, as sometimes policies can vary between airlines. <S> For example, from Flybe : Republic of Ireland travel <S> British and Irish citizens must have a form of photographic ID which proves their nationality/citizenship for immigration purposes e.g. a valid passport or full/provisional photographic driving licence. <S> British and Irish citizens under the age of 18 do not need a passport when travelling with a parent or guardian but <S> it is highly recommended that they have one. <S> A child of any other nationality must hold a passport which is covered for the period of intended stay. <A> The fact is that all British and Irish citizens have an unconditional right to enter each other's countries. <S> Meaning anyone with documents proving or making it plausible that they're <S> British/Irish must be let in. <S> As such, if the child is yours, their birth certificate stating your relationship is enough, although some check-in handling agents (if flying) may not accept it (contact them beforehand and ask) <S> If it's not your child, ask the parents to obtain the child's birth certificate as well as a legalised/notarised affidavit of consent containing a copy of their ID as well as their contact details. <A> Be careful though. <S> Ryanair won't accept anything other than a passport between Ireland and the UK. <S> As far as I am aware, they are the only carrier with this requirement. <S> I am not clear how this affects accompanied minors flying on this route with Ryanair, though. <S> Note also, based on experience travelling using only a driver's license, that you may be asked to produce your boarding card as evidence of your journey, this has happened to me several times recently, when entering Ireland, so be sure to keep this handy. <A> RYANAIR ONLY ACCEPT PASSPORTS. <S> I've just done a live chat to see if I can take my 10 month old baby from the UK to dublin with a birth certificate and they have said they will only accept passports. <A> From my own experience as both a bus passenger and travelling via private car as a passenger, the experience differs . <S> My ID was always checked before boarding at Pembroke Dock as a bus passenger and randomly as a car passenger at Rosslare. <S> It seems to depend on the mood of the staff and how busy they are. <S> I have not got a passport yet , but no doubt will need to get one sooner or later. <S> Have never been asked for ID for our child of whom we have Special Guardianship. <A> Where in the UK are you? <S> If you travel by boat, you won't have your ID checked, so another option is to drive, or Rail and Sail.
| Without a passport, the parent/guardian must be able to prove the relationship with the child, showing birth certificate, marriage certificate etc.
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My mom and I are traveling to NYC together. Can we be together at the border control station or will we have to go one after another? My mom and I are traveling to New York City together soon and I will be 17 years old by the time of travel. The airport of arrival is Newark Liberty Airport(EWR). Will we have to go one after the other to the border control officer or can we be together since I am still under 18? <Q> Even if you were over 18, you should be able to attend together since you're family <S> and you're traveling together. <S> This is particularly true if your baggage is at all intermingled, i.e. if you have things belonging to each of you in the same bag. <S> I'd present together. <S> You'll certainly be advised if this isn't acceptable, and I fully expect it will be acceptable. <A> Your age doesn't matter. <S> Go together. <S> I usually do so. <S> This simplifies the control of the immigration officer, especially if your mother doesn't speak English or if she expect that you will guide her to the city and country. <S> In any case, to reassure you, you will do some queuing, so check how other people behave. <S> If a new policy is being followed, you will find that other people will be split (from their group). <A> Short Answer: If you're traveling together, you will go together, regardless of your age. <S> I've repeatedly flown into the US from overseas, most recently last month. <S> My family is mixed US passport and Green Card, and we don't have the same last name. <S> Regardless, we've always been processed with the automated machines. <S> If there's someone with a US passport in the group, and everyone else has the required visa, then you all go straight through the automated system. <S> You can choose your preferred language for the process at the kiosk. <S> A non-US citizen will have to submit to a finger print scan at the machine, everyone must answer questions about their trip, and everyone will be photographed. <S> At the end, each person has a printed "receipt" to carry, and eventually give to a customs agent. <S> You interact with a human afterwards, but almost everything is done by machine. <S> There's a long queue beforehand, so use the restroom or fill your water bottle immediately after you leave the plane. <S> We've stood in line up to 40 minutes. <A> Newark is listed as having the Automated Passport Control machines. <S> If you are eligible to use these then... <S> I believe for visitors that means those who will be residing at the same address (including the same hotel) while in the US, not a matter of living together in your country of residence. <S> Certainly you and your mother should move to a machine together and start entering your details - it will guide you if you need to do anything different <A> I know the question was about US, but I guess it also depends on the officer's mood. <S> I was travelling to Finland last December on our way to Finland the officer asked us to go border control station together, while on our way back another officer specifically told me to keep the distance between me and the control station while he was looking at my gf's documents. <A> As others pointed out, age shouldn't matter. <S> If I travel to the USA with my spouse, usually we approach the officer together -- it has never been a problem. <S> Except the last time. <S> We then flew into JFK, and at that moment, I was a "returning ESTA visitor", and my spouse was not. <S> Which meant, we got sorted into two different lanes. <S> But if that doesn't happen to you, and you're both queuing in the same lane, just approach the officer together. <S> The worst what will happen is the officer saying one of you have to wait till the other is done.
| The kiosks allow people residing at the same address to be processed together.
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Permanent family member of Latvian citizen. Can I travel to the UK or Ireland without an article 20 residency permit? I live with my wife since 2012 in Latvia. My wife and two kids are Latvian citizens. I hold a Latvian permanent residence card. On my residence card is written permanent family member. According to article 20, it should be clearly written "family member of EU citizen" but on my card is only written "family member." As my wife and kids are Latvian citizens, can I travel with them to Ireland or the UK? <Q> The card does really need to say "family member of a union/EEA citizen " before it has any effect for the UK. <S> Those cards are only supposed to be issued when the union citizen lives in a different member state than the one of his citizenship, which is why your card does not say that. <S> Even if you had one of those cards, the UK have been sort of reluctant to accept them, and the official guidance from the UK government recommends bringing separate documentation for your relation to the union citizen in addition to the article 10 card. <S> But this can easily take hours and quite ruin the beginning of your holiday. <S> And that's assuming that you even make it to the border, because without an article 10 card (or EEA family permit) you probably won't be allowed to board a plane towards the UK. <S> So this only works if you go by train from France or Belgium <S> (in which case delays at immigration will make you miss your train unless you plan for them and arrive hours in advance). <S> The sane thing for you to do is to apply for an EEA family permit (or its Irish equivalent, depending on where you're going) before leaving. <A> Your card is not an article 20 card, because those are issued to people whose family member lives in an EU/EFTA state other than that of their nationality. <S> Your wife is Latvian and lives in Latvia, so you don't qualify. <S> As such, you'll need an EEA Family Permit for the UK, and an equivalent visa for Ireland. <A> The UK is unlikely to accept this card for visa-free travel, and they are not required to under the directive. <S> The same is probably true for Ireland. <S> More importantly, airlines are unlikely to let you board with your permit. <S> The safest thing for you to do is get an EEA family permit for the UK and the analogous visa for Ireland.
| In principle you can just show up at the UK border and ask to be let in based on any convincing evidence that you're a family member of the union citizen you're traveling with -- such as a marriage certificate -- and they have to consider this evidence rather deny you entry immediately.
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Schengen visa: why bank statements if the company is sponsoring my visa? I have a work permit for Belgium. I understand that my visa application will be sponsored by the Belgian company recruiting me. In this case, why am I stil required to submit my bank statements? I am travelling on company sponsor and I am planning to sponsor my wife's travel. But the amount in my bank is sufficient for sustenance, but only for one individual(as per the Belgian per day euro calculation). Effectively both of us are financially covered, as I will get paid while staying in Belgium and my bank funds become useful for my wife's stay. But since both of us are submitting my bank statement with our visa applications, we are not sure how well it goes down with the authorities <Q> There is no explanation in the official Visa Code I could find. <S> But bank statements have other usefulness besides the usual "ensure the applicant has enough resources to support yourself during the trip" which is not applicable in your case. <S> For example the consulate could use them to ensure: <S> That you have legitimate means to support yourself right now <S> , i.e. receive legal income from work and spend it <S> (i.e. your income is not all cash-based which could be linked to tax evasion and even possible criminal activities) - this helps ensuring that you'd do the same while in Belgium; That you have meaningful connection to your local economy - and thus is likely to return back once your work permit is finished/canceled, instead of staying underground in Belgium; That there are no obvious red flags which would require further questioning, such as your balance shows you have been in debt for a long period of time. <A> The bank statement shows that: Your economic situation correlates with what you have submitted as your details. <S> That the trip is not a financial burden on you. <S> The company may not be covering the costs of the entire trip for you, or may only be covering them partially. <S> For example, when I travel on company business the flights are covered by the company, but hotel expenses are not (they are reimbursed later). <S> So I have to show sufficient funds for the trip even though a large majority of it is being paid for. <S> My brother was recently hired by a company in the Netherlands. <S> This company paid for his ticket, plus 3 months of hotel stay, plus a daily stipend (while they finished his paperwork and got him a permanent apartment); and my brother still had to show a bank statement as part of the visa procedure. <S> In summary, the bank statement is more than just how much money you have in the bank. <A> As I understand it, the company is sponsoring you and not your spouse. <S> I don't think you can sponsor your wife, if you haven't started working with this company yet - Unless you have sufficient funds in your bank account for both of you and the bank statement and other documents demonstrate that your spouse has ties to her home country. <S> This is how I think the Belgian authorities would look at your case. <A> Your bank statement's "money value" will be considered only for the visa application(s), for whom YOU are the sponsor. <S> It has worked for me.
| If you are explicitly having your company as your sponsor, you can relax and go ahead with providing your bank statement for your application as well as for anybody whom you are planning to sponsor.
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Dealing with dry nose/throat when flying On long flights (6h+) I'm always having a hard time with dry nose and upper parts of throat. It stops me from falling asleep and gets worse when I'm trying to lie back in the seat. Are there any good ways I could improve the situation? I've tried drinking a lot, but it doesn't help much - I just get dry from breathing, regardless of overall hydration. I've also tried some vaseline in the nose - which helps a little bit, but deeper in and the throat are still very dry. <Q> I think everyone has that problem. <S> Try saline nose spray. <S> A damp towel, flu mask or other cloth over your mouth also helps. <A> The two existing answers are fine (I already carry an empty water bottle, and I shall certainly try the wet towel on my next journey) but to help clarify the source of the dryness, I quote (without permission, on a fair-use basis) from Patrick Smith's " Cockpit Confidential: Everything you need to know about air travel " (Sourcebooks, 2013). <S> If passengers have one very legitimate gripe, it's about dryness. <S> Indeed, the cabin air is exceptionally dry and dehydrating. <S> At around 12% humidity, it's drier than you will find in most deserts. <S> This is chiefly a by-product of cruising at high altitudes, where moisture content is somewhere between low and non-existent. <S> Humidifying a cabin would seem simple and sensible solution, but it's avoided for different reasons: First to amply humidify a jetliner would take large quantities of water, which is heavy and therefore expensive to carry. <S> Humidifying systems would need to recapture and recirculate as much water as possible, making them expensive and complicated. <S> They do exist: one sells for more than $100,000 per unit and increases humidity by only a small margin. <S> There's also the important issue of corrosion. <S> Dampness and condensation leeching into the guts of an aircraft can be damaging. <S> The Boeing 787 has the healthiest air of any commercial plane, thanks to filters with an efficiency of 99.97%. <S> Humidity, too, is substantially higher. <S> The plane's all-composite structure is less susceptible to condensation, and a unique circulation system pumps dry air through the lining between the cabin walls and exterior skin. <A> Continue with the greater-than-normal drinking, but make sure what you are drinking is not alcoholic . <S> This will allow you to stay much more hydrated that relying on the slightly-larger-than-thimble-sized cups typically provided to passengers in economy. <S> Many countries won't allow you to bring a water bottle that has liquid in it through security, but you can typically bring an empty one and fill it up prior to boarding. <S> At least in the U.S., drinking water fountains and even dedicated fountains for filling water bottles are common in passenger terminals. <S> In places where this is not common, you could possibly ask one of the airside restaurants to fill it with drinking water for you. <S> Of course, another option is to simply buy a bottle of water or other non-alcoholic beverage in the terminal after passing through security, but this option is obviously more expensive. <S> Note also that there are some flights where neither of these options will work and any water bottles with liquid in them are confiscated or emptied immediately prior to boarding the aircraft. <S> These are more the exception than the rule, but it happens on some routes such as China to the U.S. or Australia. <S> Newer aircraft like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 have higher cabin air pressure and humidity than most older aircraft designs. <S> If you're able to choose flights on those aircraft, the dehydration effect should be considerably less, though still present to some degree.
| One tip for making this easier is to bring an empty water bottle with you and then fill it once you've passed through security. Another factor that can make a difference is what type of aircraft you're flying on.
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Is there a reason for heavy doors in hotels? Almost every hotel I've been in has had an enormously heavy door that bangs when it closes. Now, I've been to many homes, offices, and retail outlets with solid doors that have a definite pull-back to ensure closure. But only hotels seem to have that enormous 'slam' that resonates through the hallways. Is there something I'm missing or is it all in my head. Why do hotel doors have to be so cumbersome? Maybe there are standards for 'star'-qualifications. EDIT for clarification (as requested): Hotel room doors, almost universally, is what I am referring to. Even with sound-dampening hallways, they are almost always very cumbersome. I understand fire-proofing, but that can be done with less noise. Is there a reason beyond that? <Q> They're fire doors. <S> This fire rating means a fire in a room will give safe passage in the hallway outside for a significant period of time (perhaps an hour or more), or allow a fire to rage outside in the corridor while people in the room have a period of safety. <S> They are required by fire codes in various countries. <S> Similarly, larger apartment buildings in many countries have similar fire code requirements. <S> You'll notice doors on stairways and in other locations have similar traits, and for the same reasons. <S> These doors must always be closed, or must have some sort of automatic mechanism that will close them automatically in the event that a fire alarm is triggered. <A> Jim MacKenzie is right that they are fire doors, which is why they are so heavy, but that doesn't address the reason that other heavy doors don't seem to make as much noise. <S> I believe the greater noise actually has to do with the acoustics of the hotel hallway - almost always a bare unadorned long and narrow space - the perfect shape for echos and reverberations. <S> Offices often have wide open areas such as "cube farms" nearby, they often have many doors on the hallway open at once, and they are much more likely to have people in them whose bodies and clothes deaden the noise. <S> As proof, I offer two apartment buildings in my neighborhood. <S> One is built similarly to most hotels - long narrow (and slightly curved, but that doesn't make a difference) <S> hallways - and the other has shorter hallways with groups of apartments accessible by different entrances. <S> They both use extremely similar building materials and fire doors, but the first one echoes significantly <S> (you can hear a door close from 20-30 apartments away on the other side of the building) and the second one you can hear your neighbor's door but not the next apartment past your neighbor. <A> The banging is often due to automatic closing devices, which are required on fire doors in many places, and tend to be set to ensure locking. <S> These are adjustable in two sections: the main part of the range of movement and the last few degrees. <S> They often come set to close most of the range quite slowly, then to shut the last bit quite quickly to ensure the door closes tightly and latches securely. <S> While it's possible to adjust them to close the last little bit slowly, this isn't desirable from the point of view of security, as the door may rest on the latch and not lock. <S> Realistically these closers are unpacked and fitted, but not adjusted from the factory settings unless the door doesn't shut properly, because that takes time (a few minutes per door IME), and time is money. <S> I have adjusted the one on a hotel room, because the door closed very slowly and let all the heat into the cold corridor before banging shut. <S> I know what's possible from having set these things up in labs, where the vibration of the door banging would be a problem. <S> But of course it tends to be the other rooms that disturb you, and you can't do a lot about them. <S> Even earplugs are of limited use for the low frequencies that carry a lot of the power in the noise. <A> Sure, they're fire doors. <S> But they are also commercial doors. <S> Any commercial door is going to feel heavy, since it's built out of solid wood or steel. <S> Contrast with a family residence interior door, made of <S> <= 1/8" veneer luaun plywood (already light) and cardboard honeycomb or foam. <S> There's no substantial wood except where hinges and knobs go. <S> They can be fine doors if the honeycomb is glued to the veneer, but they are utterly unfit for hotel-room door service. <S> You could kick right through them. <S> This is residential "normal". <S> Hotel doors are the opposite of this. <S> Doorknobs too - a commercial class 1 lever doorknob can weigh 5 pounds even without the card scanner. <S> Whereas a residential privacy knob set is a few ounces. <S> The door latch mechanism is also heavy and commercial, and so needs a bit of an "action" to close with surety. <S> Part of this is driven by ADA requirements (slow closer, lever handles, positive latching) and fire codes too - the tuckback levers are to prevent snagging fire hoses or a fireman's gear and knocking him off his feet. <A> A normal door like used inside houses would provide poor sound isolation creating privacy problems. <S> Also in the hotel room you would hear people walking and talking in the hallway, even if they were not doing that in a loud way. <A> They are called "Fire Doors". <S> They're heavy so that they would be able to stop a fire coming into or spreading out of your room. <S> The safety aspect outweighs the noise issue.
| There is also a noise problem solved by having heavy doors. They have a fire rating, that describes how long they can survive a fire burning on either side of them.
