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What is Indian SIM for south to west coast (Kochi to Goa) that would not have roaming charges, work in Mifi and for 6 months? I am planning on going to India in a few months time and will need a mobile internet connection, I have SIM internet router and will need a sim card that can be used in such a device. I will be originally traveling Here (Kochi to Goa) . I would like to get a SIM that would work for the duration of the trip and also in Goa (6 months), (obviously as cheap and reliable as possible)? EDIT: To whoever is closing question, it's not shopping it's how to get a mobile internet. Heres example of an alike question with +10 In the US, what's a good prepaid GSM SIM card without a phone? as a traveler I have no clue about which provider is good and which is crap... we even have a tag cellphones read the description, please. <Q> India has a few mobile telephony companies (ordered by name): Airtel BSNL <S> (This is a Government run company) <S> Idea <S> (This has now merged with Vodafone) <S> Reliance Jio Vodafone <S> All these companies have a pan-India presence so you should receive good enough connectivity almost everywhere. <S> The only exception is if you plan to stay in remote areas (forests, tribal areas, higher himalyas etc.). <S> In such areas only the state run BSNL provides connectivity. <S> As Goa-Kochi corridor is very accessible, you can opt for any of the above. <S> You can even switch your operator by retaining the same number (a long drawn process) or buying a new SIM altogether. <S> We already have a question about buying SIM card in Hyderabad which can provide you with pointers even though it deals with a separate area. <S> EDIT: <S> You will be changing the states (Kochi is in Kerala, you will travel through Karnataka and finally end up in Goa). <S> Indian SIMs are tethered to the "home" circle (The state in which they were bought). <S> Using them in other states can incur national roaming charges. <S> These days most of the companies provide unlimited national roaming free or as a part of the SIM plan. <S> Be sure to check if data/calls/ <S> SMS (incoming and outgoing) are free when using national roaming before you buy a SIM or you may end up paying considerably more. <A> The answer above provides a list of major telecom operators in India and most of the times you should get good connectivity with them in major cities/towns. <S> I lived in the southern part of India and travelled frequently to Goa and other cities along the coast and from my personal experience, I can say that Airtel provides very good internet along with solid connectivity in most of the urban/remote areas. <S> You also get free national roaming. <S> However, the downside is that it's a bit pricey as compared to other operators. <S> Reliance Jio is launched recently and it is undoubtedly the most affordable option by offering free voice calls, no roaming charges and you pay around 150 rupees per month for 42 GB 4G data. <S> I find the connectivity quite good in the cities however it is unreliable at times in remote areas and also when you are travelling on a train. <S> If you talk about remote connectivity, I would say that BSNL offers the best connectivity but here the drawback is the internet speed which isn't the best. <S> Talking about the free-roaming, you should get it covered by most of the operators now. <S> I suggest you buy multiple sims(most of the locals <S> do that) because there would be times when one SIM gives you better speed than the other depending on the region you are in. <S> You can go with Airtel & Jio, you will be spending around 300 rs a month (4 euros) which is still a pretty good deal for unlimited 4G data and voice calls. <A> telecom operator :Airtel ,Plan : Rupees 448 for 84 days ,unlimited national roaming , unlimited nationwide calls/ SMS , free data roaming 1.4 GB Data/ day.
| Buying a SIM in India is easy and you should be able to use it for as long as you like.
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Day trip to Mauthausen Memorial from Vienna, Austria We will spend five nights in Vienna next March. I would like to visit the Mauthausen Work Camp Memorial. There are four of us so I assume that renting a car would be an option. Any suggestions for getting to the memorial via public transit orrental car? How long to see the camp? Is it feasible for people who have trouble walking up steep hills?Two of us can only walk about 500 meters on level ground before needing a rest. <Q> If you go by rental car, there is a parking lot almost immediately outside the main entrance. <S> Going by public transport is difficult if you have problems walking. <S> Wasserwerk' being the closest. <S> There are several trains per hour and the bus runs hourly Monday through Friday, but only bihourly Saturday and Sunday. <S> The closest bus stop is however in the town of Mauthausen and the camp is located about 1.5km uphill from there. <S> You also have the option to go by train to Mauthausen, but there are no direct connections from Vienna. <S> You must change trains at least once, usually in St. Valentin. <S> The train station in Mauthausen is about 4km from the camp. <S> You can of course take a taxi from the train station or from the bus stop to the camp. <S> It might even be cheaper than going by public transport. <S> Depending on the exact connection, the return fare from Vienna to Mauthausen is between €50 and €80 per person. <A> For getting there, Tor-Einar Jambjo already has a good answer. <S> Just as an addition, parking for the frst 4h is free. <S> About the stay duration: It's hard to tell as people vary much in such things. <S> But as a reference value, a guided tour (without one of the information "workshops" appended) takes about 2 hours. <S> 4 with workshop. <S> And a note about behaviour (also for everyone else reading this; some people just need to be told): Appropriate clothing, little noise (including phone calls), food and smoking only in designated areas. <S> Animals are banned. <S> And the rare visitor who has fun in shouting "Heil" might get a chance to view another prison from the inside soon. <S> Please just don't, even if you really think of it as a mere joke (rather than meaning it) <A> Post-Trip Update <S> Now that we are back from our trip, I thought I would mention what we did in case anybody was interested in this day trip. <S> I rented a car from Hertz at Vienna's Haupbahnhof or main train station. <S> I brought my GPS from home because it had European maps and I am used to it. <S> I chose Hertz because my credit card offered a discount and it was cheap. <S> I had an International Driving Permit which made the rental process a little easier, I think. <S> I rented a Ford Focus wagon for € 59.39 when the Hertz office opened, drove to the hotel, and picked up the rest of our party. <S> Driving to Mauthausen was easy. <S> The autobahn was safe and quick. <S> Mauthausen was truly incredible. <S> The emotional impact of seeing where the suffering happened was unforgettable. <S> I loaded the Mauthausen visitor app on my phone which provided a lot of information. <S> After visiting the camp, we drove down the hill and turned up a small road to the bottom of the quarry. <S> It was a short walk from the small parking area to the foot of the stairway of death. <S> We took more than four hours to see the memorial which is more than the average person would take. <S> We read every display and took our time. <S> Walking was easy. <S> We parked about 100 meters from the entrance. <S> After returning to Vienna, I dropped off my passengers at the hotel and drove back to the Haupbahnhof. <S> I put € 26.80 worth of diesel in the tank before parking it. <S> I took a lot of pictures just to be sure and dropped the keys in the box. <S> So for less than the price of one guided bus ticket, the three of us made the trip. <S> The roads from the Haupbahnhof to the outside of town are easy to drive. <S> Our hotel in the inner part of Vienna was not. <S> I would recommend that everybody goes to pick up the car for that reason. <S> I hope somebody finds this information useful.
| If you are four people and have problems walking, I would have no doubt getting a rental car for the trip. The camp area is relatively flat and easy to walk. You can take the train from Vienna to Linz and then the bus 360 from Linz to Mauthausen, with the stop 'Linzer Str.
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How long to clear international arrival Terminal B LAX and transfer to Terminal 1? We arrive at LAX to Terminal B at 06:40 on American Airlines and need to transfer to a domestic flight on Southwest airlines to Phoenix. My question is should I book the 09:00 domestic flight or the 11:00. I am travelling with 3 kids so obviously I would like to reduce the waiting time at LAX but I also don't want to miss the flight. Would love the advice of experienced LAX travellers. We are all on Australian passports. <Q> You're proposing to book two separate tickets, as Southwest does not have interline partners. <S> At a minimum, I would book the later flight, and I would give serious consideration to not doing this at all and booking it all on one ticket. <S> With two separate tickets, you are responsible for your own connection. <S> You must go through immigration, collect any checked bags, go through customs, change terminals, wait in line at the check-in/bag drop counter, check in your checked bags before the deadline, go through security, and get to your gate. <S> If your inbound international flight is late or you're stuck in line at immigration, Southwest is not responsible for your connection. <S> They may, as an unofficial policy if you notify them ahead of time, put you on standby for the next flight , but otherwise would be in their rights to charge you for new tickets on the spot. <S> And with 3 kids, there may not be room on the next flight for your entire party, so you could be waiting longer. <S> The terminals ( terminal 4 and terminal 1 ) are not close either. <S> There's a inter-terminal shuttle bus every 10 minutes or so, or it's about a half mile walk. <S> The good news is that at that hour, immigration wait times aren't long, generally not more than 20-30 minutes. <S> The best approach, especially traveling with kids, would be to book this as a single ticket. <S> This will make the airline responsible for your connection, will avoid the need to carry baggage half way around the airport, and will reduce some of the risk and uncertainty. <S> The 11:00 should be doable as long as you aren't significantly delayed anywhere and are ok assuming the risk of separate tickets. <A> If things are normal, there is an ok chance that you can make the 9 am flight <S> but there isn't a lot of room for error and in general LAX is fairly unpredictable. <S> Travelling with 3 kids (as I have done a lot) adds to your unpredictability so extra 2 hours seems like a good safety measure. <S> You can check statistics on immigration and customs clearance time at https://awt.cbp.gov/ and try to to draw your own conclusions. <S> Keep in mind that you may have to check in again at the Southwest counter and go through security again. <A> I would go with the 11:00. <S> The walk from Terminal B to 1 can be about 20min at an adult pace so with kids <S> it may talk a little longer. <S> Luggage carts are free in the international terminal, and that might make your trip easier. <S> The security at Southwest can also take a bit of time. <S> I've done the LAX to Southwest a few times, and having 3 hours or more really reduces the stress level.
| If you do proceed with separate tickets, the 9:00 is a nonstarter, particularly if you have checked bags and three kids to get to the other side of the airport. Go with the 11:00am flight, especially if these are two different tickets.
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Sending money to a friend stuck abroad without a debit card? A friend of mine is stuck in Spain without a debit card, and I'm trying to send her some cash by whatever means available from here in the US. None of the bank branches near her are American, they're all European banks, mostly CaixaBank, Deutsche Bank, and Banc d'España. She's a dual American/German citizen, and she has both passports with her. She also has a Wells Fargo account, and could even set up a European bank account if needed as a German citizen. I have accounts with a few American banks (TD Bank, Wells Fargo, etc.), along with cash. Is there any way she can walk into a bank in Spain with her passports, with me standing in a bank in the US, and for me to transfer money to her in cash? <Q> I second the comment by B.Liu. <S> Make really sure this is not a scam. <S> I once used Western Union to send money to a relative abroad. <S> They are still in business and so are several other providers. <S> (Andrew mentioned Moneygram in his comment. <S> I'm not suggesting a specific provider based on my limited transactions. <S> Check their websites and FAQs.) <S> Your friend might need identity documents. <S> That should be on the site. <S> Back when I used it, all I had to send a number, but since 9/11 things got more stringent. <S> Think about a way to make sure if it is really your friend who is asking. <S> Probably less of a problem today if you can skype. <S> PS -- US embassies will provide emergency loans to Americans abroad for repatriation, so if this is a sob story and you have the slightest doubt, refer your friend there. <S> Same for the German embassy. <A> In addition to what has already been said (and I second the Western Union or Moneygram option if you are 100% sure it's not a scam) <S> , if your friend's cards were stolen or lost, she could also ask for assistance from her travel insurance (of course, provided she has travel insurance - sometimes some debit/credit cards have this for the holder, under certain conditions - and it covers these kinds of situations). <S> Depending on the coverage they even go so far as to get their local offices to give you cash. <A> The best way would be to send Bitcoin, which arrives in minutes. <S> Your friend can get cash from a Bitcoin ATM 24/7, without dealing with a person and normally without any identification. <S> Have your friend go to a BTC ATM and complete the process to withdraw cash, <S> have them send you a picture of the QR code, you send the BTC directly to the ATM using the QR code, and your friend will have the cash in minutes. <A> If you both have Wells Fargo, it might be easiest to work with them, though again, this will likely take several (business) days. <S> However, you can transfer money to your friend's Wells Fargo account, and then she can add a local (German) bank account and transfer the money there. <S> https://www.wellsfargo.com/online-banking/transfers/ <S> The other option may be a mobile check deposit to a local (German) bank and again, after several days of it clearing will be available for withdrawal. <S> Overall, if the timeline doesn't matter as much, and she just needs it within the next week or so, then there are a few ways of doing it for free. <A> If she has a few days to set things up, using a prepaid debit card is possibly the most cost-effective way. <S> It's easy to pick up a card in most places in Europe, and a lot of cards can be directly topped up from another credit or debit card. <S> The only problem is that in order to accept top-ups from another card, she may need to prove identity and address, which may be difficult for a non EU citizen, and the process of approval may take a day or two. <S> It may however also be possible to use a bank transfer to top up the card (to a certain limit) without proof of identity; this is something you'd need to check with individual card issuers. <S> The fees for this service are usually much lower than those for traditional money transfer services.
| Depending on the amount of money being sent, and the time period in which it is needed, if you both already have a money sharing/payment application setup such as Venmo, PayPal, Google Wallet, etc; you can send her money, have her transfer it to her bank, and then walk into the bank and withdraw it. However, if expediency/ease is of importance here, then a wire is likely your best bet, though you'll definitely pay for the convenience, and there are some other great answers to this end.
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Can I rent a car at the airport without a flight in Lisbon? I'm flying to Lisbon and staying for a few nights, then I want to rent a car and drive to other parts of the country. I don't want to rent a car as soon as I land since I won't need it in the city. Instead, I would take a taxi or public transit back to the airport and rent a car after my stay. Is there any rule that says you have to have a flight arriving the same day to rent? Would they be suspicious if I showed up directly to the rental car place instead of taking a shuttle from the terminal? <Q> It doesn't matter. <S> I have rented cars at airports without flying many times, including in Europe, such at Belfast City Airport in Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), and Luleå Airport in Sweden. <S> I've found that those may or may not be cheaper, but almost always have longer opening hours and a wider offer, compared to city car rental places — if the latter even exists locally. <S> In Belfast, I arrived for pick-up before the first flight of the day had even arrived. <S> In Luleå, I arrived at a time of day that no flight had arrived for a couple of hours. <S> In both cases, there was no queue and the arrival terminal was deserted. <S> In both cases, there were absolutely no questions asked, and <S> the idea that there might be an issue frankly never crossed my mind. <S> It doesn't matter. <A> You can rent in the airport in any situation. <S> It doesn't matter if you're flying in, out or not even flying at all. <S> I know this for a fact. <S> I have some family that has rented in Lisbon, in a couple of different offices/brands, and they weren't neither flying in or out. <S> Rules tend to be similar accross rental offices. <S> The business of these companies is rental. <S> The airport is just a convenient place to be since there is demand. <S> They don't really care where their clients come from. <S> What might happen is that often rental companies at the airport ask for a flight number on their online reservation forms. <S> Don't be discouraged by that. <S> It's only relevant for them to know if your flight is delayed and deal with that fact (if you're actually flying).Dealing with the fact might mean several things: <S> If your flight has arrived and you don't show up after a while they might call to know if you still want the car. <S> Or if they pick you up at the airport, they will only meet you upon flight arrival. <S> With the flight number they know the time of arrival and <S> if there are delays. <S> If such field exists either ignore it, write not applicable or n <S> /a (short form).If they are strict about <S> it just fill in something (eg.: aa1234) and drop an email telling you're not arriving by plane since you're already in the city. <S> Usually they don't use this field as validation for the reservation. <S> They most likely already charged your credit card and that is by far more relevant. <S> As a general rule it's still not a bad idea to drop a message. <S> Specially if there is a shuttle that might wait for you. <A> I can't speak for Lisbon, but i have done exactly the same in the US successfully. <S> Nobody asked for any flight details, when i picked up or dropped off the car. <S> The only condition some rental car companies have, is when you only have a debit card. <S> Then they might require to provide actual flight confirmations. <S> However, you might want to compare the fares with city stations, since e.g. in Germany the stations at airports or train stations always charge a significant fee, so that might be the same in Lisbon. <A> I, too, have done this on several occasions, although not in Lisbon. <S> Note: <S> Sometimes it is less expensive to rent from a downtown office of the same company because of airport fees. <S> On the other hand, in New York City, I found the best deal by far available only at the airport office. <S> You should definitely use a travel site to check this unless you are indifferent to the rate charged. <A> Yes. <S> I travel through Lisbon airport regularly. <S> It is typically more expensive than renting elsewhere in Lisbon (as mentioned by others). <S> Expect to queue, it is often very busy and all the companies seem to be very slow. <A> You can rent a car at the airport despite of where are you coming from. <S> It doesn't matter. <S> What Im not sure is if the rates are the same in the city centre and the airport. <S> What you can do is call the agencies at the airport and ask for prices. <S> There are car rental desks in the Arrivals area of Terminal 1. <S> Open from 6:00 am to 1:00 am. <S> Avis/Budget <S> (Tel +351 218 435 550)Europcar (Tel +351 218 401 176)Goldcar <S> /Rhodium <S> (Tel +351 218 413 768)Guerin <S> /Enterprise (Tel +351 218 486 191)Hertz (Tel +351 219 426 300)Sixt (Tel +351 255 788 199) <S> Source: https://www.airportsdata.net/europe/portugal/airports/lisbon.php
| The car rental desks are in the terminal and you can easily just show up and hire a car. If you use a credit card for deposit, it's not required (i know that Hertz has this condition, when renting in the US).
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Can I change euro coins for euro notes at UK airports? I've amassed a large amount of euro coins over the course of a few holidays, but it's annoying to take them on holiday. Will a bureau de change or bank at the airport change them for notes? <Q> I don't know of any bank or exchange bureau that will exchange foreign coins. <S> Your best bet is to take the coins with you on your next trip to the Eurozone and spend them there or change them for notes when you arrive. <A> No, most places won’t exchange coins for bills but you can just buy a lot of chocolate and candy at a store in the airport that will allow you to pay in euro. <A> There are machines which will accept coins and give you back money, presumably in notes. <S> I have never used them but a company which provides them is Fourex <S> There is definitely a machine at King's Cross St Pancras underground station and their web-site <S> has a find a kiosk link. <S> I have no connection with the company, I just use that station occasionally.
| If you still have a lot of coins left when you are due to leave, visit a store, bank, exchange bureau or even ask a local if you change them into Euro notes.
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General rule for where to exchange cash: country of departure or destination? As a general rule, can one say that it is better to exchange cash for a foreign trip in the country of departure or of arrival? My main concern here is a favorable exchange rate. As a concrete case, I am planning a trip to Hong Kong and am wondering whether I should carry EUR or (substantial) HKD. <Q> A better rule of thumb is to not exchange any cash at all, but use an ATM in the country of arrival to withdraw money, letting your home bank do the currency conversion (so withdraw in HKD, not in EUR; the ATM itself will offer Direct Currency Conversion but that's usually a much worse rate for you). <S> It's also quite logical; HKD banknotes in the Euro zone have to be transported there, so they are more expensive. <S> That leaves the problem that you might have some HKD left when you leave the country; as long as it's not too much, I tend to keep it for the next visit. <S> Or you can buy something (souvenir, drinks) at the airport. <S> (I don't have any experience in whether it would be better to exchange it back to EUR in Hong Kong or in Europe, so I'll leave that part to another user.) <S> Anecdotal evidence: in some (Western/Northern European) countries you don't even need cash at all. <S> I recently visited Iceland and the only moment when I didn't have the option to pay by card was the offerings during the church service... <A> There is no general rule. <S> At the moment Wikipedia lists 180 currencies being used throughout the world. <S> Do not expect banks (or even some small exchange offices) throughout the world to have all of them. <S> Actually, should I decide to travel tomorrow to some small country in Africa with substantial cash, I would probably have to change cash twice . <S> At home in the Czech republic from our crowns to euros or dollars (or something like that, internationally known) and then after arriving from euros or dollars to local currency. <S> Because there is no option to obtain that exotic currency here at home and after arrival I would have probably hard time trying to find someone willing to buy Czech crowns. <S> If you are lucky and can choose, my tip would be to choose the more recognized and respected currency. <S> If all goes well, it does not really matter what you have, but if there is some natural disaster (like volcano eruption) or something and your airplane gets diverged to an airport in some third country where you get stuck for days or even weeks <S> , you definitely want to have locally recognized cash to get by and not somethings locals have never seen not heard of. <A> A few caveats, though: You must of course have a card that can be used internationally and widely accepted (should be the case of all VISA, MasterCard and Maestro cards). <S> Check your card issuer's fees for withdrawals, payments and the exchange rate they use. <S> It can vary quite substantially. <S> Note that in most cases, it's cheaper to pay rather than withdraw. <S> Some banks may have an international presence or international partners where fees are lower or waived. <S> Make sure you inform your bank that you are travelling abroad. <S> Some have dedicated interfaces for that on their online banking service (you specify the country and travel dates), others will require you call them. <S> Check that the ATM you are planning to use does indeed take the right type of card. <S> There are stories of cards "swallowed" because they're the wrong type. <S> Take a bit of your own local money to exchange just in case <S> there's a problem. <S> Usually, refuse the offer for currency conversion by the ATM or payment terminals, though of course you should compare with the rate your bank offers. <S> In some countries, some of the ATMs may add their own fee when withdrawing. <S> This is becoming quite common in the US. <S> Make a note of your card details and emergency contact before you leave. <S> In most cases, fees (by your bank or by the ATM, other than currency exchange) are usually a fixed amount per transaction, so larger withdrawals/payments cost you less, but YMMV. <A> In my experience, if I have to change currency (and cannot withdraw cash as the other answers suggest), usually the rates seemed better at the country of departure, probably because you can choose to do it outside of airports, so more choice means better rates. <S> However, the one exception I've encountered was Singapore: exchanging Euros there <S> seemed much, much better than buying Singapore dollars in Europe. <S> But Singapore is a hub country full of traveling foreigners, which probably explains it. <S> If Hong Kong follows a similar pattern, then it could be better to sell euros there, instead of buying HKD in Europe. <A> Not a big deal but Just one point nobody mentioned... <S> Say you're in Local country and you have (exactly) 500 units (5x 100 notes). <S> When you go to Distant Country, you can give them the 500 and get in return in your hand the precise amount of local currency, to the cent (peso .. yen . <S> whatever) including small change. <S> If you change in Local country, they don't keep small change in Distant Currency. <S> You get annoying rounding issues. <S> In general for this reason, and the rate, you always change "there" not "here". <S> (If, for some reason, you archaically are dealing in cash.)
| I concur with Glorfindel , the best option is usually just to withdraw at local ATMs and use your card directly for most payments.
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How do I find flights that avoid US airspace? Persons on the US no-fly list are not only unable to fly to the US (obviously), but to board a flight which might enter US airspace e.g. in an emergency. Is there any way or online resource to find out which flight paths particular flights use, and which flight paths have or do not have the potential to be redirected to US airspace? Edit for clarification:Thank you all for the resources. I am specifically looking for flights (or information on flights) which will not enter US airspace including (to the extent foreseeable) on an emergency basis. I am assuming that whether or not a flight will or might enter US airspace is foreseeable and part of the organization of commercial flight-paths? <Q> All the resources in @kiltannen's Answer will allow you to see historical flight paths between airports. <S> What you then need to do is eliminate all city pairs where a routing has had a US airfield as the nearest suitable landing point at any time. <S> You can use gcmap.com to overlay direct paths and airports. <S> For example, you would not be able to fly from Eastern Australia or New Zealand to Japan because at some point, the nearest airport is Guam or other US territories. <A> For other countries, the data you receive is hit or miss. <S> The content it provides (on US flights) is comprehensive. <S> You can see the flight path on a variety of maps, all powered by Google Maps. <S> Flight View offers much of the same information as Flightstats above. <S> You get a live map (although not as pretty as Flightstats) time and delay information, and more. <S> The one area where Flightview really shines is mobile apps. <S> They offer free mobile flight tracking apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and other platforms. <S> Flight Wise Might be the best as it is geared more towards the technical information about a flight. <S> And this may allow you to work out the potential for diversion into US and whether there is a flyover of US airspace. <S> There are quite a few other tracking sites, but these seem to be pretty popular for data about US flights, which I think is what you are more focused on right? <A> Another difficulty not mentioned so far is that in an emergency planes can and will land anywhere including military airfields. <S> Hell, once a civilian plane landed at Kitsap of all places (it was not allowed to take off after). <S> Now, of course most US military bases are on US soil but there are foreign ones and I have no idea whose law applies <S> should your plane land at Ramstein Air Base for example. <S> It's a mess based on my readings.
| There are a few options for you to look into: Flight Stats provides comprehensive flight information for all flights originating in the United States and also fairly comprehensive coverage for overseas flights in Europe.
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Do UK citizens need a passport on domestic flights in the UK? As a UK citizen, do you need a passport to fly from London Gatwick to Edinburgh with easyJet or British Airways? And also will this be the same at other airports? <Q> The short answer is no, and this answer provides good references with more details. <S> In the case of Gatwick, if your flight isn't leaving the UK, they will take your picture as you enter security, and check this before you reach the gate to prevent an immigration scam that became quite prevalent a few years ago. <S> I can't find a reference to this online, but this is from extensive personal experience. <S> I would have added this as a comment, but apparently my reputation hasn't preceded me :) <A> Domestic flights <S> Some airlines accept photo driving licences and other forms of ID for domestic flights, but many don’t so check your airlines website when you book your flights. <S> If you turn up with the wrong type of ID you will not be able to fly and you are unlikely to get your money back. <S> Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority British Airways <S> If you are flying solely within the UK, including Northern Ireland, you do not need a passport but we advise that you carry photographic identification with you when travelling, such as your passport or driving licence. <S> This may be requested at certain points in your journey. <S> Children under the age of 16 years do not require identification to travel within the UK. <S> Source easyJet doesn't require it either. <A> As an EU citizen I once tried to travel intra-UK with only my UK driving license, which the check-in clerk did not want to accept at first (they told me that a driving license is only valid if I'm a UK citizen), and it took around 10-15 minutes of arguing, showing them their website on approved IDs, and them calling up their manager so they could finally accept it. <S> While this does show that you don't need a passport, please note that it did delay the check-in process, meaning if you're in a hurry it might still be beneficial to provide a passport, especially if you're not a UK citizen. <A> At Luton airport a few years ago a police officer stopped me and asked to see my passport. <S> I said "I don't think I need it", he said "yes you do", but when I mentioned I was flying to Glasgow <S> he let me pass. <S> (Why exactly there were <S> police stopping random people is something I don't know, nor what good it does if anyone can just say they are going to take a domestic flight.) <S> As it happens I did have my passport with me just in case...
| In answer to the supplementary question that you raised in the comments section, airport security do not require any ID, so they will not be asking for a passport either.
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Complaint procedure for visit visa to UK 6 month Can the sponsor or applicant make a complaint for the decision of visit visa to UK for 6 months ? What is the procedure or link to do that ? <Q> Refusal letters clearly say : In relation to this decision there is no right of appeal or right to administrative review. <A> Generally, there is no right of appeal for visit visa applications. <S> However, that does not mean that ECO's have no accountability. <S> You still have two options: Ask the ECM for a review . <S> If there is an obvious error made by the ECO (such as reading the numbers on the application form wrong), the ECM will be able to overturn the ECO's decision. <S> My friend was successfully able to do this. <S> In the refusal notice, the ECO had referred to parts of the application which were materially different from what was actually stated. <S> Judicial review . <S> If you believe there has been an error of law, such as not following the proper procedure, you could be able to get the decision quashed through a judicial review. <S> However, you would need a solicitor and be prepared to bear the expenses. <S> Normally, a second application would be a better choice. <S> Depending on why you think the decision was wrong, you should also contact the British Embassy/High Commission in your country, the decision making hub, the independent inspector for the UKVI, and any other relevant bodies that you think could make a difference. <S> Edit: <S> The OP has posted a copy of the refusal notice. <S> While the refusal may appear unfair, I don't think the remedies above will help him much. <S> The ECO is concerned about the two large deposits in the OP's account and while the ECO does not outright accuse the OP of deception, he thinks the documents submitted cannot be considered evidence. <S> The burden of proof is on the applicant. <S> He has to prove he qualifies. <S> A second application would be the way to go. <S> To show the origin of these funds and depending on what exactly was sold the OP could produce: copies of the cheques used vehicle registration documents (in case of a car) <S> property transfer/registration documents <S> any other documents that can be verified independently <A> You can NOT ask for a review because your application is excluded from review per the link below. <S> Ask for a visa administrative review <S> If you're outside the UK <S> You’ll be told in your application refusal letter if you can ask for the decision on your visa application to be reviewed. <S> This is known as an ‘administrative review’. <S> You can only ask for an administrative review if all of the following apply: you’re outside the UK <S> you applied outside the UK <S> your application was refused on or after 6 April 2015 you don’t have a right of appeal against the refusal <S> you didn’t make an application as a visitor or a short term student How to apply You must apply for an administrative review within 28 days of getting the decision. <S> You’ll either get the administrative review application form with your application refusal letter, or you’ll be asked to download it. <S> When you get the form you must: enter the reasons for refusal that are on your decision letter, and say why you think a mistake was made send your completed form in the method <S> the application refusal letter suggests (by email, post or in person) <S> The guidance notes tell you how to fill in the administrative review application form.
| Nope, there is no standard procedure to appeal or complaint against a standard visitor visa refusal for UK.
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Should I apply for a standard visitor visa even if I normally don't require a visa because of my frequent travels to the UK I am a Malaysian passport holder and I am eligible for visa-free visits to the UK for up to 6 months. In the past few months I have travelled to the UK multiple times without any problems. Details of my travel: March to April (10 days) May (10 days) July - September (2 month and a few days) I'm planning to come again around 5 Nov and intend to spend Christmas and New Year's holiday with friends so I was thinking of getting a return on 5 Jan. I was wondering if I should apply Standard Visitor Visa because of my frequent travels to the UK. I've had some horrible experiences with IOs in the past and would like to keep the questioning at the border to a minimum. <Q> Namely: Immigration Rules Appendix V: <S> visitor rules <S> Genuine intention to visit V 4.2 <S> The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor. <S> This means that the applicant: (b) will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home; Procuring a visa will not provide relief from that requirement. <S> Basically the only way to eliminate the risk is to either have a very good reason for frequent/successive visits (e.g. business meetings), acquire legal residence in the UK or acquire British or EU citizenship etc. <S> You get the idea <A> Like most advice given on this site, this advice is contingent on your intention to be a visitor to the UK, and to not intend to live or work in the UK. <S> If you intend to live or work in the UK, this will not work for you, and will almost certainly result in trouble. <S> That said... <S> The UK has a Registered Traveller program for which you may be eligible , either now or in the near future. <S> Holding a passport from Malaysia, if you have visited the UK at least four times in the previous 24 months (or if you hold a visa) you can apply for the program. <S> This makes you eligible to use the UK/EU passport lanes and the smart entry gates. <S> You won't have to fill in a landing card, and your immigration interviews (if any) will generally be very short. <S> The cost of the program is £70 per year and you can apply online . <A> No, getting a visa is absolutely pointless, as it won't give you more freedoms in the UK, nor does it let you stay longer. <S> And yes, if you lie you will be caught if they dig deeper (which they likely will, given that this will be your second 2-month visit). <S> So definitely tell them you have a Swedish girlfriend. <S> You need to bring any and all proof of your ties to Malaysia (work, family, property etc.). <S> Everything , even if that constitutes 50 pages or more, that helps answer the question " <S> why would he return home and not just stay illegally, especially since he has a girlfriend here?" <S> If you're unemployed, you also need to bring solid proof of how you support yourself (including notarised statements from your source(s) of income)
| It is quite pointless applying for a visa in your particular case because the same condition which appears to be currently tripping you up with the visa-free entry is still at play even if you get a visa.
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Do the seat rows across the aisle from the Cathay Pacific 777 300 ER 77H aircraft line up? The economy rows in the picture on seat guru do not appear to line up with each other. For example do 60G and 60H line up next to each other. I want two aisle seats that are directly across from each other. <Q> Here is the official Cathay Pacific seating map (pick 77H from the dropdown, there are multiple different models). <S> As you can see, seats do not line up across the aisles, although the gap is slightly less pronounced towards the front of the each economy cabin section (near rows 40 and 60). <A> In many planes, the rows simple do not line up. <S> Chances are that Seatguru shows you the correct physical layout. <A> I want two aisle seats that are directly across from each other. <S> Impossible. <S> If you interested in an approximation, then I'd suggest you to check the rows 68-72, which are located towards the tail of the aircraft. <S> Personally, I would go for 69, if I was you. <S> At that section, the cabin gets narrower, thus the distance between the rows is smaller (which might be a good thing, if for example you intend talking to the person at the other side), in respect to the distance between the rows closer to the center.
| As you can see in that seat map of the triple seven 300 77H: every pair or rows doesn't directly line up to each other.