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Swedish cashless economy for tourism As a visitor to Sweden, what are my options for paying for things? Should I buy some kind of pre-paid card and load it? Will merchants accept a MasterCard from Ireland with microchip/rfid? <Q> I visited Sweden half a year ago, and I was able to pay everywhere (from the smallest coffee shop to fancy restaurants) by just tapping my Dutch ATM card on the POS of the merchant. <S> Dutch ATM cards are Maestro cards, and are happily accepted in Sweden. <A> Very few shops don't accept visa and master card; and most places have touch-less cart-terminals as well as chip and magnet card-readers. <S> Yet, many Swedes, like me, never use cash, and don't readily recognise the recently redesigned Swedish coins. <S> Where cards are not used, amongst street-vendors and between friends, many Swedes instead use Swish rather than cash. <S> Swish is a national peer-to-peer payment system tied to bank-accounts and using phone-numbers as identifiers for instant money-transfers approved by Swedish digital ID:s on smart-phones. <S> As a short term visitor, however, it will be difficult to get Swish, as it requires A Swedish bank account a Swedish digital ID and national ID-number. <S> To go Dutch on a bill, buy an apple or a hot-dog from a street-vendor or to give money to beggars and street-musicians, you should consider cash which you can get readily from ATM: <S> s. <S> The currency in Sweden is the crown (SEK), though some shops, like Systembolaget (the alcohol retail store) accepts other Scandinavian currencies and Euros. <S> The Banks of Sweden is currently investigating the issuance of non-physical money in compliance with the trends towards a cash-less economy. <S> Contactless payments are available almost everywhere. <A> I visited Sweden from the UK three weeks ago. <S> Every shop I went into, even the tiny little cafes and the otherwise fairly haphazard outdoor ice rink, were perfectly happy to accept both my UK VISA debit and my Mastercard credit card. <S> There are indeed some places that do not accept cash but most still do: those that don't have fairly prominent signs (usually only in Swedish) near the registers to say so. <A> Visa and Mastercard works fine, chip is preferred Visa and Mastercard works pretty much everywhere. <S> Chipped card is the preferred way to go. <S> Swiping is no longer in use at all. <S> About a quarter of all machines have enabled RFID (estimate from personal experience). <S> ATMs will give you Swedish currency from your Visa and Mastercard if you need it, but you rarely do. <S> I as a Swedish citizen cannot even identify the new coins we have since over a year back because I use cash so seldom, less than once per quarter year.
| Sweden is amongst the most cashless countries in the world, but cash is still widely accepted to the degree that coffee-shops or city-buses not excepting cash are exceptions.
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Traveling from Ontario to Buffalo I need to travel from Ontario to Buffalo to have a document notarized, but I do not have a current passport. I am a Canadian citizen with parents from Norway and the UK. What other documents can I use to cross the border? <Q> By Land and Sea (including ferries) <S> - Canadian citizens traveling to the U.S. by land or sea are required to present one of the travel documents listed below, and may generally visit the U.S. for up to six months. <S> link <A> Presuming you are an Ontario resident and possess a valid driver's license there, short of having a passport, the only option is an enhanced driver's license ( http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca/mbs/ssb/forms/ssbforms.nsf/FormDetail?OpenForm&ACT=RDR&TAB=PROFILE&SRCH=&ENV=WWE&TIT=023-05009E&NO=023-05009E ). <S> Other options exist (e.g. the NEXUS card) but you can't get NEXUS without having a passport, and are required to maintain a valid passport. <S> The best option might be to get a passport, but if you need it quickly (less than a couple of weeks or so), the rush fees are quite high. <A> You said current passport, does that mean you have an expired one? <S> If so, you can try to cross with it. <S> The American border agents can accept it at their discretion. <S> Unless something's changed since June 2016. <S> My brother and I were going on a trip to the Air Force museum in Dayton Ohio and <S> the night before he realized his passport was expired. <S> Having read the "at their discretion" part and already having the vacation time booked, we decided it was worth a shot. <S> At the border we handed over our documents and answered the agent's questions. <S> At the end he asked my brother "you know this passport's expired, right?" <S> He explained the situation and the agent let us proceed.
| CBP will accept: Canadian passport, Enhanced Driver's License/Enhanced Identification Card, NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES and SENTRI enrollment cards.
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Does an invitation letter make it harder to get a Japanese visa? I'm planning to get a Japanese tourist visa. Before applying, is it recommended to get an invitation letter from a citizen of the country? Would they think something like "Oh, he knows someone here, he might want to stay and live here." So, is it better to have one or not? If I get an invitation letter I will have to stay only on their house?Can I visit other places and pay my own way? I'm from Colombia. I have a female relative in Japan who is married to a Japanese citizen. <Q> It is recommended to follow the official procedures and give only the requested documentation. <S> Giving more than is required would seem odd. <S> If it does appear suspicious, it will most likely be discarded. <S> A person evaluating a visa application works to see if you qualify or pose a risk. <S> The same would be true of other spurious information such as sending bank statements when none is required. <S> There are rules for qualifying for a visa and usually an application to fill out with a list of the required supporting documentation. <S> Some countries ask for a letter of invitation but those actually a minority, usually countries who do generally do not welcome tourism. <S> For those that do encourage tourism, then you are more likely to be asked about onward travel and proof of accommodation and those you must provide when required by the application. <A> As originally asked, you were asking a very general question, which made it hard to answer. <S> When your itinerary and especially the financing of your visit depend on your host, that should be documented. <S> Example: You have been invited to stay at the summer home owned by the parents of a friend from university. <S> You are paying for the flight tickets, you are not expected to pay for room and board. <S> Then they should put that in writing. <S> It is unnecessary and even suspicious if people who do not contribute to your trip give assurances that you will behave properly as a tourist. <S> They cannot know what you will do, so they can't make promises. <S> Example: You want to go to Paris and also meet a friend in Nice for dinner. <S> An invitation from that friend proves nothing. <S> If you provide documents that are not required, you show that you do not understand the process. <S> That's bad, because you might also misunderstand your rights and duties as a tourist (i.e. leave on time, do not work). <A> Where invitation letter is required the usual practice is that it can either be a real person (friend, relative) or a tourist company you engage if your purpose is tourism (and buy a package). <S> Perhaps this applies to Colombian citizens intending to visit Japan for tourism. <S> Do confirm with the embassy.
| If the Japanese embassy website lists invitation letter in visa requirements then it's mandatory to provide it. Yes, some countries put restrictions like buying a prepaid holiday package from registered tour agency in order to grant a tourist visa.
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What are the smallest planes running scheduled flights in Europe? I’ve enjoyed flying in smaller planes on scheduled flights in the past (e.g. Aurigny’s old Trislanders). Are there any other scheduled flights in Europe in small (sub-20-seat) planes that are still running? I know about the Westray to Papa Westray flight already but feel free to include it in a list. <Q> I did a search of all intra-European flights for tomorrow (12 Feb 2018) and came up with the following: <S> Hahn Air has a flight with a Cessna Citation (6 seats) scheduled between LUX and DUS Loganair has several flights, as previously noted, mostly from KOI, NRL, and PPW on Britain-Norman Islanders (8 seats), as well as a number of flights around Scotland on 19-seat Twin Otters Direct Flight has some Islanders with 9 seats flying out of LWK Hebridean Air Services flies some Islanders from COL, TRE, and OBN Isle of Scilly Skybus flies 16-seat Twin Otters from ISC to NQY and LEQ BA's Scandinavian subsidiary, Sun Air of Scandinavia, flies 18-seat Avro J-31's between BGO and BLL Aurigny <S> flies 18-seat Dornier 228s between GCI and <S> DNR Flybe flies 19-seat <S> AIS Airlines flies 19-seat Avro J-32's around Sweden, including ORB, GOT, and MMX Aero VIP flies <S> Avro J-32's around the Madeira Islands <S> Twin Jet flies Beechcraft Beech 1900D's with 19 seats around France based out of ORY, MRS, TLS, and LYS SUE Orenberg flies 20-seat <S> Let 410's around Russia. <S> That's just for one day. <S> It's certainly likely that a lot of small routes with small planes don't fly everyday <S> so I'm probably missing some. <A> OFD in Germany is offering regular flights (scheduled) between Emden and Borkum using a Cessna 172, with 2 pax max. <S> Flight schedule <S> The fleet <A> Wikipedia lists a few dozen European operators of Britten-Norman Islanders . <S> Many of them are historical, but a few appear to currently fly scheduled routes with them: <S> Loganair for Westray to Papa Westray Isles of Scilly Skybus Hebridean Air Services FLN Frisia Luftverkehr <A> Norwegian company Lufttransport have a scheduled route between Bodø Airport and Værøy Heliport using the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter <S> ( Værøy Airport has been closed since a Twin Otter fatally crashed). <S> This helicopter has 15 seats. <S> It's a bit heavier and longer than some small fixed-wing aircrafts, but certainly much narrower. <S> Dimensions from Wikipedia: <S> Length: 16.66 m (54 ft 8 in) <S> Width: 2.26 m (10 ft 0 in) <S> Height: 4.98 m (16 ft 4 in) <S> Empty weight: 3,622 kg (7,985 lb) <S> For comparison, the Twin Otter DHC-6 Series 100 has: <S> Length: <S> 15.77 m Width: 19.8 m (wingspan) <S> Height: 5.9 m <S> Empty weight: 2,653 kg <S> The Britten-Norman BN-2A <S> Islander is shorter, lower, and lighter yet, but as a fixed-wing aircraft, remains much wider than the AgustaWestland. <S> For most definitions of "smaller", the Britten-Norman would win, but if you're looking for the most compact "plane", the AgustaWestland helicopter flying to Værøy wins. <A> In Portugal there is a company, Sevenair that only operates a small airplane, a 19 seats Dornier 228 . <S> It flies across all Portugal, North to South, connecting 5 cities, Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Cascais, Portimão. <A> According to their website , Finist'air has flights most days of the week between Brest and Ushant on a 9-seat Cessna Caravan .
| Avro J-41's between CWL and VLY Chalair flies Beechcraft Beech 1900D's with 19 seats around western France, mostly based out of BOD and NTE Norlandair flies 19-seat Twin Otters in Iceland
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How to pay for things in Greece? My boyfriend and I are headed to Greece (Athens for some time and islands for some time). We plan on bringing euros that we ordered from our personal banks in the States. But I am curious what the best way to pay for things is if we run out of euros. Is there an accepted debit or credit card over there that I could open here in advance? If there is, what's the card with the lowest fee for using it out of country? Any information regarding currency and paying for goods/services in Greece as an American is much appreciated. Thanks! <Q> Pay as you normally do at home. <S> Have some cash with you when you land in Greece for small immediate purchases (tourist things, taxi...), I'd say, 200, 300 euros per person. <S> Pay with credit card for larger purchases (hotel, restaurants, train/boat reservations...). <S> ATM are (should be) available pretty much everywhere to get cash. <S> Prefer using Bank ATM over "no-name" ones, look for " Cirrus " or " Plus " logo on your debit/credit card and ATM machine. <S> YMMV in regards to smaller restaurants or smaller stores <S> , they might not accept credit cards or debit cards. <S> Both MasterCard and Visa are widely recognized in Greece, you should not have problem with either of them. <S> Be certain to contact your credit card provider that you will be traveling to Greece; this will remove/reduce the risk of your card be blocked. <A> It's unfortunate <S> you have pre-ordered Euros. <S> USA banks offer terrible rates of exchange. <S> Even Discover is accepted (look for Diners Club logo). <S> However the fee will vary from 0 to 3%. <S> Use the cards with the best rate just as you would in the States. <S> Debit cards will work in ATMs. <S> The issue of fees charged by the ATM operators is complex. <S> Several other forums say that Greek banks do not charge for ATM use. <A> Two things to add to the answer by Max. <S> You need to avoid dynamic currency conversion (DCC) when it is offered. <S> So if they ask you whether you want to pay by card in euros or in your own currency you should answer euros. <S> The rate you obtain from your own card issuer is usually better than that offered by the provider of DCC. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_currency_conversion <S> At times of economic uncertainty they may become reluctant to take cards. <S> This is often euphemistically stated as the card machine being broken. <S> So when you go out for your evening meal either check it is working before ordering or be sure to take enough cash with you to cover the likely bill. <S> Sadly the Greek economy is not the most flourishing one so this can be an issue if you are not prepared. <A> Having been to Greece myself many times, most recently 6 months ago on a 17-day 9 island trip, I can confirm you will be fine almost everywhere with any major credit card (MasterCard, Visa etc.) <S> I'm not sure if it's an option in the US, but here in the UK we have prepaid travel cards where you can load money onto the card and use it as you would any debit or credit card. <S> Many of these are specifically aimed at travelling abroad so have no currency exchange fees. <S> They are also more secure as you can only lose what you've loaded onto the card. <S> If this isn't an option then just find a credit card provider who offers the best exchange rate for Euros and sign up. <S> Depending on your travel plans I would also budget perhaps €50 per day between you in cash (up to a maximum of €500) for your trip. <S> Use cards whenever possible (meals, car hire, ferry tickets all usually accept card payment) and keep cash back for incidentals (taxis, drinks in bars, bus fares). <S> If you get near the end of your trip and find you have a surplus of cash, start using it more and aim to spend the last €20 at the airport before you fly home - it's rarely worth changing currency back as you'll get a much poorer rate than you paid for. <S> As the other answers have mentioned, when paying by card always opt to pay in Euro and let your card issuer handle the conversion. <S> Most importantly of all, have a great trip! <S> Greece is a superb country and I'm sure you will love it.
| What you need to do is investigate the foreign currency fees of your various credit and debit cards, almost all of which will work in Greece.
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Price alerts for airfare - worthwhile? Let's say I'm buying a roundtrip ticket between Austin TX and Boston MA. I have a few websites where I'll scour for a good fare, and, inevitably, a pop-up window will appear, asking: Create a price alert for fares between Austin and Boston? In the past, I have generally dismissed this window, figuring that, as time inches closer to my departure date, fares usually go up, not down, as the less expensive seats are taken one-by-one. However, lately I've been wondering: Am I shooting myself in the foot by ignoring these prompts and buying whatever fare I can find while I'm looking? Just to provide a bit more context: I usually am purchasing domestic flights within the continental U.S., and I usually shop three or four months prior to my planned departure dates. I usually have little to no flexibility in the dates that I travel. Has anyone had repeated luck signing up for these alerts and then being notified of a true bargain fare? Or is this just a way to get my email address for future spam? <Q> This is purely from a sample size of one <S> but I signed up to Google flight alerts 87 days ago for flights between Manchester (UK) and various airports in the Alps. <S> It seems that for in this case, the price of the route has fluctuated, with a general increase. <S> I can say I haven't received any additional spam from Google, and they already had my email address for other purposes anyway. <S> It should though be noted that any of these services will only show a change in prices after they have happened. <S> If you receive one saying the price has gone up, it's too late. <S> And you'll have to guess weather or not it will continue to go up, or go back down again. <A> The price alerts are just another source of information. <S> More information can only help when it comes to purchasing airfare. <S> You might eventually get spam <S> but I have price alerts from three sites and <S> they have not sent me many so far. <S> Searching for the flights yourself will lead to the same results and potentially an even better fare, just as you are likely to miss on a good price. <S> These alerts are not sent the instant <S> a better price becomes available but at a certain scheduled time based on prices that were recently found. <S> This means that by the time you get the alert, the fare might be gone. <S> It is also less good for travelling with family since the ones I use (not sure if others do it differently) alert about there being a spot left but <S> even when you try to book, there is a only one seat left note or something similar. <S> In your situation where you know your dates months in advance and those dates are not very flexible, I would expect these types of alert not to find many better deals than what you get. <S> Prices do go down though but often these come at a cost of a more lengthy and complicated route. <A> I finally decided to use price alerts to see what would happen. <S> I get alerts when the price goes up or down. <S> More often they go up, but they occasionally go down. <S> In rare cases, they go down significantly, but that bargain fare typically lasts only a day or so. <S> Just today I got an alert informing me that a flight I had inquired about dropped over $100, from $400 to $300. <S> That said, a temporary dip in prices does happen more than I presumed it would, so the alerts can be quite useful.
| I've concluded that it may be worthwhile to sign up for an alert and wait for a price drop, but you are taking a chance if you do, because more often prices go up than down.
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Is there a list of trains to and from a UK station? I would like to visit Scotland and the Orkney Islands. I know trainline and scotsrail website, but couldn't really find a single list of trains to and from a station in Scotland / UK. Is there any, can someone provide me a link/address? <Q> You can use ÖBB's site also for stations outside of Austria to see departures and arrivals. <S> Just enter the station you are interested in and click on Display Information , then on Departures (or Arrivals ) and under Settings you can change the date (and some other things, such as type of train). <S> As always there is the caveat that HAFAS might not know about some regional trains (the same problem as if you use bahn.de to plan journeys) but this should be better than nothing. <A> For example Glasgow Central Departures and Glasgow Central Arrivals . <S> You can choose to add a second station to the search if you want to see only arrivals at a given station from a certain station. <S> If you want a more manual option there are also links on the same website to the Electronic National Rail Timetable (hosted on the Network Rail website). <S> This gives you the long term schedual for every station, similar to what you would find printed out on the platform. <S> Similar timetables are provided by the operators of the stations or networks that server the stations. <S> Continuing the example, Glasgow Central is on timetable 225 and 226. <A> While not an official source the Wikipedia page for most train stations in the UK has a section labeled services, which give an overview of the trains from a station. <S> Example for Kyle of Lochalsh: ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_of_Lochalsh_railway_station ) <S> Always be sure to check against an official source before traveling. <S> If your having trouble finding the nearest station you could consider using one of these maps of the network: <S> http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/maps.aspx <S> https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ <S> Also, if you know the date you'll be traveling real time trains is capable of showing all departures from a station on a given day, example for Kyle of Lochalsh: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/KYL/2018/02/13/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=pax-calls&order=wtt <S> You could also consider posting a more specific question with the island you are actually trying to reach. <A> If you're happy to search for trains for a single day at a time, you can use http://www.brtimes.com/ . <S> Enter the departure station, leave "only trains calling at" blank, and select a date, and it will show you all trains timetabled to depart from that station. <S> The site says: Information is updated nightly from data feeds provided by Network Rail, except for details of station connection times, train schedules for Ireland (North & South) and some bus and ferry schedules, which are updated weekly from data feeds provided by ATOC. <S> so it should be reliable. <A> On my travels across Europe I always use the Rail Planner app . <S> It is mainly for use with Interrail tickets, but two features are really useful for "normal" train travels as well: <S> Find train stations near your current position. <S> Look up departure and arrival information for every station. <S> The best part of the app is that it's almost entirely offline (data needed for Google Maps integration), and with regular updates for any changes. <A> National rail will list routes from A to B for all trains in the UK <A> For the specific example you quote in a comment (Thurso) since this is basically a single line service <S> the downloadable timetable for the line available from the rail operator's site <S> https://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/sr1712_north_highlands_12205_web.pdf <S> is useful. <S> Obviously this does not work well for stations which serve many destinations like Birmingham New Street. <S> For that the Austrian site mention by @martin in his answer is much better. <A> Google maps typically shows a "departure board" for each rail station. <A> I suggest Rome2Rio which'll list trains and connections, but also give you options for flights, ferries, buses and taxis depending what is appropriate for the route you are travelling. <S> I can't guarantee the cost accuracy, but it is a good first tool to look at. <S> Example Dingwall to Inverness <S> https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Dingwall/Inverness <S> Example Thurso to Fair Isle <S> https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Thurso/Fair-Isle <S> Clicking on the train option for example will give you schedule information and links to scotrail, while the bus option links to the different schedule websites. <S> Once you find which bus and train companies serve the town, you can then use those links to see all routes out from a given town. <S> So for Dingwall for example, you can click on the scotrail link for trains and Stagecoach, D&E Coaches and Westerbus links for buses so you can see all their routes. <S> To get more trains to or from a station, click on "Explore" in the top right corner. <S> There you will get additional connections from your "to" and "from" locations. <S> For example for Thurso there are the local Scottish towns, but also ones such as Thurso to Penzance (Cornwall) and even Gdansk!
| You can look at the departures or arrivals for any station on the UK rail network on the National Rail website .
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Do North American banks have a key phrase that allows customers to disable all security checks for using the card internationally? My Canadian bank has an extremely sensitive anti-fraud mechanism that treats all foreign transactions as "suspicious". I do not need those anti-fraud measures (I'm okay with taking the risk) and want to be able to use the card worldwide without ever calling my bank to let them know I'm traveling somewhere. For example my European bank was by far less mistrustful of foreign transactions and the concept of calling your bank before you travel would leave most Europeans quite confused. Is there a key phrase I can use to demand that the bank switches off all anti-fraud measures on my card? I've tried speaking to my bank about it and the answer was "no" but perhaps there's a trick to achieving what I need, e.g. I need to disable some sort of an insurance provided by Visa? <Q> No. <S> Since the bank is the one that has to assume the risk of unauthorized charges ( by law , your liability can't be more than $50), it doesn't matter that you are "okay with taking the risk," because it's the bank's risk. <S> The anti-fraud measures are there to protect the bank and are not optional. <S> You might consider getting a card with a different bank, as their anti-fraud algorithms vary widely, and others may be less sensitive, particularly after you've been a customer for a while <S> and they learn you travel frequently. <S> Other banks will handle fraud alerts through text messages or their app; you can just respond that a charge was authorized and have your card reactivated within a minute rather than having to make international phone calls and talk to customer service. <A> It doesn't disable all security checks, but there is a phrase that will eliminate the need for advance travel notifications on cards in North America. <S> It's "Hello, AmEx? <S> I'd like to open x card. <S> " American Express does not require travel notifications for its cards. <S> If you call and try to give them a notification of upcoming travel, the automated system informs you that they don't need it. <S> Or, at least, that's what it does on my U.S.-issued AmEx cards. <S> In general, card products that are aimed more toward frequent travelers will have less impedances to using your card abroad. <S> On the flip side, cards that are aimed more toward the average consumer may place a hold on your account and try to contact you for verification just for using your card within the same country a few hundred miles away from your home. <S> While I don't have as much personal experience with them, I would assume that the same, or at least similar, would hold for other non-AmEx cards aimed at frequent travelers. <S> For example, the Chase Sapphire products, Citi's travel cards, etc. <S> I've not had any trouble using Chase's Hyatt card abroad, though I do call and give them a travel notification before using it out-of-country. <S> The other benefit to using travel-focused cards when traveling internationally (aside from their respective card-specific benefits) is that they tend not to charge foreign transaction fees. <S> However, you can also get that on some fee-free cards, too, such as Discover or Capital One cards. <A> Canadian banks are indeed sensitive and most of the algorithms to check are automatic. <S> That being said, not all foreign transactions are treated suspiciously but when they are, it is very inconvenient as this is something that caused me issues several times. <S> Calling your bank ahead of time is not an obligation but a recommendation but that reduces the cases when the suspicious activity alert is raised. <S> I have had particularly frequent issues with Mastercard from Citibank Canada (at the time) and got them to dial it down to a more reasonable level for many years by insisting on the phone and getting escalated to a higher level agent. <S> Some banks now allow you to enter your travel plans electronically which is more convenient yet still an annoyance. <S> With the conversion to credit cards with chips that happened over the last few years, alerts have been reduced somewhat but I did get into trouble for particularly odd timing. <S> For example, spending at home in Montreal than starting to spend away in and booking a hotel for my next destination or buying a gift remotely for someone. <S> This sequence of transaction location really get them, so what I do is switch cards to break down the hops across countries. <S> I can do this since I have credit cards with 5 banks in Canada but that does not apply to everyone. <S> Some destinations are, according to the bank, more suspicious. <S> For example, all online transactions I did with Brazil were blocked but I did manage to make some in person while there. <S> I did complain and did not get much of an answer other than the system did not authorize. <S> The more you travel with regularity, the more the algorithm adapts to your patterns. <S> Also some banks are more drastic then others. <S> As I mentioned, Citibank tends to block transactions while Tangerine lets them through usually and calls to verify suspicious transactions which at least does not leave you stranded somewhere unable to purchase gaz or pay your car rental before taking your flight home. <S> These things happened to me when I had fewer cards or in places where only one worked such as Iceland where gas stations are mostly unattended and only HSBC worked. <A> It's likely <S> your bank is extra-sensitive to international purchase risk because you have only lived in Canada for a few weeks, so your Canadian account is very new. <S> If you lived here several years and traveled regularly you probably wouldn't have the issue. <S> All I can suggest is to have a mobile phone number that's affordable for the bank to call, and have it on file. <S> Many banks will let a charge through, even if questionable, then call you to verify it <S> was legitimate. <S> (My bank, BMO, does this.) <A> I can't answer directly w.r.t. law or bank policy, but a way to mitigate the issue would be to use either 1. <S> an internet-based bank (safer than it sounds, Ally or Bank of Internet for example) and/or 2. <S> A card that has specific features for international travel (Charles Schwab high-yield investor checking Visa, for example). <S> I traveled internationally for a year with one of each of these and there were times I was in three different countries in a week <S> - I never had any issues with fraud prevention (except one time where they successfully detected fraud) and never paid an ATM fee or an excessively high currency conversion. <S> I also never informed anyone of my plans.
| Some banks also allow you to set a travel alert through online banking, which is much faster than calling.
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Not all tolls can be paid with cash. What are my options with a rental car? I'll be traveling with a rental car from Virginia to New Hampshire. What do I do if I only want to pay with cash? I've been informed that some tolls, for example in NY, don't accept cash. What's the solution? <Q> Road tolling is not standardized in the U.S., and even within the same state there can be multiple tolling authorities, systems, and policies. <S> Therefore, the answer depends on the system. <S> Some authorities have a "pay by plate" system, in which a photo or video is taken of your license plate and an invoice sent to the address where the car is registered. <S> As all are pushing for electronic toll collection, the prices are either structured to give a discount to electronic tolling customers or to apply surcharges for photo/video tolling; for example, the Maryland Transportation Authority assesses video tolls at 1.5 times the cash or base toll rate. <S> The Video Toll surcharge is subject to a minimum of $1 and maximum of $15 above the cash or base rate. <S> Florida, similarly, is moving to all-electronic tolling, and allows you to resolve a pay-by-plate charge on their website or over the phone. <S> The Toll Roads of Orange County (California), also all-electronic, will let you pay cash at their service center, and still other agencies have mobile apps. <S> Other authorities will only acknowledge pay-by-plate if you have registered with them in advance, as with MassDOT in Massachusetts or the Pennsylvania Turnpike . <S> If you are not registered, you may be considered a violator. <S> In still other cases, you have no choice except not to take the road. <S> For example, the Dulles Toll Road in Virginia (VA-267) only staffs full-service toll booths between 5:30am and 9:30pm. <S> If you do not have an EZPass transponder, you are required to pay in exact change, and if you do not have the exact change (in coins), you must contact the authority to arrange payment or you will receive a toll violation ticket, as per their FAQ : <S> Q: I went through a ramp toll plaza location after hours and did not pay because no one was present to provide change - is that a toll violation? <S> A: <S> Yes--exact change and E-ZPass are accepted 24 hours. <S> Due to low traffic volume late at night, it is not cost effective to have attendants in the ramp toll booths. <A> One workaround, if a person has a US address or doesn't mind dealing with things as soon as they arrive, is to buy a transponder and prepay a balance. <S> I live in Canada but have transponders for both Illinois and Florida, and these transponders are usable on other systems. <S> (I had the transponders mailed to my Montana address, but you can buy the transponders in the states in question as well.) <S> Some states charge a monthly fee or maintenance fee, but Illinois and Florida don't. <A> Your rental car already comes with a toll tag, inside a container that is open. <S> Do nothing and the tolls will automatically apply to the rental car's toll tag. <S> These will be billed back to you at positively unfair rates, and likely activate some sort of "optional plan" with high daily fees, even if you do not use the tag that day. <S> It's all automatic, just pay the bill. <S> On fact the toll tag will automatically scan even if you roll up to a manned toll booth to pay cash. <S> The taker won't take your cash and say "your toll tag scanned, you're all set. <S> Move along please." <S> This single ding will activate the toll-tag rules in your rental car contact. <S> You will need to manually close/cover the toll tag container, which is supposed to shield it so it can't be scanned, and do this before your first scan. <S> And make sure nobody opens it up again. <S> And then, arrange your own toll payments. <S> Mind you if you go through a toll-tag-only lane even once, or have your own toll-tag and it misreads, it will fall back on a photo of the license plate of the car, which is tied to the rental agency's toll tag, causing a "ding" to it, and those same effects. <S> Quite simply, you have to be very careful.
| You should contact the Customer Service Center at 1 (877) 762-7824 to arrange payment of your toll.