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US citizen lost passport, stuck in Canada without a passport My son is trying to return from Canada to the U.S. He is a U.S. citizen. He lost his passport at the airport. He has scanned a copy of his birth certificate and passport on his laptop. They will not allow him to board a flight to the U.S. What can we do? <Q> Since this is a straightforward 'US passport lost abroad question', this is what you should do, the easiest method: <S> What should a U.S. citizen do if his/her passport is lost/stolen abroad? <S> Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance. <S> Contact information for U.S. embassies and consulates is also available in our country information pages . <S> If you have been the victim of a serious crime, be sure to tell a consular officer about it as soon as possible so we can provide appropriate assistance. <S> If you are scheduled to leave the foreign country shortly, please provide our consular staff with the details of your travel. <S> We will make every effort to assist you quickly. <S> You will also be directed to where you can obtain a photo for your replacement passport. <S> In most cases, you will need to get a passport photo prior to your arrival at the consular section. <S> If you are notified by a relative or friend traveling abroad that his/her U.S. passport has been lost/stolen, you may wish to contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C, at 1-888-407-4747. <S> That office will be able to help you put your friend or loved one in touch with the closest U.S. embassy or consulate. <S> Your relative/friend must apply in person for a new passport at the U.S. embassy or consulate source <S> The documentation requirements for US citizens to enter the US are mentioned on the CBP website . <S> If you're traveling by air you definitely need your passport. <S> Or a NEXUS card if coming from Canada. <S> For land or sea travel you can use other alternates: if he is under 15 he can use his original birth/naturalization certificate. <S> EDIT: <S> For your ease the Ottawa Embassy has the following contact details: <S> U.S. Embassy Ottawa 490 Sussex Drive Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 1G8 Canada Telephone: +1 613 688 5335 <S> Emergency After-Hours Telephone: <S> +1 613 238 5335 <S> Fax <S> : +1 613 688 3082 <S> OttawaACS@state.gov <S> For other consulates go to this link <A> There are two issues here: <S> Will the Canadians let you board an international flight without a passport or NEXUS card. <S> The answer here is pretty definitely no. <S> The airline company could get fined severely for doing this, so a gate agent is not likely to let your son through -- unlike for domestic flights where they might take pity on a kid. <S> Will USA immigration let you in without a passport or other government-issued documentation such as a REAL-ID driver's license or NEXUS card: <S> Usually, but expect a thorough and perhaps delayed vetting process. <S> They are required to let American citizens in, but they are allowed to hold you in a holding cell (for hours or even days) until they're satisfied that you are a USA citizen or refuse you if they are not satisfied. <S> Anyone can photoshop an image of a passport or birth certificate on their laptop and verification can take longer than you might expect if the DHS and State computer systems are feeling ungracious towards each other, which can happen. <S> Given the latter situation, your son's best bet if he can't get an emergency replacement passport at the American consulate in Canada, is to go to a land crossing and try to cross the border to the USA there. <S> Tell him to bring as much documentation as he can. <S> Tell him to expect a very long delay so he should eat a hearty meal and go to the bathroom before presenting himself (and carry snacks, water, and a physical book to read). <S> Sometimes they'll let people through in 15 minutes, but these days it might take much longer. <A> As a US citizen you cannot be denied entry to the United States. <S> Therefore the fastest way of getting back home is to simply present yourself at a land crossing, where CBP officials will be forced to accommodate your request to enter the country, regardless of whether or not you have your passport. <S> Having a scanned copy of your birth certificate and passport should be sufficient, but bring in any additional documentation you might have to prove your identity, such as your drivers license or another form of State ID. <S> The only tricky question is how to actually reach the US border. <S> If you have a car available you can simply drive yourself to the border. <S> Second best option would be to ask someone for a favour and have them drop you off. <S> SE provides a fantastic guide listing all the options for doing so. <S> Once you've crossed the border and reached the US you would potentially have an issue with getting on a plane back home, as the TSA usually requires you to have government-issued ID to get on a domestic flight. <S> But there are likewise workarounds for people who have lost their ID, so it can be taken care of as well.
| You will have to replace the passport before returning to the United States. Ask to speak to the Consular Section to report your passport lost or stolen. Finally, you can use public transport to reach the US - Travel.
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Do you need to have a visa or visa free passport for every port of call when departing on a Carribean cruise? I'm looking into departing on a cruise from Florida that goes through several Carribean nations. Given that I'm not a US citizen, there are a couple of stops on the itinerary where my passport alone won't suffice. Would the cruise company allow me on board despite that? And would I be allowed to exit the ship at ports where I would otherwise require a visa? <Q> I've been on several cruises on two different cruise lines and the rule has always been as follows: <S> you are responsible for getting your own visas (and for knowing which ones you require); the cruise ship staff will check your passport at check-in time (on embarkation day) to make sure you are allowed in all the countries where the ship will stop. <S> You will not be allowed on board unless you meet all the requirements for all the countries, even if you don't plan to leave the ship. <S> If you try to book a cruise through a cruise line's website, you will probably be given this information before you complete your booking (in case you want to verify my answer). <A> Norwegian's visa page has some helpful resources. <S> In general, if you require a visa to enter a country, the cruise line is usually going to require you to hold that visa to board the ship at all; it's not usually an option to say you just won't get off the ship. <S> Note that some Caribbean countries (e.g. Bermuda ) have visa exemptions for those holding multiple-entry visas from countries like the US and Canada, so you may not need a visa even if your nationality would otherwise make one required. <A> I suspect that the answer will depend on your tour operator and travel agent. <S> In the case of a UK based cruise, it is possible that you need only arrange a passport; the booking agent or travel operator will do the rest. <S> You will need to check with your travel agent or the cruise operator for confirmation. <S> I am a UK citizen with a UK passport <S> and I had to make sure I had at least 6 months on the passport left at the time of my 2-week cruise. <S> At many of the docking points, there were no port staff actively checking passports and visas. <S> The crew of the boat worked with the local authorities to check you on and off the boat in an acceptable manner. <S> The boat operator had either got a waiver or had applied for visas on my behalf. <S> I had to carry my passport on some islands and boat ID card on all. <S> My cruise started and ended in Barbados. <S> I flew into there from the UK, went through a long ID check and security process once, then boarded the boat. <S> This process was repeated again at the end of the cruise. <A> When I went to the Carribean a long time ago (with a UK passport) we had to get a Visa from the country we started the cruise in. <S> This Visa head to last the length of the cruise, but was easy being British as we could get it on arrival at the airport. <S> Each Island the cruise visited <S> , the captain did all the immigration paperwork for everyone. <S> The captain kept all of our passports and issues as with a ships ID card that allowed as to enter the Island. <S> Unlike getting a normal visa for each island, there was no direct cost to us of this process. <S> When we left the ship we were ticked off on a list, and they would only allow people to leave the ship who were approved to enter the given Island. <S> (Some of the staff were not.) <S> However being British we qualified for automatic visas for all of the islands anyway without need pre approved, so I don't know how it would have work for a person with a "less powerful" passport.
| When I went on a Caribbean cruise with a well-known UK cruise operator they arranged all the visas as part of the booking.
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Do buses run on May 1st in Bavaria? I am interested in landing in München (Munich) on 1st of May, and then taking the bus to Ingolstadt. Does the bus operate on 1 May (since I am only interested in Airport-ZOB Ingolstadt)? This is a public holiday ( Maypole Day ) in Bavaria. I guess it will be sparser, but that's OK. I don't want to book a flight and then find out that there is no bus! I pretended booking a ticket for the bus, but the system says its far too early, so doesn't really answer the question. <Q> I will try to answer the actual question, instead of writing so much about the irrelevant connection to Ingolstadt Village. <S> As already pointed out in the comments, Ingolstadt Village is an outlet retail park and is therefore only served by a connecting shuttle service when the shops are open (not on Sundays and public holidays). <S> That has however nothing to do with the question asked. <S> Most public transport services in Germany have a limited time table on Saturdays (abbr. <S> Sa) and Sundays ( <S> abbr. <S> So). <S> Public holidays are almost without exception serviced according to the Sunday time table. <S> There are hourly services in both directions with only a short break in the night. <A> Edit:As has been pointed out in the comment Ingolstadt Village is not the main stop for Ingolstadt but instead a shopping center <S> - being an English speaker I had assumed incorrectly but should have checked. <S> As far as I am aware nothing written below is incorrect, but some parts are not relevant. <S> You haven't listed the bus number in your question but as far as I can tell you are asking about the X109 ( https://www.invg.de/maps_airport ). <S> The timetable ( https://www.invg.de/timetable_airport_express ) contains the following notes for the stop Ingolstadt Village which Google translate translates to: Towards <S> airport:"For Ingolstadt Village applies: only Monday to Saturday, not on public holidays. <S> Registration at least one hour before the desired departure sign up for information in the Village. <S> The transport takes place via taxi or Minibus to the stop Kurt-Huber-Straße and from there continue with Airport Express to Munich Airport." <S> Leaving airport:"For <S> Ingolstadt Village applies: only Monday to Saturday, not on public holidays. <S> Passengers have to change at Kurt-Huber-Straße and From there you can take a taxi or minibus to Ingolstadt Village." <S> This to me implies that the rest of the bus route runs as normal on public holidays, but the connection to Ingolstadt Village does not run. <S> So what you need to do may depend on how near another stop you are. <S> Alternatively you could try and sort your own taxi or look at other bus services. <S> I want to stress that this answer is based entirely on what I could fine online, and anyone with any local knowledge or who knows otherwise should please feel free to write another correct answer. <A> I could confirm with the bus company that the bus to airport runs on May 1. <S> From Stadtbus Ingolstadt GmbH, I got an official answer: <S> Unser Fahrplan ist das ganze Jahr über gleich. <S> Egal ob Feiertag, Samstag oder Sonntag. <S> which means that "Our timetable is the same all year round. <S> No matter if holiday, Saturday or Sunday.".
| The bus from Munich Airport to Ingolstadt runs however according to the same time table every day, also on public holidays.
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Searching flights - how to exclude certain layover countries? Is there any flight search website that allows to exclude results with layovers in certain countries? <Q> Unfortuately it doesn't tell you what countries those airports are in or offer a quick way to (de)-select all the airports in a given country. <S> So excluding all the options in a country like the US may take a fair bit of effort. <A> The only site I know with remotely close functionality is ITA Matrix (http://matrix.itasoftware.com) . <S> There, you can use "Advanced routing codes" to specify certain airports (though not countries) to not transit through. <S> Let's say you're going from San Francisco to Delhi, but for whatever reason, would like to avoid China, Japan, and Korea. <S> Off the top of my head, I know that the major hubs in China, Japan, and Korea are ICN (Seoul Incheon), NRT (Tokyo Narita), PEK (Beijing), PVG (Shanghai), HKG (Hong Kong). <S> We can use advanced routing codes to exclude these: <S> The results predictably go through Europe rather than Asia (e.g., through Munich, Istanbul): If you missed any airports the first go-around, you can go back and add them to the search filters. <S> Once you have a result that you'd like to book, copy and paste it into BookWithMatrix to book the ITA Matrix itinerary . <A> I don't know about excluding particular layover countries. <S> However, some sites will let you pick only certain airlines. <S> I believe these option will let you filter out some countries. <S> For example, a flight search on https://www.travelocity.com/ will let you do the basic search (from, to, and dates) and then let you restrict the search to specific airlines; whether the routing is direct, 1 stop or 2+ stops; and whether the depart/arrive times are morning, afternoon or evening. <S> Similar options are available with https://www.kayak.co.uk , https://www.expedia.com and probably elsewhere as well.
| Google flights gives you a list of transfer airports it has found and lets you include/exclude them from your search.
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What is the intended use of the water hose in Indian restrooms? In Indian restrooms, I have often seen a flexible water hose with a hand-release attached. My original assumption was that it is supposed to be used to clean the bowl if you have left 'skidmarks' after flushing, or for use by the cleaning personnel. However, recently I saw a reference in a travel blog that you are supposed to use it for cleaning yourself in the respective areas; similar to the water-spray system in toilets in Japan. What is really the intention? I would prefer an answer from someone that grew up in India, and really knows what the intended use is, not a guess from other travellers - I can guess myself. <Q> Yes, we Indians normally don't use toilet papers. <S> We use water to clean after toilet use. <S> The water hose is used exactly for that. <A> It is a Bidet Shower . <S> A bidet shower (bum gun, bidet spray, bidet sprayer, or health faucet), is a hand-held triggered nozzle that is placed near the toilet and delivers a spray of water used for anal cleansing and cleaning of the genitals after using the toilet for defecation and urination. <S> The device is similar to that on a kitchen sink sprayer. <S> ... <S> Usage <S> Prevalance <S> The bidet shower is common in all predominantly Islamic countries and in most parts of Asia where water is considered essential for anal cleansing. <S> This includes Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan (called 'Muslim shower'), China, Iran, India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia. <S> In those countries it is commonly installed in Western-style (sitting) toilet installations. <S> In Thailand, it is common in both Western-style toilets and squat toilet installations. <S> The bidet shower is similar in intent, if not method of use, to the Japanese washlet-style toilet seats, or so-called "electronic bidets". <S> Bidet showers are used by Muslims in Muslim countries and all parts of the Arab world as well as in Asia in order to cleanse themselves with water after using the toilet. <S> Here, water is commonly used instead of, or together with, toilet paper for cleaning after defecation. <S> In Europe, the bidet shower is used for example in Finland and Estonia.[4] <S> Bidets are more common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries. <S> Bidet Shower <S> In Turkey this water jet is fixed on the commode and directs water where it needs to go without anyone having to hold a bidet shower and pointing it there. <A> Its for cleaning yourself, and is not limited to India. <S> They are also common in the Middle East, and there are also portable versions people take with them when traveling. <S> Cleaning with toilet paper after attending to nature's call is foreign in the Middle East and many parts of Asia.
| The user typically grasps the faucet in the right hand and uses the thumb or forefinger (depending on the trigger location) to aim a spray of water at the anus or genitals to assist cleansing after using the toilet.
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What's the meaning of the sign "Broken white line only marks the centre of the road"? In Tenerife, on the road TF-21 near the Teide volcano, I've seen this sign: It reads, both in Spanish and English: ATENCIÓN Linea discontinua solo indica eje carretera WARNING Broken white line only marks the centre of the road I don't really understand what it means. Why does it only mark the centre of the road? What else should it do? Does it refer to overtaking? Is the sign saying that, contrary to its common meaning, this broken line does not indicate that it is allowed to overtake? It's my best guess, but I'm not convinced, because in that case I'd expect a solid line, not a broken one and a sign. So, what does it mean? And if it's really about overtaking, why didn't they use a solid line? <Q> It definitely means you mustn't assume <S> *any meaning whatsoever , re overtaking, turning, or even whether "your" side of the road is actually all yours, exactly as it says, over and above that it marks the centre of the road. <S> If you're on your side of the broken line, you can't assume oncoming traffic will be entirely on the other side. <S> The line only marks the centre, and does NOT even divide the lanes. <S> Hence the usage on narrow roads. <A> In short: It means "Don't assume any of the usual meanings of a broken line in Spain, except for marking the center of the road". <S> In long: The meaning is obvious. <S> At least, it seems obvious for drivers in Spain. <S> In Spain, a broken line means that you can overtake while a continuous line means you can't, and in curvy roads the line changes very often from broken to continuous (and even to continuous for one side and broken for the other) according to circumstances of the road - mostly about visibility but also about intersections with other roads. <S> Therefore, you must assess if you can overtake using the other rules in road code, which basically fall back to the rule that you can overtake where visibility is enough to make sure that there isn't an incoming vehicle in the opposite direction. <S> If the road were narrower than the one depicted in the OP, the sign would be also warning that we can't assume that every vehicle will be completely in its side of the line, especially for trucks. <S> In that case, there would likely be a speed limitation signal. <S> Addition to address comments concerning <S> why aren't the whole road (or the unsafe parts) painted with continuous line: <S> Those roads are just small roads with little traffic, some of them just upgraded from unpaved tracks. <S> That kind of small roads in some places in Spain used to carry no lines at all. <S> A better improvement could include complete road marks and a lot of traffic signs, but that improvement is nor easy not cheap, and for small roads with little traffic it is not done. <S> Therefore, the road is just an asphalt strip with a broken line in the middle. <S> From experience, I must add that it isn't hard to drive in those roads - <S> at least, lack of continuous/broken line doesn't make it harder than driving in any other narrow curvy road. <S> As any driver knows, you can't overtake if you can't check that there is no incoming vehicle, and you don't need a continuous line to tell that you can see the road more than a few metres ahead because a curve obstructs the view. <A> If I understand it correctly, it has to do with overtaking, but the signage is really confusing. <S> In Spain, a continuous line means that overtaking is prohibited and it is in no case allowed to cross the line. <S> That means, that it is even prohibited to turn left. <S> It is allowed to overtake bicyclists, if you are able to keep a safe distance without actually crossing the continuous line. <S> A broken line means that you are allowed to overtake if traffic and visibility allows you to do so safely. <S> The sign you have found is quite common on narrow mountain roads and used together with a broken middle line. <S> You may however have a chance driving uphill to quickly overtake a bicyclist or turn left, if that is required. <S> Had they used a continuous line, you would not even had been allowed to turn left, or pass bicyclists. <A> In many countries, it is common to indicate with the broken line that it is a place where it is safely possible to overtake. <S> Teneriffa is not following this usage, and to make sure people don't assume so, warns about it. <S> Otherwise, many people would assume it is save to overtake - and have bad accidents (probably what happened and triggered the sign) <A> It means "don't rely on the lines only, use your common sense especially when invading the opposite side such as when overtaking or turning left". <S> The sign also intends to warn that you might encounter large vehicles taking some of "your" road just to be able to take a turn or even circulate on a straight section. <S> I've seen a variation of this sign in rural or mountaineous roads in Castelló. <S> That area is very sparsely populated, there's few traffic, road maintenance could be way better and the road features (shorter straight sections, bends, mountain passes) could make it impossible to overtake for larger/heavier vehicles (buses, trucks, cars) but be perfectly fine for lighter ones (cars, motorbikes). <S> An accident in those sparsely populated areas could mean that help is going to take a while to arrive.
| I guess it is supposed to be a reminder that even if it is strictly speaking not prohibited to overtake (due to the broken line), the road is too narrow and curvy at most places to do so safely. In roads with that sign, as it reads, the broken line just marks the center of the road and it doesn't show whether you can overtake.
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Useful German websites (possible in English) that I can use to plan my trip in Baden-Baden I've never been in Germany before and I have a trip soon. I'm going to Baden-Baden . I don't speak German unfortunately (neither a little bit), so this is probably going to be difficult. More specifically I'm planning to visit the town a little bit, and if I have the chance the Black Forest which seems to be not too far away according to Google. Is there any web site I can use to plan my journey? (like national rail in UK, Trenitalia in Italy, etc.). I thought to hire a car, but I am not sure though if this would be convenient compared to public transports. Any suggestion is welcome (about the public transport, or maybe something that is particularly useful to know). <Q> The national railway company, Deutsche Bahn, has a website where you can plan journeys, purchase tickets, etc. <S> It has English (and several other European languages) as an option as well. <S> https://www.bahn.de/ <A> Most times also in English. <S> You shouldn't be afraid to call them or send them an e-mail either. <S> They are accustomed to foreign tourists and will generally understand English (and in South-Western Germany, French as well). <S> They can also help you finding accomodation. <S> Here's the Tourist Information website of Baden-Baden . <S> But in general, searching the web for ‹town name› tourist information will lead you directly to their websites. <A> I live in the region around Baden-Baden. <S> Let me first state that the previous answers are basically correct. <S> you want, especially to the more well-known tourist locations. <S> So there is no need to rent a car. <S> On the other hand, however, although Baden-Baden is not a small town, the region around Baden-Baden, especially the Black Forest, is a rural region. <S> This means, depending on your chosen destinations, the net of public transport might be somewhat sparse, resutling in longer waiting times and cumbersome connections. <S> This is not meant to scare you off from public transport. <S> As previuosly stated, it is definitely possible to use public transport only. <S> I just want to point out that there are certainly some benefits regarding comfort and time if you rent a car. <S> I guess it is a trade-off between comfort and cost. <S> Although you not directly asked for it, allow me to suggest some destinations: <S> The Autoroute "Schwarzwaldhochstraße" and the lake "Mummelsee" are great scenery spots and good as a starting point for hiking if you enjoy that (the weather here is comparably mild for November) <S> In Baden-Baden itself, I suggest to visit the Casino (you dont need to wear a tie, <S> a classic sportsjacket or a blazer are enough) <S> In Bühl, the neighbouring town to Baden-Baden, you can visit the ruins of a medieval Castle (I recommend climbing the tower and enjoying the view) Karlsruhe is the nearest major city. <S> If you are interested in Bars or Clubs, this might be the place to go. <S> It is also home to a well-regarded Universitiy. <S> In the city center, you will find a palace with a historic museum inside. <S> Also, the museum of natural history is quite good. <A> If you want to get around Baden-Baden and the surrounding areas using public transport I recommend using this site: KVV <S> although the name suggest its the public transport for Karlsruhe, it actually covers a quite large area, including Baden-Baden and some parts of the Black Forest. <A> A couple of places you might like to visit in the Black Forest are (1) <S> Triberg-Schonach (home to the https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-largest-cuckoo-clock ), and <S> (2) Titisee-Neustadt, where the picturesque lake Titisee is located - a good base for walking and hiking. <S> These days Google seems to directly return information about almost every public transport connection in the civilized world. <S> For example a search for "baden baden to triberg train" tells me that there are trains leaving at 10:30, 12:30, 13:30 etc. <S> and that the journey takes 1 hour 12 minutes. <S> A smartphone with mobile data is very useful for journey planning once you are in the country. <S> I would not worry too much about the language issue. <S> Almost everyone in Germany working in the tourist industries (hotel staff, waiters, etc.) will speak at least passable English. <A> Rome2rio <S> (rome2rio.com) is a fantastic site for this. <S> I use it to plan my routes whenever I take a vacation. <S> You can enter your origin and destination (anywhere in the world), then it will give you all possible transportation options for the entire route, including public transport and driving. <S> Here is a search from Baden-Baden to Black Forest: https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Baden-Baden/Black-Forest-Baden-Württemberg-Germany As you can see, it says you can take a train or drive a personal car, as other answers have suggested. <S> I've used this site for travel in Europe, Asia, and South America, and it has always been useful and accurate.
| Using bahn.de, you can find trains and busses that will take you everywhere Almost every German town which expects at least a few tourists has a Tourist Information , and they almost always have a website.
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How to I prove my legal age so that I can drink in New Zealand? I am traveling to New Zealand in the spring, and I have a question regarding alcohol consumption. The legal drinking age in the United States is 21, yet it is 18 in New Zealand. I am over the age of 18 so I plan on drinking. However, I am assuming my American ID is not going to work to prove my age, so will I use my passport? Asking any students who have studied abroad or just anyone who knows! <Q> You can definitely use your passport to prove your age. <S> It's used by visitors all the time here in NZ, so it won't be unusual, and your bartender will certainly have seen a passport before. <A> There are 3 forms of accepted ID. <S> An NZ drivers license, any current passport and a HANZ18+ card. <S> You can find a form for an 18+ card here: https://www.alcohol.org.nz/alcohol-management-laws/nz-alcohol-laws/age-the-law/approved-id <S> It costs $50 but could be a good idea if you're planning on being out often because taking your passport around with you while drinking could result in a lost passport. <S> Supermarkets are typically very strict with these rules, but bars and clubs might be more lenient. <S> I live in NZ. <A> Although I don't drink, I have used US-issued ID documents in New Zealand for other purposes. <S> Based on my experience, a passport is always fine as ID, whereas an ID card (especially one that isn't a driver's license) is sometimes trickier . <S> I've also purchased alcohol for cooking purposes, although I don't recall which ID I used (which probably means I used a state ID successfully, rather than a passport). <S> With my state ID card, I did encounter two difficulties: <S> In some cases, mostly when forms were involved, the difference between "driver's license" and "state ID" mattered a LOT. <S> A driver's license is "foreign driver's license", so easy to put on forms; a state ID isn't a "foreign driver's license", and it isn't a "national ID", so it ended up being rejected (or required a manager to come over and assist). <S> The American-style "month/day/year" birthdate ordering, used on ID cards but not passports, is unfamiliar to New Zealanders. <S> If that would make the difference between "I'm 18!" <S> and "I'm, uh, still 17", <S> this might be a problem for you. <S> With a passport, on the other hand, nobody has ever complained or had difficulty with it (although it IS a bit bulky in one's pocket). <S> If you're okay with possibly being turned away, you might be able to try with the ID card. <A> Not a New Zealander but, as a seasoned traveller, yes you want to use your passport . <S> I have on occasion completely forgotten that my UK driving licence only may be accepted on such occasions, particularly when in the US. <S> With my passport safely stowed in my hotel room's safe, I've found myself relying on the licence that lives in my wallet, with only mixed success. <S> When I'm refused service <S> I appreciate why that is and chastise myself for forgetting to bring my passport out with me once again. <S> When travelling, I always assume this experience will be the same or similar, no matter what country I'm visiting. <S> To be fair, if you're just grabbing an unplanned quick pint during a day otherwise filled with sightseeing, you may not want to take your passport out with you, in which case you'll have to make do with orange juice. :) <A> Sorry it's been pointed out to me that I'm not up to date; they changed to a permitted list with the new governing act in 2012, use your passport. <S> The minimum legal requirements for age ID <S> can however be covered by other documents and are as follows: <S> ID needs a photo that is recognisably the subject. <S> and a serial number that can be checked against an issuer's database. <S> and the subject's date of birth. <S> Your State ID may fulfill these requirements or not, there are a number of high schools whose student IDs meet those requirements and I had classmates who used their school IDs to purchase alcohol senior year. <S> However all of that is moot if the barkeeper or bouncer decides they don't want to serve you, because they don't trust the ID you have presented or for any other reason at all. <S> I'd strongly suggest sticking with the passport as it should minimise cause for confusion or argument, and always be polite to the bar staff. <A> I've travelled to New Zealand (8 years ago) and used my UK drivers license as ID for purchasing alcohol (and in the 3 weeks I was there I only got asked the once). <S> But as others have said Passport will also always be accepted as proof of age ID.
| If you want to definitely have your ID accepted, therefore, I'd suggest the passport. While Luke is correct that the three most valid forms of ID here in NZ are NZ Drivers License, a Passport (current or in some cases recently expired), and the HANZ18+ Card.
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Which part of a self-propelled passenger train (DMU) is safest in an accident? My transit system ( Tri-Met , metro Portland, Oregon) has the Portland & Western R. R. (more) 3 run self propelled commuter coaches (diesel multiple units, DMU) on a freight line; sometimes solo, sometimes with an unpowered control car coupled to the car with the power pack. The car with the power pack is forward half the time, aft half the time. Is it safer to be in the powered coach in the event of derailment or collision? In which part of that coach?This is different from other question about safety, because they addressed exclusively unpowered coaches; in this situation, we have one car with extra mass (which might help) vs diesel fuel and an attendant fire risk. <Q> It's pretty small marginals <S> we're talking about (trains hardly ever crash in the first place), but I don't think the type of car matters as much as where in the train . <S> Most collisions involve the front end of at least one train -- and most derailments involve something going wrong with the first bogie, since that will meet hazards on the track first. <S> So for a two-car train the rear car will be relatively less likely to be directly involved in an accident. <S> (Diesel fuel is pretty hard to ignite; I've never heard of a train accident where a fuel fire was a determining factor). <A> I'll second sitting towards the rear as mentioned in the excellent answer by Henning Makholm (train crashes in the US, as far as I know, are most usually collisions between trains and things that aren't trains that have no business being in the track <S> (eg at level ("grade") crossings); or derailments, both of which are going to affect the front of the train more than the rear). <S> If you hit something you will be thrown into your seat, rather than across the train and into various, much less soft, obstacles or (worse) out of a broken window or door. <S> In most countries though I wouldn't bother with such things. <S> Rail accidents are rare and if it means ruining your enjoyment of the journey by sitting in a more crowded part of the train or in a seat <S> you don't like (even if it's safer), I'd much prefer to just take the minuscule risk. <A> My first instinct was to go with "sit in the back" as the two (current) answers advise. <S> However, since they're already here, I'll add a counter point that sometimes there is a collision between two trains that are on the same block of track when they shouldn't be. <S> Being in the back of train would be the best-bet if you're in the train doing the rear-ending, however, being in the front of the train if you in the one being rear-ended is going to be your best bet. <S> i.e. There's not much you can do to protect yourself in a train accident. <S> Much like commercial aircraft operations, the odds of being in an accident in the first place are pretty darn small. <S> The best you can do is not stress over something that has an incredibly small chance of happening. <S> NOTE: <S> Advice does not apply if the operator has an unacceptably high accident rate. <S> In that case, take the bus.
| But I also wanted to add that if your system has seats facing in both directions (I know many American systems have seats all facing the same direction and complicated methods of turning the train or flipping the seats around), it's also much more survivable to sit with your back facing the direction of travel.
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Booking a rent-a-car through VPN (different location) I got an idea the other day and wonder if it would be cheaper to make a booking for a rental car using a different IP location through a VPN service. I am located in Denmark and would rent a car in USA (Key West, Florida) and say I use VPN server located in fx. Brazil or China (where ever). Any experience with that? <Q> Yes, it may be very well worth to give it a try. <S> Location based price differences are quite common in the travel industry and it is very much possible to save money by pretending to be somewhere else. <S> Seeing that you are from Denmark, a specific example would be the Color Line ferry from Hirtshals to Larvik tonight at 22:15. <S> If you try to book two persons and a car on the Danish Color Line web site, they will offer you a ticket for DKK 815. <S> If you try to book the same ticket from the Norwegian web site, you are offered the same ticket with the same conditions for DKK 640. <S> On the Swedish site, the price is DKK 590 and on the German site they want DKK 730. <S> To take advantage of these different prices, you don't even need a VPN service, but you can simply go to www.colorline.se instead of www.colorline.dk to get the cheapest ticket. <S> I don't see how any of the disadvantages listed by Burhan are likely to apply. <S> Even if you are from or live in Denmark, it is not particularly unlikely that you actually are in Brazil or China when trying to rent a car in the US. <S> Order forms are usually designed to cope with international customers, if your bank is declining credit card usage just because it seems as you are travelling, you should consider to change your bank and if you are offered payment options not applicable to you, then simply choose another applicable option. <A> I have been doing this many times, for flights, rental cars, and hotels, and never had any issues with it. <S> Often you can save a lot, but it is not always cheaper; and you have to be aware of country specific regulations (and potentialy speak other languages - sometimes prices change when you switch the language). <S> [Example: flights within Peru are extremely cheap for Peruvians (often -80% or more). <S> If you try to book those with an IP from another country, you get warned that you need to a peruvian citizenship to use those tickets; if you come with a Peruvian IP, you get no such warning (and then the ticket won't allow to fly).] <S> The idea being discussed that 'your bank will decline it' makes no sense, as your bank doesn't care or even know how you were logged in to the website or if you are in person in the office - they see only that company X is trying to charge your credit card. <S> That might or might not raise a flag, depending on your bank, the amount, and your previous payment behavior, but it is completely unrelated to which IP address you used. <A> In short, don't do it because it won't help with the rates. <S> Here are just some reasons why this is not recommended: You will see requirements for rental that do not apply to you. <S> For example, you may see insurance or documentation requirements that are not applicable to you, which may end up costing you more . <S> Your bank may refuse the charge. <S> The website may offer you payment options that are not applicable to you. <S> The forms you fill in may not be compatible with your information. <S> For example, you may not be able to enter a billing address because there is no place to change the country; or you may not be able to enter a phone number because its expecting a US number. <S> The best way to get a deal on rental cars is: Rent from a location other than the airport. <S> Airport locations usually have a surcharge. <S> Look at your credit card for loyalty points or upgrades for rentals. <S> Try to pay upfront for the rental - many companies offer deep discounts for this. <S> Look at the airline, they may offer a rental reference code or preferred rates for your booking. <S> Use alternative means of renting (like Turo ). <A> Okay I did my "research" :) <S> Short answer: <S> yes there is a difference in prices Long answer: <S> I switched VPN servers (getting different IP everytime), used Microsoft Edge in private mode and cleared all cookies and cached data at every new search/ip change. <S> The search was for 10 days rental, Key West airport, <S> Ford Mustang Convertible <S> Rentalcars.com <S> USA - 593 <S> $ Denmark - 516 <S> $ <S> (no vpn) <S> Germany - 516 Bulgaria/Brazil/UK - 516 <S> $ <S> Expedia.com <S> Australia - 616 <S> $ DK - 597 <S> $ (no vpn, general website, not location based) <S> DK - 465 <S> $ <S> (no vpn, local website, expedia.dk) <S> US - 597 <S> $ UK - 523$ Enterprise.com (not a search engine) <S> USA - 596 <S> $ DK - 612$ BG - 612$ <S> So after all it seems that without VPN and using the website's local version (expedia.com mentioned above) is actually the cheapest option for me. <S> It could be coincidence and it could be difference in their terms and conditions but at first glance it is the same deal I am getting from the same rental company. <S> Thanks to all that had something to say.
| There are a lot of issues with doing this, and getting a cheaper rate may not be the end result.