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Connecting from ICE to regional trains (Deutsche Bahn) Is a 7-minute transfer (from an ICE train to a regional train) too risky? If I can't make it, can I use my ticket to take the next regional train? Any help will be appreciated! Thanks! <Q> Yes, 7 minutes is pretty risky on DB, although when coming from an ICE and changing onto a regional train, chances are higher that the regional train will wait for passengers from the ICE (compared to an ICE waiting for pax from a regional train, however, without knowing the station, scheduled platforms and details of the specific trains, it's impossible to give an absolute estimate). <S> Still, I'd suggest you make sure that arriving on the next train won't hurt your further plans. <A> Check the numbers, if they are close to each other it might be possible. <S> If you miss the connection because the train is late, you are entitled to a partial refund on your ticket price if you arrive at the final destination more than one hour late. <S> Get a Fahrgastrechteformular and get it stamped either on the train or at the station to confirm that you were late, you can send it in or get cash at the train station. <A> The Nuernberg station only has one level with tracks, but you need to go downstairs from the platform to get to the others, and the walk is long if you have luggage. <S> If the train is on time, you can make the distance between the first and the last platform easily in two to three minutes if you know the station. <S> Essentially you find the nearest stairs, go down, look left and right to see the number of the platform you are looking for. <S> They are numbered in ascending order, with large blue signs next to the stairs. <S> Here's a map view of the station, indicating the platforms. <S> This photo on maps shows the entrance to the tunnel under the platforms, where you can also see the platform sings. <S> When you go downstairs from your platform where you arrive, there are already signs that show what way you need to turn. <S> The tunnel looks like this . <S> I believe even with luggage, 7 minutes is enough to navigate this with signs. <S> If your train is late however, you should inform the staff on your previous leg that you have to make the connection at least ten to 15 minutes before arriving in Nuernberg. <S> They will either make the other train wait, or find an alternative connection for you.
| As for your second question, yes, you can simply take the next train, there is no "Zugbindung" on regional trains, so you can always buy a ticket for the short connection and take the next train if the ICE is running late. There are some stations, especially in larger cities, where 7 minutes is not enough between some of the platforms.
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Single-entry visa issued to the US - question about flight layover I was granted a single-entry visa to the US, to attend a conference in Chicago. My company is sponsoring the trip, and they bought my plane tickets. We're going from my country to an airport in Houston TX, and then to O'Hare in Chicago. Since my visa is one entry only, and I'd pass through 2 airports, would I be allowed in at Chicago? This is my first time flying and I don't know how it would work. <Q> You are entering the US only once, in Houston, where you will go through passport control and customs checks. <S> After that, the flight between Houston and Chicago is domestic, there’s no check whatsoever on arrival in Chicago. <A> Once you have passed through customs and immigration in Houston you will transfer to the domestic side of the airport for your flight to Chicago where you will land at a domestic terminal. <S> Note: You will need to keep your passport out for photo ID when boarding the second flight. <A> When you land in Houston You will be directed/routed onto only one possible path: to customs and immigration. <S> There, you will tell them your story, declare anything you are bringing in... if they deem necessary they will pull you aside for further inquiry and bag inspection, just like you see in the border patrol TV shows on Youtube. <S> This also involves you picking up your luggage. <S> That is necessary in case they want to inspect it. <S> Most likely, when you are finished with Immigration and have your luggage, you will exit to the street side of the airport. <S> You must re-enter the system <S> Now you must go re-check your luggage and re-enter through the TSA security line. <S> You are now traveling domestically. <S> TSA and gate agent will check your passport only for ID. <S> When you exit the plane at Chicago you will not be stopped by anyone. <S> Note: there are a few locations where TSA does preclearance at the foreign airport. <S> In that case you will clear US customs & immigration inside the foreign country, and the airplane will gate at a domestic terminal in the airside area. <S> You can remain airside and just walk to the gate of your Chicago flight. <A> Yes. <S> One entry means entry into the country. <S> Seeing as you arrive in Houston, and do no leave to get to Chicago, you are fine. <S> Any domestic flights while in the country (As long as you do not overstay your Esta/Visa etc) are permitted too. <S> You would find issues if you for some reason flew to, say, NY, then to Canada, and then back in, as you'd be leaving the U.S. Same for if you decide to leave the U.S Earlier than your visa expires. <S> Even if you have time on the visa, you are only allowed one entry.
| You will be fine as you will only be entering the US once -- at the initial American airport you arrived at on the flight from your country.
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Do I need to declare ice axes at customs? I will be travelling to and returning from Norway, to/from the UK. I will be carrying two ice axes within my checked-in luggage, to use for sporting activities. They do have a somewhat menacing appearance which leads me to question whether they could be classed as a weapon, and whether or not I should declare them at customs? Picture for reference: <Q> They are freely available to buy in Norway and not categorized as a weapon. <S> They are obviously not allowed in hand luggage and explicitly mentioned in the list of prohibited items by the Norwegian aviation authorities . <A> Always, if in doubt, declare them. <S> My guess is that they would be quite familiar with these objects, but if they ask you if you have any weapons, say "no, but I have some ice axes for ice climbing [or whatever purpose you have in mind]". <S> They'll probably nod and go on to the next question. <A> From the UK side, the definitions of banned offensive weapons are somewhat loose , but are generally aimed at implements designed to evade detection or specifically to injure humans, rather than tools with a legitimate purpose. <S> As a rule of thumb, if you were able to buy it there in the first place from a reputable merchant, then it's probably ok. <S> Note that there's also a separate UK offence of having an offensive weapon in a public place, which it wouldn't be brilliant to fall foul of, so remember to take the items out of your bags when you get home from your trip.
| No, you do not have to declare these to customs or expect any problems bringing ice axes to Norway.
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Could the airline be stricter than immigration? I'm flying to the US with my daughter who has an Israeli passport valid for 3 months and a visa valid for 10 years. I read here that you can enter the US with a passport valid only for the length of your stay. I know that some countries require you to have a passport valid for 6 months after your return flight. I also heard that the airline gets fined if someone is denied entry. Is there a risk that the airline won't let me board because they're being stricter than US immigration? I emailed Delta but they might get back to me after we fly. <Q> Airlines use a database provided by IATA, called Timatic. <S> Its answers almost always match the immigration requirements. <S> For an Israeli flying to USA, it says ( query via the Emirates site ): <S> Passport required. <S> Passport Exemptions:Passengers with an Authorization for Parole of an Alien into the United States (Form I-512). <S> Document Validity:Passports issued to nationals of Israel must be valid for the period of intended stay. <S> So there's no need for 6 months. <A> Yes, they are more strict, but not often. <S> The other way around will be much more rare because the airline pays dearly for such errors. <A> The answer to your first question is YES for two primary reasons: Airlines use Timatic to determine border eligibility before embarking passengers and, while rare, Timatic can be incorrect. <S> The airline is not required to transport anyone and may, due to market or business conditions, choose to refuse transport to someone they feel is at risk of denied entry, despite having all necessary credentials. <S> However, it us universally expected that the airline will, provided Timatic is correct, merely follow the rules of the destination country. <S> So, the answer to your second question is, yes, <S> but it's so small as to not worry about it.
| I have reproducibly situations where the airlines are stricter than required; for example try to fly from the US to Germany: a German ID card (Personalausweis) is absolutely sufficient to enter Germany, but the airline insists on a passport.
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Does Eurowings weigh carry-on bags? I am flying on Eurowings (from Hamburg, if it matters), and I'm planning on taking a standard international-size carry-on bag that fits within their dimensional requirements. However, their website states a maximum weight of 8kg . My bag weighs 4.2kg empty, and I'm expecting it to be stuffed fairly full, so I'm not certain it will be under this limit. Do they actually have any process to weigh it at the gate, or are they likely to accept my bag if it is simply the proper size? I am not planning on stopping at the ticket counter, as I can check-in online. <Q> Almost every time, nobody seems bothered about the size or weight. <S> However... <S> I've had my carry-on weighed once, back in the days when everyone queued up at the check-in counter with a paper ticket. <S> They put a carry-on approved label on it, and it was OK for years afterwards. <S> I've also had my carry-on declared "too big", even though it is one of those officially sized as carry-on, and even though I protested, they wouldn't consider checking that it fitted in the cage or was within the weight limit. <S> "It's too big... gotta go in the hold" - end of argument. <A> It's not impossible. <S> On a recent Eurowings flight from Heathrow to Hamburg, my carry-on was weighed at the gate. <S> It was not on the return journey from Hamburg, however. <A> Nobody even looked at my bag at all, as I didn't stop at the check-in counter (online check-in and mobile boarding pass), and they use electronic gates for boarding. <S> I did see some people with "carry-on approved" tags on their bags, presumably affixed at the check-in counter, but I never got any such labels and nobody noticed or cared. <A> Don't rely too much on previous answers: <S> Today in Düsseldorf when checking in my suitcase they weighed my carry-on, and in a quite impolite way she made it clear that they do not tolerate a weight of 9.4 kilos instead of their allowed 8 kilos - and she seemed to enjoy to execute her power. <S> Unfortunately, for this destination I had no alternative to Eurowings.
| Nobody weighed my bag, nor was there any sort of carry-on sizer or scale at the gate in Hamburg.
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Can an Indian passport holder with a US F1 visa travel to Europe without a Schengen visa? I am an Indian holding a valid passport with a valid F1 (student) visa. I want to travel to Europe for my break. Can I travel there without applying for a Schengen visa? I have heard that US visa holders don't need a visa to travel to Europe. If so, is it applicable for F1 visa holders as well? <Q> No. <S> You will need a Schengen visa. <S> Holders of US visas are exempt, in certain cases, from the need to obtain a Schengen transit visa (see Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area? ) <S> if they don't need to enter the Schengen area and simply need to change planes once within the zone, but that exemption does not extend to visitor visas. <A> I have heard that US visa holders don't need a visa to travel in Europe <S> Whoever told you that is wrong <S> To enter the Schengen Area, you must have a Schengen visa, and holding another country's visa, even from a non-Schengen EU country, does not exempt you. <A> You cannot travel Europe with US visa but it will ease the process of getting Schengen visa for you. <A> You might have either misheard the person who told you, or they might have misspoke - <S> what's true is that US Passport holders don't need a VISA to visit most (all?) <S> Schengen nations.
| As others have pointed out, you do need a Schengen VISA.
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Can a Tibet Travel Permit be issued with Chinese visa in an expired passport? I'm organising a trip to China including a visit to Lhasa in Tibet for a group of four people this April. Most of the trip is now booked, but a possible problem has come to light. One of our group has a two-year Chinese visa which is valid until May in an expired British passport. He also has a new passport. This has already been addressed on this site and elsewhere, and everyone seems to agree that if you have a valid passport and a valid visa in an expired passport, that's fine so long as you take both with you and the visa wasn't defaced when the passport was cancelled. The Chinese embassy have confirmed this on the phone. But I have a complication. Our Tibetan tour operator is now saying that it is not possible to issue a Tibet Travel Permit unless the Chinese visa is in a current passport. Can anyone shed any light on whether this is accurate, or suggest how I might verify this? It seems surprising to me, but I can't seem to find anything that addresses this on the internet. <Q> Theoretically you don't need to apply for a new Chinese visa for your new passport. <S> The Chinese embassy also says that a traveller should carry both passports provided that your visa is still valid and the personal details including your name, sex, date of birth and nationality on both passports are exactly the same. <S> But I think your tour operator has no reason to lie to you. <S> They must have asked about your situation and gotten an answer from the Tibet tourist department. <S> So I guess the only reason is that the Tibet tourist department doesn't know about the rule of a valid Chinese visa in an old passport. <S> You should know that Tibet permits are actually 2 separate pieces of papers, and your passport number will be listed on one of these papers, and your valid Chinese visa is connected with the old passport number. <S> I think this is the part that confused them, because they don't know which passport number they should list on the permit, the old passport number or the new number? <S> So the officer just said no to your agency. <S> How about asking your agency to show the officer the new rule of the Chinese embassy, and ask your agency to provide a proof that you are using and will travel with both passports? <S> You also help other travellers in the same case. <S> Good luck and remember to come back to update. :) <A> I am going through this issue right now. <S> My travel agency said that Tibet refused my Visa because my Chinese Visa was in my expired passport. <S> I had sent both my new passport and my expired passport with a Chinese Visa that was good for another 8 years. <S> I was told that I could go to China with the Visa but not to Tibet. <S> I am in the process of getting a new Chinese Visa in my current passport with less than 3 weeks before I leave. <A> You just need to send your travel agency your old passport, new passport, and your Chinese Visa. <S> And you need the old passport, new passport, Chinese visa, and Tibet Travel Permit to check in when you take the flight to Lhasa.
| It is okay for you to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit with Chinese Visa in an expired passport.
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How long will an airline delay a flight for late checked-in passengers on an international flight? Two months ago we were traveling to Japan. After checking in the luggage we realized that we forgot the voucher for the Railway Pass at home so we hurried back to the city to get it. But pure luck we got back just before boarding even started. But we were curious recently. What would have happened in a parallel universe, where we didn't make it back on time? I know that they are not supposed to take off without you if you've checked in your luggage. But I guess that at some point they will do something about this. Just to give a full account, there were no further flights from the airport to the connecting airport (where we had to spent a few hours anyway, so if there was a second flight two hours later, it would have been fine); and we weren't physically at the airport for the most part. So what would happen if we had only managed to get back to the airport 30 minutes after boarding, an hour after boarding, or even two hours (say due to a minor train accident or whatever)? (The airline was Turkish Airlines, if that matters, and we were flying from within the EU.) <Q> Eventually, and this won't take that long, they will remove your bags and the flight will depart without you. <S> I have had this happen on a couple of flights. <S> The airline may be slightly more patient about doing this on the last flight of the night, if it's not going to impact any other operations, but they won't wait forever. <S> Personally I doubt most airlines would wait more than 15 minutes or so, unless you were a very, very good customer of theirs or your group comprised a significant amount of the passengers on the flight (e.g. 8 passengers out of 50 seats). <S> Remember, they're making the other passengers unhappy by waiting for you. <A> Not at all. <S> This is a scheduling matter and any delay is likely to cause them issue as most airlines run a tight operation. <S> They do a last call but your luggage will be removed as soon as they can once they decide that the gate is closing. <S> This is even the case if you are delayed by their own fault. <S> Instead of keeping the door open a few minutes, they preferred to schedule me and dozens of other passengers on future flights. <S> If they do delay the flight for a passenger, consider yourself lucky. <S> Maybe the plane is not going further that day and they count that other passengers do not have any connections later but that would be the rare exception. <S> Remember that in your example, they had no idea you were going to make it, so there is little chance them to be expecting you, as opposed to them knowing you are on the incoming flight for a connection. <S> In the case where you have already checked-in, they will make several calls in the terminal since, as you said, they do not know you left. <S> They will rarely delay the departure even in that case and not by more than a few minutes, it could be too costly for them. <A> Where positive passenger bag matching is the policy, the process of locating your bag and offloading it begins some time before scheduled departure. <S> By most airline policies, you are required to be at the gate ready to board at least ten to fifteen minutes prior to scheduled departure. <S> At that time, once the gate agents have scanned the boarding passes of everyone in the waiting area, they will be able to identify no-shows, and begin giving away their seats to standby passengers. <S> Around the same time, the ramp agent will begin tracking down any bags that those no-shows have checked, and may begin off-loading them. <S> This does not take as long as you might think, and in fact might be faster on a larger plane of the sort typically used on intercontinental flights; the bags are scanned when placed in loading bins, so the handlers will know exactly which bin(s) to check for the bags. <S> On domestic U.S. flights, positive passenger bag matching is no longer required, as all luggage is inspected by the TSA. <S> As such, the most likely scenario is that the flight would simply depart without you with your bag still on it, its final disposition dependent on your final disposition. <A> It depends entirely on the country and airline's attitude to punctuality, which passengers were delayed (international? <S> domestic? <S> high-fare? <S> low-fare? <S> frequent-flier status?) <S> , how many (2? 100?), whether their delay was foreseeable (e.g. immigration) or just dawdling in the departure area. <S> Also how security-conscious the airport is, and how expensive a gate is and delay compensation (if the next flight at gate is delayed). <S> Assuming they'd checked in of course. <S> One extreme example:In 2013 was in the Philippines, flying on Cebu Pacific Airlines (a low-budget carrier) from Cebu <S> (domestic I think). <S> There were about ~14 Korean tourists (business class). <S> Everyone else got on on time. <S> The Koreans were still in the restaurant or souvenir store, taking their time, knowing they were holding things up and not caring. <S> But the staff didn't close the doors or announce any delay. <S> They just silently held the flight (for 40 min) until the Koreans finally decided to come. <S> No apology, no nothing. <S> After 25 min I had asked the FA why could they not just close the doors and depart. <S> She didn't give me an answer. <S> I said if they'd told us, I could have used an extra 40min in the souvenir store myself. <S> Flight delay compensation in the Philippines and SE Asia is not strict like EU and US. <A> I once worked gates and check-in for a major airline at JFK. <S> The IATA rules are the same everywhere, but culture/airline staff is different depending on where you are. <S> You might have less time if Turkish is usually this good on-time: https://www.flightstats.com/v2/flight-ontime-performance-rating/TK/52/IST <S> Seems you would only have minutes to spare, perhaps 10 or 15. <S> They check the boarding progress constantly so that they can make those "Mr. Smith, please get to gate xx, final boarding" announcements BEFORE any actual, expensive departure delay occurs where they will be fined ("departure" = <S> pushback from the gate/off-block time). <S> So you would have to start counting the "delay" from the time your name would be announced over the public address system, until the moment your bags were removed and the pilot was notified of the confirmed passenger manifest/door closed. <S> Even LESS time if you are in the last boarding group to be called (if boarding by row) because they wouldn't notice you were missing right away.
| Several times I had connecting flights that were delayed and arrived at the gate within 5 minutes of closing and was simply advised that that was the scheduled time and that was it.
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Can a spouse of a U.S. citizen visit the U.S. without intentions to stay there permanently? Suppose Alice and Bob get married in country C. Alice is a citizen on the U.S. and Bob is a citizen of country C. Both of them live permanently in country C. Suppose that Alice and Bob want to occasionally visit to the U.S. together without staying there permanently. What type of visa does Bob get? He is worried about the different options: A tourist visa application might be rejected because Bob is married to a U.S. citizen and it is hard to make the case that he doesn't intend to stay in the U.S. An application for an immigrant visa wouldn't make sense because Bob isn't intending to immigrate to the U.S. A K-3 visa is technically a non-immigrant visa, but it seems like in effect it is a visa to visit the U.S. while waiting for an immigrant visa application to finish processing, which has the same problem as the previous point. Even if Bob obtains a green card, he could lose it by staying outside the U.S. for more than a year. Alice and Bob might want to immigrate to the U.S. at some point in the future (10 years, say) and don't want to do anything that would prevent that option. Ideally, Alice and Bob would like the freedom to enter and leave the U.S. at any time and stay for as long or as short as they like, and as often or as rarely as they like. What should Bob do? <Q> The only appropriate visa would be a visitor visa (or visit on the Visa Waiver Program, if Bob's nationality is part of the VWP; or if Bob is Canadian, just enter as a visitor without visa), since Bob's intention is to visit temporarily and leave. <S> Yes, he might be denied the visa for failing to overcome the presumption of immigrant intent. <S> He should provide strong evidence of his ties to his home country, that he doesn't intent do leave that country in the near future, that his US citizen spouse doesn't intent to leave that country in the near future either, etc. <S> There are nonimmigrant visas that are not affected by immigrant intent, e.g. H or L work visas, but he is not intending to work in the US. <S> Applying to immigrate would involve a long and expensive process, and, as you said, he doesn't intent to stay in the US, so would lose his permanent residency anyway, so it's a big waste. <A> Ideally, Alice and Bob would like the freedom to enter and leave the U.S. at any time and stay for as long or as short as they like, and as often or as rarely as they like. <S> The simple fact is: this freedom will be next to impossible to achieve . <S> that Alice also isn't going to settle there anytime soon. <S> And even then, that evidence is going to mean less and less if Bob and Alice keep visiting often for long periods of time. <S> Bob will eventually get in trouble for this. <S> So sorry to say this, but US law just isn't designed to fit the desires of Alice and Bob. <S> The authorities want to be able to clearly profile each foreigner: either they're a visitor, in which case they don't normally spend extended periods of time there, or they're a resident, in which case they consistently live there. <A> Ideally, Alice and Bob would like the freedom to enter and leave the U.S. at any time and stay for as long or as short as they like, and as often or as rarely as they like. <S> This freedom is only guaranteed to US citizens, therefore the only proper answer to your question is: have Bob become a US citizen . <S> It will take time, effort and dealing with the bureaucratic machinery but at the end of the day Bob will be free to do whatever he wants in the US, whenever he feels like it.
| If Bob wishes to visit for extended periods of time with his US spouse, the authorities will almost certainly suspect immigrant intent, and the only way to convince them that Bob won't settle in the US is bringing solid proof
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I am a citizen of three countries. I am going to travel to not two but all three countries. How do I book the tickets, on which passports? Australia to South Africa to Morocco. All travels are 4-5 days apart. So which ticket do I book with which passport? Which passport do I use to enter and exit to the next country? <Q> This answer assumes that each of the countries allows you to be a citizen of the other two countries, and that your name is the same in all three passports. <S> It doesn't usually matter what passport you give the airline when you book the ticket. <S> You can generally check in for different flights on the same ticket using different passports. <S> Each time you check in, show the passport of the country where you will arrive at the end of that trip, even if that's not the passport you used to enter the country you're leaving. <S> If you are using another passport for visa-free transit, or if you used another passport to enter the country you're leaving, show the relevant passport to the airline if they ask about it. <S> If the agent looks concerned, you can offer to show the passport without waiting for a question. <S> For each country you visit, pick one passport and stick with it. <S> Always show that passport to officials of that country. <S> For countries of which you are a citizen, use the passport of that country. <S> In truth, it's really not that different from <S> I have two passports/nationalities. <S> How do I use them when I travel? <S> ; it's only slightly complicated by the fact that there are three countries rather than two. <A> Typically, you don’t need a passport when booking a ticket. <S> You will need a passport to check in , be it online or in the airport. <S> The airline is not concerned about your citizenship(s), they are concerned that you are allowed to enter the country at the destination . <S> If you show a passport from that country, you are obviously good to go there, and that’s all they care about. <A> Basically, in my experience immigration inspection and booking a ticket are two completely different things. <S> I've never had an immigration inspection officer check what passport nationality I inputted when I bought the ticket. <S> I'm not sure if any country even has a system for checking that.
| At this time, simply always use the passport of the country you are flying to.
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Family of three - would we be seated together on a Lufthansa flight? We have a flight booked from USA to Munich on Lufthansa booked through 3rd party website. If we do not pre order and pay for seats, will the 3 of us be seated together? The 3 tickets were purchased at the same time. <Q> There are no guarantees. <S> It will all depend on how full the flight is and how many other passengers pre-reserve seats. <S> If you want to be sure to sit together, I recommend you pay the seat reservation fee. <S> If you refuse to pay the fee, your best hope will be to check in as soon as allowed by your airline (I believe Lufthansa lets you check in 24 hours before your initial flight). <S> The longer you wait, the less likely you are to sit together. <S> It'll be more challenging if they were booked simultaneously but separately. <A> When you are checking in, they are typically accomodating - as much as they can. <S> If there are no more three seats together available, bad luck. <S> Best strategy is to be early . <S> If you check in online, and you are early enough, you should be able to get three - again, unless many others have paid for seats, and only middle seats are remaining. <S> If your ‘family’ contains a kid under 16, I recommend to call now , and tell them that; chances are that they will assign you seats now and sit you together. <S> You can always try to call and ask for it anyway, even without a kid. <S> Being nice and courteous typically gets you a long way. <S> Finally, you can always ask people on the plane to switch around, that normally works fine - unless you have only middle seats to offer; nobody will voluntarily move from a aisle or window to a middle seat. <S> So if you can’t get seats together, chose three separate aisle seats; those will pretty surely be tradeable for a complete row together. <A> I mostly do not reserve seat when booking flight with an airline having paid seat choice. <S> When I arrive in the airport, I go to check-in counter and ask the personel for seating me where I want (not an exact point <S> but I say the back most seats) and they mostly accept. <S> But even if you do not do that and check-in by yourself, they mostly put the people together whose tickets bought at the same time.
| Also, your odds are better if the tickets were booked together under a single reservation.
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MCO airport - can you get from terminal A to B while inside security? My friends and I are flying out of MCO (Orlando International Airport in FL in the USA). One friend and I are on JetBlue and will likely have a gate in section 1 in Terminal A, where the other friend is on Delta and will likely be in section 4 in Terminal B. The other friend has a later flight than ours. Can she join us at our gate until our flight leaves, then go to her gate while only going through security once? It's unclear from the map if you need to "choose" a gate to go through security through, or if the gates are connected beyond security. <Q> I used to live in Orlando and have flown in & out of MCO a number of times, so I can assure you that the MCO terminal map is a little simplistic and doesn't really show you how the trams between the main terminal building and the outlying gate wings actually work. <S> If you're in one of the gate wings and get on to the tram to the main terminal, you do not exit the tram at a point 'behind' security which would allow you to board the other tram to the other wing - you exit straight into the main terminal building. <S> So in order to get to one of the other wings you would have to pass back through the security checkpoint - even if you're going back out to the other wing on the same side. <S> So to answer your question - unfortunately no <S> that won't be possible - your friend would have to pass through security twice - if they even let her do so since her departing flight is on the other side. <A> Terminal A and B are just the two sides of the building; the doors (and airline counters) on the north are called A and the doors (and airline counters) on the south side are called B. You can just walk around in the building, once inside, the difference does no longer exist. <S> However, there are two ends - west and east - of the building, where you ride on trains (called APMs ‘automated People Movers’) to four different gate areas - two per side. <S> Both ends have their own security, the west side is gates 1 to 69, and the east side is 70 to 129. <S> You can freely walk between the gates on the west side; on the east side, you cannot ride one train back and the other forth, because international arrvivals come through the gates 70 to 99, and if you return in the train from gates 70 to 99, you must leave the secure area. <S> Note that you also cannot go in the secure area in the east if your ticket is for the west, and vice versa. <S> From your description, and from where I know the two airlines have their gates, you will not be able to walk between those gates without passing through security again - if you ever make it in on the ‘wrong’ side. <A> You can get into the secure area on the opposite side.. <S> I did so by explaining <S> my Airline Lounge (United) is on the other side from Gate 97 where Air Canada leaves from. <S> It did take a half hour to get back to the correct side of security for my departure, and could be longer if security is slow. <A> Looking at maps at the Orlando airport site https://fr.orlandoairports.net/getting-around-mco/ , and doing some research, it seems that there are two sides of the airport. <S> It appears sections 1 and 3 can be accessed behind security on one side, and sections 2 and 4 can be accessed behind security on the other side. <S> If you go through the same security gates (west or east) as the other does, then you'll be able to visit each other and change gates while remaining behind security.
| If you're in the main terminal and pass through security, you will reach the outgoing trams for whichever side you going to.
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Where can I use Apple Pay in China? How good is the coverage of Apple Pay in China? Obviously not as good as Alipay. But is it useful? <Q> Pretty useless I think. <S> The use of Apple Pay is covered on the Apple's website in China . <S> The list mainly consists of supermarkets, convenience stores, and malls, as well as some internationally recognized brands such as McDonald's, KFC, and H&M. <S> However, according to a question - How is your experience on Apple Pay in China - on a Chinese Q&A site, many users reported that the shop clerks don't know how to handle Apple Pay even though the shops adopt the system. <S> Also, most clerks in China don't speak English. <S> So I recommend to carry enough cash, or create a bank account and Alipay or WeChat if you really want to use the mobile payment (which I did and you can even as a traveler). <S> EDIT <S> I found that in most cases, the cards issued only in China <S> can be used in China. <S> I added my Amex to the wallet, but when I tried using it at a supermarket, the payment was rejected. <S> In fact even App Store China requires a credit card issued in China... <A> as an avid Apple fan, Apple Pay is my preferred method of payment. <S> Apple Pay is pretty useful in China. <S> The QuickPass RFID terminals are basically in every major store. <S> Notable exceptions are small local convenience stores, and of course every store/business that doesn’t accept credit/debit cards at all. <S> That said, I would still recommend setting up WeChat and/or Alipay, for peer-to-Peer transactions and to be able to pay at the above-mentioned exceptions. <S> I prefer Alipay over WeChat Pay, due to Alipay being more widespread. <S> Hope that helped. <A> The only method of getting cash, is to use a mainstream bank atm, Bank of China, ICBC, etc. <S> International hotels usually accept non-Chinese credit cards such as Master Card or Visa, but its wise to ask (show your card) before you make a transaction such as purchasing a meal. <S> Foreigners without a resident permit (have a visa to live in China and usually a work visa) are not allowed to setup a bank account in China. <S> So no bank account, no use of phone payment apps. <S> China has been very slow to develop cross-border banking. <S> It also appears that a bank branch of the same name, but in a different city usually won't cooperate with each other. <S> So if you do go to China to work, sometimes you will only be able to withdraw the balance of your cash from from the city you established residency with the bank. <S> If you move to a different city, you can't transfer accounts within the same Banking system to your new city. <S> You'd better be adaptable, but if you want everything like home sweet home, stay home.
| Apple pay wallet connected to non-Chinese issued cards do not work in China, PERIOD.