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Should I mention my Canadian visa refusal in my UK visa application? My Canada visa was refused; I got a refusal letter but nothing was stamped in my passport. I got rejected under section 205(a) and 186 for not demonstrating specialized knowledge. Do I have to mention the Canadian refusal in my UK work permit visa application? Will it affect my application (it is not an offense or criminal case)? <Q> Yes you should mention it (because they do ask you that). <S> A possible refusal is better than a ban for deception. <S> A previous refusal from another country, or even the same one, does not mean that your application will necessarily be refused. <S> Here is the exact text of the questions as of November 2018 . <S> Have you ever been: refused a visa for the UK deported from the UK removed from the UK required to leave the UK refused entry at the UK border <S> Have you ever been: refused a visa for any country other than the UK deported from any country other than the UK removed from any country other than the UK required to leave any country other than the UK refused entry at the border of any country other than the UK <S> If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then you get a section to provide details. <S> If the answer is No, then the wizard moves forward. <S> The form is not available for download online <S> so i don't have a reference to link to <S> but this can be verified at https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk <A> The form explictly asks if you have ever been refused a visa by any country. <S> You must answer all questions on your visa application truthfully and accurately. <S> If you are found to have lied, this is taken very seriously and will usually mean that you're banned from getting a visa for a number of years or even forever. <A> There is no requirement to disclose information you have not been asked for, unless and until you are asked. <S> Therefore, if the visa application you are filing requests further information about entry to other countries, Commonwealth countries, or Canada in particular, then you should disclose the information you have been asked to provide. <S> Preparing for an interview, however, should involve documenting any point of potential uncertainty for the consular officer, and being prepared to answer any questions, ideally with something in writing to back it up. <S> If there are or were mitigating circumstances that explain or justify your position in relation to the refusal, then you should prepare yourself to answer questions with that information, and take with you any supporting evidence. <S> This often requires thinking outside the box and is not as straightforward as an application form. <S> My answer comes from having both successfully applied for my own visas and assisted others in filing applications and preparing for interviews, including in/for the UK, and for both immigrant and non-immigrant classes.
| If it includes visa applications and their approval or refusal, outside the UK, then you would need to disclose your refusal by the Canadian authorities.
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Do I need an ESTA for returning from a trip to the US, if I have US-Italy Dual Citizenship? I'll be going back to the US in February for 10 days or so and up until this year, I've always traveled with my US passport and my Italian ID card to prove my EU citizenship since I live in the EU. This year I decided to get an Italian passport as well since Dutch customs were being problematic about my Italian ID card each time upon re-entry. Id I travel to the US on my US passport and travel back to the Netherlands on my Italian one, am I required to get an ESTA on my Italian passport for the trip back or is that not necessary? <Q> No. <S> ESTA is only for entry into the US. <S> You do not need ESTA to leave the US. <S> Source <S> : I am also an EU/US dual citizen, and I routinely use my EU passport to leave the US. <S> I have never applied for ESTA. <A> US citizens must declare their citizenship when entering the US; and they are never eligible for ESTA (nor would they ever need one). <S> So you must always use your US passport when you enter the US - and can use whichever one you want when leaving. <S> Source: see <S> https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/application.html?execution=e1s1# : <S> One of the requirements of being a naturalized U.S. citizen is that you apply for, and use, a U.S. passport for your travels. <S> [...] <A> Simple rule for dual nationals: <S> Present the passport of each nationality to immigration officials of that same nationality - whether entering or leaving the country. <S> For example, when you’re in the USA, show your USA passport to border officers; and when you’re in Italy, show your Italian passport. <S> This establishes to them that you’re one of their own citizens <S> , therefore there are no restrictions on your immigration status. <S> When dealing with airline staff , present the passport of the country you’re travelling to . <S> This confirms to the airline that you have permission to enter your destination country. <S> Edit:And <S> to nail down the point to answer the question: no. <S> You’re a USA citizen. <S> For exit, it’s a moot point anyway.
| You don’t require an ESTA, because you’re one of their own citizens... as demonstrated by your USA passport, which you will present to USA border officers on entry. [...] If you are a citizen of the U.S., and also of a VWP country, you should not be applying for ESTA.
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Bluetooth Headset - Do I have anything to worry about if I don't use it during the flight? I know that questions about Bluetooth seem to be common-place, but my question is less about usage and more just carrying them on in my carry on. Therefore I hope this question does not get marked as a duplicate. I own a fairly chunky Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Pair which I plan to put in it's carry case and then put into my carry on luggage. I have no intention of using them during the flight itself as I prefer listening to all the plane noises. Will this be alright to go through Heathrow Security in my carry on luggage? I don't have any other type of luggage on my flight so I'm scared the nightmare scenario might be I have to lose a £200 pair of headphones if I'm not allowed to carry them in. <Q> I (and many other travellers) regularly wear battery-powered bluetooth headphones on flights out of Heathrow (and many other airports). <S> If you take a look around the cabin on any longhaul flight you will see numerous people wearing QC-35s. <S> These kinds of premium noise cancelling headphones are specifically designed for air travel. <S> If you want to be sure you can cross reference the size of the internal battery (if it's a lithium ion battery) with the maximum permitted lithium ion battery, but it's going to be far less than a laptop battery (and laptop batteries are typically close to the upper limit permitted). <S> What security worries about with battery sizes is those large external battery packs; small devices with batteries in them do not get a lot of scrutiny. <S> Other things to be cautious about with electronics is if you've modified the electronics in any obvious way, or if you have wires sticking out, security doesn't like that sort of thing. <S> For the best security experience, put your electronic devices separately on the tray --- at Heathrow they can stay in their cases but it's a good idea to put electronics apart from each other, with a bit of space, flat on the tray (not stacked atop each other or deep in a bag mixed with chargers and other wiring), so that on the xray it's easy to see what the individual electronic items are. <S> If you need to use more trays, that's better than trying to squeeze everything onto one tray and the xray operator getting confused. <A> If there's some specific thing you're worried about, it might be one of the following. <S> Restrictions on the use of wireless devices on planes. <S> Many flights now have wifi in the cabin, for example. <S> Note that you're not allowed to use your cellphone's cellular service on flights, but it's never been forbidden to bring the phone itself into the cabin. <S> Restrictions on lithium batteries. <S> They only start to kick in with unusually large laptop batteries, powerbanks and the batteries that come in devices such as mobility scooters and hoverboards. <S> Indeed, you have nothing to worry about even if you do want to use the headset during the flight. <S> This article from USA <S> Today is primarily aimed at the American market but gives non-US examples of airlines allowing bluetooth during cruise. <S> I have no intention of using them during the flight itself as I prefer listening to all the plane noises. <S> I'm guessing you don't fly much and possibly haven't flown before? <S> Honestly, the "plane noises" are mostly just loud-ish white noise from the constant drone of the engines and the constant whoosh of air past the plane. <S> Especially during cruise, there really is nothing worth hearing. <S> For hour after hour. <S> Sure, during take-off and landing, there's a little bit to hear (the change in power from the engines, the gear being raised and lowered and so on) but in cruise, there's nothing. <S> I find that, after a transatlantic flight I arrive feeling much fresher if I've used noise-cancelling headphones to dramatically reduce the volume of noise in the cabin. <A> Yes, they are allowed to carry them on. <S> They will be treated like every other electronic device at the terminal entrance (screening). <S> In the US and my many experiences at LHR, these would not qualify as a 'large electronic device' which is laptops, game consoles etc. <S> You can leave them in your bag unless specifically asked to remove 'any electronic device' which I personally have never seen or heard happen. <S> You should check with your specific airline as to whether they allowed in flight as different airlines have different policies on wireless devices if you do choose to use them.
| You might be asked not to use wireless devices during take-off and landing; it's fine to use something like Bluetooth during the rest of the flight, since it's a very low-power signal. There's no reason at all that you can't take these on the plane. The batteries in your headphones aren't nearly high-enough capacity to cause issues, here.
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Where can I find out the real reason for a cancelled flight? My flight was cancelled due to non technical reasons (allegedly air traffic congestion) so my compensation was denied. I suspect they are just trying to avoid paying the compensation by declaring a non technical problem (in EU passengers are entitled a compensation if the aircraft doesn't depart due to a technical fault, as noncritical it may be). Is there any reliable source out there where I can find out the real reason for a cancelled flight and use it as a proof? <Q> Unfortunately, there is no definitive list of the reasons for delay of every flight. <S> As you mentioned, the airline probably won't give out any information to avoid the possibility of paying the compensation. <S> You might be able to find out some supplemental information from a third party, though. <S> This might be helpful in your factual understanding of the issue, but might not be so great at explaining why an event (like a hold or an inbound delay) took place. <S> (Note that this only works if the delay was fairly recent, as you tend to have to pay for information older than 30 or 60 days.) <S> Otherwise, your best bets to get the compensation probably are either to <S> Try to sell the claim to a company like Claim Compass as mentioned in the comments to your post Submit a formal complaint to the regulator in the country where the delay took place. <S> The EU has a form for this, but the process will almost certainly take a long time, even if it is resolved in your favor. <S> That said, unless you have a specific reason to doubt that the delay was caused by a non-technical problem, since ATC delays are pretty common in Europe, your chances of getting compensation are not that great. <S> TLDR: <S> You might be able to get some information from FlightAware or similar, but convincing the airline or a regulator is going to be complex and time consuming. <A> This kind of question comes up a lot, and usually boils down to: If an airline denies compensation due to "extraordinary circumstances", how can I prove otherwise? <S> The answer is: You don't have to .The <S> burden of proof is on the airline . <S> If you suspect the airline is lying to you, you can demand proof. <S> If they don't, or you don't believe them, and you take it to court, they will have to submit proof or pay compensation. <S> Of course you can check publicly available information to see if their explanation is plausible. <S> If you know that there was bad weather, for example, it makes no sense to enter into a legal fight. <S> Also <S> : "Technical" or "non-technical" has nothing to do with compensation. <S> The only question is: Was it impossible for the airline to prevent the delay? <S> Bad weather cannot be prevented by the airline, so they don't have to pay. <S> If a crew member falls sick, they do get to pay: They could have prevented the problem by having enough reserve crew available. <S> If they have a technical malfunction, they could have prevented the problem by having a spare part (or plane) available. <S> In your case: "Air traffic congestion" may not even be a reason to refuse compensation. <S> The airline would have to prove that this was something that could not have been expected and was completely out of their control. <S> This could be the case if the "congestion" was caused by bad weather; but if the congestion is something that happens regularly, the airline still has to pay compensation. <S> As for how to resolve such situations: I would first insist with the airline, in writing, the go to the regulator and only use a claim site as a last resort. <S> (Some claim sites even use the free services of the regulator and then take a hefty fee from the compensation). <A> If you can't reliably determine the cause, but think you were denied unfairly, you should contact EU mobility and transport , or contact your country's Consumer Centre .
| By using FlightAware or one of several similar flight tracking websites, you could find out whether the aircraft held in the air somewhere, whether inbound flights on that aircraft had previously been delayed, causing a cascade, or if the airplane had just been sitting in the departure airport for some time.
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Purchasing HUF to use in Budapest Will commence European holiday (2019) in Budapest, however as many reviews state a debit card is useless at ATM'S, and it is very difficult to get HUF notes in Australia prior to leaving, what can we do ?? Take Euro (cash),or risk having a debit card fail. <Q> My answer is from experience only. <S> There are plenty of cash machines in Budapest, most offer HUF and Euros(always use HUF for better value). <S> My debit card has always worked in Budapest like it has anywhere else. <S> In fact I now don't get HUF here in the UK before I go anymore as I always seem to get a better rate in Budapest. <S> I usually get about 340HUF for £1 here <S> but it's about 360HUF <S> to £1 there <S> and my card has no currency exchange fee. <S> I've used cash machines that are connected to banks and just the random ones that are connected to bars in District VII. <S> Usually the rate is a bit better at the cash machines connected to banks (Hungarian banks not foreign ones). <A> ATM worked fine for me but you are right to consider if it doesn't which does happen depending on where your card is issued and complicated inter-bank networks. <S> Bringing EUR is a good idea. <S> As HUF are also hard to get for me, I asked this question before travelling. <S> As you can read from answers, they are even accepted directly in many places that cater to tourists. <S> However, the rate is often quite poor but EUR can easily be exchanged for HUF at currency exchange outlets for a reasonable rate. <S> In any case, it is always good for your to lookup the current rate yourself as a reference point to make sure that you are getting a good deal. <A> I am a little bit puzzled by why would you take EUR with you to Hungary when Hungary is not in the euro zone and very few places accept Euros as payment and at terrible rates. <S> If you are afraid your bank card won't work (ask your bank first?), bring Australian Dollars and use a comparison site like http://valutavaltok.hu/valuta-arfolyamok?currentpage=0¤cy_id=AUD&box_search_open=0&box_search_open_date=&box_search_city_id=392&box_search_region=&language=en&orderby=buy_rate&orderby_direction=desc& to find whoever is giving you the most Hungarian forints for your Australian dollars. <A> I also suggest using a credit card to pay for stuff or ATM with a debit card for getting cash. <S> But if you bring AUD, you might be better than converting it to EUR and then HUF. <S> The rates at the moment ( https://correctchange.hu/ ) are 198.10-201.90, so around 2% difference between buy and sell price. <S> EUR is slightly better, but you need an AUD-EUR conversion as well.
| There are also plenty of currency bureaus that still offer a decent rate, sometimes the same as the cash machines, you can use your card in there too to get money out or exchange cash.
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I'm an Australian and have previously travelled to Iran; can I go to Guam without a visa? I'm on an Australian passport, and I want to go to Guam for an event for about a week (pleasure, not business). Ordinarily, I could go to Guam without a visa, but this might be complicated because: Having travelled to Iran for research, I'm not longer eligible for an ESTA. While this applies to mainland US, I'm not sure of the impact on Guam. My travel history is complicated: I travel so much, it's no longer possible for me to list the countries I've been to in the last 10 years. I applied to go to the US for a conference, but the process was incredibly long, and eventually had to retrieve my passport in order to go to another country. Question : Can I go to Guam without a visa? I need to pay for things in Guam, so it's best to have a good idea whether or not I can actually enter. <Q> This is only a partial answer, but it's too long for a comment. <S> There is a separate Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program that is open to citizens of certain countries, including Australia. <S> ("CNMI" stands for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.) <S> There have been some proposed changes to this program under which applicants for this program will be asked, among other things, about their travel to several other countries (including Iran) since 2011. <S> However, it does not appear that travelers who have visited these countries are completely barred from this program, as they are for the "main" Visa Waiver Program. <S> It is also not clear to me whether these changes have taken effect yet, or when they will take effect. <S> You can see a more complete list of the proposed changes in the Federal Register. <A> You're entering under a separate arrangement called the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and thus are not affected (and should not apply for an ESTA). <S> TIMATIC, the database used by airlines, states the following regarding mainland US (for entry under the VWP): <S> Detailed information on ESTA restrictions can be found on https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta <S> # <S> It should say "VWP restrictions", but, in any case, no reference to this is made when Guam is selected as the destination. <S> Nor does the DHS page about the Guam-CNI VWP mention it at all. <S> That said, in order to reduce the amount of paperwork to fill out on arrival, you should register here up to 7 days in advance of your arrival, and present a printed confirmation on arrival <A> Timatic has this to say about visa exemptions for Australian travellers to Guam: Nationals of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russian Fed. <S> and Singapore traveling as tourists or on business under the Guam-Northern Mariana Isl. <S> Visa Waiver program for a maximum stay of 45 days. <S> They must have : a machine readable passport, and a signed Form I-94 (05/08), and a signed Form I-736, and a return/onward ticket to a country other than the USA or than the neighboring islands of Guam. <S> This does not apply to residents of the USA or of the neighboring islands of Guam who can have a return/onward ticket to the USA or to the neighboring islands of Guam. <S> Though I must admit I am not sure what they mean about a signed I-94. <S> That bit doesn't make sense.
| The restriction on people having visited Iran only applies to the "main" Visa Waiver Program.
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Acceptance of large bills in Denmark How difficult is it to break large kroner bills (200 or 500 kr) in Copenhagen? I'm asking because I know it's very hard for a tourist to pay with 50 or 100 dollar bills in US; and some people didn't really enjoy breaking CAD$100 bills for me in Toronto, or even BOB $100 and BOB$200 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Probably the currency exchange store will try to give me large bills when trading euros by kroner in Copenhagen, so I need to know what bill values are accepted by the locals. <Q> In my experience, 200 kr bills are not at all unusual and shouldn't give you any issues (unless you're buying something very cheap, like less than 20 kr, from a very small store). <S> The 500 kr bill is more unusual, but it should be fine in larger stores and restaurants. <S> Some smaller stores and restaurants may refuse them. <A> The other answers already mention that breaking bigger notes in Denmark is not really a problem. <S> But you can likely avoid getting big notes in the first place. <S> If you exchange the money in the country where it is the currency you can ask and should be given smaller notes. <S> If not all, at least enough that you are not immediately stuck. <S> When you exchange money in your home country you will have less options when you ask for a certain kind of notes. <S> You will then have to take what they have or leave without exchanging. <S> But check the cost of exchanging against using a card in the ATM and against using your card in shops and restaurants. <S> Using your card is often cheaper than traveling with cash and it has much less risk of losing all to pick pockets. <S> There are tricks to get money out of the ATM without getting too big notes. <S> Like going to a machine where you can select the notes they deliver. <S> And asking for an amount which is smaller than the big note you want to avoid. <S> Or at least select an amount which means that you do not only get big notes, like 1900 instead of 2000, so you can be sure not to get just 500 or 1000 notes. <S> (Adjust numbers to what you actually need.)And most ATM do not give notes that will be too big. <A> Except for that, I wouldn't expect any problems paying with larger bills. <A> I moved to Denmark 7 years ago. <S> As many people comment, cash is not all that common here anymore. <S> Many are suggesting to skip cash all together, and just use a credit card. <S> There are two reasons why that might not be the best idea. <S> Danish establishments normally charge a percentage fee for foreign cards. <S> Expect this to be up to 3%. <S> This made my life hard from time to time, as I could not get one until I had lived here for 2-3 years. <S> I have never been refused to pay cash any place in Denmark. <S> Admittedly, I do not do it often anymore. <S> If you bring 200kr bills, you will most likely not be refused anywhere. <S> And 500 will work in absolutely the majority of cases as well. <S> So do not blindly rely on using foreign cards. <S> At least some cash is a good idea.
| It is getting less and less common to pay cash at all in all Scandinavian countries, so you may be given a strange glance no matter which bill you choose to pay with. Many smaller shops also do not accept standard foreign card types at all, only the danish standard DanKort.
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When parents apply for UK visas, can one be approved and one refused? For people who apply together for a UK visitor visa as parents, or parents and one child, can it be the case that one visa gets approved and the other rejected? Or is it a required that all should be approved or all rejected? <Q> Here is one such example. <A> In the UK, for example, a big question is always: "Will this person return to their home country once their permission to stay in the UK runs out". <S> If Mr. X applies, they might say "Mr. X is married to Mrs. X, so he will surely return home to her". <S> If Mr. X and Mrs. X both apply, that reason to return home has disappeared. <S> So it's quite possible that each of them individually would get a visa, but not both together. <A> Both applications had the same result, as both were approved. <S> The wife's application was dependent on the husband's application, so maybe that's way the result was the same.
| Yes the result can be different for different applicants even if they apply together.
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US citizens traveling between Ukraine and Russia My brother and I, American citizens, are planning an Eastern Europe trip where we fly into Saint Petersburg, journey through western Russia and parts of Ukraine, and fly back to America from either Poland or Hungary. Does anyone know if this can even be done? Are there legal issues for travelers traveling either to Ukraine from Russia, or visa versa? My brother would ideally like to go to Crimea, but I keep assuring him that isn't possible these days. Am I wrong? Edit: Just so everyone knows, I understand we would need visas to travel to Russia. <Q> There are currently no direct flights between Russia and Ukraine. <S> You'd need to factor that into consideration. <A> But it is worth considering that the entry-exit to the Crimea should be carried out only from the Ukrainian border. <A> There should not be any problems crossing Russia-Ukraine boundary. <S> Except if you visited Crimea previously by going in from Russia. <S> Ukraine normally have no ways of knowing that you did, but if they do, there's threat of legal action or they will just deny entry. <S> You can in theory visit Crimea from Ukraine as other answer suggests, but AFAIK <S> they will not let you cross border to Crimea. <S> They only let in Ukrainian citizens with urgent needs <S> or so I have heard.
| Your brother does not need to worry about crossing the borders between these countries.
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Canberra to Doha via Sydney - can we board in Sydney? This January my family and I are returning to the UK from a holiday in Australia. The ticket is booked from Canberra to LHR via Sydney and Doha with Qatar, flight 907 I believe. Because we're finishing our holiday in Sydney (we start in Canberra), we were hoping to simply join the flight in Sydney, and avoid a 3 hour drive to Canberra, followed by an extra leg back to Sydney. We contacted the travel agent (Expedia) to confirm if this was possible, and they said the Sydney stop is refuelling only, and we can't board there. Is that really the case? Would it be worth contacting the airline directly to confirm one way or the other? <Q> Very few people get on the plane in Canberra. <S> When I flew it they were load limited to fifty passengers for the Canberra-Sydney leg, of which forty-eight seats had been sold. <S> My friend and I were the only ones in business class from Canberra. <S> It was very enjoyable as there is a crew change in Sydney <S> so the crew had a very easy day of 45 minutes flying and were happy to chat to us for the whole leg. <S> Most passengers board in Sydney. <S> Qantas perform the ground handling (albeit in Qatar uniforms) in both Canberra and Sydney and they are very well acquainted with the rules. <S> The Canberra tickets are deeply discounted because the Doha-Canberra route is not commercially viable and the demand is low. <S> The only purpose of the tag-on from Sydney is to allow Qatar to operate another flight each day to Sydney, and to do that they have to serve a second tier destination within Australia. <S> By attempting to miss the first leg, you are bypassing the pricing strategy (and weakening the numbers for Canberra) and Qatar will not be happy with that. <A> Answering the question of Why Canberra ? <S> According to Qatar Airways announces Canberra to Doha flight to start next year <S> Qatar Airways currently only has direct rights for one Sydney flight a day, but this move is seen as a backdoor method to double that. <A> So we checked with Qatar airlines directly. <S> Do people board that Canberra to Doha flight in Sydney? <S> Yes. <S> Can we do that with our existing Canberra to Doha tickets? <S> Not at this point without cancelling and re-booking, at considerable extra cost (it would nearly double the original cost of the flights!) <S> So the mystery of why they would route via Sydney airport is solved - they can and do sell tickets from Sydney to Doha, even though they are not allowed to sell domestic tickets from Canberra to Sydney . <S> We have been advised that at 96 hours before the flight it is worth phoning the airline again, and asking again. <S> But not until then. <A> EDIT: <S> The original question had been edited when I responded with this. <S> The question I was answering was "Why would Qatar route a flight via Syndey, which is a slightly greater distance from Doha?". <S> It has since been reverted. <S> Sydney Airport is the busiest airport in Australia, with over 44 million passenger movements, over a third of which were for international flights. <S> Canberra, on the other hand, sits in 8th with a hair over 3 million passenger movements last year. <S> Only about 3% of these were for international flights. <S> There are about 300,000 people living in Canberra, compared to over 4 million in Sydney. <S> Based on these statistics, it is unlikely that a significant number of people are flying from Canberra to Doha, and far more likely that more people will be flying from Sydney to Doha. <S> While it's a tiny bit closer (~1%) to go from Canberra, the cost of transporting the majority of passengers from Sydney to Canberra is extremely prohibitive. <S> It is significantly cheaper to transport the minority of the passengers from Canberra to Sydney. <S> It is unlikely that no-one will be boarding in Sydney, and may be incorrect information from the third party ticket seller. <S> Source: https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/airport_traffic_data.aspx
| You will be denied boarding in Sydney as your ticket is not valid for travel from this airport.
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Can I get a UK Standard Visitor Visa at the border? I'm a musician, and I'll be traveling to the UK in February 2019 to perform. I've done this previously (in 2018) on a Performer Visa. It looks like the regulations have since changed though. While I applied for my Performer Visa ahead of time, it was possible to just show up at the border with the necessary documentation and effectively apply right there. What I see now is that the Performer Visa has been rolled into the Standard Visitor Visa and that, so far as I can tell, one must apply for the SVV ahead of time. Does anyone know if you can get an SVV at the border? I'll be traveling on a USA passport. <Q> It has never been possible to apply for a visa at the border. <S> Previously, if you were a non-visa national, you could show up at the border and prove you fulfilled the requirements of the Entertainer Visa, and be admitted on that basis. <S> The Entertainer Visa has been rolled into the Standard Visit Visa, and the same is still true. <S> Non-visa nationals can show up to the border and present evidence that they are carrying out "permitted activities". <S> From the UK government guidance for artists and entertainers : Non-visa nationals can arrive at the UK border and provide documentary evidence to satisfy the officer that they meet the requirements of the route. <S> If you are a non-visa national, there is no difference in the evidence required, and the permitted activities between applying for a Standard Visit Visa in advance, and presenting yourself at the border. <S> Hence, if activities were previously covered by an Entertainer Visa, and you are a non-visa national, it is still permissible for youto arrive at the UK border without a visa. <S> You will not technically receive a visa, but this was also the case before the Entertainer Visa was abolished. <A> This UK Government page confirms that the Performer Visa is no longer available, and has been subsumed into the SVV. <S> The same page also describes how to apply for the SVV via a link to another UK webpage . <S> There is no mention of being able to secure the SVV on arrival. <S> Both pages above say the processing time is about three weeks. <S> I conclude that the SVV is not available at entry. <S> Whether you need a visa at all will depend on your personal history, and (as Hanky Panky comments above) on what passport(s) you hold. <A> You may be able to perform on a Standard visitor visa (which you cannot get at the border), but there are strict guidelines on how and what . <S> At page 3: The Visit (standard) route is open to: <S> ● Entertainers, artists and musicians who want to: – give performances as individuals or as part of a group; – take part in competitions or auditions; – make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities; – <S> attend workshops and give talks about their work; – take part in one or more cultural events or festivals on the list of permit free festivals in Appendix 5 to Appendix V: Immigration Rules for Visitors. <S> If that doesn't fit, the category would be Tier 5 Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting visa . <S> You must apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker - Creative and sporting) visa if: you’ve been offered work in the UK as a sports person or creative worker <S> you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) <S> and Switzerland you meet the other eligibility requirements <S> You’ll still need to apply for this visa if you’re travelling to the UK from the Republic of Ireland and you’re from outside the EEA and Switzerland. <S> A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industry, for example an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.
| As a US passport holder, you're a non-visa national, so you are entitled to prove your suitability for admission at the border, without a visa.
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Is a 13-hour layover in the middle of the night enough time to go see Buckingham Palace? My plane lands at Heathrow at 8:30 pm on December 10 and leaves Gatwick the next morning, December 11, at 9:15 am. Do I have the time to see Buckingham Palace? <Q> As you've got to make the journey between airports anyway, I say make the most of it. <S> Sleep on the plane if you can and see the city at night. <S> I'd pack in one backpack (hand luggage strapped on top) and do it on foot, but taxi/bus/night tube (Friday and Saturday) <S> are other options. <S> The last tube train from Heathrow <S> is at 23:35 (T4) or 23:42 (T5), a few minutes later for T123. <S> So you should have plenty of time to clear immigration, retrieve your luggage and get the tube. <S> There's also the TFL line train <S> but that goes to Paddington station which is 3 km from Buckingham Palace). <S> You can check for planned/emergency issues online at Transport for London's website . <S> If you get the tube, you can go to Hyde Park Corner, less than 1 km away from the Palace. <S> In the morning I used to quite often get an early train out of London Bridge to Gatwick. <S> Currently that looks to be 05:35, getting in at 06:04. <S> That should be plenty early enough for most flights but you'd need to check. <S> Assuming you're happy to walk through the night you can see a lot of London <S> Here's a quick 10 km route suggestion I threw together. <S> It takes in Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square (but not Big Ben/Elizabeth Tower which is being repaired), the Embankment, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the Strand (you could night-bus this bit), St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. <S> Here's a picture in case I carelessly delete the route <S> Night buses from Trafalgar square will get you to many places but they're not very frequent. <S> I've deliberately omitted airport buses in the interest of maximising your time in London. <S> The tube and regional trains aren't all that expensive, and are much quicker; they're also less much affected by traffic, though there are rare delays in the middle of the night. <A> Yes, it's doable. <S> Although going through central London isn't the fastest route from Heathrow to Gatwick, you have lots of time <S> so it's not an unreasonable route to take. <S> You could obviously do it all by taxi, but it's also possible (and much cheaper) on public transport. <S> You can get the underground from Heathrow to Green Park, which will take about 50 min, and then you're only a few minutes walk across the park to the palace. <S> You can then walk to Victoria station, and get a train to Gatwick. <S> The last train to Gatwick is at 00:08 (though trains from other stations and coaches run through the night, and the ones from Victoria start pretty early in the morning). <A> Very easily doable. <S> But if you're going all that way in on the tube and aren't too tired, walk around - central London is quite small and easily walkable. <S> You could see Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus - all quite photogenic and iconic, even at night! <A> Yes, with Caveats. <S> Budget for contingency - 2 hours on landing, maybe 3 for T5. <S> I'm not kidding about T5 at this time of year. <S> A morning arrival might have been better, it will be dark. <S> So everything else is down to visibility, you will miss peak hours. <S> Suggest you get a driver both ways, or tube and cab. <S> Buses do not pass the Palace. <S> You are taking your chances with visibility as well. <S> Plan to be back at the Airport at 06:00, again, for contingency. <S> Risks: <S> Snow, Tube Outage, Rain, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Traffic, Holiday events (Winter Wonderland is close by). <A> but you're only going to see the outside of it. <S> A brief stroll back up the mall will land you at Nelson's Column, and you're near enough some night-life such as Leicester Square, or the theatres on the embankment, as well as within wandering distance (or a short tube ride) of the illuminations in Carnaby Street (Bohemian Rhapsody this year!) <S> and there's doubtless a few others to see too. <S> I don't know the opening times but over the river you've got the London Eye which could provide a decent photo op too. <S> Just a shame Big Ben is scaffolded up for repairs for the forseeable. <A> It takes 45 minutes to get out of the airport and another hour to get from Heathrow to BP. <S> You'll arrive at BP at 10.15pm. <S> Not much to see at there at that time, so I think you'd do better to head over to Waterloo Bridge and then wander up in to Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Picaddilly Circus, and Soho. <S> The cheapest way to get to Gatwick is by coach from Victoria Coach Station. <S> It's a miserable trip, early in the morning, but it sure is cheap.
| Per other responses, the short answer is "yes you do"
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Are these Deutsche Bahn train seats side-by-side? I booked two tickets on the direct Deutsche Bahn (ICE 93) train from Berlin to Vienna and the seat information is shown as - "Side-by-side seats Carriage 27, seats 13, 15" . I would normally have expected the seat numbers to be continuous, e.g. "13, 14" or "14, 15", although I have never travelled by train in Germany so do not know the seat number system. I booked the tickets via Trainline EU and I asked them. Their reply was: Unfortunately, we don't have access to the seat plan of this train, so there is no way for me to confirm or deny if you are next to each other. Usually, when you're booking for multiple passengers at the same time, the system automatically tries to put them together(if possible), or the at the very least close to one another. Could someone confirm that the seats are indeed side-by-side (and also not separated by the aisle)? Also, if anyone could show the seats on a seating plan that would be helpful. Edit: This is the same train on a different date: <Q> You can check this by trying to book a reservation on bahn.de - Select "Reservation only" on the main page, then search for your train, try to make a reservation (without logging in), click on "select seat" and the layout of the coach will be shown. <S> For the 20th of December, an ICE train type is used for which seats 13 and 15 are next to each other and appear to be 1st class in Coach 27. <S> Due to copyright reasons, I cannot include the seat plan shown on bahn.de here. <S> I am not sure if that is the case for all ICE types, but normally, seats 15 and 13 should be next to each other. <S> The numbering scheme comes from the old days of vis-a-vis compartment seating and was just continued to be used when compartments were no longer used. <A> Using the seating plans on seat61.com, and a bit of deduction: <S> (ICE 1 & 4 don't have car 27. <S> In ICE 3 and ICE-T-5, car 27 is 2nd class only, so it can't be any of those types) <A> Both seats are indeed adjacent:
| If it's an ICE 2 or ICE-T-7, then seats 13 and 15 in car 27 are adjacent.
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Which rules govern what happens when a passenger doesn't board their flight with checked-in luggage? Which international legal document spells out the procedure that a carrier should follow when a checked passenger is late to board a flight? I have been refused to board a connecting flight and my baggage was not off-loaded. <Q> There is no such thing as far as I know <S> but it is hard prove a negative. <S> Searching online, which I'm sure you have already done, does not seem to find such document. <S> There is a regulation called Passenger Positive Bombing (PPBM) that which is well described in this answer <S> but surprisingly hard to find the official document online. <S> These things depend on both country and local policies. <S> I have seen cases when the baggage is off-loaded but not always and much less so in the last 10+ years. <S> This could be because there is greater confidence in screening. <S> A particular country can have more strict requirements which would dictate if the flight is allowed to take off with the baggage still on board. <S> Generally, and there is no official basis for this, airlines tend to be more forgiving with things when they are out of a passenger's control than otherwise. <S> If you missed a connection because they were late, your luggage might be there already and they often do not off-load it. <S> If you drop luggage off at baggage drop and don't show for a flight an hour or so later, there is greater cause for concern, so they are more likely to off-load. <A> The document that governs what happens when you're late for a flight is the airline's Contract of Carriage . <S> These typically require you to be present at the gate and ready to board at least 10 or 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure, though it may be more for international flights. <S> Airlines may reaccommodate you without charge as a courtesy, but they're typically under no obligation to do so. <S> But, again, this would vary based on the CoC. Positive Passenger Bag Matching (PPBM) laws in some countries may require your bag to be removed if you miss the flight for a reason under your own control, but these laws vary by country. <S> Some countries (such as the USA) have no PPBM requirements, since all checked luggage is screened for explosives before it is allowed to be loaded on any aircraft. <S> In order to answer why PPBM didn't apply to your flight, you'd need to ask a new question and include the origin and destination of your missed flight. <S> Mentioning the airline would also be helpful in determining what rights you may or may not have, since every airline has its own contract of carriage. <A> Sorry, there is no such thing. <S> And related rules and precedent you may find will heavy favor the airline. <S> Some examples can be found at IATA - Baggage Standards . <S> Based on the question, you were late so the responsibility is solely on you. <S> Presumably, the connecting flight was domestic where bag match rules have more exceptions, though airlines will most often pull bags. <A> There is no international law. <S> Every country might have its regulations or laws, and they might have strong similarities, but there is no overall organization that could make any international law. <S> For understanding your situation, consider why the luggage offloading rule exists: A passenger should not be able to get (potentially dangerous) luggage onto a flight if he is not himself on the flight - <S> this assumes that most terrorists would prefer to survive their attack by not flying on the plane with their bomb. <S> If a passenger is not on a flight for reasons clearly out of his control, the offloading can be skipped - it would be quite disruptive for the schedule, and he could not intentionally have produced the situation.
| There is no "international legal document" governing such cases. Should you miss the flight, the contract of carriage typically specifies that you are considered a no-show and your ticket is forfeited, including any later flights on the same ticket.
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Amsterdam Centraal or Sloterdijk station area? For sightseeing in Amsterdam and traveling to Brussels, should we stay in Amsterdam Centraal area or can we stay at Sloterdijk station area? How difficult and expensive it is to travel back and forth from Sloterdijk to Amsterdam Centraal? <Q> It's quite easy to travel between Amsterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Sloterdijk. <S> Trains are frequent and the trip is about 6 or 7 minutes. <S> The base fare is €2.30. <S> The travel time to Brussels is slightly less from Amsterdam Centraal because the direct trains to Brussels do not stop at Sloterdijk. <S> Most tourists will want to spend more of their time closer to the center of the city, though, so it's probably only a good idea to stay near Sloterdijk if your accommodation is sufficiently less expensive, or if you have something specific you want to do in the area. <A> Staying in the central area, inside the canal rings, let's you easily walk central Amsterdam and for me that works better. <S> I love walking the central city. <A> The travel angle is well covered in the other answers. <S> From the tourist angle, I would say, it depends on what you like and want to do. <S> If you are the 'dinner, short travel, bed' kind of person, Sloterdijk is not bad. <S> But on the other hand, if you are a 'dinner, roam around, visit place to drink, visit place to listen to music, wander slowly to hotel' a central Amsterdam location will be better. <S> I would not even advice the Centraal Station area, but more near the Leidse plein area or around the places you will find your choice of music if not there. <S> Both areas will be safe enough, also late in the evening, but depending on the actual time of night, can feel a little deserted outside of business hours (Sloterdijk) or shopping hours, (Amsterdam centraal). <S> There will be public transport but the night trains do not stop at Sloterdijk, so from about 1:15 to about 5:15 you will be restricted to night buses. <S> And those are on a one per hour schedule as far as I have found. <S> This is the site for all public transport in the country. <S> And this is the train site.
| Travel time to Amsterdam Centraal Station will be about the same as if staying close to Station Sloterdijk but your travel time and more importantly the ease of getting back to your hotel in the evening will make the difference.
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Can I safely wait in the transit area of a destination airport for my visa to be approved? If I've got a flight booked to a country that requires an e-visa for entry (say Brazil, for example), and my visa hasn't been processed yet, but will most likely be processed within 24 hours of my flight's arrival, is it safe to board my flight, and then just wait in the transit area of the airport until my visa is approved? Or could I get in trouble for even arriving at the airport without a visa? Would it be helpful to buy a cheap onward ticket for the next day, just in case I get asked any questions about why I'm waiting around in the airport? Note: I'm making a few assumptions like 1) the airline doesn't check if I have a visa and I'm able to board the flight 2) the visa will be approved 3) I am flying with only carry-on bags 4) I already have an international SIM in my phone 5) if the visa isn't approved for any reason, I could just buy an onward flight to somewhere else. <Q> You won't get in trouble for arriving at the airport without a visa. <S> Instead, the airline you're flying won't let you on the plane to depart in the first place. <S> They can check the status of electronic visas at the time you check in. <S> They do this because the airline is responsible for transporting you back out of the country if you are refused entry. <S> If you don't have a valid visa, and you need one, you will be refused. <A> As Greg Hewgill notes, the airline will not allow you to board. <S> The airline will generally use a database of visa requirements (e.g. Timatic ) and will determine what documents you require based on the passport you present. <S> So if you present a passport that requires a visa to enter Brazil, they will know you require a visa, regardless of what country you're flying from. <S> This is generally built into the airline's IT system and is not simply something they may forget to do even if you're flying from a country where many people don't require visas. <S> Buying an additional refundable flight out of Brazil wouldn't work either, because Timatic will tell them that you can only transit without a visa if you have "a connecting flight booked on the same ticket in transit. <S> " <S> As stated on a Brazilian government site , you need a transit visa if you have separate airline tickets to change planes in Brazil. <S> The airline will enforce this rule and deny boarding as well. <S> In addition, not all countries and airports allow you to remain in the transit area overnight, so even if you make it there, you could have a problem if you stick around for long enough. <A> Here are some more things you should be aware of: 1) the airline doesn't check if I have a visa <S> and I'm able to board the flight Greg and Zach both mentioned correctly that airlines do check your eligibility to be landed at the destination; as they are fined and are responsible for repatriation if you are inadmissible. <S> 2) the visa will be approved <S> This a dangerous assumption to make, and as per #1, a moot point. <S> 3) I am flying with only carry-on bags <S> This really doesn't have an impact on your waiting in the transit area. <S> At some airports, you can freely move between the transit and the landing areas. <S> In others, transit areas are limited, restricted, or may be closed entirely. <S> 4) I already have an international SIM in my phone <S> Not really relevant to your original question, not sure why this is even a concern. <S> 5) if the visa isn't approved for any reason, I could just buy an onward flight to somewhere else. <S> You are assuming that you will find a sales desk in the transit area for the airline you want to take. <S> This is risky. <S> In my experience, transfer desks in transit zones don't sell new tickets (they can only assist with existing reservations and upgrades / downgrades). <S> I have had many people whose flights were cancelled try to buy tickets on another airline but the agents were unable. <S> If an onward ticket is required for your visa, this will also be checked by the airline before you are boarded. <S> Gone are the days that you could buy a ticket from the gate agent - <S> these days you need a ticket just to get past security. <S> Would it be helpful to buy a cheap onward ticket for the next day, just in case I get asked any questions about why I'm waiting around in the airport? <S> At some airports you may be questioned if you look like you don't belong - as to what you are doing in the transit area. <S> A ticket may not help you, since you would need a boarding pass to really justify your presence in the secure area. <A> Judging from my personal experience (primarily with JFK and MIA), your tickets will be checked by the airport staff/security regardless of whether you're going to clear the customs or proceed to the transit area. <S> If there are no transit passengers on board, there may not even be an option to get there as the corresponding door would be locked. <S> While this is impossible to say whether or not you would be "lucky" with the visa check upon departure and the ticket check upon arrival, generally such a strategy sounds like a risky undertaking.
| In some airports, there is a limit on how long you can stay in the transit area (before you must be landed or depart).
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Visiting Frankfurt on a 3-hour layover We have a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt, on the way to Rome. My husband wants to leave to get a bite to eat and see a small part of the city. Will we have enough time? Is this a smart idea? <Q> No, this isn't feasible. <S> It will probably take you around 30 minutes to get off the plane and through immigration (and probably more if you're not an EU citizen). <S> It's then about a 15-minute train ride into Frankfurt, and 15 minutes back, plus, say, another 10–15 minutes total waiting for the two trains. <S> But you're recommended to be back at the airport two hours before your flight leaves, to make sure you get through security and so on. <S> That leaves you with about minus-10 minutes to spend in Frankfurt. <S> Even if you decide to push it and not arrive at the airport until an hour before your flight, you still only have 45–50 minutes in Frankfurt, plus the stress of getting back and worrying about missing your flight. <S> It's unlikely to be worth it; just eat something at the airport. <A> To extend on @DavidRicherby's answer. <S> I just did this a couple of months ago, but on a 9 hour layover. <S> From plane to train took a little over an hour and a half. <S> I arrived at 8:50 in the morning <S> and I know the train I took was right around 10:36. <S> The lines were long and the place was quite crowded. <S> Not only that <S> but I had to figure out where to go and then figure out the train ticket kiosk and how to buy the ticket (that took 10 minutes after asking for help) <S> Now, I went to Mainz and not Frankfurt, but the situation is the same. <S> Getting back took slightly longer because I had just missed the train on the way back. <S> So I had to wait. <S> I'm guessing it was no more than 15 minutes, but it felt longer. <S> Once I arrived, getting from the train to the plane took slightly over an hour. <S> Again, it was crowded and lines were long. <S> So, even if you were able to go and grab a snack, you will be running, stressing <S> and it's not worth it. <S> You have to factor in variables such as traffic, <S> what happens if you miss the train, what if your food comes late (service could be slow), immigration lines could be long. <S> All in all, I spent about 2.5 hours leaving the airport, and getting to my departure gate (and that was just IN the airport). <S> Too close risk it on a 3 hour layover. <A> Simply put it's a bad idea <S> and you'll probably not be able to do or see much even if you decided to go ahead and manage to pull it off. <S> You have to consider all the time you'll spend leaving the airport, waiting for the train, travelling on the train, then multiply that by 2, because you want to return and get back on your connecting flight. <S> Even considering an unlikely alignment of events would still make the attempt not worthwhile, other than to get an anxiety rush. <S> I visited Frankfurt on a 6-hour layover, which is double your layover. <S> It was enough to be relaxed about it, but you still don't get to do or experience much, because you need to be mindful of your return journey. <A> That's not really feasible. <S> A 3-hour layover is much too short, and the airport is FAR from downtown. <S> Public transport is not like hopping in a Zipcar, there's a lot of fooling around and waiting. <S> And, things can go wrong - one mistake or delayed train <S> and you're out an expensive air ticket. <S> I wouldn't have attempted it before 9/11 on a domestic flight. <S> If all you did was clear immigration, step outside, take a breath, turn right around and queue up for security - you'd have just about enough margin for error. <S> If you want to do that sort of thing, travel by rail . <S> The depots are usually downtownish. <S> I've had a lovely meal in downtown Denver and explored bookstores, I've walked up from NYC Penn to Times Square, did a nickel tour of one Smithsonian museum or another, and gotten Uno's Pizza in Chicago... <S> All on less than 3 hour layovers. <S> And that's just in the US, which has notoriously awful rail service. <S> Europe is a wonderland by comparison. <S> Or if you must do it by flight, beg your agent to pad your connections out to about 8 hours.
| Given the amount of time and stress you'd spend on this plan, I'd rather enjoy a nice meal in the airport itself. No, this is not a good idea.
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Will this small crease in passport be a problem Will this crease be a problem when travelling <Q> I’m not an immigration/customs officer, but I highly doubt this would be a problem. <S> It’s on the outside <S> so it doesn’t look like some potential tampering. <S> My passport probably looks worse and <S> I’ve had no problems. <A> It's highly unlikely that this will cause an issue. <S> Passports are typically issued for 10 years. <S> To expect them to be in pristine condition at the end of that period is unreasonable. <A> To make you feel better, here's my story. <S> My old passport was in a very terrible state after having spilled some Pepsi from KFC on it. <S> The problem was that I only realised a couple of weeks later when I took it from its drawer and the pages were all wet, sticky and smelly. <S> The biodata page was not damaged, but every single other page had a huge brown stain on it and an unpleasant smell (which fortunately went away after I "cleaned" it and dried it). <S> I still used that passport for a few more years until it expired and I was only asked about the damage once, and after laughing at my story the border agent told be to be more careful.
| It will absolutely not be a problem.
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Is it possible that the return ticket of a round-trip is counterfeit? Is it possible to buy round-trip tickets to Jamaica where the return ticket is counterfeit? My daughter-in-law says she's now stranded there. Is this possible? <Q> Anything is possible, of course, but it is overwhelmingly, vastly, immensely more likely that this is a scam, and that the source of this email or message is not actually your daughter-in-law, but instead someone else trying to get you to send them money. <S> In this day of easy Facetime and other video connections, you'll want to have an actual chat with your daughter-in-law to make sure it's her <S> and she's really in need. <S> This SE thread and this ABC News story discuss the issue further. <A> I do not think this is commonly possible, because Jamaica seems to require proof of onward travel. <S> This means that the immigration in Jamaica will check that arriving visitors have a valid ticket for somewhere else within their visa window (a return ticket or somewhere else outside of Jamaica). <S> Because airlines generally lose money for arriving with passengers who fail immigration checks, they also commonly check before they will even let you onto the plane to get to Jamaica in the first place. <S> Since most of these checks are done electronically, they are very hard to fool. <S> Also generally if you did somehow arrive in Jamaica and then fail immigration, what would happen would be that you would be returned by the next plane back to your original airport. <S> I can think of some extremely uncommon scenarios, for example if you have a legitimate ticket but <S> your airline suddenly goes out of business (Primera Air), or if you deliberately return your return ticket for a refund; and of course you could be temporarily stranded for weather delays or plane maintenance or anything along those lines. <S> Conclusion: Unless you already knew that your relative planned to be in Jamaica at this time and have significant conversation with her to verify her identity, this is most likely a scam. <S> (My grandparents almost fell for a scam like this, and fortunately held on for long enough to get in contact with my cousin and verify that he never left home and definitely was not stranded in a foreign country! <S> These scammers are very sophisticated, used details from social media, and even convincingly acted on the phone.) <A> It is possible, assuming you have a very loose definition of "round trip", for example: <S> You bought the ticket to Jamaica from a reputable airline. <S> Once you landed there, you bought another ticket from some less than reputable source. <S> There are lots of other scenarios that may lead to someone being left at the airport or otherwise delayed: Flight is overbooked and the person is bumped for a later flight. <S> In case the airline bumps a passenger, they are obligated to compensate you (the exact kind of compensation varies wildly). <S> The flight is cancelled due to technical issues, weather, etc. <S> In most cases the airline will reschedule you as well usually for free. <S> Immigration / customs issues may lead to detention and delay. <S> You got stuck in traffic or simply missed the deadline to check-in. <S> There is very little chance of a genuine "fake ticket" scenario. <S> As David mentions in his answer shown above , this is highly likely to be a scam to get you to send money - especially if it is through an anonymous source like Western Union. <A> Anything is possible. <S> It's however highly unlikely, certainly if she bought the ticket through an airline or a reputable travel agency. <S> Most likely then <S> , it's a scam and the email is not coming from your daughter in law but from someone else entirely. <S> Which should be easy enough to check by comparing the email addresses of the sender, reply-to address, and any known email addresses of your daughter in law. <S> She should also have other means of contacting you, like telephone, to verify whether the message was indeed sent by her. <S> The text of the message is also a clue, does it mention actual correct names and addresses? <S> If not, it's a dead giveaway that it's a scam. <S> If it does, are they correct? <S> If they are, it can still be a scam especially if your and her name are relatively common. <S> So contact her through other means, verify that it really is coming from her (99% chance <S> it isn't btw, <S> especially if you didn't know before getting this message that she's in Jamaica, most people wouldn't go abroad without telling their family after all. <S> And if they get in trouble while abroad would call their direct family first rather than their in-laws). <A> I've had a round trip ticket issued by an airline (charter) when all I bought was a one way ticket. <S> I was puzzled, and I asked - I was told that they automatically issued a return trip to avoid issues at immigration (proof of return ticket or onward travel). <S> I had not asked for it <S> , I didn't even need it as I had residency at my destination, but for some reason they did it automatically. <S> I'm not sure how they would handle it, or if it was legal. <S> I suppose, but I don't know for sure, that they would routinely cancel the return leg before its date. <S> While not strictly counterfeit, or not strictly fake, it indeed was a return flight that I didn't book and that I didn't pay for, and that the airline would never allow me to take anyway. <S> Whether or not this applies to your situation is hard to tell, but it's not very likely, as the traveler would be well aware of such an arrangement.
| Your second ticket could be pre-sold or "fake", but these days of electronic everything, it seems highly unlikely.
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Do airlines count the days for visa nationals? While answering this question I wondered: for countries/areas that have rules such as the 90/180 rules of the Schengen Area, do airlines bother to count how long you have already been in the area? As we all know, airlines have a duty to check documentation of boarding passengers to make sure they have the required paperwork (valid passport, valid visa or travel authorisation/electronic visa if required...). If they let someone without the relevant paperwork board and reach the destination country, they not only have to carry them back, but in many cases also face penalties (which can be quite hefty). Airlines obviously can't check everything (they don't have all the information), but do they have to count the days a passenger has stayed in the Schengen Area in the last 180 days (by checking the stamps in the passport)? That would seem like a quite time-consuming (and error-prone) process. Or is that checked as part of Advance Passenger Information screening? Does anyone have any experience of this? Do airlines have to do it? Do they actually do it (never / sometimes / often / always)? Do they even have enough information to do it? <Q> Purely anecdotal & conjecture answer Airlines rarely rummage through your passport to find an entry or exit stamp. <S> That takes a lot of time in my passport, and I notice when it's happening at immigration or check in. <S> Airlines will sometimes collect or inspect your departure record card (if applicable) <S> They do look at the expiration date of your passport and the presence & date of Visa (if applicable) <S> Some airlines are indeed plugged into the immigration data bases of some destination countries. <S> They will check if you are on a do-not-fly list. <S> Another example: I once checked-in in Tokyo for a flight to Australia and due to me being stupid, my ETA (electronic travel authorization) had not enough days left in. <S> The check-in agent flagged this immediately (and was nice enough to help me out). <S> Since the ETA isn't physically in the passport, the only way for her to know this would be direct access to the Australian ETA system from her check in desk. <A> for countries/areas that have rules such as the 90/180 rules of the Schengen Area, do airlines bother to count how long you have already been in the area? <S> It’s <S> not the airline responsibility to calculate those dates. <S> That’s the passengers responsibility. <S> It would be unfair to expect airlines to do that considering some passengers are frequent travelers with complex travel plans and histories. <S> They are limited to confirming the validity of the visa, no fly lists, etc that’s it For the United States <S> APIS, this is the information required Full name (last name, first name, middle name if applicable) Gender Date of birth <S> Nationality Country of residence Travel document type (normally passport) <S> Travel document number (expiry date and country of issue for passport) <S> [For travellers to the US] Address of the first night spent in the US (not required for US nationals, legal permanent residents, or alien residents of the US entering the US) <A> It is (normally) <S> the airlines responsibility to confirm that you have the requirement documents to enter the country you are travelling to. <S> It is NOT their responsibility to confirm that you meet the requirements to actually use those documents. <S> For example, if you are travelling to a country that requires a visa, and you show the airline a tourist visa, then they have met their level of responsibility around confirming that you have the documents required. <S> If you subsequently arrive at the border and state you are there to work, then you will likely be refused entry due to not holding the correct documents for your intended visit - but the airline will not in any way be held responsible because you did hold documents that would have, in a general sense, have allowed you to enter the country. <S> The same is true for time limits like the Schengen 90/180 day rule. <S> The airline is required to confirm that you hold whatever documents are required to enter your destination country (which might be a visa, or simply just a passport from a country that doesn't require a visa). <S> For some countries there is an additional step that the airline must carry out, which is that an electronic check must be done at check-in to confirm that the passenger is allowed enter the country. <S> For example, all Australian visas are electronic, so the airline needs to electronically confirm with the Australian government that the passenger is allowed board the flights as a means of checking their visa. <S> It's certainly possible that a country could enforce additional checks as a part of that process, but I'm not aware of any that currently do so beyond basic things like checking if the passenger is on a "no-fly" list. <A> There's not that much that an airline can do even if you did overstay your visa. <S> Generally, it's the airlines responsibility to make sure you are allowed to go from A to B, but not to make sure you had the right to be in A. <S> At least, I think that would be the most common problem: people returning home after overstaying their visa. <S> But what could or should they do if some passenger arrives at the airport, after staying too long. <S> Should they not bring them home? <S> And if they do, who will fine the airline, and for what exactly?
| They are NOT required to confirm anything beyond that, such as whether you have sufficient days left in your 90 days for your stay - that is left to the immigration staff at the destination airport.
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Empty page in passport between stamps The immigration officer here in Dubai inconsiderately left a whole empty page between my last stamp and the UAE stamp. Does this waste the page or will other immigration officers still stamp in between? <Q> They will stamp in between - as long as there is room for a stamp. <S> Personal experience in Dubai has meant they tend to put all your frequent stamps closely together too to avoid taking too much room. <A> Quite often a busy immigration officer will just find a page at random and put a stamp there. <S> Nothing inconsiderate about it, it's just how they work. <S> The stamp may be on a page of its own, leave empty pages, or be on a page already containing other stamps. <S> In rare occasions I've even seen them place stamps over other, older stamps, not seeming to aim for any specific spot on the page at all. <S> Or maybe on exit from Dubai they'll place it there. <A> A Passport is not considered a sequential log, and most countries will just stamp wherever they want, whatever page opens first. <S> Don't spend any thought on sequence and usage of pages.
| Another immigration officer will just see the empty page and put his stamp there at some point.
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Can I board a UK train I am booked on half way with a mobile, advanced ticket? I have a ticket from Southampton to Manchester in the next month or so. Its a non-refundable Single Advance ticket but due to circumstances out of my control, I won't be in Southhampton on the date - but rather Birmingham. Considering that Birmingham is on the train route anyway, can I join at Birmingham and resume my travel to Manchester? I have seen similar questions to this posted, but most of the advice is upon the assumption that a ticket inspector will mark your ticket to prove you have been on the train from the start of its journey. Considering that I will have an E-ticket on my phone, would an inspector know? Any advice welcome, as the original price of the ticket is pretty high and I'd rather not waste it. <Q> If it's an advance, then no, advance tickets need to follow the route exactly (" You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary. <S> "). <S> From a practicality point of view, the train guard would almost certainly not know, but getting through ticket barriers at the station (which Birmingham New Street has) would be the issue, since you'd need to convince the guard to let you through (your ticket will not open the barrier as per normal) <A> This sort of change to a journey is allowed on most types of train ticket in the UK. <S> Unfortunately, an advance ticket is an exception, and does not allow any changes at all; you have to board and leave at the stations specified, not in between. <S> (Advance tickets are notorious for being particularly inflexible.) <S> However, you say that the journey is still some time in the future. <S> It is often possible to request an exchange for your Advance ticket, updating the details to a different set of details; with cardboard tickets this would be done via handing in the tickets at the ticket office of any staffed station, but the process may be different or nonexistent for mobile tickets. <S> (With mobile tickets in particular, the terms and conditions say "However, please note that if you choose (where offered) to print your tickets at home or download them to your mobile device, different rules apply and you may not be able to subsequently change your ticket."; it's nonetheless worth checking to see if a change is possible, because "may not be possible" doesn't imply "is never possible".) <S> Note that there is a fee for the change in journey, normally £10 plus the difference in price; as such, it's a good idea to look into the possibility of an exchange as soon as possible, as the price is normally lower the earlier you book the ticket. <S> It's quite possible that (as you're changing to a shorter journey) the difference in price is less than minus £10, <S> so (assuming that the exchange is technically possible) it may be possible to convince the ticket office staff to exchange the ticket for free. <A> You could just ask before going on the trip. <S> Just walk to the nearest big train station to the reception if there is a possibility to do this in a legal way. <S> Sometimes they are more accommodating than one might think. <S> I actually had a similar problem when I went to London because I bought the wrong (non refundable) ticket by accident, they did change it to the one I needed without any extra fee. <S> If that fails you can still try it the "sneaky" way. <S> But most probably, asking won't hurt you. <A> There is a route between Southampton and Manchester which changes at Birmingham New Street (using the National Rail website, any of the services with one change appear to change at Birmingham). <S> Unfortunately, Advance Singles are usually for a specific service. <S> If this is the case with yours, and the train you're booked on requires a change at Birmingham, then you should be fine to simply board the Birmingham leg as you would have to anyway. <S> If your ticket doesn't change at Birmingham, then you throw yourself at the mercy of the conductor on the train. <S> It's likely that he wouldn't notice or would use his discretion, but the risk is high enough that it's worth checking the cost of changing your ticket before making a decision.
| As others have said, you may need a different ticket to get through the barrier at Birmingham, but if your ticket allows for travel by Any Permitted Route, you'd have no problem using it to board at Birmingham.
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Should I put toilet paper in airplane toilets? During a recent international flight my 4 year old daughter informed me that I shouldn't put toilet paper in the toilet but should instead use the bin provided. My gut told me she was wrong, however I accepted this could just be bias due to my Western upbringing since I am well aware that there are plenty of places in the world where you indeed don't put toilet paper in the toilet . Keen to make sure she's being brought up right I decide to see if I could find out if she was correct or not before challenging her on it, however the best guidance I could find was the following 2 signs which seem to support her stance, but are too ambiguous to be definitive: A sign on the toilet lid which shows that cups and some sort of tissue should not be disposed of in the toilet: A sign near the bin which shows that a wide variety of items, including some sort of tissue should be disposed of in the bin: There were no further signs that explicitly stated if the tissue depicted in the signs was toilet tissue or not, or what should be done with it. Further more I couldn't find anything in the literature provided at my seat and I decided not to ask the flight attendant but to instead wait until I was home to ask strangers on the internet. What is the proper way to dispose of toilet roll on an airplane? <Q> Should I put toilet roll in airplane toilets? <S> YES . <S> Airplane toilets are designed to take the toilet paper provided by the airline . <S> The sign is to inform you that nothing other than the provided toilet paper should be put in the toilet, including the paper towels used to dry your hands. <S> Source: Millions of flight miles and articles like <S> 16 Tips on How to Use and Leave a Lavatory Aboard an Airplane <S> No. 4 & 8 <S> Key point from the comments: toilet paper is engineered for it's specific setting. <S> The tp provided by the airline is designed to be flushed in airplane lavatories. <A> A typical lavatory will often contain two paper products. <S> Toilet paper is intended for cleaning your nether regions. <S> It is soft (usually!) and is not intended to retain any strength when wet. <S> It is actually designed to turn to flushable mush on contact with water, and to essentially disintegrate the longer it stays in water. <S> As such, the toilet paper on the plane is safe to put down the toilet. <S> Paper hand towels on the other hand are usually less soft. <S> They have a high fibre content, and are designed so that they do <S> not lose significant strength when wet. <S> As a result, paper towels will easily block up a toilet, and must not be flushed. <S> This is what the sign is referring to which your daughter spotted. <S> Toilet users will often also use other disposable cleaning products. <S> Tissues, wet-wipes, sanitary towels and so on are all designed to retain strength when wet, and again will easily block up toilets. <S> It's worth noting here that even so-called "flushable" wipes have been found on testing to retain significant strength and to be a very real problem for waste disposal systems. <S> The sign also relates to these. <S> Chemical toilets in caravans and boats have smaller-diameter pipes, generally with a macerator to break up "solids", and regular toilet paper can block this very easily. <S> Alternatively it is possible to buy special toilet paper which breaks down much more readily when wet. <S> Coming back to your airplane toilet, if the airplane toilet needs this special toilet paper, you can assume that this is what the airline provides. <S> If for some reason you have your own toilet paper though, you might want to be cautious and dispose of that in the bin. <S> Regarding your point about toilets in other countries which cannot take regular toilet paper, the mush of wet toilet paper can still clog up narrow pipes, especially with longer pipe runs which may not have enough gradient to keep things moving. <S> In some countries with smaller-diameter or lower-quality sewer pipes, toilets therefore have a bin for toilet paper. <S> (In Europe, Greece is the main place you would see this.) <S> Whether modern sewage systems genuinely still have problems with toilet paper is unclear - it is entirely possible that the previous technical issues have set up a tradition. <A> Understand that toilet paper is designed to be just solid enough to get the job done, but not so solid that it cannot be broken down as waste later once it is wet <S> (this is a general rule for paper waste not specific to airplanes). <S> Too many people think that paper is paper and just flush whatever down, not realizing that it can clog the system (paper towels, for instance don't readily break down when wet by design). <S> As proof that you can flush toilet paper, here's a video of test engineers for the A380 system flushing toilet paper to test the waste system (at 130MPH!). <S> Note how the toilet paper is totally pulverized by the time it reaches the tank.
| Some people use regular toilet paper and provide a bin.
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Do I have to hide anything related to the swastika while travelling to the USA? Swastika is religious symbol in India and many countries don't find it offensive but due to Nazi connections, will a traveler will get in trouble if he carries anything with the swastika symbol in the USA? Like a T-shirt, Tattoo or religious book with that logo? Do I need to hide it, or avoid even carrying it? <Q> If it is on a religious book and it is clear that it is a religious symbol unrelated to the Nazi party, then that is more likely to be OK. <S> I would definitely avoid wearing it on a t-shirt or displaying a swastika tattoo. <S> Source: I am a US resident. <A> I mostly agree with @ajd's answer , and it'll depend a bit on where in the country you are. <S> While I hate stereotyping, in the US <S> it's not a bad starting point. <S> T-shirts and apparel with a swastika is almost certain to get you negative attention, especially in more liberal parts of the country, though one might think that more liberal areas would be more likely to understand the difference. <S> In heavily conservative areas, you're more likely to be harassed for being Indian than for a swastika (yes, I've seen it happen). <S> I know it sounds like I'm bashing my country, but this is mostly a worst-case scenario type of thing - better to be prepared and understand than not. <S> :) <S> The current socio-political environment in the US and the increase in white supremacist activity definitely puts a damper on this particular religious freedom. <S> If you happen to be coming to Michigan, let me know. <S> We have a pretty heavy Indian population here. <S> I can ask a few friends for advice, if they have any, on this particular issue. :) <A> The public display of Nazi flags is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which, affirmed by the Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, guarantees the right to freedom of speech. <S> ( sources ) <S> It's also used by some political or social groups for rallies. <S> Saying that, to most people it'll be associated with Naziism, despite the original orientation/meanings that were co-opted. <S> Most people are likely to just give it a look and form an impression of you that you might not appreciate, but aren't likely to engage. <S> Some however, might take more of an issue with it. <A> Depends a ton on the context. <S> People from India run the gamut in skin color. <S> If you have light colored skin, people might associate you with white supremacists who openly carry Nazi symbols . <S> A known white nationalist doing an interview was openly assaulted on the street (it's an isolated incident but some people felt it was justified ). <S> If you are darker skinned, that association is much less likely to be made. <S> Books are unlikely to get you noticed in this fashion, especially since you don't have to display them. <S> Clothing certainly will and tattoos are even more closely associated with it . <A> The term "swastika" includes a wide variety of symbols. <S> Something like this or this is much less likely to be perceived as being a Nazi swastika than is something like this . <S> It also helps if it's incorporated into a very-not-German design, such as this . <S> Also, while Germany is, to my understanding, sensitive to any use of a swastika in any context, there are many contexts in the US where it is acceptable. <S> For instance, the book The Man in The High Castle is set in a universe where Japan and Germany occupy the US, and its cover depicts the Japanese and Nazi Germany flags. <S> So a book with a swastika, even if it's perceived to be a Nazi swastika, would not necessarily be perceived as being pro-Nazi. <S> So, to summarize: how it's received will the depend on the type of swastika, the context, the viewer, and whether you have other attributes associated with Nazism (e.g., blond, blue eyes, skinhead haircut, etc.). <A> There are no laws specifically against Nazi symbols or Nazi paraphenalia (clothing, medals, etc.) <S> in the United States, and there are NO laws against religious symbols, even if they are swastikas. <S> Airport authorities will not give you any trouble, and if a police officer or customs officer asks, simply inform them it is a religious symbol. <S> That said, many places, like university campuses or workplaces, have regulations or policies against 'offending people', so people who don't understand that the swastika is an ancient religious symbol used in many cultures might complain and make trouble for you. <S> In that case, prove your swastikas are religious with a quick internet search on your phone, demand that they respect your right to religious freedom, and then accuse them of racism if they don't stop bothering you. <S> They have NO RIGHT to bother you because of your religion. <S> If you look like a person from India, and your swastika looks Eastern and not Nazi <S> , I doubt people will bother you unless you are somewhere extremists congregate, like university campuses. <S> If people try to pressure you into not wearing your religious symbols, it could be a violation of your civil rights.
| It is not illegal to display a swastika in the US; however, the symbol is generally understood in the US to be a symbol of Nazism and displaying it publicly is likely to be extremely hurtful to those around you (perhaps in particular members of groups targeted by Nazis), not to mention earn you significant unwanted attention. It's not illegal, and you won't be imprisoned or fined, but I'd be concerned about your safety and well-being.