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Yellow Fever vaccination for Brazil I have to go to Brazil next week and I saw that there is currently a Yellow Fever outbreak. I know I already got the Yellow Fever vaccine some years ago and that it's valid for a lifetime, so I'm protected, but I don't have the certificate to prove it. Questions: Will I be authorized to go to Brazil without my vaccination certificate? I can't find a good reference. Is there still time to to get another vaccination (because I think it must be done at least 10 days beforehand)? Is there still time to get my certificate (how/where?) If one of the three answers is positive that would help me. I will depart from Belgium, my home country, and will stay in Rio de Janeiro for 5 days. <Q> The yellow fever vaccination is recommended but not mandatory (in portuguese) for now: <S> Viajantes internacionais <S> O Brasil não exige <S> o <S> Certificado Internacional de Vacinação ou Profilaxia para entrada no país. <S> a free translation: <S> International Travelers: <S> Source: <S> Yellow Fever - Brazil <S> However, the yellow fever vaccination is recommended: <S> In response to the outbreak, the World Health Organization expanded the list of areas where yellow fever vaccination is recommended for international travelers to Brazil. <S> Most recently, the city of São Paulo was added to this expanded list (below). <S> Please note that this list contains temporary expanded vaccine recommendations. <S> Source: <S> IAMAT <S> If you already got it before, you do not need to wait 10 days to vaccination works. <S> I am not sure what part of Rio de Janeiro you will visit. <S> It is important to highlight that there is not any case of urban yellow fever. <S> The people that got yellow fever, they have been in remote areas. <S> I suggest to use a mosquito repellent. <S> Here, there is mapping that you can see the risk by region: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/yellow-fever-brazil <A> You can get medical travel advice by phone at the Institute of Tropical medicine . <S> Additional: <S> Their page Yellow fever vaccination: update mentions getting a booster injection. <S> You can check if anything mentioned there applies to you. <S> Yellow fever vaccination centres are listed here (another list here ) <A> Marcel P. answered about Brazil's (lack of) vaccination requirements. <S> I wanted to rectify that <S> WHO says a booster is not needed after 10 years: 17 MAY 2013 <S> | GENEVA - The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to WHO. <S> An article published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) reveals that the Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) has reviewed the latest evidence and concluded that a single dose of vaccination is sufficient to confer life-long immunity against yellow fever disease. <S> I don't have any evidence to support this, but my colleagues (we use to travel for work) told me one can go <S> somewhere <S> to get a new vaccination certificate when the original one expires. <S> I don't even know where/how you'd do that here in Argentina, but you can try calling any center that provides the vaccination to ask if they know how to renew the certificate.
| Brazil does not requires the internacional vaccination certificate when you arrive in the country. My recommendation is if you already got the vaccination 10 years ago, get it again.
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Pharmacy or Doctor visit required in Russia? Are you able to get an antibiotic (e.g. Amoxicillin, common/general Antibiotics, etc.) from a pharmacy, with no doctor visit required, while traveling through the major cities in Russia? <Q> De jure <S> no drug is purchasable without medical prescription in Russia, because the law that listed such drugs was canceled in 2011 . <S> But, de facto, pharmacy staff can decide if you can buy it without a prescription. <S> So it depends; if the drug can be used to get high, or if you're buying it in huge quantities then you’re not likely to be able to obtain them. <A> However, I never met a pharmacy that would insist on you showing prescription, though I buy something regularly (say, once or twice per month). <S> In 99% cases, the staff will ask nothing, and just hand over the drug needed. <S> I remember only once being asked for prescription, and even then a simple <S> "I forgot it" worked. <S> The only cases when you might encounter some problems are if you raise suspicion (for example, the drug is really unusual), or if the drug it can be used to create some prohibited addiction/narcotic drug ("get high", as user28434 put it). <S> The latter is because sale of such drugs is tightly controlled by narcotic/drug control police, but they are interested only in sale of some very specific drugs, not general antibiotics for example. <S> I mostly visit pharmacies in my home city, Nizhny Novgorod, so this may be specific to this city. <S> However, several times I also have been buying drugs in other places, including large cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, medium-sized cities as Gelendzhik, and rural area of Kostroma oblast, and everywhere the attitude was the same. <A> It really depends on drug you want to buy. <S> For example, drugs containing Paracetamol, Aspirin, Analgin are most popular non-prescription ones so you will not have any problems to purchase it. <S> Maybe that will be enough for you, and won’t need to buy the antibiotics for your wife. <S> However, drugs you've mentioned such as Amoxicillin are prescription only, and it can be a challenge for you to get that one. <S> As @user28434 said, antibiotics can be purchased only with prescription, it's a law.
| As others have already noted, formally many drugs are prescription-only.
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Can I book flights directly from Google Flights? I am planning a return trip from Delhi to Minneapolis and I could customize my travel on Google flights. But the options I am getting to book the tickets is through phone or travel agent. Can I not book directly from Google Flights? And if I book the tickets by calling the airline, would It be a single ticket or separate tickets? If single airline If multi airliner are involved. <Q> as Google Flights states in their Help <S> then When searching for flights on Google, you'll usually have the option to book with an airline or online travel agency by going to their website. <S> In some cases, you'll be able to 'Book on Google', completing your transaction with the airline or travel agency while staying on Google. <S> and if you do "Book on Google" then Google will securely pass your traveller and payment details to the airline or online travel agency. <S> In short - Google Flights in most cases act as the intermediate step between you and the airline/travel agency (match you with the seller). <S> 1) <S> 2) <S> If it is multiple airlines which don't have any agreements then you will have separate bookings and tickets (and additionally no guarantee to reach your destination if you miss a leg because of delays). <S> You can manipulate if you want to see the separate flights or not under the tab "More". <A> In some cases, you’ll be able to "Book on Google," completing your transaction with the airline or travel agency while staying on Google. <S> How to book flights on Google: <S> Search for flights on Google. <S> After selecting a flight, choose the “Book on Google” option, if available. <S> Enter passenger details, including name, gender, telephone number, birthdate, and email address. <S> Select Continue. <S> Choose a stored payment method or enter a new one, then select Continue. <S> Review your personal details and flight itinerary, making sure they’re correct. <S> If available, under Baggage, review the disclaimer. <S> If you’d like to add baggage to your reservation, select Add bags. <S> Add the number and type of bags <S> you’d like for each passenger, and click Done. <S> To process your payment and complete your reservation, select Book. <S> If you can't see <S> "Book on Google" option <S> then it seems that you have to make a reservation through airline or travel agency. <A> Google Flight is just a marketplace for airlines and online travel agencies. <S> It lists their flight deals, and help the interested customers to compare and book smartly. <S> Any queries regarding the flight has to be answered by the supplier only. <S> It will be a single ticket.
| You can "in some cases", according to Book flights on Google support page: When searching for flights on Google, you'll usually have the option to book with an airline or online travel agency by going to their website. If it is single airline/group(Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam)/code sharing partners then it will be sold under one booking.
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What does the USA Customs and Border Protection consider a weapon? A lot of the time, when I enter USA by car from Canada, I am asked if I have any weapons. Sometimes I have a hatchet or a 5" blade for when I go camping. Should I answer Yes or No to the question "Do you have any weapons?" at the USA border crossing? I don't think this question is similar to questions about entering other countries, such as UK with ice axes, as they are different countries with different policies. <Q> It is never wrong to answer " <S> I'm going camping, I have a hatchet" or "I'm going camping, I have a 5" folding knife" rather than just " <S> yes" or "no" when you are asked a question like that verbally, by a person at your car window. <S> I do this all the time with the Food question, writing "Candy" if that's what I have, for example. <S> No border guard has ever complained. <S> I think they actually like it because it saves them a step. <S> If you are using a computer terminal and have no opportunity for freeform answers, then in case of doubt, say yes, take the time hit, and let them establish that it's not a problem. <S> As a bonus, when your secondary inspection is complete, you can ask them what to check for that item next time. <S> Here's one way to look at it: if you say Yes when No was the correct answer, you will spend perhaps one minute extra when someone says "what is this weapon you say you have" " <S> a hatchet, I'm going camping" " <S> oh dude <S> , that's not a weapon, do you have like a gun?" <S> "no" "ok, have a nice day" or possibly an extra 20 minutes waiting in a line and getting asked 5 or 6 questions before they agree <S> a hatchet isn't a weapon. <S> But if you say No when Yes was the correct answer, and for some reason they search you and find the hatchet, you could be denied entry -- and possibly not just on this trip but for a year or more, since you "lied to a border office" or "lied on your form". <S> You could in theory be arrested for smuggling. <S> These are unlikely, but they are so much worse than a little extra time at the border crossing saying Yes to something they don't actually think is a weapon. <S> There is no penalty for being over cautious, but there's a huge one for trying to hide something. <A> If you are ever in doubt that you might have something that you need to declare, DECLARE, and let the Border Agents sort out what is or is not allowed. <S> You might get patted down a little more, but if you don't declare, and they find something that is a weapon, you could be in serious trouble (charges and/or fines). <S> Just like @KateGregory said, if they verbally ask you something, just say "I have a hatchet in my camping supplies, does that count?" <S> in a controlled tone of voice. <S> CBP does not like it if they believe a person is being rude/sarcastic. <S> If you have a written declaration, check "yes" and let them sort it out. <S> You cannot get in trouble for over-declaring <A> To be clear, your hatchet is not a weapon . <S> It could be used to inflict harm, but it is not designed as, nor do you intend to use it as, a weapon. <S> Therefore, answer the question properly. <S> Officer: <S> Do you have a weapon? <S> <S> ScottF: <S> No, <S> but I do have a hatchet for my camping trip.
| If you are filling out a form, you can check Yes and write under that what it is. Answer "no" but mention that you do have items that could be used as a weapon, such as your hatchet.
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Is RTP-NL operational yet? The Netherlands is implementing a Registered Traveller Programme to allow holders of certain passports to use the automatic gates at Schiphol (AMS) abbreviated RTP-NL. Announced last year, the implementation of that program has been delayed until Q1 2018, which is now. Does anyone know if that program is taking applications yet? <Q> I was going through passport control <S> and I was able to see that the signs to e-gates now have the RTP-NL sign hidden by a black sticker. <S> You can also see the sign for where you can register for the RTP-NL Programme. <S> I asked Schiphol via twitter regarding this <S> and I got an answer below: <S> Thank you for your question! <S> The latest update we have received about the re-introduction of RTP-NL stated that it is expected to be activated again in the second quarter of 2020. <S> Those registered with RTP-NL can then become a Privium member at our airport without a European passport. <S> More information will follow soon! <S> So if there are no more delays, we can probably expect it to be available sometime between April and July this year. <A> Schipol Airport tweeted about this earlier in the week. <S> The linked tweet is in Dutch, but translates roughly as: @ikorpershoek Hello Ies, thanks for your question. <S> RTP-NL is currently still in development in cooperation with the Dutch Government and @Marechaussee. <S> Unfortunately, We are unable to estimate the starting date of RTP-NL at this time. <S> ^ <S> Job <S> So it's not operational yet, unfortunately. <A>
| I went through passport control (near Pier H) this week, and while there's a sign up near the Privium lane for RTP-NL registration, it's blacked out with no indication of when it's opening.
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Using a foreign driver's license in California when staying with a J-1 visa I'm planning to attend a Californian university as a visiting scholar (not paid by the university) on a J-1 visa, for a total of four weeks; a colleague of mine will do the same, but for 12 weeks. I've been told (personally, ie. no citable sources) that, if you're staying on a J-1, you're effectively a California resident for the time you're there, and, therefore, need a Californian driver's license. I've read up on this and found this DMV page that states: If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid. If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner's property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents. I'm not planning to vote in any elections, nor will I own a home there, but I'm not sure what would constitute "privileges or benefits not ordinarily extended to nonresidents". Do we need to get driver's licenses in California, or can we use our foreign licenses? How about day trips to Arizona or Nevada? Note: this seems to be related to What are the residence requirements to use a foreign driving licence in California? , but my question is specifically about staying there on a J-1. <Q> The line between resident and nonresident for California driving purposes is murky. <S> As you have read, certain actions mean you are probably a resident, but this is not a complete list, so just because you have done none of those things <S> doesn't mean you are a nonresident. <S> Here is what the law says: CVC 12502 (a)(1): (a) <S> The following persons may operate a motor vehicle in this state without obtaining a driver’s license under this code: (1) <S> A nonresident over the age of 18 years having in his or her immediate possession <S> a valid driver’s license issued by a foreign jurisdiction of which he or she is a resident, except as provided in Section 12505. <S> CVC 12505 (a)(1): (a) (1) <S> For purposes of this division only and notwithstanding Section 516, residency shall be determined as a person’s state of domicile. <S> “State of domicile” means the state where a person has his or her true, fixed, and permanent home and principal residence and to which he or she has manifested the intention of returning whenever he or she is absent. <S> Prima facie evidence of residency for driver’s licensing purposes includes, but is not limited to, the following: (A) Address where registered to vote. <S> (B) Payment of resident tuition at a public institution of higher education. <S> (C) <S> Filing a homeowner’s property tax exemption. <S> (D) <S> Other acts, occurrences, or events that indicate presence in the state is more than temporary or transient. <S> So basically it boils down to whether California is your "domicile", but the definition of that is also somewhat subjective. <A> Depends if you are paying resident tuition or nonresident tuition. <S> If paying nonresident then as long as your home state or country's driving licence is valid you are fine using that. <S> New California Residents want to drive in California, you must apply for a California DL within 10 days. <S> Residency is established in a variety of ways, including the following: Being registered to vote in California elections. <S> Paying resident tuition at a California college or university. <S> Filing for a home owner’s property tax exemption. <S> Receiving any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents. <S> Link to State of California Department of Motor Vehicles <A> J-1 is an exchange visitor category. <S> By definition, you are a visitor to the United States and a nonresident of the United States. <S> Therefore, you may drive with a valid, unexpired license from your home country for the duration of your J-1 program. <S> If your license does not contain your biographic information in English (so a U.S. law enforcement officer can read it), you should get a translation to keep with your physical license. <S> The translation can be in the form of an International Driving Permit (IDP) or may be an alternate format. <S> The translator should attest that he/she is competent to translate from the other language to English, and that the translation is correct to the best of his/her ability. <S> I happen to advise J-1 scholars and students on this issue quite often. <S> We have many who come to USD for J-1 exchange visitor programs.
| Adults Visiting California from their home state or country may drive in California without getting a California DL as long as their home state or country DL is valid.