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Which is the nearest airport if I have to travel to Harrow? Which is the nearest Airport, if I have to travel to Harrow * ? * Harrow is a suburban town in the London Borough of Harrow, in the north-west of Greater London, England, 10.5 miles northwest of Charing Cross. <Q> There are 5 main airports in London. <S> Gatwick is SWish, London City is in the inner east, Luton is north, Stansted is north east and far. <S> Heathrow is in the west, and about an hour away from Harrow by public transport. <S> For fun, I plugged them all into Google to check times by transport (public). <S> Luton - 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30. <S> Heathrow - about an hour. <S> Gatwick - surprisingly, 1h 5 min to 1h 20 - the Gatwick Express helps! <S> From personal experience, avoid Stansted and Luton, and not many fly into LCY. <S> So I'd be looking at Gatwick or Heathrow, mainly. <A> If you plan to take a cab or rent a car then Heathrow is probably the best, followed by Stansted and Luton. <S> On the other hand if you plan to travel by public transport then distance often bears little relationship to travel time. <S> Busses are slow and trains tend to go to/from central London. <S> Neither of the Harrow rail stations is on the same rail line as any of the airports. <S> Heathrow still seems to be the best, but after that as Mark points out it's a wash in terms of travel time (though probably not travel cost) between City, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. <A> Mark Mayo provide a good factual answer about London's airports and David Richerby added a couple of good subjective points (cheaper flights, time convenience, etc.) <S> I would add that, from personal experience, if you are planning to travel by car, then Luton or Heathrow would be best, as they are roughly the same distance from Harrow and you'd be travelling through roughly the same volumes of traffic (possibly, a bit less traffic from Luton). <S> If you are planning on using public transport, then I would recommend Heathrow, as it's much better connected, with a variety of public transport options and you can get from Heathrow to Harrow on the Hill using only tube and public bus. <S> Have a look at google map options and do note that on the Piccadilly line you can switch at Acton Town station, no need to go to Hammersmith <S> - this would save you another 10 minutes or so. <A> As Mark Mayo's answer shows, except for Stansted, the travel times from the major London airports to Harrow are basically the same. <S> The differences between them aren't significant compared to other aspects of your journey. <S> For example, flying at a time that's more convenient for you, picking a cheaper flight or a route with better connections would probably all make a bigger difference than the possibility of saving 15 minutes travelling from the airport to Harrow. <A> If you looking nearby airport then Northolt Airport is just 5-miles away from Harrow, and if you are looking airport that easily reachable by public transport then London Heathrow Airport .
| Geographically of the major London airports Heathrow seems to be closest. Stansted - 1h 30 to 1h 48 London City - 59 min to 1 hour 20, depending on time of day. If you want to travel by car I would avoid Gatwick (other side of London) and London City (as the name suggests in the city centre) airports.
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Can I enter Canada twice in a month as an American? I will be visiting Canada twice during December. The first visit will be for 3 nights and second will be for 2 nights. The gap between the two visits will be one day where I will come back to the United States. The reason for both of the visits is for vacation. For personal information, I was born in the United States and have a valid passport. Will there be any issues with entering Canada twice in a month? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! <Q> There's no reason that twice should be a problem. <S> They'll probably ask why you're coming back so soon <S> and you presumably have a good reason for travelling back and forth, so you've nothing to hide or worry about. <A> I have done exactly this several times in the reverse direction, but it is equally fine northbound. <S> Once I did a day trip to the US from Canada on a Monday, then entered for a three-week holiday on the Thursday of the same week. <S> On another trip we spent several days in the US driving east toward Detroit, then crossed back into Canada, spent a week and a half in Toronto and Ottawa, and crossed back into the U.S. at Sault Ste. <S> Marie, ON/MI and returned home to Saskatchewan that way. <S> Neither time was it an issue. <S> The only thing to watch: personal exemptions for imported items are based on the length of the current out-of-country travel. <S> For example, Canadians get an CAD$800 exemption after 48 hours, and I believe Americans get a US$800 exemption after 48 hours. <S> If you are out of the country for less than 48 hours, you would not be eligible for this exemption, even if your two foreign stays together exceed 48 hours. <S> (On the other hand, if both trips exceeded 48 hours, you'd get the exemption twice, once for each leg of the trip.) <A> Unless your situation is special because of your history, US Citizens can visit Canada for up to 180 day, as often as they want. <S> Nobody is going to trouble you if you go in and out every day, or several times in some weeks.
| It is not a problem.
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Crossing Swiss-Austrian border by foot Is it possible to cross the Swiss-Austrian border on foot? <Q> Most of the border between Switzerland and Austria north of Liechtenstein is along the Rhine, so there you'll have to cross the border over a bridge. <S> But you can still do it on foot: <S> Note however that there aren't that many bridges, and not all bridges have footpaths, though. <S> This picture actually even shows people walking (and another cycling) over one of the bridges: South of Liechtenstein, the border is in the mountains, and often follows the crest line (ridgeline), so it may be quite impractical in quite a few places unless you have the relevant experience and equipment: <S> And of course it's quite different during winter: <S> There's actually a large ski domain straddling the border: Not sure if "on ski" is the same as "on foot" :-) <S> After that, the border is back to (mostly) following rivers, but very few bridges. <S> This one has a footpath: <S> There are also a few more land crossings, but I couldn't find pictures for them (yet). <A> Absolutely. <S> Why not? <S> You probably want to pick a spot that's reasonably populated on both sides <S> so there are places to walk between. <S> Maybe the area between Bregenz and Feldkirch. <S> I think last time we crossed at Diepoldsau. <S> Borders are fairly relaxed there. <S> Recently I called my son and he was standing with one leg in Germany and with the other one in Switzerland (Basel border). <A> Borders in Central/Western Europe are usually only marked with some signs and stones. <S> It is very rare to have fences and the like. <S> It is generally possible to cross on foot, and for EU citizens this is also legal. <S> For citizens of other countries it may somewhat different - i.e. it is certainly illegal for citizens of some countries if they do not have the necessary papers. <S> At least I know one border (not the one in the OP) that is very easy to cross on foot, but in the past it was not a good idea to do so (except on a border checkpoint) if police was present. <S> In response to Nate Eldredge: I do not know about Austria and Switzerland, but in Germany e.g. asylum seekers are not allowed to travel to other Schengen countries. <S> Other Schengen countries can also just turn them back at their borders if they realize that they have a German asylum seeker id card ("Aufenthaltsgestattung"). <S> Although in practice, people do sometimes travel to other EU countries, so it is still "possible" to do so. <S> In response to Relaxed: Not entirely. <S> § <S> 46 Abs 2 AufenthG says that foreigners do not have the right to leave Germany for another country if they do not have the necessary immigration papers for that other country ( https://dejure.org/gesetze/AufenthG/46.html ). <S> But you are right that the more important aspect here is that Switzerland might prosecute people who enter with only an Aufenthaltsgestattung (or the Austrian equivalent) for illegal entry.
| Even with the necessary visas, for citizens of some countries it may only be legal to to cross the border at border checkpoints.
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Can I bring a wooden dough rolling stick onto the plane(carry-on)? Here is a picture of what I am trying to bring onto the plane. I thought since it is wooden, it might pose a threat. I'd really appreciate any help. Flying from LGA, NYC, and I do not have any checked in baggage because it is Basic Economy flight. <Q> I asked https://www.facebook.com/AskTSA <S> and they've told me that it is not allowed in carry-on bags. <S> (12:44:55 PM) <S> Ask TSA <S> : We're glad you asked! <S> Rolling pins must be packed in checked bags. <S> Safe travels! <S> -Kirsey <S> (12:46:42 PM) <S> 可买 <S> : So I cannot bring them onto the plane with my carry-on luggage? <S> (I don't have any checked in luggage) (12:53:15 PM) <S> Ask TSA <S> : That's correct.. <S> - Kirsey (12:53:24 PM) <S> 可买 <S> : Thank you Kirsey! <A> If you don't mind risking losing it I would take it with you anyway. <S> The worst they are likely to do is confiscate it. <S> If they decide that is what they want to do accept it to avoid further escalation. <S> I once flew with a piece of 1-inch diameter steel bar stock a foot long out of Stansted, London, UK, as I was going to see a friend in Spain who had a lathe <S> and I didn't want the hassle of obtaining the item at my destination. <S> I was upfront about it: I placed my bag in the tray for the scanner, with the bar unpacked beside it. <S> The tray was inevitably selected for further inspection. <S> The security guy politely asked me why I was carrying the item. <S> Convinced by my story and my non-threatening demeanor he called his supervisor. <S> After the further pleasant conversation, they allowed me to keep the item, for which I thanked them. <S> I'm sure if I asked an official advice line if that kind of item were allowed they would tell me no. <S> But I got lucky on the day. <S> For a low-value item, it can be worth taking the risk. <A> Since rolling pins are not listed specifically on the list on TSA's list of What Can I Bring? ... <S> The most similar item listed seems to be Nunchucks which are prohibited in carry-on bags. <S> Images of nunchucks. <S> I'd say, from experience, the odds of it passing through the terminal entrance are 20%, and that would be if the screener didn't really notice it.
| Rolling pins aren't allowrd in carry-on bags.
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Driving with International Driving Permit in Taiwan I have a UK driving licence and am planning to hire a car in Taiwan for a few days but am finding conflicting information about International Driving Permit. According to the AA website in Taiwan IDP is valid for 30 days; over 30 days IDP and UK licence must be endorsed locally at a motor vehicle office (photo and passport required) Information on the Foreign Travel Advice :To drive in Taiwan you need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Once in Taiwan, you will need to take your passport, IDP and a passport photograph to the nearest Vehicle Registration Department and apply for a driver’s licence visa, which will then be secured in your IDP. If the latter is correct, would that mean that renting a car straight from the airport is rather impossible and one has to visit a Vehicle Registration Department first? Or this information only applies to visits over 30 days long? <Q> The government advice is a little confusing. <S> Your IDP is all that is required when entering as a tourist for a visit of 30 days or less. <S> I've picked up cars at the airport, but I've also found it's better value if you are staying in Taipei on your first night, to rent in the city and have a vehicle delivered to your hotel in the morning. <S> Driving in Taiwan is pretty straightforward. <S> Tolls are collected electronically and you will need to settle these when you hand the car back. <S> If you get a parking ticket, you can settle it at any convenience store. <A> Individuals who are going to stay in Taiwan for more than 30 days should apply to register an international driving permit with the Motor Vehicle Offices. <S> https://tpcmv.thb.gov.tw/English/ServicesEng/LicenseEng/ManagementEng/ManagementEng01.htm <A> It took me three trips to as many post offices to get the International Driving Permit for Taiwan! <S> On the first occasion, I was told my photo did not meet the passport photo requirements where the background colour needed to be of a light shade but not white. <S> This was obviously a misinterpretation by the post office clerk as all that was needed was a passport size photo of the applicant. <S> It was pointless to waste time debating this with some sell important but ignorant clerk <S> so I decided to try another post office later. <S> And you know what, the photo was not an issue at the second branch at all! <S> However, Taiwan was not on the printed list the clerk used as her reference, so no, an IDP could not be issued for a country not on the printed list! <S> I left the counter to do a research online as to which of the three conventions <S> Taiwan was a signatory of, and ascertained it was the 1949 one <S> so I went back to the same clerk and explained this. <S> She simply repeated that as Taiwan was not on her printed list, no IDP could be issued! <S> Having learned from the two unsuccessful attempts, I went to a third post office to give it another go. <S> This time, the staff at the counter knew exactly what she was doing, having no issues with the photo, and simply asked which country or countries I intended to use the IDP for, or if I knew which of the three conventions I would require. <S> Voila, I got my IDP in a few minutes after saying the 1949 convention! <S> I hope this would help would be applicants to avoid having to waste time with some ignorant or unhelpful post office clerks!
| The two important points are: Those who will be staying in Taiwan for 30 days or fewer can drive in Taiwan without registering an international driving permit.
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Getting around Google reliance while in China It did not occur to me before leaving for China how much of my getting around relies on Google. I am looking for solutions that can be implemented from within China (since I didn't prepare sufficiently in advance). The two big things are maps, and e-mail. (I've been using Bing as a second-rate substitute for search that is reasonably navigable in English—I had a hard time figuring out the Baidu interface—but I would be interested in other suggestions.) For maps, I know I could have downloaded an offline map before leaving, so I didn't. I can use OpenStreetMap on my computer, but I'd like something I can use on my Android phone for turn-by-turn navigation. I know I could have downloaded offline maps in advance, but I didn't, so I'm looking for a solution that can be implemented from within China. For e-mail, … well, I guess mostly I just have to do without, but all flight-related communications from my airline (Delta) go through my GMail address. Is there any way to have access to them so that I don't miss important information? (Probably the answer to this one is just 'no'. I see after posting that this part of the question is a duplicate .) <Q> The easy way around the Great Firewall is to use a VPN , which tunnels your traffic out of the country and thus lets you use Western services normally. <S> The only catch is that you have to install the software before you get there! <A> Is Here WeGo an option? <S> (Previously Nokia Here). <S> I'd link to an off-Google Play Store download link but the one site I know <S> is safe, apkmirror, doesn't carry it <A> If you are wealthy enough to roam on your home carrier, you will be able to access Google with no problems. <S> When you are roaming, the traffic goes back to the home carrier then to wherever you are trying to access. <S> But since that probably isn't an option, you will have to use a VPN, which redirects your traffic to their servers and then re-route it to your destination. <S> Great ones include ExpressVPN and VyprVPN. <S> Although the Chinese government is cracking down on VPN services, some of them (including the two I mentioned) are still usable and remain a great way to access banned Internet services. <S> It is illegal, but, no, you won't be arrested. <S> If you are in China, however, that may be very hard to set up. <S> It may cost you, but just once. <S> Although when it comes to maps, Google Map is very useless in China. <S> Because Google left China a while ago, much information about China on Google Map is outdated. <S> If you can read Chinese at all, use Amap (高德地图) or Baidu Map. <S> Those are the ones that the natives use. <S> If you don't, use Apple Maps, which uses data from Amap, and has English labels with public transit and turn-by-turn navigation. <S> It's not nearly the best, but at least Microsoft is still in China and they still update it. <S> Even with access to western services through a VPN, certain things you want to do simply can't be done with western services. <S> Like we don't Uber here, we use Didi; we don't <S> Postmates or Grubhub here <S> , we use Meituan; we don't use Yelp here, we use Dianping... <S> I don't know how long you are staying here, but there are a lot of "Chinese alternatives" that are the only options in this country that are only available in Chinese. <S> However, if you are just here for a quick business trip, a VPN will do. <S> You will be able to use YouTube, Facebook, GMail, and all the other things on the Internet that you are used to. :)
| Personally I like ExpressVPN, but the options change constantly and there's a good, regularly updated review of the major options here: https://startuplivingchina.com/best-vpn-for-china/ What I suggest you can do is roam with your home carrier, get it set up, then switch back to a local SIM or Wi-Fi. Since you are an Android user, if you require a English service, then only Bing Map will do.
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May giving advice offend somebody in Germany? It is pretty common in Czechia to give advices to your collegues, even your bosses - what they could do better, what could be done better in development, etc. In the near future, friend of mine is going to business trip to Germany. I have heard something strange I dont understand. He has been told by his boss, that he definitely should not give advices neither to his German collegues nor bosses, because it would most likely offend them if they have been told how they should do their job. It is well known Germans are a little bit uptight so it seems it might be true. Is it? May German be offended if you would give him an advice ? <Q> I would say that depends on the relation between the one that he wants to give an advice to and himself. <S> If they usually work closely together and know each other quite well, then i would say it's quite normal to talk about what can be done better (there are even management models where it's a vital part, like Scrum). <S> On the other hand, if he doesn't know the colleagues well (e.g. because they only see each other once a year in person), then i would say he should think about giving advices, since it indeed might not look very good. <S> As a german myself, in the former case i would be in no way offended, in the latter case, when that person maybe doesn't know 100% what i'm working on, then definitely. <S> Edit: To add, my comment relates to advices which sound like "You should do this and that because it's better". <S> If the advices that you mean sound more like in Jans answer, then it can be seen a lot more relaxed IMO. <A> "Gute Ratschläge geben" is often used somewhat tongue-in-cheek in German, in the sense of unhelpful advice or diverting someone's focus when that person really does not want to be diverted. <S> In a normal conversation, adding some "we always do XY, and it works really well" is not a problem at all. <S> P.S. <S> To expand on the appropriate tone, as a German I always though that Germans are quite straightforward, to the point of many being almost rude when using English and not really understanding the tone (friendly, demanding, angry) in a conversation with native English speakers. <S> Your questions makes me wonder if Czech is really less polite than German in this respect. <S> But another important aspect is the relationship between the giver and the receiver of advice. <S> So if you tell your bus driver to go faster because he could make more tours per day this (hypothetical), he will regard you as somewhere between ignorant (P.P.S. or a Besserwisser) and a nuisance. <S> But if your friend is an acknowledged expert in his field, people will probably take his advice reasonably well. <A> To soften the potential effect of rudeness you could always ask "may I give you an advice?" <S> - and don't do that as a formality but really wait for an answer (probably nonverbal e.g. a nod) <S> that indicates that your advice is welcome. <S> And of cause, as dunni already stated, don't say "You should do X..." <S> but rather "If you do X, you can get more Y). <S> Still the aspect of relationship should be taken into account, as pointed out by the previous answers. <A> I'm not a German, but a general thought on working with other people. <S> You might consider rewording the approach entirely. <S> Instead of saying something like: <S> Instead of "x" try "y". <S> Or even We do "Y" instead of " <S> x", you should give it a try Try something like: <S> I see you're doing " <S> x", have you considered "y"? <S> You might even follow that up with a little more: I see you're doing " <S> x", have you considered "y"? <S> We've found that it often works better that way. <S> This softens the approach, giving the "advice receiver" the opportunity to say "yes, we've considered that and rejected it because 'z'", or possibly, "No, we never thought of that, thanks!" or anything in between. <S> The second one offers that some supporting evidence while the use of the word "often" indicates that it's not an absolute. <S> i.e. there may be times and reasons that even I wouldn't use the approach I'm suggesting. <S> Wow, this has really drifted off to Workplace or IPS territory!
| Advice from strangers is indeed usually not so well-received in Germany, except when its helpfulness is really obvious. That said, it certainly depends on the situation and the way you put it.
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Gift of Travel: Way to get a gift card that works for any airline, but only airlines? I would like to get a family member a gift card or something similar that they can use to help pay for an airplane ticket to visit. Certainly I could get a gift card for any given airline, but airfare prices change all the time, so knowing which airline to get the card for is impossible. I've seen a generic debit card like Vanilla Visa recommended but then there is no guarantee the recipient will use it for a flight as it can be used on anything. If possible I would like to ensure the gift is eventually used for what it was intended for. Is there any method for giving someone funds to use for flights that works on any airline, but can only be used for plane tickets? <Q> Indirectly. <S> You can give them a voucher that tells them you will buy them a plane ticket of their choosing up to a given amount. <S> Far more personal too than simply handing some precharged card. <A> From what the website says, it supports 300 airlines over 70 countries with a validity of 2 years for the gift card. <S> They deliver the card via direct email, printable copy or an option to mail the physical card. <A> First, to be useful for purchasing flights, this card should work on plenty of merchants. <S> This would include not only the airlines themselves, but also travel agencies. <S> Those include both brick-and-mortar stores and online merchants like Priceline or Orbitz. <S> They generally use the same merchant ID for all their bookings (flight, hotel, cruise, car rental etc), so filtering by merchant ID is not feasible. <S> Second, even airlines themselves sometimes use 3rd party processors; for example Blue Air uses "maxitours.be" for processing their credit card purchases. <S> Thus I doubt what you'd like to do is even theoretically possible using the suggested avenue (prepaid gift card). <S> The only method I can think of would be by invoking a third party. <S> For example you can provide the money to a travel agency (or travel agent) you trust, and specify that those could only be used to purchase flights. <A> There is a program call <S> SkyHour which offers this service, you pay a rate per hour of the flight, it works on over 350 airlines, you can give it as a gift, and multiple people can even contribute to one gift in order to help someone build up to a very big flight. <S> The downside is that it is not like a gift card where you can use it to pay for part of a flight. <S> If the flight is quite long and you only gift them part of a flight they would need to buy the rest of the hours. <S> Disclaimer: I have never used this service. <S> They seem to charge $60 per flight hour, which on some routes would be a good deal and on others may be quite a bit more expensive than average.
| A quick search reveals Flight Gift Card to be quite suitable.
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Is it allowed to carry seeds on an intercontinental flight? I will take a flight from South America to Europe (with Air France, Colombia-Panama-France-Romania if this info is useful) and I want to bring some seeds from there. Obviously, I'm not talking about drugs or illegal things but some colorful maize seeds would be great, like these ones or other vegetables. Is it allowed to do it or it's forbidden? <Q> The rules laid down by the EU are available in https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/non_eu_trade_en <S> However it does state that there is an exemption for small quantities of plants, plant products, foodstuffs or animal feed that their owner or recipient will use for non-industrial, non-commercial purposes or consume during transport; <S> So as long as the OP is not going to use the seeds in a business it seems no certificate is needed. <A> If your destination is an EU country, it's worth looking at the UK rules for plant material (including seeds), which are stated here . <S> As the UK is (for now) still in the EU, these are EU-wide rules. <S> Under <S> "Personal Allowance" <S> it says that you can only bring in seeds in your personal baggage from other EU countries plus Switzerland, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. <S> The corresponding French rules are here . <S> My French is far from fluent but as would be expected the French rules look at least superficially pretty similar to the UK ones. <S> Coming from South America, if you want to be sure of staying within the letter of the law I would play it safe and not bring any plant material. <A> YOU MUST DECLARE IT AND HAVE IT EXAMINED <S> To repeat: YOU MUST DECLARE IT AND HAVE IT EXAMINED <S> Please read the entire Answer carefully, I am in not suggesting OP smuggle or break the law in any way. <S> I am also not going to provide references to every country's customs and agriculture rules. <S> It is not the case that plant materially is unconditionally forbidden, however, this is something that Customs and Agriculture Officials at your destination will have to determine. <S> Meaning, you can carry plant materials to the border, but upon arrival YOU MUST DECLARE IT AND HAVE IT EXAMINED . <S> If you declare it <S> and it's not allowed, it will simply be confiscated and destroyed (provided it's not a dangerous or otherwise illegal substance). <S> If you are caught smuggling it, it's a significant fine at the least.
| To summarise an importer must have a phytosanitary certificate to import plants or plant products.
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Safe space to spend the night in Vienna without booking a hotel room I'm going to a concert to Vienna on Saturday (two days). I just realized that there aren't any trains back to my home in the night so I'd have to wait til the morning until the first train leaves again (5.43 AM). I don't know when the concert will end, but expect it to be somewhere between midnight and 2 AM. Now, I don't want to spend 40 € on a hotel room, especially when I can only "book in" in the middle in the night and have to leave really early. Is there any safe space in Vienna for a young woman to stay for a couple of hours in the middle of the night? I don't need to sleep, I just don't want to get raped. Are train stations safe there? Or are there any cafés which are open 24/7? MacDonalds? <Q> For 5.8€, you could get a transit day pass that allows for unlimited travel on the transit network, including night buses – (especially) if you take a seat next to the bus operator, you'll definitely be safe, and you'll also see some more of Vienna. <A> There are only 2 McDonald's in/near Vienna that are open 24/7 (and even on the Chistmas and New Year holidays <S> ): <S> at the aiport, Objekt 115 in Wiener Neustadt, Pottendorfer Str. 45 <S> Their restaurant finder has on option to restrict the search to restaurants that are open 24/7: go to "Detailsuche", tick "24h geöffnet". <S> All the Burger Kings and KFCs are closed during the night. <S> As @FDMS notes, the only transit service to the airport that runs 24/7 (though very infrequently) is the Vienna Airport Lines bus service ( network map ), which costs 6.5 € per direction. <S> The last train to Wiener Neustadt, which is over one hour away from Vienna, leaves at 01:01 from the main train station (Hbf). <A> If your main concern is that you have to pay for a hotel room for the entire day but would spend only a couple of hours in it, maybe you could opt to leave Vienna later in the day or early evening instead of early morning. <S> That way you can relax after a possibly tiresome concert, wake up fresh, then either spend time in the room or explore Vienna a bit (if you haven't already) and then take a train to your final destination later in the day. <S> I feel this option would be safer than opting to stay out in the open (even if its in a 24-hour McDonalds). <A> As you are staying on a weekend, there will be plenty of bars, clubs and other entertainment locations open till the early morning. <S> Some of them may be loud, some quiet, so you can pick depending on what you are likely to be in a mood in after the concert. <S> Here's an english website listing many options: https://www.wien.info/en/lifestyle-scene/nightlife <S> Note that in general, Vienna is considered a very safe city.
| So you should most likely be fine no matter where you stay, but as everywhere else, a public place is a good option. You could cut your cost by some euros by staying in a dorm instead of a hotel room.
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Will NEXUS interviews still take place during the shutdown? I've scheduled (some time ago) a trip to Niagara Falls the week after New Years, both as a vacation but also to have our NEXUS Interviews (for my family). Our interviews are a few days after New Years. With the US Government Shutdown, will these be impacted (either by being cancelled, or by being delayed)? I've read that Department of Homeland Security is one of the affected agencies, but also that TSA and Customs & Border Patrol are still working as normal (see this article for example). I haven't found something more specific, and my emailed question to them was answered with a likely form letter that did not answer the question at all (and focused on a different element of my question, the family part). Additionally complicating matters of course is that the NEXUS interview is with Canadian folks as well as US. Is it likely to matter if we have it in Niagara (where it's on the US side) as opposed to trying to schedule it in, say, Toronto (firmly in Canadian soil)? <Q> UPDATE 2019-01-24 <S> After more than a month of this political nonsense, the money has basically run out everywhere on the U.S. side and I would not expect any interviews to be taking place. <S> There have been no official posts from CBP since December 21, since funding for their website evidently ran out, but Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) has a government shutdown <S> FAQ <S> last updated January 10 which notes that Global Entry applications are not being processed (even the online portion). <S> On the Canadian side, CBSA has posted a notice advising <S> Some of the NEXUS enrolment centres in Canada are open and are completing the Canadian portion of the enrolment process for clients that had appointments. <S> Please contact the enrolment centre prior to attending your previously scheduled appointment. <S> The Canadian Embassy sent an update today that CBSA will conduct a mobile NEXUS enrollment session in Washington, D.C. from February 5 to 7, replacing the January event which was canceled due to the shutdown. <S> Original Cross your fingers and hope that the budget impasse is resolved before your interview. <S> If so, then you should have your interviews as scheduled; interviews scheduled during the lapse are simply cancelled, and are not rescheduled automatically. <S> CBP is funded through the appropriations process, unlike CIS, for example, which is self-funded through fees. <S> Despite how distressingly frequent appropriations lapses have become, there is still uncertainty in a shutdown because different offices and employees may be designated as essential, and different programs may have been funded through separate vehicles. <S> Living in the Washington area, I have many friends who are federal employees, and more than a few have been told to check the website on a daily basis to see whether they should sign in or not. <S> Unfortunately, this means that your best for accurate information about the interview will be to contact the interview center. <S> In theory, because NEXUS is a cooperative program with Canadian officials, DHS officials might prioritize it over, say, GLobal Entry (which closed at least one office during the last shutdown), but that is just a hope. <S> There were anecdotal reports of NEXUS interview cancellations posted to FlyerTalk last January. <A> I was scheduled to have my Nexus interview on Dec. 24 in Vancouver, BC. <S> When I showed up at the office, I was informed the U.S. officers were not working and that my application would not be processed. <S> I was advised that once the U.S. government is back up and running, I should call the Nexus hotline to re-schedule my interview with the U.S. officers. <S> (I was still able to get my retina scan done, since that was done by the Canadian side.) <A> We were supposed to have our interview December 27th in Toronto. <S> We got an email the day before saying it was cancelled and we should reschedule at our convenience. <S> Not easy to do as a Canadian living in the US! <S> Hope it’s resolved in time for your interview. <A> I scheduled an interview for 3 members of our family on the last day of our trip (Dec 31) hoping my husband who was late in applying would get his conditional approval by then. <S> On the 27th, I almost took the three of us for the interview as I saw slots open, but decided to wait. <S> I went to the airport for our interviews and they were cancelled and there were signs indicating this on the NEXUS door in Montreal's airport. <S> Apparently they called and left a message, but my phone didn't automatically download my US messages. <S> I seem to have trouble lining up my interviews with my trips to Canada and it has gotten more difficult with kids. <S> There was a Canadian agent and she answered the door and explained to me but said that I had to reschedule and it was bad luck. <S> They didn't let us do the iris scans or at least canadian part of the interview. <A> To tie a bow around this, I'll add what happened for me. <S> One day prior to the scheduled interviews, I received an email from CBP saying that the interview was cancelled due to the shutdown. <S> I chose to not follow up further as I didn't want to irritate the CBP folks (who may be working without pay anyway) <S> and I'm close enough to Canada to make a second trip when this shutdown is completed (Assuming the shutdown ends before my year is up, but I still have more than half the year left.) <A> I booked mine yesterday online for today, as it shows appointments are available. <S> Drove 90 minutes (each way) this morning to the border, to be told they are not doing interviews. <S> I knew about the shutdown but didn't think if they were showing interview slots that they weren't actually doing them currently. <S> Shame on me <S> I guess! <S> The worst part is <S> the US Border Guard says he gets a few each day, as people are booking them online and then coming. <S> Terrible.
| When the United States government shutdown has ended, applicants will need to reschedule the interview with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to finalize the process.
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Airline refuses to issue a refund, keeps stalling I booked tickets with Viva Air from Medellin to Miami (I was in Colombia at the time). The flight was in August and I booked it May 4th. I found different (better) flight so I cancelled it within 24 hours and requested a refund online. I still haven't got my money and any conversation with customer service ends the same: they keep saying it's being processed and there's nothing else they can do. It's been almost 8 months, what can I do? Is there anything I can do? <Q> If you used a card, dispute it with your card provider, attaching the order and cancellation confirmations as evidence. <A> All carriers operating flights to, from, or within the United States are required to have a customer service plan that meets at least the minimum standard of 14 CFR 259.5(b)(4) , which says: Allowing reservations to be held at the quoted fare without payment, or cancelled without penalty, for at least twenty-four hours after the reservation is made if the reservation is made one week or more prior to a flight's departure; The Department of Transportation also provides guidance for how airline's may comply with this requirement . <S> It's also worth noting that the air carrier must have their policy for complying with this requirement on their website if they sell tickets on their website. <S> Failure to provide such notification is also a violation of this regulation. <A> In addition to the above, I'd suggest taking the complaint above Customer Service level. <S> Try to engage the airline's owners and directors. <S> Their time is far more valuable than your refund and a persistent attempt to turn your issue into a conversation is likely to result in someone saying "let's just sort this" so they can get back to the business of running an airline. <S> Some useful contacts; VIVA Air CEO William Shaw - https://twitter.com/wnashaw?lang=en Irelandia Aviation CEO Declan Shaw - https://twitter.com/decfryan/status/1010272106062471168 <S> You might also want to engage them via their twitter account. <S> Complain vocally and link people to it. <S> You'll typically find that you get a more rapid response because companies are afraid of poor publicity. <S> https://twitter.com/VivaAirCol
| If disputing the charge with your card issuer doesn't work (or maybe even if it does,) you might want to consider filing a consumer complaint against the airline with the U.S. Department of Transportation .