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Can a person obtain a temporary reduced-cost Canadian passport to go shopping in the USA? Can I just purchase a temporary passport to go shopping in the States? I don't go over that often so to spend $160 on a permanent passport is not worth it. I am a Canadian citizen would like go to Buffalo, NY to shop. <Q> Accordin to the Government of Canada , The Canadian temporary passport is an eight-page, machine-readable passport. <S> It is: issued by a Canadian mission used for short-term situations meant for urgent, proven travel situations or residency requirements based on the decision of the Government of Canada passport/consular officer <S> This is evidently not appropriate for your application. <S> However, if you are a resident of Ontario (as I assume because you want to drive to Buffalo, NY), you can obtain an Ontario enhanced driver license at a cost of $40, which is a valid travel document to visit the United States across a land or sea border. <S> (It is not valid for air travel.) <A> You've misunderstood <S> what a temporary passport is . <S> It's not a short term "passport-lite" that you can get more cheaply and easily than a regular passport. <S> Rather, it's an emergency replacement that you can get from a Canadian embassy abroad when your main passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, to complete your trip and get you back home. <A> If you are a Canadian citizen and you will be driving from Canada to the USA, then according to the US CBP, <S> you do not need a passport to enter the USA. <S> Instead of a passport, CBP will also accept: <S> Enhanced Driver's License/Enhanced Identification Card, NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES and SENTRI enrollment cards. <S> Note though that if you are arriving by air, you will need a passport (or a NEXUS card when departing from a designated Canadian airport). <A> Keep in mind as well that while the price is $160, that is a 10-year passport that you can travel to nearly every country in the world on. <S> You used to be able to travel to the US from Canada using your drivers license, however this is no longer the case. <S> The enhanced drivers license is only available in select provinces and it only allows entry via land or sea, and you cannot use this while travelling by air. <S> This is a situation that happens more often than you would think and the time it saves having a second piece of id when you really need it is almost worth the cost alone. <S> Just my opinion. <A> Consider NEXUS . <S> $50 for 5 years and only lets you go between Canada and the US. <S> You must visit an enrollment center in person for an interview.
| A Canadian passport is a invaluable piece of ID and you can use it in Canada for any situation in which you need more than one piece of government issued photo ID.
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Catacombs of Paris - How to buy ahead of time and discounts I've heard that it's a good idea to buy tickets in advance of visiting the catacombs of Paris. Can someone tell me how to do this? I did research it a bit, and there are a number of sites selling tickets and "add-ons" Frankly, some of them seem like scams. I could buy the tickets here in California, or wait until getting to Paris and buy them somewhere. Where can I buy the tickets ahead of time and are there any discounts available? My daughter has a french passport if that helps (I don't think it does because the Catacombs are not a public museum) and we could certainly understand a french tour guide/tape if that saves money. Thank you,Dave <Q> I think that Catacombs are one of the few attractions in Paris that don't require an early booking, because they are not so crowded. <S> Anyway, if you want to buy them, you can do it via the official website (it's in english) <S> http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/homepage-catacombs-official-website <S> the french passport doesn't give you any discount. <S> There are some discounts for people under 26 years old or members of some associations, you can find the full list here: http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/visit/access-opening-times-accessibility/museum-admission <S> For 5 euros you can get an audioguide. <A> What time of year are you going to Paris? <S> If you are going during high season, usually April-September/October, I would DEFINITELY purchase tickets online. <S> I have waited in that line 3.5 hours before and it is not fun. <S> They only let in 200 people at a time to avoid overcrowding, so there is really no way for them to speed up the wait time when there are a lot of people. <S> They have recently changed it so that all of their tickets purchased online ahead of time <S> are "jump the line" tickets. <S> Their site is really frustrating though because it is only in French and you have to create an account in order to purchase. <S> Otherwise I just had some friends of mine who said they visited with a guide using a company called The Paris Guy and that they had a really good time. <S> Have fun in Paris! <A> We went in May 2015 without a reservation. <S> Just go in the morning, ideally before they open. <S> We went about an hour before they opened and there was still a wait, but it was a nice day <S> so it wasn't unpleasant. <S> Fortunately, they don't rush you while you're in there, and with the numbers being controlled, it's actually quite pleasant and relaxing down there. <S> It's a very interesting experience.
| You can go on the Catacombs website and purchase them directly there.
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How would one get on "the next flight to X" at an airport in a family/business emergency? As an expat with family at home, I'm dreading the inevitability of a panicked phone call from a relative at 2am demanding I come home quickly because something very bad has happened to someone I care about. I'm aware that many airlines offer family-emergency or bereavement fares - but I noticed that these airlines' FAQs explain them in the context of the fare discount - there's no mention of last minute ticketing. It's a trope in fiction for the protagonist to whistle for a cab to the airport, run to the ticket desk and demand "the next flight to France!" and 8 hours later he's saved his girlfriend from his high-school nemesis... ...but the problem is that I just can't find "the ticket desk" at any airport I've been to in recent years (Sea-Tac, Chicago O'Hare, Heathrow and Manchester) - instead each airline has their own ticket desk. If one is in a mad-panic and distraught I would expect one would not be able or willing to go up to each airline's ticket desk and ask if they can fit you on a flight to your intended destination. I've also noticed that those airlines desks are not always open all-hours, even though the airport might feature their flights departing 24/7. Granted, an option exists to check on a site like Kayak or Expedia that would search all available flights from many airlines, but those sites don't work for ultra short-notice travel - especially if you might need to get a jump-seat ticket - indeed, I have heard of cases where even a cargo airline made accommodations for emergency passenger travel. So imagine it's 2am, I get the call - I arrive at Sea-Tac airport in my pyjamas at 2:30am and I absolutely have to be at MAN as soon as possible - what do I do? <Q> This is not really a problem. <S> Unless regular flight operation is interrupted on your way, e.g. due to bad weather and many flights are cancelled, it is on most routes not difficult to get a ticket on very short notice. <S> Business travellers are doing this all the time. <S> If you arrive tonight at 2:30am at Seattle-Tacoma and want to go to Manchester as soon as possible, the soonest arrival in MAN would be with a flight 8:30am with transfer in Atlanta, arriving in Manchester 7:00am next day. <S> A much cheaper alternative would be a departure 6:55 with transfers in Boston and Dublin, arriving in Manchester 7:40am. <S> These flights will still be available for booking tonight at 2:30am <S> and you can find them on any arbitrary flight search engine. <S> If you don't want to bother finding a flight yourself on the internet and you have a certain idea which airline might have a suitable flight, most airlines have a 24h ticket hotline, which you can call to order a ticket. <A> Couldn't be easier, To determine which plane leaves next click to expedia on your phone. <S> you'll instantly have the answer. <S> alternately, go to the web site of the airport . <S> They always show live departures about to happen. <S> portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/Flights-Airlines/ <S> alternately, literally just in the google search bar, type the phrase "flight Paris to Tokyo" and just select "today" on the popup which appears. <S> Google now has this totally built-in. <S> You will now know which airline you are going on. <S> Then to purchase the ticket on expedia, pay with your credit card. <S> Or very simply, telephone that airline's 800 number and pay them (over the phone) with your credit card. <S> or if you prefer to pay in person say the next flight is on "Emirates". <S> At all large airports, the airlines in fact have a (small) "ticket sales desk". <S> Walk over to it and buy a ticket. <S> Note that these days, many folks don't even realize there's a "ticket sales desk", for each airline, at airports ! <S> Because it's little used these days. <S> Note that you mention: Kayak or Expedia <S> .. don't work for ultra short-notice travel <S> This is wrong. <S> I buy on the way to the airport all the time. <S> jump-seat ticket <S> They don't have those anymore. <S> cargo airline made accommodations for emergency passenger travel. <S> not for 40 years now. <S> If you are trying to get stand-by seats or similar - very simply phone the airline. <S> Again, use expedia on your phone to determine "who's leaving next". <A> What I would do is check redemption availability on each airline that flies the route I need to be on. <S> e.g. I checked BA and there is redemption availability on the 18:20 today from SEA-LHR and then on to MAN tomorrow. <S> The cost of this is 16250 avios one way and £140, or 5700 avios + £220. <S> What happens if you don't have any airline miles? <S> You can buy them. <S> 6000 avios costs £111. <S> Then I'd compare this cost with the cheapest flight I could find on skyscanner (returns are often cheaper than one-way). <S> In the BA case it's several thousand $ for the same flight.
| Most search engines and airline websites allow you to book tickets until shortly before departure.
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Prevent items in suitcase from shifting around I have a full size suitcase of the TravelPro variety. I often stow books and other heavy items in it, in addition to clothes. The problem is that during travel, the contents of the suitcase shift around a lot, so the clothing and everything else gets all wrinkled and mashed up. Is there any way to prevent stuff from moving around in a suitcase like this? <Q> The most obvious answer would be to fully fill your suitcase (by putting more things into your existing suitcase, or by using a smaller suitcase where everything fit snugly). <S> Of course, you'll have to be careful to avoid overloading the bag and exceeding airline weight limits, assuming you fly. <S> You can also pack smaller objects together, e.g. you could make a stack of books and then bag them, wrapping the bag securely around them, to keep them from sliding around so much. <S> (Either the whole pile will shift, or none of them will shift, if you pack them correctly.) <S> One other secret with clothing is to roll it, not fold it. <S> Rolled clothing seems to survive shifting contents better. <A> Obviously a fuller and more densely packed suitcase helps item stay in place. <S> So, go ahead and pack more stuff or use a smaller suitcase, although it nice to have room to bring things back. <S> What happens though is that items of different densities will cause others to compress. <S> This happens while carrying books for example. <S> Packing them towards the bottom of the suitcase helps but is not a complete solution. <S> One thing that I do particularly with books is wrap them with rubber bands to keep them from opening and get more mixed and damaged by other items. <S> The most effective though is to use packing cubes and compression bags. <S> Clothes that do not wrinkle easily go into compression bags which makes them dense and tight, so they resist better pressure of other items. <S> Cubes keep the rest organized and really minimize shifting more than anything else. <S> You basically put everything that fits into the cubes and put the filled compression bags around which takes care of neatly immobilizing most items. <S> If your suitcase is flexible and still have some room to expand, you can add a compression strap. <S> All these products are available from travel stores on online at Amazon and are not very costly <S> but once you start using them, can make unpacking much more pleasant. <A> If you need the space in the suitcase only one way, you could fill the case on the other leg with cheap and light items. <S> When packaging for work we use air filled plastic bags, filled and sealed by a machine. <S> I do not know how well those travel by air, with different pressures and such. <S> But an alternative is bubble wrap and scrunched up paper possibly in zip-lock bags with some air in it as well as the paper. <S> Or card board boxes which are sturdy enough to keep your things sorted around them. <S> With those you can fill your case so there is no 'empty space'. <A> I love rolling my clothes! <S> You can get your clothing into the nooks and crannies created by the suitcase and books. <S> The suitcase is most likely to be handled in the standing/rolling position so I typically lay the heaviest items at the bottom of the suitcase. <S> When gravity takes place, the heavy items won't squish all my clothing/toiletries. <S> My other suggestion is packing travel friendly clothing (synthetic materials). <S> Anti-wrinkle or wrinkle resistant travel clothes are a life saver. <S> Using fabric softeners should also help prevent extreme wrinkling beforehand. <S> If you can't forego cottons and other materials that wrinkle easily (cotton, rayon, linen) then look into some wrinkle relaxing spray. <S> The gist is to hang and spray the clothing. <S> Then after a few minutes, the wrinkles should relax. <S> There are other DIY and tricks on how to make your own spray but at your own risk! <S> Compression bags <S> Look into travel clothing bags to preserve your best clothing. <S> These should be secured flat on top of everything else. <S> Some suitcases have those elastic bands inside for this purpose. <S> Sometimes I use compression bags to keep clothing flat. <S> These won't replace having to iron your clothes <S> but if you can pack effectively, you'll be able to prevent the worst. <S> Some hotels, hostels, or air bnbs may offer irons as part of their service if you inquire ahead of time. <S> Travel clothing and compression bags can be found at travel stores like Tilly, Columbia, Mountain Equipment Coop, Travel Smith, etc... <A> Thank you for this idea to use cardboard boxes to fill empty space so things don't shift around! <S> We too, often have this challenge with our nesting luggage set. <S> The largest suitcase simply becomes TOO heavy if filled completely. <S> Yet at our destination we like to unpack and nest <S> all three (carryon, 26" and 29") together to save space. <S> I found a cardboard box that is 14x10x5 inches which I believe will occupy enough space to prevent our largest suitcase to exceed weight AND prevent items from moving around AND prevent the top of the suitcase to sag and which causes it to be excessively beaten up by baggage handling. <S> Fill the middle of the suitcase with your clothing and other items in packing cubes, heaviest items towards the bottom I find works best. <S> Finally use sturdy cardboard boxes to fill any empty space remaining near the top.
| As books are heavy I would wrap them together tightly with clear wrap, which would also protect them, and place them at the bottom of the suitcase. Pack travel friendly clothing/wrinkle spray Another trick is allowing the clothing to hang in the bathroom while you take a hot steamy shower.
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How to rent a car where the second driver cannot be present at rental pickup time? I'm living in Vancouver and would like to rent a car and go on a road trip with a friend from Seattle. Local car rentals usually allow at least one extra driver for free, but the standard requirement is for both drivers to show up at the rental desk. In my particular scenario this is inconvenient as I want to pick up a car at YVR airport and head down to Washington to go pick up my friend. Is it possible to somehow circumvent this requirement and have the second driver be added to the insurance without showing up in person? Question is limited to major car rental companies in North America to reduce the scope. <Q> The requirement for the additional driver to be present is there because the agent must verify that s/ <S> he is in fact licensed to drive and matches the identity on the driver's license. <S> As such, to do everything strictly by the book, you would rent the car solo, drive to pick up your friend, then stop at the nearest branch of the rental agency. <S> There, your travel companion would be added to the rental agreement. <S> For example, Alamo's Additional Driver Policy states An additional driver may only be added to the contract at a rental location and may be added or removed in the middle of the contract. <S> The system will calculate the charges based on the dates the additional driver was listed on the rental. <S> (emphasis in original) <A> I've asked a rental car company about this. <S> I was told that the second person had to be present, however, "if the second person happened to be stuck at the airport collecting luggage or something, and I happened to have their driving licence, they'd add them". <S> In other words, they'd let me add a second person if I had their driving licence with me and made up a story that they were nearby. <S> Can the other person fedex their licence to you or something? <S> If so, you could try that. <S> I've done that before on several occasions. <A> Most of the answers here, and the question too for that matter, seem to assume that you're going to use the rental agency's loss damage waiver, and in my experience, they're accurate. <S> However, most "premium" credit cards (MC World, MC World Elite, etc...) have a "Travel Protection" benefit which covers you, and any drivers you authorize, to drive the vehicle. <S> For example the CIBC credit card insurance states <S> that: (2) <S> Any other person who drives the same rental vehicle with Your permission whether or not such person has been listed on the rental vehicle contract or has been identified to the Rental Agency at the time of making the rental , however, You and all drivers must otherwise qualify under and follow the terms of the rental contract and must be legally licensed and permitted to drive the rental vehicle under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the rental vehicle shall be used. <S> Generally they'll ask you to book, and pay for, the rental on said credit card, and specifically decline the agency's LDW. <S> Not all classes of vehicles are covered, and the terms can vary by issuer, so it's best to get a copy of them, to confirm if your card provides the benefit, and what's required to be covered.
| Alternatively, if the rental car company has offices in the US, they will let you add the second person at another office if you turn up with them. When adding an additional driver in the middle of the contract both the renter and the additional driver must be present at the location.