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US Citizen living in Ghana for 5 years wants to return home Does a US citizen who has lived in Ghana for 5 years have to have 3 to 6 thousand dollars in hand to fly out of the country to return to the US? <Q> Romance scams are common enough in Ghana, and commonly enough directed towards US citizens, that the US embassy there has a web page warning about them . <S> If you type romance scam into your favorite search engine, you will find several news stories and other anecdotes describing such scams. <S> If you add Ghana as a search term, you will find stories that resemble yours even more closely. <S> Similar to advance fee scams , the basic method is to lead you to believe that you will get something that you want by parting with a reasonable amount of your cash. <S> In that case, the purported benefit is even more cash, while in this case it is love. <A> No. <S> A quick check on Skyscanner reveals that you can fly for about 500 US$ from Ghana to the USA. <S> For a US citizen, no other expenses are needed. <S> Maybe some money for a bus or taxi depending on where in Ghana he/ <S> she is. <S> Everything above $1000 is not travel expenses anymore. <A> If there were exit fees, the embassy would settle those with the host nation too. <S> Not their first rodeo. <S> To be clear, the embassies and this service are part of the US State Department, run by the Secretary of State, who there is a famous TV show about . <S> They will get a bill for the cost of this from the US Government. <S> Like taxes, this bill cannot be evaded very effectively. <S> When the bill comes in, contact the State Dept. itself through info on their website not the bill . <S> So as for your "friend", any claim that you need to send them money <S> is bullpuckey . <S> $5000 is definitely a scam, and the number is picked because their experience is Americans will find that number believable and will pay it. <S> The most they could need is a $200 gift card for Southwest Airlines and a $20 Potbelly gift card for a couple meals. <S> The State Department gets you back to US soil, but does not fund domestic travel.
| A real US citizen can simply walk into the US embassy, say "I am stuck in Ghana and lack the money to get home", and the embassy will take whatever action is needed to get a passport replaced and front the cost of their plane ride home.
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Do I need to re-check my luggage while changing flights in Manchester, UK? I am traveling to New Delhi (Delhi) from Philadelphia. I booked the forward and return journey in a single reservation. I have just connecting flights from Manchester and Doha. My flight path is: Philadelphia to Manchester (AA) (Layover: 05 Hr 10 min) Manchester to Doha (Qatar) (Layover: 02 Hr 26 min) Doha to Delhi (Qatar). My return journey: Delhi to Doha (Qatar) (Layover: 03 Hr 30 min) Doha to Manchester (Qatar) (Layover: 14 Hr 35 min) Manchester to Philadelphia (AA) I am an Indian citizen and I hold a valid US F1 visa. Do I have to re-check my luggage at Manchester and check back in with Qatar airways? I called the airlines and every time they are giving me a different answer. Today they told me that I need to check out and check in with Qatar again at Manchester. <Q> Ask the check-in agent if you need to re-check your luggage. <S> Even if you do, you don't need a visa, thanks to your US visa. <A> Since you have 5 hours in Manchester, there will be plenty of time to pick up your bag and recheck it if you need it. <S> Even if other sources of information fail you, you can get the straight word from the check-in agent when you actually check the bag. <S> The agent will know whether the bag tag they're applying is only for Manchester or all the way your final destination. <A> Manchester Airport is capable of handling international-international bags for AA to QR. <S> (Indeed, it can handle most other interlining, except to/from some very small domestic operators in the UK for some Byzantine customs reasons, which do not concern us here.) <S> If AA or QR fail to check the bag through properly, ask them to do it, or ask for a supervisor. <S> Below is the information from the Timatic airline database on customs clearance procedures for United Kingdom. <S> Note exemption 1, through-labelled international baggage does not need to be customs-cleared. <S> Baggage Clearance:- <S> If Aberdeen (ABZ) is the first airport of entry, baggage iscleared at Aberdeen. <S> Baggage of transit passengers with afinal destination of Heathrow (LHR) or Gatwick (LGW) will becleared at the first airport of entry. <S> In all other cases,baggage is cleared at the airport of final destination or atan International Community Airport (ICA) in the UnitedKingdom if it is labeled accordingly.- Exempt:1. <S> Baggage of transit passengers with a destination outsidethe United Kingdom if it is labeled to that destination;2. <S> Baggage of passengers who embarked in another EU Memberwill not be cleared at all (use Blue Exit).
| Your bag should be checked-through to your final destination; in the outbound case, through to Delhi, in the return case, to Philadelphia; and there is no need to collect and re-check your bag en route in either Manchester or Doha.
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Is flying from an airport from a different country than where you live considered as suspicious? I am an Indian citizen who holds a student residence permit in Germany alongside with a US tourist visa and I intend to fly to the US for my vacations. Apparently, the flight I booked departs from the Netherlands and since the airport is only a couple hours of bus ride away from my place, I picked that option because I was getting a really good deal on the flight with free luggage. However, I am wondering that when I arrive at the US port of entry, will I be looked at suspiciously by the US CBP because I flew from a country other than where I have a residence permit from? They might think that since I live in a city where there is a large airport, why did I preferred to fly out of a different country? Any opinions? Or am I just worrying unnecessarily? <Q> since I live in a city where there is a large airport, why did I preferred to fly out of a different country? <S> If anyone asks you that, just answer the question honestly. <S> "I was getting a really good deal on the flight with free luggage" is a perfectly good reason for doing this. <S> am I just worrying unnecessarily? <S> Yes. <S> Relax and have a good trip. <A> In my experience, the United States CBP agents don't typically consider where you're flying in from for immigration purposes; it's much more important for goods importation, custom duties, etc (the "customs" part of Customs and Border Patrol). <S> At airports, the focus is definitely more on immigration, and for immigration purposes, your country of citizenship and residence are much more important. <S> More broadly, the CBP does realize the realities of modern travel; a traveler could easily be coming from Frankfurt and flying from Germany, the UK, or the Netherlands after a train transfer. <S> I don't think you'll have any problems. <A> As a citizen of India, you are quite right to worry about such things. <S> Immigration officials generally speaking do give a hard time to Indians, especially in Europe. <S> However, in my experience, travelling to the USA, with valid documentation (visa, financial support, place of residence, travel plans) is much less bothersome than Europe. <S> In your case, since you got your visa from your current place of long term residence, you should be fine as long as you have the remaining documents mentioned above. <A> In my many years of traveling and crossing borders, I had a similar experience only once although in Russia and not the US. <S> I live in Germany and I am an Indian citizen as well. <S> The border control police in Russia asked me why I applied for my visa from India when I live in Germany and traveled to Russia from Germany. <S> My answer was just as someone suggested, honesty. <S> I said, I was having a long vacation in India when I had planned to visit Russia. <S> Additionally, the visa cost in India was much cheaper. <S> The official stamped me immediately. <S> Border control people are well trained to catch lies. <S> Your one lie may lead to many and cause unwanted problems eventually. <S> So, in an odd scenario if you are asked, just speak the truth. <A> Do not worry. <S> Even if this was a concern, countries in Western Europe are so tightly linked both geographically, politically and in terms of infrastructure, that in such matters they play almost like various states in the US. <A> In this case you would list Netherlands as well as Germany, even if your "visit" amounted to driving through it to get to the airport. <A> The only thing which is more likely in this scenario is that you will get selected for a secondary inspection at your departure airport (the famous "SSSS" on your boarding pass). <S> When you do an online checkin and you don't get a boarding pass at that time, it might be an indication that this happened. <S> I personally would make sure that i arrive a bit earlier at the airport just to not be stressed if security takes a bit longer. <A> Consider all these scenarios: <S> I live in Germany, went to the Netherlands for some reason (business, tourism, visiting friends or family...). <S> Then I flew to the US. <S> I live in Germany, took a flight with a connection in the Netherlands because it was cheaper <S> I live in Germany, took a train or bus to the Netherlands and a flight to the US from there because it was cheaper <S> They’re all perfectly legitimate, and all end up with you arriving in the US from the Netherlands even though you live in Germany. <S> It is definitely not a red flag. <S> CBP officers may ask the question, and as others have said, just answer truthfully. <S> Many of those questions are just to check if you are indeed the person you say you are and have a consistent story, not much more. <S> So, yes, you worry too much. <A> U.S. immigration officers don't care about what you did before coming to the US (unless it's something illegal), and they practically care only about what you are going to do in the US. <S> In your case, it is of no concern. <S> The agent would probably assume that you transited in the Netherlands, and CBP agents couldn't care less about your original airport (unless it's Yemen or Syria, of course). <S> They see, for example, lots of Filipinos coming from Tokyo, or Indians coming from Hong Kong, and would just assume they've got an itinerary with a transit. <S> So, no, this isn't very unfamiliar to them.
| I agree that US immigration is unlikely to be concerned about why you flew from the Netherlands, however be aware that the US Customs form asks for "countries visited on this trip prior to US arrival".
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expired US passport and Nexus only do I need a valid us passport? My US passport has expired I have applied for new nexus card it expires in Mar. 2019 Is a nexus card enough to get back in the US? <Q> A US citizen cannot be denied entry at a US border. <S> However, rule #1 trumps rule#2 <S> : they will eventually let you in with an expired passport, but it may take a while and they may give some grief. <S> No airline will let you board a flight to the US without a valid passport, because of rule #2. <S> They don't care about rule #1. <S> Getting to a border will be tricky. <S> Somewhat different rules apply for entering from Canada and for land and sea borders. <A> If you fly directly from Canada, or enter the US by land/sea, you can use your NEXUS card to enter the US. <S> Otherwise you need a valid US passport. <A> I believe the safest way to get back home is to apply for an Emergency Passport. <S> US Embassy Website <S> This is about US Embassy in Poland <S> but I'm pretty sure it works the same way in every country. <S> Check Emergency Passport <S> section: <S> The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw can issue emergency passports in certain limited circumstances. <S> These passports have very restricted validity and are generally issued only to enable stranded citizens to return home. <S> Persons who need emergency passports should apply during regular working hours and should follow the regular instructions for the type of passport that pertains to them. <S> Provided that everything is in order emergency passports are issued within 1-2 hours, however in certain situations the waiting time may be longer.
| A US citizen is required (in most cases) to have a valid passport to enter.
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Should I declare chocolate as "food" when entering the US? It is being customary we bring a few authentic Russian chocolate bars/sweets to the US but we are always struggling whether we should check that "food" checkbox in the "Customs Declaration" form? It is under the following entry in the form (yeah, together with insects, right): I am (We are) bringing: fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects I've been always checking it but that just gets us into more lines and triggers extra questions after getting to the baggage check. <Q> Yes, according to US CBP officers, you should declare it as food. <S> I bring chocolate every time I fly from Europe. <S> Generally what happens next is they ask what exactly you are bringing, you say "chocolate" and they let you go. <S> As a general rule, if you are not sure whether something needs to be declared or not, declare it. <S> There are no penalties for declaring something which doesn't need to be declared. <A> a) Chocolate, being a thing eaten by humans, is indeed "food." <S> b) <S> If you say you're not carrying food, and your baggage is searched by Customs and the chocolate discovered, then they have you for lying on your Customs forms. <S> That would be uncomfortable, possibly expensive, and could result in entry to the US being delayed or denied. <A> Your honesty will be much appreciated by CBP. <S> I have always been treated profesionally, with courtesy, even friendly. <S> I always itemize my food on the Customs form, emphasizing meat products. <S> It's foolish to hide any, they (used to) have these Beagle dogs that will rat you out by sitting down and giving you that cute look. <S> In 2010 I hoped to bring the ingredients for split pea soup, including smoked sausage. <S> Meat per se was not forbidden, it depended on the diseases of the period, and this was a foot-and-mouth season. <S> They made me translate all the ingredients lists, and as soon as I reached "beef collagen" the article was confiscated. <S> So I skipped right to the "beef" parts and I lost over half my food stuff. <S> I received no penalty, of course, but my host who loves the soup was less happy. <A> You need to answer all questions honestly, so if the question is about whether you are carrying food, you need to answer yes, since chocolate is food.
| Yes, always declare all food. If the question is confusing and you don't know whether to declare it or not, you should always declare it, since there is zero penalty (except for some of your time) for declaring something you didn't need to, but fairly severe penalties (even if the item found is non-harmful or is confiscated) if you don't declare something you should have.
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1h50m is enough to transfer in Madrid Airport? Next year I will make a cruise that starts in Miami. The best quality-price flight is OPO-MAD-MIA. I arrive in MAD at 13h35 (Terminal 2) and the next flight to MIA is at 15h25 (Terminal 1). Since the flights are both in Air Europa, I guess that we don't need to check-in again (we just have to pass immigration). Do you think there is time to leave the plane, pass immigration, go to T1 and board on the plane to Miami? <Q> This is a difficult decision. <S> Assuming this is booked as a single ticket, than 2 hours should be plenty, if the incoming flight is on time. <S> However, there are things to consider: <S> Nothing is every 100% guaranteed. <S> You need to find out, what would happen to your cruise? <S> Can you join later at the first port? <S> Would Air Europa willing to get you there ? <S> You also need to asses the chances of being late. <S> Air Europa is a budget carrier with less than stellar reviews. <S> The OPO->MAD flight has on on time performance of 85% and in 5% of cases <S> it's excessively late <S> (See https://www.flightstats.com/v2/flight-ontime-performance-rating/UX/1146/OPO ) <S> If you first flight is delayed, you may still make it, but your bags may not. <S> In this case, Air Europa would deliver the bags later, but in order to do this, you need to give them an address, which is difficult for a cruise. <S> So overall you have a very good chance of making this connection, but also a non-trivial chance that you don't. <S> This may have serious consequences for your (probably expensive) cruise, so maybe it's worth spending a few more dollars on the flight to get a safe connection. <S> You can also look into travel insurance to cover the financial risk, but you have to make sure that it would actually cover this case with enough funds. <A> Will you be able to meet the start of the cruise if you miss your flight connection and need to take the next available one? <S> That might well be 24 or even 48 hours later. <S> I would not risk a short connection unless there was a long time between arrival in Miami and the start of the cruise. <S> I would rather spend 6 hours in transit than miss the cruise, and even then I would like to arrive and stay in Miami for a while before setting off on the cruise, so I would not have to worry about a flight delay spoiling the cruise. <A> If you are travelling with baggage in the baggage hold then you need to make sure that it is checked for your Miami at your initial departure airport. <S> If you are travelling with hand luggage then you are fine. <S> If your baggage is checked for Madrid you need to drop off your bag again. <S> If you have boarding passes printed for both flights and checked in already you won't need to do it again. <S> The bus goes every 5 minutes and takes 5 minutes. <S> Customs and immigration should take around 30. <S> Time: <S> Customs and immigration 30 minutes Bus and entering the terminal 15 minutes Getting through security 20 minutes Check-in (if you haven't already) <S> 20 minutes <S> Personally, I think it is doable. <S> Try to check-in for both flights and check your luggage to Miami. <S> To walk from Terminal 2 to 1 will take around 7 minutes. <S> It depends what gate you go from and come to.
| There is always a non-zero chance, that you miss your flight and you need to assess the consequences and figure out how much risk you want to take If you miss a flight, Air Europa will need to book you the next available flight for free, but this may very well be only the next day.
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Can I get cheaper plane tickets by using a VPN? In a Youtube video by ADVChina, the speaker is recommending using a VPN in China for various reasons, and to sign up using his referral code. He says there are various practical uses including "You could also go and get cheaper plane tickets by hopping around different countries." and shows a screenshot of a flight website called KAYAK, with the VPN software changing his country to Italy. Is it possible to get cheaper plane tickets by using a VPN in this way? I've never heard of KAYAK, but if I use something like Skyscanner, is it common for tickets to be priced differently depending on which country the user's IP is from? Is it because of different taxes in different countries? So could it be illegal to get discounts like this? Or is there some pricing strategy from airlines to charge different amounts depending on the country of purchase? <Q> Curious, as I run a flight deals site ( Beat That Flight ) for Australians, I thought I'd give it a try. <S> For sanity, I tried a simple American search, from SFO to LAX, always on the same day. <S> All queries run within seconds of each other. <S> (you can try it too ) Without setting a proxy: <S> Cookies cleared: <S> Different browser: <S> I'm in Australia, so I ran a VPN via the UK and loaded it: <S> Then since it's a US flight, I tried loading via a US VPN: <S> Every time, same flights, same price. <S> Points to note: - I don't intentionally tweak prices based on peoples' searching. <S> However, it's been noted before - Orbitz changes hotel orders, showing higher priced ones first, if you're on a Mac . <S> I've only shown one sample flight, <S> so you have no reason to believe that I wouldn't just show you the most convenient flight that looks good. <S> But you can try for other flights :) <S> It's likely not taxes, etc, and when I used to flight hunt for a company, I'd see people find deals on Brazilian sites and all sorts of weird and wacky ways. <S> It's online. <S> You're just visiting their website and buying a ticket. <S> As long as they pay their taxes, they're agreeing to sell to you. <S> I've also read the countless stories about clearing cookies, trying private browsing and so on. <S> And perhaps it might make a difference on some site. <S> But certainly not every site. <S> And certainly not on <S> BeatThatFlight without my knowledge :) <A> Search engines like Kayak do not store the airline prices locally, they query them from GDS. <S> I'm not an expert here, but from my limited understanding how the airline GDS works I do not see how one can pass the originator's IP address into the GDS query. <S> And while they can their own surcharge on top of airline tickets, it would be totally obvious for anyone who compares the prices with the airline website, so it makes little practical sense. <S> Where this could work is the airline's own website, which may decide to show the unpublished (lower) fares only to the website visitors. <S> This was (maybe still is) <S> the case with Vietnam Airlines, which used to publish to GDS only Y class (most expensive and flexible) fares for domestic flights, while keeping other cheaper (and more restrictive) classes only available on their website. <S> However they did not impose any IP limits, anyone who went to their website and chose "Vietnam" as the country could see them. <S> This was also the case in India and Bhutan. <S> However in those countries the lower fares also required you to be the SAARC citizen, and they warn that they check it. <S> Again, this doesn't require a VPN. <S> I have not yet seen the case where VPN was needed for this. <S> Most likely its just the advertising. <A> Yes, there are differences, but not always, and most are small. <S> I see typically 1-3%; that are probably only exchange rate changes. <S> Small changes in the exchange ratio would result in small differences in the effective price you pay, as the airline doesn't redefine the prices for each currency every day. <S> There are rarer cases where the differences are much larger, especially for flights in 'poorer' countries. <S> Try to search for example a flight from Lima to Cusco, or Delhi to Mumbai, on an american booking site, and compare with the local airlines website through VPN (you must use the local language version of each the website). <S> You will see sometimes 20 to 50% differences (Note that there are special prices for locals too, which you are not allowed to fly; that's not <S> what I mean). <S> Example: <S> DEL-BOM, if bought in Delhi, India (5154 INR are right now 73.63 USD, 18.3% less than 87.10 USD): <S> DEL-BOM, if bought in New York, NY, USA: <A> I've not tried the VPN trick, but I always check European AND US sites as sometimes (although rarely) the price differences are significant. <S> For example, I check the same flights on Expedia.com and Expedia.nl. <S> When I have seen price differences, my feeling was that the flights were filling up and different fare classes were being seen by the different versions of the site. <S> I'm not sure how different this phenomenon is from different sites sometimes finding a slightly better route that others don't find. <S> I have successfully booked and flown on the cheaper version of the flight. <S> One example I recall was a flight from Europe booked via the US Expedia site being cheaper than any European site, including Expedia.nl. <S> This has been some years ago at this point though.
| Consider an airline offering a flight from Euro-Europe to the US - if you are in Europe, the price would show in Euro; if you are in the US, it shows in $.
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Are hotel room safes tamper evident? I know that hotel room safes have a master key and are not considered very secure. Let's suppose I'm not worried about theft, but about a person with the master key opening the safe, messing with its contents and then closing it back to the previous combination so I wouldn't even know that anyone opened it. Is this a possibility? For the sake of the question, let's ignore techniques that are very complicated or take a long time to do (e.g. dismantling the hardware to read the memory chip, or just brute-forcing the combination), and let's suppose I wiped the keypad so the combination won't be easy to see. I suppose the question comes down to one thing. Can the master key be used to read the combination? <Q> Hotel staff (and others) have the capability to open them without evidence. <S> If you need tamper evidence put the contents in a tamper evident bag . <S> This is what many security conscious companies are doing. <S> Many have an electrical port that a small battery operated device is plugged into and that opens the safe. <S> In one case it was evident that a laptop had been removed from the safe, disassembled, HD copied and case reassembled but there were a couple of screws that were not properly re-seated. <S> See Hotel Room Safes: <S> They May Not Be as Safe as You Think for more information. <S> Excerpt: <S> "These units DO NOT have a hotel override, it reveals the guest PIN." <A> The key can just open the safe and not read the combination. <S> The key can be used: if the customer forgets his PIN code if the batteries are low and the electronic mechanism does not work anymore if the customer leaves his room without unlocking the safe <S> Otherwise, you can sue the hotel if you prove that the safe was locked. <S> The hotel is typically not liable for loss or damage of their guests valuable if the loss was caused by the guest's own fault. <S> ... <S> If you don't use the safe and your valuables are stolen, some states will hold that the hotel is not liable since you could have protected your valuables but did not do so. <A> I sent an email with this exact question to several manufacturers of safes that I found from a random google search. <S> This is what I received back: In four cases, they told me that it is not possible to retrieve the PIN. <S> In one case, they admitted that it is possible. <S> In two cases, I received no reply at all.
| Hotel room safes are not tamper evident and not particularly safe.
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Evisa for India cruise I will be on a Celebrity Constellation cruise in February that stops in three ports in India, for a total of four days (overnight in Mumbai on the ship). Is one evisa sufficient for all of this? Other ports are Cochin and Goa, all entry points for evisas. Having trouble getting a straight answer on this as there have been many changes in the past year. <Q> We are just back from the exact same cruise in india on Celebrity Constellation <S> (Dec 18) - we had a multiple entry visa, but talking to other guests on same cruise majority had e-visa's, with some of them checking with Celebrity that e-visa was enough. <S> We visited Cochin, New Magalore, Goa & Mumbai. <S> (UK Passport). <S> My friend is also going on same cruise in March 19 and spoke to Celebrity <S> and they said e-visa was fine - only if you intended going out of india i.e. Sri Lanka or golden triangle - and not just the ports the cruise was stopping at <S> would you need full visa. <A> You enter India at the port of Mumbai. <S> The ship STAYS in India (within territorial waters) for the subsequent stops in Cochin and Goa. <S> Again, you ENTER India at Mumbai and you EXIT India at Goa. <S> One entry, one exit, one e-visa. <A> On this Government of India webpage , the text says: The validity of e-Visa (except e-Conference visa) will be 60 days from the date of arrival in India. <S> In case of e-Conference visa, the validity will be 30 days from the date of arrival in India. <S> Triple entry will be permitted on e-Medical visa and e-Medical Attendant visa. <S> Only single entry is permitted on e-Conference visa. <S> (emphasis added) <S> Thus, you'll need two eVisas for the three Indian ports.
| Only one e-visa required. Double entry is permitted on e-Tourist visa and e-Business visa.
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How can I travel outside the US after naturalization while waiting for passport? I became a naturalized citizen and, as a result, my Green Card was taken during my interview. I've applied for a passport and was told it would take up to 6 weeks for processing. I already had plans to travel months before my interview (already arranged everything) but now I have no green card. I'm not sure if going to a country that is on the US travel ban will affect anything. I cannot wait for the passport. Is there anything I can do? <Q> When your new US passport is ready, authorize somebody else to pick it up and have them <S> FedEx/UPS it to wherever you are overseas. <S> The obvious concern with this plan is that if your US passport is delayed for any reason or lost in transit, you're stuck overseas until you can procure a new one. <S> Depending on your nationality, you might be able to fly to Canada and cross the land border with documents proving your US citizenship, but this would be a significant hassle. <S> All things considered, contacting the passport office to see if they can expedite your existing application would be a much better way to go. <A> Exit the US on your other passport, as there are no exit checks. <S> On the return, fly to Canada with your naturalisation certificate (the universal airline database, TIMATIC, clearly states it's accepted instead of a passport, but do be prepared to have to point it out to the check-in staff), and enter the US by land. <S> From TIMATIC regarding Canada: <S> Passport Exemptions: <S> Nationals of the USA with a recommended proof of citizenship such as a: US birth certificate; or US certificate of citizenship; or US certificate of naturalization . <A> Passport services can get delayed by USA government shutdowns because various agencies have to coordinate to verify your identity and not all of them are fee-funded. <S> Ideally, you should have either filed expedited or gone to a walk-in passport office and pleaded for emergency same-day service. <S> But it might be too late for that although you should try phoning the passport office to see if you can upgrade to expedited. <S> I think your next best bet is to hope that they at least send your naturalization certificate back as soon as they scan it. <S> Then with that you can go to a same-day passport office and get one made same-day. <S> A more risky, strategy is to travel out with your former country’s passport, apply for an ESTA, and then when coming back into the USA show your naturalization certificate at US immigration and expect a nice haranguing at secondary while they yell at you for pulling a shenanigan. <S> You can also try entering through a pre-clearance airport in Abu Dhubai, Ireland, or Canada — or through the land border in Canada or Mexico. <S> USA Immigration can yell at you and detain you while they check your status but they can’t deny you entry so you’ll get in, eventually. <S> Note: <S> there’s evidence here on se of dual citizens getting ESTA. <S> You should declare your us citizenship on the esta application in any case.
| One more option: The US does not have exit immigration, so you can leave the country on your old passport to travel.
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Are electronic visas not acceptable for boarding a plane? I have recently received an Australian student visa from Pakistan and now I want to travel through Oman Air. It's a connected flight with two stops, one in Muscat and the next one in Abu Dhabi. I have contacted a few travel agents to book the ticket but they are telling me that there is a possibility that the airline won't let me board the plane in Muscat because I have an electronic visa and not a stamp or sticker on my passport of my student visa. Is there a risk in travelling through this flight on an electronic Australian student visa? <Q> Your travel agent is very confused. <S> Australia has not issued physical visas for several years - everything is electronic. <S> Whilst it was previously possible to request a physical visa in your passport at an additional cost, even this option has now been removed by the Australian Government. <S> Edihad (who fly the leg <S> your travel agent is apparently worried about) have been flying to Australia for many years will definitely be able to carry out this check. <S> As a backup it would be worth carrying a print-out of your Visa details, either from the approval email or from the Australian Governments visa site , although this should not be needed. <A> Electronic visas are acceptable for boarding, as long as you check in with the travel document used to issue the Visa. <S> While some around here insist APIS (APP in Australia's case) is just an elaborate smoke screen, <S> the details you enter are in fact checked, including your visa status. <S> This is documented by the Australian Border Force: Advance Passenger Processing <A> For anyone who needs the answer for the same thing: I did not face any kind of trouble through either of the airlines. <S> The trip was smooth and hassle free. <S> Seems like <S> the travel agents in my country don't know much about their stuff.
| The airlines have the ability to check your visa electronically at the time of check-in, and will be able to see that you have a suitable visa, and in particular see that you have a visa that does not require a return ticket.
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Travel to Brazil and Russia with US asylee travel document I have Belarus citizenship but don't have a valid Belarus passport. Instead, I have US asylee travel document which indicates my Belarus citizenship.Belarus citizens don't need a visa to go to Brazil and Russia. Do I need a visa with a US travel document and no passport? <Q> I don't know about Brazil. <S> I discourage your visit to Russia if you are a refugee from Belarus. <S> As there is minimal border control between Russia and Belarus, the USA may believe you have visited Belarus. <S> This may lead to cancellation of your refugee status. <A> The visa exemptions that you mentioned apply when you present a Belarus passport. <S> But, it seems that you are not able to obtain a Belarus passport, and are going to travel on a US refugee travel document. <S> This document shows your place of birth, but it does not provide evidence of your nationality. <S> It does not prove that you are a citizen of Belarus. <S> Only a document issued by Belarus can do that. <S> In the case that you travel on a refugee travel document, both Brazil and Russia will require a visa in advance. <S> You also should remember that you may lose your asylum status in the US if you return to the country from which you fled. <S> You may be asked about your travel when you return to the US, if the CBP officer believes you may have traveled to that country. <A> Regarding Brazil, sadly I could not find any general guidance on entry regulations for refugee travel document holders. <S> Nonetheless, I did found an entry in the Brazilian embassy in Berlim (Germany) which is generic enough and shouldapply to your case. <S> It states: 3) <S> Entry regulations for Refugees, stateless persons, holders of a "travel documents" Refugees, stateless persons or persons with undetermined citizenship and holders of a travel document, that was issued by a country whose nationality <S> they DON’T have, <S> (e.g. German "Passersatz" or "travel document for foreigners") always need a VISA to enter Brazil. <S> In your specific case, you were born in Belarus, but do not have a Belarussian passport <S> and also you have a refugee travel document, issued by the USA , but you are not a citizen of this country. <S> All the information you might need to know about Brazilian Visas, like which one do you need, where and how to ask for it you can find in this page from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. <S> Hope you have a nice trip to Brazil!
| According to the entry I mentioned earlier, you would need a VISA to enter Brazil.
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"Cancel for any reason" travel insurance Does anyone have any experience using "cancel for any reason" travel insurance (in particular in the UK)? My girlfriend and I are looking at booking a holiday for later this year, with the catch that if for some reason she were to need to resit her final year university exams, we wouldn't be able to travel during the window we have available. Our key questions are: What costs are typically recoverable using these insurance policies? How much do they typically cost? Are there reputable brokers to buy these products from? <Q> It is usually possible to book hotels with the possibility to cancel although this may incur an extra charge. <S> In my experience this is usually a premium of 10-20%. <S> For the air fare (assuming you are flying) cancellable fares are usually much more expensive. <S> You could always book a fully refundable fare now to guarantee your flight and then when she passes her exams cancel it and re-book a non-refundable fare which will probably be more expensive by then <S> but you cannot win them all. <S> (This mostly expands on what @jcaron suggests in comment <S> but I have given more detail) <A> Rough estimate: You can expect to pay around 10%-20% of the total trip price as a premium and to cover half of the trip price as "cancel for any reason". <S> So unless, there is a high chance of you having to cancel, this does not make financial sense. <A> I guess this is a bit late in the day, but if you book your flights with lastminute.com then they offer CFAR insurance as an option - they call it FullyFlex. <S> It costs about 10% of the cost of the flight (which if you book a budget flight without any frills, often doesnt amount to that much) and it will refund you 90% of the flight in the event that you choose to cancel without reason. <S> The refund is a voucher to spend on lastminute.com, but given that they sell flights for most airlines (and hotels etc), is fairly usable. <S> I have used this in the past and cancelled, the process if fairly swift, I request the cancellation and voucher, a few hours later <S> I have it <S> and it is valid for a year I think. <S> So if you are <90% certain that you will take the flight, then (IMO) it is worth it.
| "Cancel for any reason" policies are rare and even if you find one, they tend to be very expensive and only refund a portion (usually half) of the trip cost.
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I would like to travel to (the smallest) island where there are squirrels I would like to travel to an island where one can find squirrels. What are some of the possible locations for me to travel to? Requirements: I need to be able to visit the island on a South African passport. If I can get there on a visa then its fine. Smallest island that fits this requirement. Finding squirrels should be possible but can be on any range from easy to find to almost impossible. In other words, squirrel should exist on the island as a minimum requirement. Sorry for the strange travel question. Update Added the requirement for the smallest island to make this question more specific as the question was put on hold. <Q> Madagascar or Mauritius, both are islands and both have Indian Palm Squirrels . <S> They aren't that far from South Africa too. <S> This species of squirrels is not native to neither Madagascar or Mauritius, they were introduced in the 19th century. <A> If you come to the UK, don't bother with grey squirrels, which are classified as an invasive animal pest species (introduced from the USA) and have almost wiped out the native European red squirrels. <S> You can find grey squirrels pretty much anywhere in the UK in urban areas where there is a park with a few trees. <S> Personally, I think the description of grey squirrels as "rats with fluffy tails" is quite accurate and appropriate, but since I lived in an area where I saw red squirrels almost every day when I was younger, until the greys exterminated them, I might be biased! <S> There are at least three small islands around the UK coastline where you can see red squirrels: Plas Newydd on Anglesey at the "northwest corner" or Wales, and Tresco in the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall, and Brownsea Island in Dorset. <A> Although may not be the answer you were seeking, but UK would qualify. <S> It's definitely an island a set of islands, there are lots of South Africans around here <S> - you do need a visa but they are fairly easy to obtain compared so some other countries. <S> And there are definitely lots and lots of squirrels here. <S> In England now these are primarily grey squirrels , which in many places are considered pests (there's a saying about squirrels being rats with fluffy tails and good PR). <S> They are everywhere: in forests, parks, cities - everywhere you find trees. <S> Further north you can still find red squirrels . <S> These are a lot more people-shy and you may need to search a bit to find them. <S> Another not-frequently thought of island is Manhattan (part of New York City). <S> Again, it's an island, you can visit with a visa and there are tons of squirrels there as well. <S> I have seen numerous black squirrels around New York University in Washington Square Park. <S> I even took the below (admittedly not very good) picture of a white squirrel in Central Park in Manhattan in 2006. <A> For instance, I used to live on Angyali Sziget (Angel Island) in the Danube south of Budapest. <S> No infrastructure, plenty of squirrels. <S> But Angyali Sziget is 3 kilometres long, so it's by no means the smallest squirreled island in the neighbourhood. <S> Perhaps you should re-think your selection criteria.
| Basically any island in temperate Europe with trees is going to have squirrels.
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Travel across Iran by train I decided to travel to Iran and use the train for going to different cities there.For booking tickets, would you recommend local websites or international ones? <Q> As usual the man in Seat 61 has some useful advice on his page for Iran https://www.seat61.com/Iran.htm Specific advice about buying tickets for travel within Iran is contained further down the page. <S> https://www.seat61.com/Iran.htm#Train%20travel%20within%20Iran <S> The best option seems to be to buy from alocal travel agency in Iran as the online sources have had mixed reviews. <S> buying at the station is possible but you may need to buy several days in advance. <S> If you make the trip I am sure he would welcome feedback as it is still a difficult destination for many travellers outside organised tours. <A> Local person here. <S> Websites we trust with PROS/CONS is: https://www.alibaba.ir <S> ( Lack of English site <S> but they have good support ) <S> https://www.raja.ir/ <S> ( its the official website to buy ticket but still lack of English website ) <S> If your looking for Charter (discounted) trains go to https://www.tcharter.ir/en#!all , they have English website too. <S> There is a lot of websites in here for selling those tickets but not trust-able. <A> You're providing very little context for your trip, so, I'm making the assumption that you're reasonably flexible and don't have a specific itinerary in mind. <S> If that's correct, in your position, I would buy tickets locally, in-country. <S> It's easy, as cheap as it gets, and allows you to change your plans as you see fit. <A> From Trip Advisor: <S> I suggest you booking train ticket by some travel agencies! <S> Even though it is unofficial, this site has been recommended by quite a few users. <A> Thanks for all your information. <S> I have recently found that website http://iranrails.com <S> a very useful and reliable site for buying train tickets of Iran railways.
| In here we prefer to buy tickets from our local websites because you can get huge discounts from them. First of all it is advised to buy tickets before you travel.
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Germany: Professional accommodation for one month? I'm being temporarily located in Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany for one month, for a work project. My accommodation will be paid for by the company. I have the options of either booking a hotel for a month, or trying to find a house or apartment for short-term accommodation. Spending a month in a hotel will drive me nuts. What's the best way to find a house or apartment for such a short period of time, and is this generally even possible? The specific period of time is all of the coming February, so it's quite short-notice too. <Q> You have a couple of options: <S> Look at a meta-search engine such as Trivago.de -- <S> They also have some non-hotels in their database Look on AirBNB. <S> While the legality is sometimes questionable in Germany, that's not the problem of the renter. <S> Look for vacation rentals. <S> While Bochum is not exactly a place for vacation, there may be some nearby. <S> Search engines such as Wimdu.de could be a starting point. <S> Perhaps you may have a look at wg-gesucht.de -- This website is often used by students for offering rooms in flat-share communities for sub-letting while they are away (e.g., on an internship). <S> Knowledge of German is highly useful there, though, and a month of rental may be too short for many offers. <S> The classical flat rental market is not what you want. <S> Few landlords will be willing to offer a rental contract for this short time period, and the default style of renting a place in Germany is without furniture. <S> Furnished apartments are quite unusual. <S> I do not have any connection to any of the mentioned websites (apart from having been a customer). <A> What you are looking for is called corporate housing . <S> They go by other names such as "serviced apartments". <S> Basically it is short term accommodation, larger than a hotel room and with a kitchen and other facilities. <S> It's specifically designed for people in your situation, where the stay is long enough to make being in a hotel troublesome but too short to be in the normal rental market, and where an employer is paying the costs. <S> They are significantly larger than a hotel room, usually apartment sized or townhouse sized. <S> They always come not just fully furnished but with everything you need to live a normal life, and often come serviced - i.e. they get cleaned on a regular basis. <S> The price is usually less than a hotel but more than an apartment rental (though probably less than an apartment rental plus furniture etc.) <S> Places like this exist in most countries. <S> Here is a page talking about them specifically in Germany . <A> the housing market sections of local newspapers such as ruhrnachrichten.de ebay Kleinanzeigen , the german equivalent to craigslist wg-gesucht.de specialises on appartment-sharing and is even available in english (though the ads themselves might be available only in german) <S> Helpful keywords/categories are "möbliert" (ready-furnished) and especially " Wohnen auf Zeit " (living for a limited time, short-term rental). <S> The latter almost always implies the former. <S> Furthermore, you can try directly typing "Wohnen auf Zeit" and "Bochum" into google (or whatever other general-purpose search engine you prefer), or even only "Wohnen auf Zeit", and enter "Bochum" as the next step into one of the web sites specialized on short-term rentals turned up by the search.
| If you speak at least a bit of german, or can get someone who does to help you, you can check the following ressources: the major nationwide real estate web sites such as immobilienscout24.de , immowelt.de , immonet.de
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What are these holes for on this European travel adaptor? I have a standard European travel adaptor. What are the two circled holes on the top and bottom for? <Q> Those circled holes will be for various plug style's grounds, however -- <S> That is not a standard socket. <S> That is entirely an invention of the Chinese junk sellers . <S> It has not been approved by any competent testing laboratory, and it definitely never will. <S> This type of socket is simply trying to adapt too many kinds of plugs, at the expense of safety, and it would not be able to be listed even if it was made by a competent builder. <S> As such, the junk sellers don't even try to make a safe product. <S> Hence the "for export only" sticker: export it to a jurisdiction we're not responsible for. <S> Use a listed adapter made for your specific plug-socket pair. <S> Note that UL, CSA, TUV, SGS, NTL, ETL etc. <S> are marks of reputable testing agencies. <S> CE is not a testing agency , nor is it reputable, as it allows manufacturers to self-test and self-certify, which turns the mark into “Chinese Excrement.” <S> Relevant to electrical since so most of the world harmonizes to rules like US NEC, which require electrical equipment to be certified by a recognized testing lab . <S> CE won't ever be one, for obvious reasons. <S> Hazards of cheapie multi-plug adapter by Big Clive <S> John Ward on these… <S> And his teardown . <A> All the middle holes are there for accepting various types of ground (earth) pins . <S> Specifically, the top two holes are there for British plugs (BS 546, BS 1363), while the bottom two are there for Brazilian, Danish and Swiss plugs. <S> As always, Wikipedia has the gory details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets <A> Your adapter is designed to acept a wide range of plug types, unfortunately this also tends to mean it accepts none of them well. <S> The "for export only" label doesn't inspire confidence either. <S> That basically means it is shoddy enough that even the country it was made in doesn't consider it safe. <S> Exactly what is hard to tell from the photo <S> but I'm pretty sure <S> at least UK, US and Australian plugs are supported by that hole combination. <S> Depending on just how crappy the adapter in question is you may or may not find it actually provides an earth connection between the Earth contacts on the Schuko style plug and the earth pin holes in the socket. <A> Various grounding pins. <S> Check Wikipedia on plugs and sockets , to see the variation. <S> I guess it makes a lot of sense to place the holes similar to what people are used to, and as far as I remember from that list (it's been a while since I spend hours reading through it), all plugs have the grounding pin placed symmetrically in relation to the live pins. <S> And that has resulted in that layout.
| The holes you have circled in red are to accept the earth/ground pins of the aforementioned wide variety of different plug types.
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Victim of a Vacation Rental Scam, how should I get the refund? I booked a property via booking.com on 23rd for a stay in London UK from June 1 to June 7, 2019. I used my credit card. They pulled the full amount on 25th. After that on several occasion I updated my check-in request in booking.com but the request timed out due to no response from the property owner. I also tried to reach via phone and emails but little to no response from them. Here are the reasons why I strongly believe that I am a victim of scam: The property I booked is no longer exist in booking.com. But the property name is Westminster Gardens with address 24 Strutton Ground, Westminster Borough, London SW1P 2HR, United Kingdom. I checked this address and this is an address of a hair salon. They are using same pictures with different name and different location in booking.com. New name: London Prime- homes in West End and Westminister with a new address: 104-105 Pall Mall, Westminister Borough, London, SW1Y 5EW, United Kingdom. They send me 2nd invoice saying that the amount is unpaid. They have used 3 different phone numbers in 3 different places and 2 different email address: In Booking.com website has: +447553076066 . The invoice they sent on dec 25 has: +447523145097 and following email address: booking@ourfamilyhomesltd.com. They again send a 2nd invoice on Jan 8 saying that the amount is unpaid even though they pulled the full amount on Dec 25. And the 2nd has phone number: +447923337233 and different email address: abv.homes@outlook.com. The first phn number +447553076066 is affiliated with an organization in UK: www.champinternational.org. Made a complaint to booking.com but it is been almost a month and they have not found any resolution. <Q> If one thing I have learned is that when you shop online, you can always ask for a refund, it will take time, but if you made the payment <S> and it was also a scam, you can appeal for a refund. <S> Contact your bank and let them handle the situation. <A> If you paid paid by credit card, this is relatively easy: <S> Dispute the payment with your bank. <S> Some banks have this built into their app or online banking, with others you need to write them to dispute the charge. <S> You may have to give a brief explanation on why you're disputing the payment, but you don't have to submit any documentation. <S> The way these things work the bank will "charge back" the money into your account, and if the merchant wants it back <S> they will have to submit proof that the transaction was actually valid. <S> Which is very unlikely in this case, if they scammed more than just you the account will already be under investigation. <S> Some banks require you to make a report to the police, though, if criminal activity is involved. <S> Don't delay too long, as has been noted in the other answer, there's limited time to charge back your money. <S> Under no circumstances make payments to people that you don't know outside a trusted marketplace. <S> Scammers will usually try to lure you away from mechanisms that protect you. <S> They'll ask you to pay by bank transfer or Western Union, because those can't be reversed[1]. <S> There's a dirty little secret to sites like booking.com: They will sometimes hand over all your credit card details to the hotel <S> If the hotel "loses" that data, people can use it to make random payments. <S> If you suspect this has happened, block you credit card and have it replaced. <S> [1] <S> Even if the police find the owner of the bank account it'll be some poor sod who thought that "earning 2000 bucks a week with no risk" was for real. <S> Those will wire the money via Western Union to a foreign country, and you'll never see it again. <A> Were you expecting a hotel? <S> The first address given is either the hairdressers or one of the flat(s) above it. <S> The second address is The Reform Club (the kind of exclusive place where James Bond might play baccarat while enjoying a nice martini). <S> Also all UK mobile numbers start with 07, like all the numbers you mention above. <S> I definitely think it is a scam. <S> Take this up as a dispute with booking.com and your credit card company. <S> Follow up if they don't reply.
| If you paid directly to booking.com, you may ask them to revert the transaction; but if they don't react quickly still dispute the payment.
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Why can I not book these flights on Air France? I'm looking to book a multi-city itinerary on Air France, specifically CDG-->KIX (Paris CDG to Kansai International) and KIX-->LHR (Kansai International to London Heathrow). Air France operates flights for both these pairs, and it seems I would be able to book them separately without any issue (though very expensive, of course). However, I can't book them together (for any amount of money). When I search through ITA Matrix, this combination on Air France does not show up (even though both one-ways show up). When I search on the Air France website, I get a little bit of hope, since on the first page after the search it indeed lists many flights in both directions. However when I select which flights I want, it gives me a strange error message "There are no flights available. Please modify your travel dates." (even though it just displayed available flights!). Is there any hope of booking this combination, perhaps through a SkyTeam partner, or does Air France simply disallow this sort of flight combination? By the way, the combination CDG-->KIX and NRT-->CDG seems to be easily bookable. <Q> This excellent answer by @Calchas, while for a different route on AF/KLM, happens to have the answer for your route as well - for whatever reason, they don't allow origin open jaws where the origins are in different countries. <S> I looked up Air France's fare rules for a first class flight from CDG-KIX, and they include the following (among many other rules). <S> I'm not sure if these rules are easily accessible for the public at large, though. <S> OPEN JAWSFARES MAY BE COMBINED ON A HALF ROUND TRIP BASIS-TO FORM SINGLE OR DOUBLE <S> OPEN JAWS WHICH <S> CONSISTS OF NO MORE THAN 2 INTERNATIONAL FARE COMPONENTS AND THE OPEN SEGMENT AT ORIGIN <S> MUST BE IN ONE COUNTRY. <S> THE OPEN SEGMENT AT DESTINATION HAS NO RESTRICTIONS. <A> If that didn't happen, then it can be the case like you have noticed, that you could book two flights separately as one-ways, but not together as open-jaw or return. <S> As long as the airline doesn't add a fare for the combination, there is nothing you can do. <S> Theoretically it could be possible to buy those flights together, if a code share partner has published a valid return fare. <A> While user3761894's answer is unfortunately correct that AF will not issue such a ticket, there is one way around this that should be much cheaper than booking as two separate one-way flights: <S> Book a round-trip from CDG to KIX and then book a separate one-way flight to LHR on a new reservation. <S> The downside to this option is that, with it not being booked on the same ticket, they're technically not responsible if a delay causes you to misconnect at CDG, but the CDG-LHR flight isn't that expensive anyway, so it's not that big of a risk. <S> Plus, if you book Air France for both flights, they'd probably be willing to reschedule you anyway if a delay on your KIX-CDG flight caused you to miss the CDG-LHR one, even though they'd not be legally obligated to do so. <S> Especially if you explained that you were simply not able to book them on the same itinerary because of the open-jaw fare rules mentioned in user3761894's answer. <S> Looking at a random date in February 2019, the CDG-LHR segment would be $135 with a stop in AMS or $170 direct if booked through Air France. <S> Of course, the AMS-LHR segment would be operated by KLM if you booked one of the options with a layover at AMS. <A> Since you want to do a stop over in Japan and come from and go to different countries it would easier to book the flight on an Japanese carrier like ANA or JAL.
| To be able to book a combination of flights, the airline has to publish a fare which allows this combination. The Air France flight from KIX to LHR (Osaka to London) may only be available on a limited schedule, or a code share since most international carriers need to fly to or from their home country.
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If I book a flight ticket and indicate a frequent-flyer number during the booking, will the number appear on the flight ticket or boarding pass? If I book a flight ticket and indicate a frequent-flyer program membership number during the booking, will the membership number always appear on the flight ticket or boarding pass? <Q> The answer will potentially depend on the airline involved as there's no standard for things like this, but from my experience... <S> The Frequent Flyer number WILL appear somewhere on the "ticket". <S> By "ticket" <S> , I mean that it will appear on the e-ticket receipt, or when the ticket is viewed on the relevant website. <S> It's certainly possible that you'll need to go looking for it <S> (ie, it might not be visible - you may need to go into the section to change it in order to see it, for example), but it'll be there. <S> Generally there will be some indication there there is a frequent flyer number assigned to the passenger, and potentially what status they have, but it's not uncommon for the number itself not to be there, or for it to be truncated/masked in some form. <S> For example, on a United Airlines boarding pass, my FF number shows up a " <S> UA-*G ******123" which means that my Frequent Flyer number is from United Airlines (UA), I have Star Alliance Gold status (*G), and the last three digits of my number are 123. <S> For security reasons, the entire number is not printed. <S> As I said, at the start, other airlines will be different... <A> In my experience, yes, it typically will. <S> (I can't prove that this will always be the case.) <S> If you don't see your frequent flyer number on your ticket or boarding pass, you should check with the airline to see whether your number was properly linked to your reservation, and to make sure that your miles / points get credited to your account. <S> (Of course, if the airline tells you "yes, your number is linked, we don't normally print them on the boarding pass", then that obviously should take precedence over this answer.) <A> Just to confirm Doc's answer , here is an example of boarding pass issued by Alaska airline and with no mention of the frequent flyer program membership number:
| The Frequent Flyer number MIGHT appear on the boarding pass.
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Why different fees for Vietnam Visa Approval Letters Why is it that when applying for a Vietnam Visa approval letter could cost up to 45 USD(like this one ) when some could cost as low as 5 USD(like this one )? Is there any risk of using the cheaper ones? Or is there any benefit using the more expensive ones? Thanks <Q> Vietnam now has an eVisa system, so an approval letter is no longer needed. <S> These sites are either scams or simply outdated. <S> The fee is $25 USD. <S> Anyone that charges more or less is a scam. <S> Here is the official page as they must either find another fee to add (or not deliver anothing) or they pocket the difference. <S> Note that official sites are on .gov.vn <S> not .govt.vn <S> (as the first link you sent). <A> If you are eligible for E-visa, you should apply this kind of visa. <S> It costs 25 USD and has these features:- 30 days of <S> stay- single entry- Be eligible for 46 countries- <S> Can enter through 28 ports (included airports, seaports and land <S> borders)- <S> Apply through Vietnam government website <S> If you are not eligible for E-visa, you should apply Visa on arrival. <S> It costs from 6 - 50 USD (depend on how long you stay, how many time you enter and which agency you apply with) <S> Can stay in Vietnam 1 month, 3 months, or more <S> Single or multiple entry Be eligible for all countries <S> Can enter through 6 international airports Apply through Vietnam agency <S> My recommended agency: <S> Vietnam-evisa.com <S> (it costs 6 USD for approval letter for 1 month single tourist visa. <S> They processing time said that 2 working days, but I received within 1 day) <A> Most likely one site (the cheap one) is the genuine one, and the expensive one charges you lots of money to send your details to the original one. <S> From my experience a Turkish e-visa is $20 and the two first sites on google search try to charge $65 and $89.
| The only benefit of paying more is that you keep some scammer happy.
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Can you still print boarding passes at the airport if you checked in online? I'm flying to Tokyo. The flight was sold through Finnair. The first leg is operated by American Airlines. The second and final legs are operated by Finnair. When I checked in online, it said that some airports on my journey (didn't say which one) don't allow mobile boarding passes?? Meaning I will need a physical copy. Unfortunately I don't have easy access to a printer. Will I still be able to print all my boarding passes at the airport even though I already checked in online? <Q> At the airport you can approach the American Airlines check-in counter to ask for a printed boarding pass; they will be happy to oblige. <A> Yes. <S> I've done it many times in US and UK as I like to keep paper copies in scrap books etc. <S> Theres normally many self service desks that you can do it from ( <S> if you state which airport you can usually look this up online too), or you can go to the desk of the airline you are travelling with and they will print it for you. <S> It doesn't matter if you already checked in or not, most of the time the person on the desk has never mentioned it, and others they say that I've checked in already & ask if I want a paper copy. <S> I think the only time I've ever had to actually explain was in Manchester Airport in the UK a few years ago, which wasn't a problem and they printed it fine. <S> If you really don't want to risk it you could always go to a public library or ask friends or family to print it for you. <A> Yes, You can print your boarding pass at the airport. <S> From the Finnair FAQ: You may not need to print a boarding pass. <S> Depending on the requirements of airport authorities, you will need to present a mobile boarding pass, a paper boarding pass printed out by you or a paper <S> boarding pass picked up from the check-in desk. <S> You're thus able to print your boarding pass at the check-in desk in the airport. <S> From the American Airlines FAQ: you can print a boarding pass before you head to the airport or from any self-service kiosk once you're there. <S> Enjoy your flight ! <A> In the general case, especially for incumbents (i.e. not low-cost carriers), it's absolutely no problem at all. <S> In many cases, when you check-in your bags, they will print your boarding passes for you without you even asking. <S> If they don't do it automatically, they will be able to do it for you on demand. <S> This is usually also the case when you (have to) use automated kiosks, or if you don't have any luggage to check-in. <S> Note however that some airlines (mostly low-cost carriers) will be a lot less flexible about that, and may even charge you to perform the operation in some extreme cases.
| But any person on the check in desks will be able to print the boarding pass for you even if you have already checked in, people lose them or like you don't have access to printers so its common. I don't foresee any problem at all in the case of AA.
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Can I pass Israeli airport security using only my Israeli passport and then check in using another? I know that travelling with multiple passports has been covered extensively, and that the general rule is that when in one of your countries of citizenship, you present security with that country’s passport, and you just show the airline staff the other passport. I am an Israeli citizen, but hold other nationalities. I will be flying directly from Ben Gurion to one of my other countries of citizenship. Thus, I must check in using my foreign passport. Unfortunately this passport has a number of stamps that could lead to my being severely harassed by Israeli security. Thus, I would like to know if I am required to present both passports when getting interviewed before the ticket counter, or if the ticket counter people do not check to see if you have a clearance sticker on the back of your passport, and only check for the tag on your luggage (or if they will accept an Israeli passport with a sticker and a check-in using another passport). I could obviously use my Israeli passport with the interview-clearance sticker when approaching the immigration exit gate, and then my other passport when boarding the plane. Given Israel’s unique airport security system, is this allowed and possible? Or am I required to present both passports to the interviewer? <Q> As far as I know, you won’t be demanded to show all your passports <S> as long you have Israeli citizenship and you passing with an Israeli passport. <S> You must enter Israel with an Israeli passport and you should use it for exiting Israel. <S> Don’t be afraid of questions about other nationalities or passports. <S> They can always ask you which countries you visited disregard your nationalities <S> and I do not suggest to lie for security, they are too good at busting liers. <S> NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS! <S> No, you cannot board an Israeli plane without a security check sticker so this trick won’t work. <S> It will be better to answer unpleasant questions about your other countries visits rather than be caught on passport shuffling trick because after that much more unpleasant questions will be followed. <S> Please note! <S> If you visited countries forbidden for Israeli citizens like Iran you better ask legal advice, do not take such risks. <S> Update: <S> Thanks to user @phoog, that reminded me that such security checks (that marks your passport with a special sticker) are not only in Israeli airports but in any airports around the globe where Israeli airlanes are landed (relevant for Israeli airlines and obviously there is no Israeli security in the airports located in the forbidden countries for visit of Israeli citizens.) <A> As you probably know, at the entrance to the Departures Area in Ben Gurion there is (or at least was ) <S> a bilingual sign which states in English, "Please present ticket and boarding pass", but which states in Hebrew "Please present ticket, boarding pass, and [Army] draft certificate". <S> I saw with my own eyes a young American/Israeli dual citizen being taken from that checkpoint, for having tried to leave on her USA passport without the requisite permission from the Israel Defense Forces. <S> I suspect the security database will be well aware of your nationalities. <S> I suggest you use your Israeli passport except that you give the check-in clerk your third-party passport and tell the clerk you have two passports, so she sees you do not need a visa. <S> (You could even stick with the Israeli passport, if you are going to a country where Israelis do not need a visa.) <S> I do not hold Israeli citizenship. <S> The question I was always asked is if I speak Hebrew. <A> I've flown out of Ben Gurion a few times and I remember being asked about other nationalities during every exit interview. <S> Thus I suspect that you will get asked the same question while leaving the country. <S> If you want to hide your passport stamps from Israeli immigration, the only safe bet is to leave the passport in question in a different country and pick it up once you leave Israel. <S> Given how strict border security is in Israel <S> I wouldn't take my chances otherwise.
| I could obviously use my Israeli passport with the interview-clearance sticker when approaching the immigration exit gate, and then my other passport when boarding the plane DO
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How quickly can I get an ID that will allow me to fly within the US? I need to fly across the US in about two weeks. Currently, the only ID that I have is a passport, which will be expired then. Is it possible for me to either get a new passport or California ID, that will allow me to board a plane in two weeks? <Q> If the passport is a U.S. passport expired less than one year the TSA will still accept it. <S> See Four Tips To Remember When Checking Your ID At Airport Security at the TSA blog: <S> If you’re traveling with an expired license or passport you may still be able to fly. <S> Acceptable forms of ID cannot be more than 12 months past the identified expiration date. <S> If it's expired more than one year you should still bring it, along with something else that has biographical information. <S> Even if you bring no identification whatsoever, the TSA has a process to identify you using public records. <S> This will also lead to a little extra scrutiny. <A> The card will be mailed to you, and it might come in the next two weeks if you are lucky. <S> In principle you could also apply for a driver's license, but this will also require you to take some tests, and adds the risk that you might not pass. <S> If you would have to take a road test, this might require an appointment which may not be available right away. <S> A passport renewal will probably take more than two weeks. <S> Expedited processing <S> might make it happen in time, but is quite expensive. <S> There can be a possibility for same-day passport renewal if you go to a passport agency , but there are only three in California, and this also typically requires proof of imminent international travel. <S> Even if you don't get your ID in time, you can still go to the airport and hope that TSA can verify your identity. <S> See https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification under "Forget Your ID?". <S> Bring every form of identification you have (the expired passport, student ID, credit card, utility bills, library card, receipt from your driver's license application, etc.). <A> You don't necessarily need a state ID. <S> TSA will accept alternate ID . <S> A driver's license is simply a state ID card that also authorizes driving. <S> Your best hope is to get a California state ID card. <S> I recommend you <S> do not overload the task and try to get your driver's license also, because that's a huge production. <S> However you can ask whether a REAL ID card can happen as fast as a plain ID, <S> if so, it's a few dollars now but will save you the trouble of returning next year when it will be a total madhouse because REAL ID will be required to fly after October 2020. <S> California is being forced into REAL ID by TSA, so they have tightened up on the documents you require for plain IDs also. <S> You need several types of documents: an original birth certificate, passport or similar social security number, or for REAL ID , an original social security card or documents that show your social securiry number, such as a paystub. <S> proof of residency: certain items of mail, mailed to you at a particular address in the state that is not a PO box or PMB. <S> If you don't have this yet, you're in trouble : <S> b <S> If you already have all the documents required on the DMV website, just go tomorrow morning to a DMV an hour before they open and get in line. <S> Figure on a good long while there. <S> Some have a system where your first stop is a clerk who checks to see that you have all the required paperwork, and then you "take a number", and may let you run home and get the missing piece while you are in the queue. <S> So don't let your ride leave you there until you know you have everything. <S> The Federal SSA office wasn't bad to deal with (they're all over). <S> They do not like expired documents, so if you don't have a Social Security card, get it before your passport expires. <S> Oh, and one more thing. <S> Chances are the SSA office is closed due to the Federal shutdown.
| A social security card, birth certificate, even a utility bill or something similar, along with your expired passport will get you through with a little extra scrutiny. I would suggest that you go to the DMV tomorrow and apply for a non-driver ID.
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Can I stay longer in the USA than I said at the border but still less than 90 days? (ESTA) I am a UK citizen with an ESTA that is valid until 2020. I am with my girlfriend (US citizen) whilst she gets her UK visa together but it is taking longer than we expected. I told the officer at the border that I was staying for 4 weeks, but can I stay here for longer without informing anyone, as long as I leave within 90 days of when I arrived? Thanks in advance for any advice! <Q> You can stay until the date that was stamped in your passport. <S> Of course, you need a reason for that if somebody questions you. <S> I have been in US for business proposal and I stayed one more week that I have said when I arrived. <S> I already have been there after this <S> and I do not have any issue. <A> They do not record your answers in a system especially because the questions are not set in stone (I crossed the US border enough times to know...), the officer listens to them and makes a decision whether to admit you and how long and then puts a stamp in your passport saying so. <S> Now open https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/visa-expiration-date.html and read: <S> If your admission stamp or paper Form I-94 contains a specific date, then that is the date by which you must leave the United State. <S> This is the official answer: the stamp is the date. <S> Note how it doesn't say anything else about your border interview, your presumed flight back or whatever. <S> It plainly and clearly says: the stamp is the date. <S> (When you have a longer term visa then and only then it will not contain a specific date, but this does not pertain to visitors, your stamp will have a date). <S> Your admitted stay is almost always 90 days for ESTA / six months multi entry visas. <A> You don't need to inform anybody if your plans change. <S> In the last couple of years, I've twice ended up staying a day longer than I said I would, because of flights getting cancelled. <S> This has caused me no problems whatsoever: it's not even been mentioned on subsequent visits to the US. <S> Minor changes to your itinerary shouldn't make much difference. <S> If you said you were going to stay much less than 90 days and your new plan is still much less than 90 days <S> , I can't see you having any problems. <S> People's plans change and you have a definite reason for extending your visit. <S> The potential problem is if you said you'd stay two weeks <S> and you instead stay for ten. <S> That starts to look more like your initial claim of two weeks was a lie, even if it wasn't.
| In principle, you can stay until the date stamped in your passport.
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US citizenship for an Australian dual-national while on 90 day visa in America? I am American citizen. My daughter will be in America with me on the 90-day visa waiver program . During that time she will be receiving her Consular Report of Birth Abroad and her US passport in the mail to our Australian addresss/home. Can she go into customs and show them her us passport and consular birth abroad and then be declared a US citizen, so she does not have to fly back to Australia just to come back through customs again and show them her US passport and consular birth abroad? <Q> Since you're making a consular record of birth abroad, presumably your daughter was a US citizen at birth. <S> She can stay in the US as long as she wants. <S> While she will get a stamp admitting her for 90 days in her Australian passport, this doesn't apply to her, as she is a US citizen. <S> Technically speaking, as a US citizen, she must enter the US using a US passport. <S> However, breaking this law has no real penalty. <S> See this answer, for an explanation of what could happen at the border . <S> So no, she neither needs to fly back to Australia, nor return to customs after arriving. <A> The premise of the question is that a US citizen has been admitted to the US under the visa waiver program and subsequently receives a US passport. <S> In that circumstance, the other answer is correct, because as a matter of law, a US citizen cannot have any immigration status other than that of a US citizen. <S> In fact, a US citizen who has been admitted under the VWP doesn't even need to get a US passport to remain in the US; any evidence of US citizenship will do. <S> The premise, however, is somewhat questionable. <S> In other words, this sentence could be incorrect: <S> My daughter will be in America with me on the 90-day visa waiver program. <S> In fact, she might not be admitted on that basis. <S> The officer could discover that your daughter is a US citizen in one of at least two ways: <S> You mention it when you approach the passport inspection desk, or The officer finds a record of your daughter's passport application or CRBA application after scanning her Australian passport. <S> The second possibility is particularly likely if either application included your daughter's Australian passport number, but even if it did not, it's possible to match the records based on other biographical details, such as name and date and place of birth. <S> If this happens, the officer could give you a lecture about your daughter needing a US passport (or maybe not, since you've already applied for one). <S> Then the officer should waive the requirement of 8 USC 1185(b) , admitting your daughter as a US citizen. <S> In that case, of course, there will be even less reason to do anything with regard to any record of her admission as an Australian citizen, because there would be no such record. <S> To prepare for this possibility, you may want to bring copies of the evidence you submitted with the CRBA application, in case the application hasn't yet been approved by the time you arrive in the US and the officer wants to have an independent look into the question of your daughter's citizenship. <A> If you are saying 1) <S> the child will enter using an Aussie passport / visa and 2) while you are there <S> the child will receive in the mail the birth record and also a US passport <S> Yes, it's all a non-issue. <S> Do nothing. <S> Once the child receives the US passport, forget everything, she can stay in the US. <S> (If she likes junk food :) )
| If your daughter's citizenship becomes apparent to the passport officer, she should be admitted as a US citizen even without a US passport. Nothing to do or worry about there.
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Train from EU to Kaliningrad I'm an EU citizen, and I'd like to travel to Kaliningrad. I like trains, and there's a direct from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad, with stops in Vilnius and Kaunas. However, neither the Russian railways not Lithuanian railways show Lithuania-Kalinigrad connections. Can I buy a ticket for this connection? And are there any trains to and from Poland? I don't mind getting off at the border and getting on the next train on the other side. This map suggests that the leftmost line to Poland is operational: <Q> According to the Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe , the Poland-Kaliningrad connection was last used regularly in 2012 for passenger services. <S> It was rumoured that it was going to be brought back for the 2018 World Cup <S> but nothing materialised, ultimately. <S> However, the Lithuania-Kaliningrad border, according to the same website, DOES get passenger trains, worked from Kybartai station on the Lithuanian side. <S> I don't know whether or not there are through trains still, or if you would have to change there. <S> They are apparently worked by Russian Railways , so I imagine they would have to be booked through there. <A> Cheers from Kaliningrad! <S> At the moment - Vilnius is the only option available. <S> Check this blog for details about tickets: <S> http://kaliningradguide.com/category/transportation/train/ <S> And well, there also some extreme options from EU with a connection in Moscow or Minsk if you are a train enthusiast. <S> There are plenty of bus and flight options to travel from EU to Kaliningrad region for a regular tourist. <S> A year ago we had some successful local trains test runs from Gdansk and Klaipeda. <S> But this initiative failed in the end, can't expect any changes here soon. <S> Note that you can't cross the border with Poland at Braniewo and Bartoszyce on foot. <S> You will have to take a bus or hitchhike. <S> Anyway, feel free to contact me regarding any questions on visiting Kaliningrad. <S> Will be happy to assist you with that. <A> You leave at 1403 on the Moscow train and change at Minsk at 0023 with 20 minutes before the sleeper to Warsaw arriving at 0755. <S> There is a later train which also travels overnight but is not a sleeper. <S> You would need to check if you need a transit visa for Belarus. <A> I would not recommend traveling this route by train. <S> It is much better to travel by bus. <S> Bus is faster, cheaper, far more comfortable. <S> Take Ecolines from Kaliningrad to Vilnius (about 12 euros):
| https://ecolines.net/international/en/bus/kaliningrad-vilnius%28bus-station%29 Take LuxExpress from Vilnius to St. Petersburg (about 50 euros): https://luxexpress.eu/en As far as your question about links to Poland the only route which the DB train finder offers is via Minsk.