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1 hour connection in Newark Just wondering if I will have enough time here. I am flying in from LHR to EWR and have to clear customs and go from Terminal B to catch a domestic flight in Terminal C. I have 55 minutes to do this. I have Global Entry so getting through customs should be pretty fast and I won't have any checked bags. However, I am not too familiar with EWR airport, will I be able to make it in time assuming the flights are on schedule? <Q> With separate bookings: just forget it! <S> Such long-haulers are often delayed, and not only do you have to clear immigration, customs and departures security, but also switch terminals. <S> Waste no time; re-book your connection immediately (make sure you don't pay the airport taxes twice for this, as you only have to pay them for the flight you actually go on) <A> As you'll be ground-side having cleared Immigration/Customs <S> you'll need to get between terminals on the monorail and the clear the security line into Terminal C. <S> It's that last bit that would really concern me, those security lines can be long. <S> Also C itself long <S> , you could have a bit of trek to the gate. <S> Given that you need to be at your departure gate some time before the scheduled departure that 55 min window is rather less, so I would consider 55 min to be unreasonably tight. <S> However, I'm very conservative when going through EWR, and in previous discussions on this kind of topics people who know how airlines operate have assured me that if the connection is scheduled then it's feasible. <S> One positive factor is that the airlines know that there is some slack in scheduled arrival times, so on a typical day you may in reality have more than 55 min. <S> If this is a single booking with a single airline then I could assume that they will deal with any issue if I miss the connection, it would be hassle, but I'd get there in the end. <S> If this is two separate bookings then I would be concerned as the risk is entirely yours. <A> Let's break down what you'll have to do with some rough time estimates: <S> Get off the plane and make your way to the FIS area - 15 minutes, depending on where you're sitting and how far the gate is Immigration+customs - 10 minutes (could be faster, but I've had lines to get out of the customs area at EWR even with Global Entry that could make it longer) <S> Walk to AirTrain, ride to Terminal C, walk to security - 12 minutes Go through security, TSA Pre - 10 minutes (Could be much longer certainly, but 10 seems like a reasonable minimum unless the place is super-quiet) <S> Walk to your gate - 10 minutes <S> (Terminal C is big and we don't know where your gate is) <S> Be at the gate 15 minutes before departure, or you could be denied boarding <S> We're at 62 minutes there, and I don't consider my time estimates to be greatly padded. <S> It's also possible that your flight is a few minutes late or any one of these steps takes five minutes longer than planned, and then it's completely impossible. <S> And since you've arranged your own connection with two separate tickets, you'll be on your own. <S> I would not book this if it was a single ticket (nor would UA sell such a connection), and I certainly wouldn't with two separate tickets.
| It's certainly possible for everything to go your way and to make it to the gate before they finish boarding.
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Is it allowed to carry steel pipe in checked luggage in plane? It may sound bizarre, but it's true... So I've got an order to transport 0,5m (about 3kg) steel pipe with flanges (and parts like washers and bolts) from Poland->Germany using Wizzair. The time needed to do so probably decided for such solution... People from corps with higher budgets and better logistics, please don't make fun of me... Disclaimer: for management guys, it's always "possible"... "There isn't any problem". "Here is my anecdotal story when I've transported something illegal (not drugs but metal parts)..." I've checked WizzAir rules:1. Hand luggage has hardcore restrictions.2. I can't find any limitations for checked luggage <Q> For checked bags, airlines basically care about only two things: <S> How heavy and/or unwieldy is it? <S> Is there a risk that it may catch fire (or explode) during transport, or damage other bags it's transported with? <S> Neither sounds like it will be a problem for you 3 kg steel pipe. <S> Police and/or customs at your destination might worry whether your pipe is intended to be used as a blunt weapon, but they don't care whether you carried it in hold or cabin luggage. <S> And if you have a plausible explanation why you're traveling with it, the weapon angle shouldn't be a real problem. <A> The main concern is that it’ll look like a pipe bomb to the scanning equipment. <S> Where possible, do not pack it in close proximity with any of the following: <S> Anything looks like a detonator cables or cords alarm clock cell phone any type of batteries Anything that looks like shrapnel nails, screws, washers, or bolts <S> try to keep the pipe’s <S> end caps off Anything that looks like (plastic) explosives <S> peanut butter meat chocolate X-ray impermeable material <S> If possible, just pack it in it’s own bag or box with nothing else around, beneath, or near it. <S> While one might say a reasonable response to a suspected bomb would be a hand inspection, it’s also reasonable to assume that destructive analysis (or blowing it up) is the safest way to neutralize and analyze a suspected bomb. <A> I doubt you'll have any problem. <S> I've flown on a passenger flight (UK to USA) with Formula 1 teams before, and they picked up a lot of packages of F1 car parts off the checked luggage conveyor belt when we arrived. <S> The principle of weird industrial parts going as checked luggage rather than on a cargo flight is exactly the same. <S> As both WeatherVane and djr have pointed out in comments, in an x-ray scanner it may look rather similar to a pipe bomb. <S> Expect the package to be subject to intense scrutiny, but probably only after you've checked it and its somewhere in the baggage handling process. <S> I expect they'll get sniffer dogs on it, and there is a high chance of your luggage being opened to verify that it isn't a bomb. <S> I'd recommend packaging that can easily be opened and resealed for this reason. <A> I have flown UK->Germany with metal pipes complete with electronics and wires hanging off them (motorised replacement parts for an optical system). <S> I made the trip several times (only once carrying quite such bulky spare parts but often with smaller ones). <S> Several other times I was sent from check-in to special baggage, where airport security scanned my tool case then hand-searched it quite throughly. <S> I can't remember what I was asked at check-in/bag drop that propmpted them to send me that way; the case was within size and weight limits. <S> If you're carrying spare parts for a system, be sure to pack them in a way that they can easily be repacked sufficiently well with little or no effort. <S> It won't do any harm to have the paperwork with them <S> (copies of orders etc.) <S> but it's not required within the EU. <S> Check in/bag <S> drop early (as others have said) to allow for slowness, and answer questions openly. <S> This sort of thing happens all the time -- a parcel company should be cheaper but if a service engineer is going, make them lug the part across half a continent <A> I've been in a somewhat siilar situation. <S> When I finished living in Amsterdam and was moving back to the UK <S> I put my bike lock in my hand luggage- <S> a massive hefty solid chain. <S> I was stopped at security with this, they wanted me to leave it behind as it was dangerous. <S> It took quite a bit of discussion for them to let me through with it after they believed by story about moving house, on the proviso that I promised not to get it out and wave it about. <S> Basically there are no laws about taking chains, lengths of metal pipe, etc.... <S> but they are on the lookout for anything that can be used a a weapon and this might cause you trouble. <S> Make sure <S> it's nicely packed up and looks actually useful for something to allay any fears if you run into over zealous security people. <A> And parts like washers and bolts can easily fit into the Checked-In Bag. <S> As of Wizzair Baggage Policy, each passenger can carry: one item of hand luggage, size no larger than 55x40x23 cm, maximumweight <S> 10kg <S> up to 6 items of checked-in baggage, weighing no morethan 32kgs each duty-free items purchased at the airport aftersecurity checks Source: <S> https://wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/travel-information/baggage <S> So, there seems no problem for you to carry/transport the steel pipe from Poland to Germany through WizzAir.
| As the steel pipe is just 0,5m and about 3kg with flanges, it would not be a problem to fit it into the checked-in baggage.
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How to get driving (paper) maps in the county of Dorset? I'm coming from Australia to visit my Dad in Bridport (UK) in Dorset. We want to drive to Bristol to see the Brunel Museum and we want to direct ourselves to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the way. To plan out our driving journey, we'd like to get a paper map. My question is: How to get driving (paper) maps in Dorset? <Q> The Geographers' A-Z Map Company (who do the famous London A-Z street atlas) also do similar roadmaps for every UK county and city, including Dorset (county) and Bristol (the city of your two stated destinations). <S> You can buy all their products online , and at large stationery shops, for example WH Smith, you will find the relevant local maps. <S> The South West England and South Wales <S> A-Z Road Map covers Bridport and Bristol on one map, although you might prefer to use road signs to get into the coverage of the larger-scale 50 miles around Bristol map. <S> That said I would heartily recommend that one of you downloads the Waze app on their smartphone and uses that for navigation. <S> Waze has the google map data and also, crucially for UK driving, has access to crowdsourced live traffic data. <S> You really don't want to find yourself on the M5 on one of its bad days... <A> The Ordnance Survey do road maps, and the one you'd need is sheet 7 - South West England . <S> Saying that, for actual navigation I'd always recommend a traditional road atlas (combined with, as AakashM says, a traffic-watching GPS to avoid the snarl-ups on the M5). <S> You should be able to get one in any decent bookshop, or in most petrol stations or motorway services. <S> I'd got for one of the "concise" ones that are a smaller size, as the big A3 size ones can be rather unwieldy. <S> Something like this one from the AA, for example. <A> If you're sure you want paper maps, it's probably best to just get a UK road atlas. <S> The UK isn't a very big country <S> so they're not very expensive. <A> Paper road atlases designed for exactly this are usually pretty widely and cheaply available in the UK from stationers such as WH Smith or Waterstone's, or any of a number of independent local retailers. <S> You could probably buy one in advance from your favourite online retailer to be delivered to your UK destination, ready for you. <S> A nationwide atlas is likely to be perfectly workable and not that expensive (under GBP 10); I've usually only bothered with county-specific atlases (note, as another poster said, that the sites you're looking for are in Bristol, not Dorset) where I need fine detail of residential areas. <S> All that said, <S> I wouldn't buy one and haven't in years. <S> Waze is an excellent free GPS navigation application with crowdsourced traffic data and more up-to-date maps which will make your journey much smoother. <S> If you're concerned about data charges, Google Maps is also excellent for satnav and can be used completely offline if you download maps in advance - it doesn't take much device space for a really quite large area, and I traveled round northern Scotland that way last year with almost no signal but excellent navigation. <A> Most bookshops sell paper maps - Waterstones <S> is the big national chain, but local bookshops will sell them too. <S> You can also pick up 2-3 year old road atlases in many bargain bookshops (e.g. The Works ) for about £2. <S> It's probably cheaper than buying them online, given you'd have to pay postage too. <S> If you head to the local tourist information centre, they often have free maps within leaflets for either specific attractions, or a group of local places. <S> Depending on what you're after, they may be sufficient in some cases. <S> They certainly would be as a supplement to a national road atlas. <A> Just buy one of these, https://www.amazon.co.uk/2018-Collins-Road-Atlas-Britain/dp/0008214557 <S> I think those are still widely available in the UK. <S> bookshops at the airport (when you arrive)? <S> at petrol stations en route? <S> certainly at large bookstores in cities. <S> I much prefer "real, old-fashioned" paper folding maps, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Explorer-Purbeck-Dorchester-Weymouth-Swanage/dp/0319242544 <S> but they're harder to find. <S> (Well, trivially available online - if you have time just buy one from amazon .co.uk <S> and they'll post it to you in Oz.) <A> An option no one else has mentioned is to pop into a local Halfords , which is your one stop car/bike/cycle parts and motoring-related-tat superstore chain - the nearest one to Bridport is in Dorchester. <A> As an ex-Brit I'd vote for buying a cheap road atlas from a service station (or Halfords) when you land. <S> But, another option if you're in the Perth Metro W.A. and desperate to plan ahead is to try here:- http://www.chartandmapshop.com.au <S> It's a great shop to just browse in and should have what you're looking for.
| There's actually a famous map shop in London, if you're in London you should go .. stanfords.co.uk
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Can a flight refuse to check in bags of correct size if there are too many? Can an airline refuse to check in bags onto a flight even if all of them satisfy the size and weight requirements and I properly pay for the luggage costs? For example, if the airline conditions state that I can check in up to ten bags and I try to check in four, is it possible that they refuse them due to their quantity? <Q> Yes. <S> This happened to me last year. <S> They allowed the baggage allowance of two suitcases which are included with the price of the ticket <S> yet I had one more, of the same size and weight <S> and they refused it even though the airline website indicated that one can buy allowance for up to 8 more. <S> I specified that I would pay as indicated and did not mind if it went on the next flight it was still refused. <S> The additional suitcase had to be sent by courier which was a stressful and complicated thing to do on they day of the flight. <S> The really awful aspect of this is that they did it on the return flight but not the ongoing one. <S> This was a Delta flight and <S> their Extra Baggage Terms clearly say this - although I had missed that information apparently: <S> We may limit the amount of excess baggage when such excess prevents us from transporting up to two bags per passenger. <S> And: Any bags exceeding the ticketed itinerary allocation: number of pieces, weight or size are accepted on a standby basis. <A> Yes, this can happen. <S> The fine print on airline websites usually have rules on this. <S> To pick one example airline, United says : Please note that extra baggage is accepted only if space is available on the aircraft. <S> Oversized, overweight and extra baggage is not accepted on flights to certain destinations and on certain flights during specific timeframes. <S> For a list of cities where overweight or extra baggage is not accepted, either year-round or during certain times, please see the Excess Baggage Embargo page. <S> The baggage embargo page then lists further restrictions. <S> And their Contract of Carriage says: UA’s acceptance of Excess and Oversize/Overweight Baggage shall be on a space-available basis only, and shall be subject to the load capacities of the aircraft in use. <S> United may prohibit Checked Baggage exceeding either 70 lbs or more than 115 inches. <A> This will depend on the terms of carriage for the particular airline, and the consumer law of the country from which the flight is departing. <S> In general, an airline won't decline to accept baggage, but there is no guarantee that it will travel on your particular flight. <S> It may be delayed and show up on a later flight, perhaps later that day or even the next day or after, depending on demand for cargo space on flights on that route. <S> Additionally, it's going to be very aircraft-dependent. <S> Some aircraft have a lot more luggage capacity than do others. <S> You're far more likely to talk an airline into letting you take five bags on a Boeing 767-300ER than you are on a Canadair <S> CRJ-200. <S> If an airline usually has extra space for baggage on the route, it will be more willing to take your excess bags, because it has some hope of delivering them to you on a timely basis. <S> It is unlikely that the airline will communicate with you about the odds of this happening, for security reasons. <S> They prefer that passengers believe that they will be traveling with their baggage. <S> Remember, too, <S> that if you want to ensure your excess baggage arrives somewhere reasonably promptly, you can always send it by air cargo, although this means it is unlikely to travel with you on your aircraft. <S> (It may take another route if this gives it a better chance of a timely arrival.)
| As noted in other answers, it's also possible, especially with smaller planes, for your baggage to be accepted but for it to have to take a later flight due to capacity constraints.
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