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How to alert a bus driver to stop without pushing the stop button In London on red buses, is it ok if you are standing at the front of the bus to say “Can you stop at the next stop please”, instead of pushing yourself through the bus to press the stop button? The reason I am asking is because at the top near the driver it says not to obstruct or distract him. Is this “distracting”? What other ways could I alert the driver or do I need to press the Stop button? <Q> The stop button is exactly there to ask the driver to stop at the next stop. <S> If you can't get to a button, please politely request someone and they will be happy to press it for you. <S> Here is some interesting insight that could help you. <S> The following information comes from the Big Red Book , which is the official instructions guide for TFL Bus drivers. <S> As your bus reaches the stop… Look and listen out for passengers intending to get off. <S> Ideally they will let you know they wish to get off by ringing the bell but be prepared to stop in case they do not. <S> If in doubt, stop. <S> If you are sure no one wants to get on or off you can keep going. <S> So, make it look like you want to get off on this stop and chances are that you will be spotted by the driver even without having pressed the button during such busy rides. <S> If that doesn't work; <S> Next stop, please doesn't sound like a distraction. <A> In the meaning of the sign, asking him to make a stop is not a distraction. <S> The sign is referring to irrelevant talk, particularly that requiring thinking: means don't ask for the time, ask his opinion on Brexit, union organize, etc. <S> Think of it like "Sterile Cockpit" for pilots , or what <S> US NTSB says about focus on the driving task . <S> Asking if the Dreamliner is fun to fly is not appropriate in sterile cockpit, but very correct to ask about a flaps setting that looks funny. <S> Listening to a roiling political show is a distraction, but Siri saying "turn left 500 feet" is on-task. <S> You can also say "I need Bristol Road". <A> If you can't easily reach a stop button and can't get somebody else to press one for you, it's perfectly reasonable to verbally ask the driver to stop. <S> Indeed, when I was a child, thirty years ago, it was completely normal to just walk to the front of the bus and <S> say "Next stop, please" rather than pressing the button. <S> That always felt more polite than pressing the button. <S> Today, everyone seems to just press the button. <S> However, if you have to raise your voice to get this request heard, it's almost certainly inappropriate. <S> Yelling at the driver will certainly distract them from driving and their first thought will be that something is seriously wrong. <S> You shouldn't do that. <S> Worst case is that you'll miss your stop but stops are usually pretty frequent so having to walk back a stop isn't going to be the end of the world. <S> It would be better to be more prepared. <S> As you get within a couple of stops of where you want to alight, you should be able to manoeuvre yourself within reach of a button. <S> As people get off at the stops before yours, people are moving around the bus anyway, which gives you an opportunity. <A> Is this “distracting”? <S> YES. <S> Heavens <S> , yes! <S> The driver is alerted primarily by the audible chime so as to not distract their eyes. <S> Though they're likely trained to ignore passengers, there's still an internal push to focus on a person demanding attention. <S> What other ways could I alert the drive or do I need to press the Stop button? <S> You can pull the cord if the bus is also equipped with one. <S> If the bus is very crowded, hollering "Next Stop" well outside the drivers field of vision isn't the worst thing in the world, but still, push the button or pull the cord. <A> The reason I am asking is because at the top near the driver it says not to obstruct or distract him. <S> […] Is this “distracting”? <S> This is a bit quite funny confusion. <S> No, it isn’t. <S> A sign asking to not distract a bus driver means you should not try to discuss with a driver a recent football game nor discuss it loudly by phone with your friend while sitting near the driver and not to obstruct means avoid putting your snowboards in a way that reduces driver’s visibility. <S> A stop (bell) button is actually designed to avoid engaging a (possibly distracting) conversation with a bus driver just to say a bus should stop on the next bus stop. <S> Drivers expect that signal <S> and it is less distracting than trying to ask a driver politely in a few words. <S> Please note Also, remember to ring the stop button (or pull the cord) slightly before approaching the bus stop as the bus driver need some time to respond and slow down a bus safely, if you call the button when a bus is already passing a bus top it might be too late for a safe stop and a driver might skip it (not being happy about your late response.) <S> P.S. <S> Probably a bus operating company should update that sign to be more clear and avoid such confusions by adding something likeL “press a stop button when approaching a bus stop you want to exit.”
| Calling for a stop is definitely acceptable , as it is on-task and brief.
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Is rudeness to UK immigration officials a sufficient reason to deny entry? Do UK immigration officials have the discretion to refuse entry to arriving visitors solely because of condescending answers, rude behavior and arrogant answers to questions? I know the officers are free to refuse you entry by deliberately making unreasonable inferences, e.g. £3,000 for a one week visit is not enough and does not convince me you’re a genuine visitor , etc. I get that. However my question is specifically: Do the rules allow them to refuse entry because Mr. XYZ was rude to an officer of UK immigration and thus...? Does such a case fall under General grounds for refusal Section 3 of 5 – Considering entry at UK port Paragraph 320(19) V 3.3 Refusing the applicant entry to the UK is conducive to the public good. For example, because of the applicant’s character, conduct or associations, it is undesirable to give them leave to enter. For clarity I am referring to non-violent, nonaggressive, noncriminal behavior. <Q> Exclusion of a person from the UK is normally used in circumstances involving national security, criminality, international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide), corruption and unacceptable behaviour. <S> The types of activities covered by the term ‘Unacceptable behaviour’ are described in this Guide https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741420/exclusion-from-the-uk-v2.0ext.pdf and generally relate to expressing views which foment terrorism, criminal acts etc. <S> ‘Ordinary’ rudeness therefore should not lead to denial of entry in and of itself. <S> However, I imagine it may well result in the Immigration Officer looking more closely at the individual’s eligibility for entry, which could lead to a denial for other reasons. <S> Edit: <S> the general grounds for refusal of entry clearance or entry at a U.K. port are available here https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/general-grounds-for-refusal-modernised-guidance <A> Consider a hypothetical Snarkgirl, whose superpower is being rude. <S> She cannot be arrogant, rude or condescending in a vacuum <S> The root problem is it is impracticable to separate these trivial traits from the non-trivial things they imply . <S> When she gives a rude answer, she "uses up" the one slot where a straight answer would plug in. <S> That means she is not giving a straight answer, which means she is evading. <S> What's more, such speech has a subtext. <S> One is not rude randomly . <S> One is rude to establish dominance over another person, or to lodge a complaint in a passive-aggressive manner, or to deflect attention from something else. <S> They are going to care about that subtext. <S> Since Snarkgirl hasn't directly stated it, she is being deceptive and worse, she is leaving Immigration guessing as to her actual motivations. <S> Show a photo of a man leaning over a baby carriage. <S> Citizens tend to say they see a doting father. <S> Cops tend to say they see a child abduction . <S> That is why you must be careful around cops, they are the most paranoid people around. <S> It's easy to Mary-Sue yourself into being the hero of your own story. <S> But remember, unlike every amateur sleuth on TV, you don't have plot armor : there is no mechanism by which they come to their senses by the end of the episode. <S> If you are compelled to be clever, you would have to be very, very careful to structure your responses so you are plainly giving a straight and honest answer, and then simply capping it off with a Dennis Leary snark. <A> The rule is "Refusing the applicant entry to the UK is conducive to the public good. <S> For example... " If you are rude, and the immigration official is annoyed by your rudeness, that would not be a reason to not let you enter. <S> But if the immigration official decides that your rudeness implies the UK is better off without you, then they can refuse you entry. <S> So it depends on what rudeness we are talking about. <S> If you said to the immigration official "you are an a******e" <S> then this should not be grounds for refusal. <S> If you said "you are an a******e, the same as all the Brits", that could be grounds for refusal. <S> Obviously the government official is not bound by my opinion, and saying either thing would be rather stupid if your goal is to enter the UK.
| Denial of entry (’exclusion ’) is used to prohibit non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) nationals from entering the UK if their presence would not be conducive to the public good.
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Do I need a serious reason to enter a US Embassy as a US Citizen? Out of curiosity, can I, as a US citizen, enter a US embassy without a serious reason? For example, if I was traveling to Tokyo and I want to see what it looks like inside can I just walk in? If not, would it be assumed that it is by per embassy basis and I would need to contact them with my intentions for why I would like to visit? I don't plan to go to an embassy to hang out or do something inappropriate. I'm genuinely curious about the interiors of the embassy. <Q> It's possible that the answer will vary depending on the specific embassy/consulate, but to use the US Consulates in Australia as an example... <S> No, you can not. <S> As stated on the US Consulates Australian webpage : To be allowed entry into the U.S. Consulates for routine (non-emergency) services, you must make an appointment online. <S> There is seemingly an exception here for emergency services, however I doubt they would classify " <S> I just wanna have a look around!" <S> as an "emergency". <S> The appointment system requires you to enter the purpose of your visit, and once again "just lookin'" isn't on the list. <S> The equivalent page for Japan has different text, but still states that you must "schedule an appointment" It's worth keeping in mind that US consulates have an extremely high level of security, and the answer for other countries consulates <S> /embassy will probably be different. <S> For example, to access a US Consulate in Australia you need to have an appointment, have your bags X-rays, go through a metal detector, and leave all electronics at the security checkpoint. <S> By contrast, to access an Australia consulate in the US you need to ring the doorbell (or at least, that's been my experience at the Australian Consulate in San Francisco!) <A> @Doc provided a very good overall answer. <S> I'll add my own experience in the US embassy in London, UK. <S> I have entered the US embassy a number of times as a US citizen for non-emergency situations and I did have to make appointments every time, stating the intended purpose. <S> Security is high, however it felt that it's not as bad as is sometimes implied. <S> For example, last time I visited about mid-2018, I could get my mobile phone inside and my laptop - no problem. <S> Yes, they x-rayed my bag <S> and I had to go through the metal detector, but the overall experience seemed less thorough than in an airport. <S> Interestingly, once inside, I was directed to the lift and told to go to floor X for whatever my purpose was. <S> Nothing and nobody was there to prevent me from going to any other floor. <S> Probably, if I just started wondering around, I would be asked what I was doing there. <S> Anecdotally, from a friend of mine who spent some time in some rather dangerous countries in Africa and Middle East (Afganistan, Sudan and a few others), he was telling that in most cases simply showing an American passport would get you inside the embassy straight away. <S> After that they'd ask you the purpose and so on. <S> He did indicate that in some of the smaller African countries the Embassy staff was more than happy to entertain him as a guest due to lack of any other contact with fellow Americans other than the embassy staff themselves. <A> This was in 1991, but the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka encouraged American ex-pats to go there and register with them. <S> So that's technically, "a serious reason", but it also seems like a reasonable excuse for just visiting. <A> Security at the US Embassy in Tokyo is pretty buff. <S> You must have an appointment to visit. <S> You have to make the appointment online. <S> You can only take a single cellphone, and no other electronics (no, not even a tablet, and not even in substitution for a phone), and no large bags. <S> https://jp.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/tokyo/ <S> If you are going to the Embassy, Japanese police surrounding the place will be very helpful directing you toward the security screening. <S> If you are not going to the Embassy, they will be very helpful with getting you on your way somewhere else. <A> If you are really curious, you can schedule an appointment for anything. <S> For example, you want to ask an official if some of your papers are valid or not. <S> For example, saying that your passport was hurted and you want to ask them if it is still valid. <S> Probably they will check it, read it, and examine if some biomarker readers are still okay in it. <S> After that, you will leave. <S> Meanwhile, you also get what you wanted. :-) <S> (P.s. <S> the US embassy is living from your tax, so doing it once is not an ethical breach. <S> Their hard rules are in the fear of some terrorist attacks and not against their own citizens) <A> Mind what the embassy is: The embassy is your govenment's office of representative to the other countries government. <S> The, historic, primary job of the ambassador is to serve communication between the governments and telling about the mood. <S> That mood extended to intelligence. <S> Also often embassies do serve cultural relationships or similar. <S> Especially the part about gathering intelligence obviously isn't public. <S> Around the cultural side there sometimes might be events. <S> Aside from that are consulates. <S> They are often integrated with an embassy and aimed at general public. <S> Like granting visas and renewing passports. <S> Visiting that is simpler. <S> But as boring as any government office. <A> To offer some information about other embassies, in my case as an Spaniard National I have visited embassies of Spain in other countries just to meet the personnel. <S> In countries where the diplomatic mission is very small and the national community they represent is small, the embassy personnel is very open and welcome meeting new visitors. <S> Particularly, the ones I visited had the consulate section and the embassy within the same building.
| Even as a US citizen you are required to make an appointment to visit the consulate for non-emergency services. I could freely step into the consulate part not the embassy part.
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Breaking $100 banknotes into smaller denominations while in the US I will be travelling to the US and have some (clarification: 7 or 8) 100 USD banknotes. When I arrive there, I would like to change them into 5/10/20 USD banknotes, to use when credit cards are impractical (probably mostly tips or small purchases). Is it acceptable / customary / expected / normal to walk into a random bank office and ask for such change? Is there a fee for the change? Any other options? <Q> Is it acceptable <S> / customary / expected / normal to walk into a random bank office and ask for such change? <S> Is there a fee for the change? <S> It is acceptable. <S> Some banks may be more accommodating than others. <S> I would expect smaller banks and those that emphasize customer service to be among the former. <S> Larger commercial banks are more likely to be among the latter. <S> There should be no fee. <S> Any other options? <S> Make small purchases, one for each $100 note. <S> To be courteous, tell the cashier that you have no smaller banknotes before you present the merchandise, to give an opportunity to decline the transaction if the store lacks sufficient small change. <S> Many stores refuse to accept $100 bills altogether, so you may have to try a few places before you'll find one that will accommodate you. <S> In practice, people commonly pay with $20 notes, so most stores will have a large number of these on hand. <S> Making a $5 purchase with a $100 note isn't likely to cause more inconvenience than making the same purchase with a $20 note. <A> If you're staying at a hotel, you could ask at the front desk. <S> Cash is still common enough in the USA that I would expect that most hotels would have enough cash on hand to accommodate you. <S> While I would be surprised if a "nice" hotel were unable to do this, I should say that I have never actually tried it myself. <A> It is common for retailers to provide change (we call this "breaking a bill".) <S> You may get attitude though because places like Wal-Mart may have to get extra manager approval to accept the bill or test it using a chemical ink to ensure it is not counterfeit <S> but they will usually do it anyway after hassling you. <S> A smaller business like a gas/petrol station may entirely refuse to accept the bill. <S> Breaking a $100 bill is almost always possible but almost always a hassle. <S> Since you're asking this, you may also be interested in knowing: Getting/using coins is not always easy but may be necessary. <S> Many coin operated machines in the US accept quarters only. <S> If you find yourself needing quarters ($0.25) you can usually get them in laundromats from a change machine in exchange for $1 or $5 bills. <S> I run into this all the time when trying to pay for parking. <S> Also, retailers have the right to refuse to accept payment in "burdensome" quantities of small coins. <S> No, you should not pay for a cheeseburger with 600 pennies. <S> In fact, many places will only accept coins if you are paying in exact change. <S> People hate pennies. <S> They are damaging our economy, it costs 2.5 cents to make a 1 cent penny. <S> We only manufacture them still because of Zinc lobbyists and Lincoln fans. <S> Apple/Google Pay are quickly becoming widely accepted as forms of payment but you should always ask before accepting a service. <S> In the US, you will often be offered services before you pay. <S> This confuses many tourist who end up getting in trouble once they have consumed a product or service not realizing their method of payment will not be accepted. <S> An example is ordering street food without realizing they are expecting cash only. <S> You probably won't get into any serious trouble but you'll likely get harassed or belittled.
| Almost any major chain retailer will break a $100 for a small transaction.
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May I get off in an intermediate city of my route during transfer? I want to go from Panamá to Turkey. There're direct flights of Turkish Airlines that are expensive. And there're flights Panamá -> Istambul -> Baku there're cheaper 2 times of the same airline. The transfer in Istambul takes 6 hours. Will it be a violation if I buy a ticket Panamá -> Istambul -> Baku and leave in Istambul? <Q> What you're describing is called "Hidden City Ticketing", where Istanbul is the "hidden" city between the others, but is the one that you're actually planning to travel to. <S> Rather than repeating myself, I'd suggest reading through this blog post <S> I wrote on this very subject that covers most of the details. <A> If you buy the ticket single-trip, then sure, you may get off at the intermediate stop. <S> If your ticket is return, however, typically if you miss one section then all of your subsequent journey sections on that ticket will be cancelled. <S> So, you still can do that, but you won't be able to get back from Istanbul. <A> Nobody will stop you from getting off in Istanbul. <S> However, If you check any luggage, it will probably be checked direct to Baku and you won't be able to retrieve it in Istanbul. <S> Turkish Airlines is free to rebook you on a different trip to Baku that may not go through Istanbul if weather, maintenance, or scheduling issues require them to cancel or redirect your flight. <S> If you bought multiple flights on the same ticket (i.e. a round trip), Turkish Airlines will probably cancel the rest of the ticket after you get off in Istanbul. <S> This is almost certainly against the airline's rules, and they might ban you from flying with them if you do it too often. <S> Since Baku is in a different country than Istanbul, you will need either a visa or a visa-free passport for Azerbaijan or you will not be allowed to board your initial flight to Istanbul. <S> Thus, while doable, it is risky, and if something goes wrong the airline is not required to get you to Istanbul (only to Baku).
| Hidden City Ticketing is generally not allowed under the rules of the airline, and there can be a number of traps to planning a hidden city trip (the most common two being checked luggage and return tickets), but many people do make use of it as a way of obtaining cheaper tickets. No one can stop you from doing that.
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Co-ordinating a return and one-way ticket I need to fly domestically in the US from A -> B -> A on a return ticket and in the process meet-up with someone who will fly B -> A on a one-way ticket. (Note that this will involve a layover somewhere as there is no single B -> A direct flight) Is it possible to use any of the online booking sites to do this and be able to co-ordinate the B -> A leg to ensure that we are routed through the same layover city (and sit together)? Or will I need to book directly via the airline? <Q> However by law all US airlines must allow you to either cancel a ticket up to 24 hours after purchase for a full refund, OR hold a ticket for up to 24 hours before purchasing it. <S> (Most airlines do the former, but they are allowed do one or the other). <S> Thus your best option will be to buy one of the tickets, and then buy the second immediately afterwards. <S> If for some reason you are not able to purchase the second (such as if the tickets are sold out after your first purchase) then you have the option of canceling the first ticket for a full refund. <S> The resulting two tickets will not be linked, but that won't have any real impact. <S> You will still be able to select seats together, board together, etc. <A> I am not aware of any carrier, online booking site, or aggregator that will book a single reservation for two travelers with non-identical itineraries. <S> Thus, two separate reservations will be needed. <S> There are two ways to approach getting adjacent seats with separate itineraries. <S> The first is for one of the travelers to make both reservations, one immediately after the other. <S> First, select a seat on the B > <S> A flight with an adjacent empty seat. <S> Then, when booking the second itinerary for the other travelers, select that adjacent seat. <S> This could be done either through an online portal or aggregator, or directly through the airline. <S> Sometimes unsold seats are shown as "unavailable" because they've been allocated by the carrier to its code-share partners. <S> The best shot to secure adjacent seats is by booking both itineraries at the same time with the same portal, or aggregator, or code-share partner, or carrier. <S> A second tactic is to buy separately, but in coordination. <S> My wife and I have successfully done this many times. <S> We sit at adjacent desks in our home office (and have also done it by phone or message when we're apart), book concurrently using the same source, select adjacent seats, and press "buy" at the same time. <A> One option would be to book a single ticket A-BThen book a two person ticket from B-AThis would, of course remove any return fair discount, it applicable.
| It is not possible to book both tickets with different routes "together".
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Denied boarding apparently covered up as a delayed flight Last year, with famous EU company L, I had a trip A -> B -> C, with A a US city and B and C EU cities. First flight was at 5:00pm. Connection time in B was 3h. More than 3500 km between A and B. The morning of my departure, I got a text message from L telling me that my flight was postponed until 12:15am (so a 7h15m delay!), because of a technical problem. As I was sure to miss the connection in B, I called L. The guy on the phone tells me that I'll get a new flight to C when I'm in B. I refuse, saying it's too risky and I want to address this now. Ultimately, he proposes a trip A->D->C (with D another EU city) departing at 8:00pm and arriving 5h late in C (w.r.t. my original trip). I agreed to this. But then I arrived early at A airport, at 5:00pm actually. Guess what I saw through the window: my original aircraft A->B was here and was precisely leaving on time! The L ground staff told me there was no problem on this aircraft or flight. I took pictures of the plane and also snapshots of the text messages. A couple of weeks later, I contacted L and asked for a compensation. In my view, this was a denied boarding covered up as a delayed flight. They never answered to this but, after some insistence (and threatening of telling the Civil Aircraft Agency in my EU country), gave me 300 EUR. I was asking for 600 EUR as I thought it was denied boarding. L only spoke on the phone and never made a written commitment or answer to my mails. My questions: Am I justified in thinking that a company could cover up a denied boarding as a delayed flight? Do you think I could have gotten 600 EUR, and if so, how then? What behavior would you advise if this happened again? EDIT: There was only one company, L, I made a typo when I erote F. Fixed now. <Q> TLDR: <S> You were lucky to get your 300 Euros. <S> Here's what probably happened. ' <S> Olorin' discovered a problem and thought they might have to delay your flight. <S> They sent out a notice warning all passengers about this, as per good customer relations practice. <S> (People hate being told about problems at the last minute). <S> You respond to this by calling the airline, who suggest you wait and sort it out later, but you decide you want to get yourself booked on a different flight. <S> Which they do. <S> Meanwhile the airline has also been working hard to see if they can fix the problem, and sometime during the day they do. <S> The flight goes back to its normal time, and they notify all passengers about it. <S> Unfortunately for you, you are no longer booked on that flight, so you don't get told. <S> Instead you fly out on the flight that you specifically asked to be put on (against the advice of the airline). <S> Unless you were the only person told that the flight was going to be late, <S> which I'm pretty certain wasn't the case. <S> You were lucky to get your 300 EUR, which the airline probably gave you because you were clearly annoyed and they prefer happy customers, not because you deserved it. <S> You have no chance of getting 600EUR. <S> In the future, don't switch flights immediately, and if you do, maybe call the airline a few times to check the status of the delayed flight. <A> So, a 7:15 delay is specific enough that my presumption would be a crew time issue initially. <S> Somehow, they manged to rectify this and staff the original flight. <S> However, since you voluntarily rescheduled the flight, you were no longer delayed, presuming the A-D-C itinerary operated on time. <S> Pro Tip: <S> Un-delaying a flight is quite rare, but it happens. <S> I never push for re-accommodation unless there's a guaranteed new arrival time. <S> The 300 EUR was probably just hush money to not even file a complaint, despite the likely hood of it not being successful. <A> Why does it matter that your first flight actually flew on time? <S> It is entirely irrelevant to your compensation claim. <S> The relevant sequence of events is: <S> You were booked for departure at 5 PM. <S> You were told that the departure was delayed by over seven hours, meaning that you would miss your connection. <S> You asked for and were booked on an alternative itinerary arriving five hours late. <S> As far as you were concerned, your flight was delayed. <S> You were certainly not denied boarding. <S> Your right to compensation should be the same as it would be if the original flight had in fact departed at 12:15 AM.
| To answer your question: There is no indication that you were 'denied boarding'.
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How to post a picture card? Summary:Recently went on a road trip to Adelaide, bought one of these picture postcards to send to someone. Question: This is the first time I'm sending one of these so sorry if it's a stupid question, but how do you send this? Do i need an envelope or can i stick a stamp somewhere (cant find where) . And where can I write a message? Edit: Just an update ,Australia does not provide special postage stamps for picture cards, it costs same as a normal letter. I've sent the card, thanks. <Q> On the reverse of the card there is a blank area to the left: your message goes here. <S> The address goes in the lined area to the right. <S> The stamp goes in the top right corner above the address. <S> Some cards have a rectangle printed there to indicate the right place. <S> Your card has a barcode printed there: just stick your stamp(s) over it. <A> A picture is worth a thousand words: <S> If sending within the same country, you can omit the country name in the address. <S> When sending to a different country, you can write the address (except the "Country" part) in the destination country language. <S> To address the "Country" controversy that ensued in comments, I offer these guidelines from none other but Australia Post themselves, which only mention country in the context of international mail: <S> The last line should contain the place name or post office of delivery, state or territory abbreviation and postcode. <S> This line should be printed in capitals without punctuation or underlining, with the postcode put last For international mail, the country name should be in capitals on the bottom line <A> Postcards are for direct mailing and often enjoy a lower postage rate than envelopes. <S> They are more vulnerable to damage and marking, but that, and the stamps and cancellation, may add to the charm. <S> The stamp goes in the upper right. <S> It must be on the same side as the address . <S> This, and some fluorescent dye on the stamp, is used by the sorting machines to face <S> (orient) <S> the mail piece <S> , so the machine can OCR-read the address, which can succeed if you print neatly. <S> This will greatly speed up processing . <S> In the US at least, postcards are First Class aka Priority Mail. <S> And will be handled at that speed, except for the handwriting issue. <S> This is not obvious, but they put their ugly barcode exactly where the stamp must go. <S> This is to not waste space and to help hide the barcode. <S> The local post office may be able to advise which stamp or combination of stamps will fully cover it. <S> Nothing more romantic than a jumble of mixed foreign stamps, you might even do that gratuitously! <S> To move internationally, certain specific stamps may be required. <S> Extras / overpaying postage is harmless on postcards, but don't do it on packages. <S> The address goes on the provided lines. <S> If there are two sets of lines, the lower or right one is for the main address. <S> The return address should be smaller, above, and if possible to the left. <S> The return address is meant to be the sender's, but who would know? <S> If you hand walk it into a post office, some clerks will cheerfully cancel it "old school" for the classic look.
| You don't need an envelope - these cards are intended to be sent as is.
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Does a 14 day visa for Dubai start on date of issue or date of arrival? I just got a Dubai visa but I am confused. The visa was issued on the 3rd of February and expires on the 16th of February. I am travelling on the 12th of February. Does the 14 days visa start reading when I get there or do I have to leave before the 16th? <Q> From what I understand, there are two different limits: the duration of validity, which starts on the day of issue, and limits when you can enter the country the duration of stay, which starts on the day of entry, and limits how long you can stay. <S> Confusingly, service visas have the same 14-day duration for both (but other types of visas often have different durations). <S> As far as I understand it, you can arrive within 14 days of the date of issue, and stay 14 days from the date of entry. <S> However this is not made very explicit on any of the government sites I have seen, so you may want to inquire with whomever issued that visa for you for confirmation. <A> From the information you’ve given it looks like you have a Short Term Visit Single Entry – Service visa. <S> So you have to leave by 16th. <S> http://www.dubaivisa.net/uae/duration14days.html <A> You are allowed to stay only for the duration of the validity which in your case is 16th Feb. <S> The visa is not linked to your days of travel. <S> So it doesn't matter when you arrive there <S> you have to leave Dubai by 16th Feb <A> I think @jcaron is right here. <S> That said, if this is a visa (Not a permit to remain in the country) issued outside of the country, then in most case expire date means the day the visa becomes invalid, thus you have to use it on or before that day. <S> On arrival (Port of Entry) the immigration office determines how long you stay for the visit, if it wasn't explicitly stated on the visa. <S> This is different for country to country as well. <S> Some country have fixed time for everyone, some have time based on the country of citizenship, while others it the officer that determines based on but not limited to the following criteria;*country of citizenship*purpose of visit*general demeanor*date on return ticket. <S> That said, I if we see a sample of the visa could give us more light into this matter. <S> I hope that helps, cheers.
| This visa is non-extendable, valid for 14 days from the date of issue.
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UAE visa "place of issue" concerns I will be travelling to Dubai from USA in a few days. I am an Indian citizen but I work in USA on the work visa. I recently got my UAE visa done online using an Indian travel agency. The place of issue on my visa says "Mumbai" since that is where the travel agency is based, but I have not physically been to Mumbai to get the visa done (its just an online visa). Should I be concerned about any problems at Dubai immigration because of the place of issue on my visa document? <Q> UAE will be completely uninterested in that. <S> (How would they know you've never been to Mumbai, anyway?). <A> While you never went to Mumbai, the agent who issued your visa never left Mumbai (at least not for issuing your visa). <S> In times of telecommunications, it is perfectly possible for the issuing to take place at a different place than where you are, in particular if there is no such thing as a mandatory "face check" in the process. <S> And it can be assumed that the UAE are aware of this technology. <A> This would be no different from applying for a visa from a country where there is no consulate or embassy. <S> The application is then handled through a consulate or embassy in another country by mail, and they're the one issuing the document. <S> They want the place of issue mentioned <S> so it's easier for them to contact that specific office in case they need more information during the customs process, which means less inconvenience for everyone involved (including you, as it may affect your time waiting), not to make your life harder. <A> The place of issue is about the passport/visa, not about you. <S> It is normal to have a different place of issue. <S> But the place of issue is important to verify the visa/passport: it tells which authority has delivered it, so it is easier to check in case of problem (or unreadable parts). <S> This was important on past, where someone should check in archives the documents (one do not want to call all embassies and authorities to know about visa [or getting from central authority based on the number, the issuer]). <S> Now that all is centralized in a database, there is less need of such data. <S> Note: it helps also for plausibility: if the issuer of visa is far away (maybe a now closed embassy) or from a place where falsified document are common, an extra check is done.
| There is no concern about place of issue for your visa.
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How much time needed for connecting flight at Schiphol - separate tickets I am traveling from NYC to AMS on Delta. Flight is scheduled to arrive (if on time) at 5:55 AM. Is it feasible to catch an Easy Jet flight to Berlin at 9:10 AM? There's a KLM flight at 9:50 AM or 12:30 PM which would give more of a buffer but at a higher price. I've never been to Schiphol and was wondering what would work best. Thanks in advance! <Q> I have done transatlantic flights continued within Europe with a low cost flight more times than I would want to count. <S> My advice is, if you are doing such for the first time: plan on being on next plane . <S> I can't tell when that is because currently Delta has flights arriving at 6:50am, 9:10am, 10:40am <S> but I can't see any at 5:55AM. <S> You should research the day when you are flying and plan accordingly. <S> About 3-3.5 hours is safe at Amsterdam for such a connection: one hour to deplane and get through immigration, one hour to get through check in and security and one hour because it's Schiphol. <S> If you end up with a long layover, Schiphol has a Yotel airside so you can get a shower and a quick shut eye. <A> The immigration queues for transit can get very, very long; as almost all external flights land in the same morning rush hour period. <S> Even if you land at AMS (ie, go through immigration for arrivals) <S> the queues there are also notorious. <S> Depending on where your plane is parked, it may take a while to get to immigration itself. <S> Next headache would be to exit, and then check-in again for the Berlin flight. <S> Once you make it to the arrivals mall area, a brisk walk will take you to departures, but then you have to deal with the queues there again. <S> Did I mention the security queues? <S> As you'll have to go through security screening again. <S> Once you get past all that and get a sip of water, you'll have to rush to your gate. <S> Schiphol requires a lot of walking. <S> In short, if you wear your running shoes, have no luggage, and are very lucky you may be able to make the connection. <S> Schiphol is not a bad place to spend some time. <S> The food establishments are great, and then there is the amazing clock . <A> I live in Amsterdam and use Schiphol as the main airport. <S> In my opinion, Schiphol is one of the most organised and easy to follow signs airport. <S> However, it is quite big. <S> I would say 3 hours is really enough for me, however, I know main passengers' paths <S> and I'm a tall man to walk quickly. <S> So if you have a heavy bag, you sit at the end of the plain, you have children that slow you down, you have a nationality that might slow down you at the immigration, you plain is delayed then you might have small delays that in sum will make it hard to be on time. <S> So if I would you, I book this flight and I will study before the mapping of the Schiphol to mentally prepare yourself with the route. <S> And when you're here, just try to keep in mind that you should be there and don't worry much that you will miss. <S> And you can always ask for help airport service for route confirmation or ask people in the security queue to pass you in front because of the shortened connection.
| Personally, I would plan on the 12:30 flight as I would want to get something to eat and take some time to relax after the long flight in. From my experience through Schiphol; it is too tight of a connection and I would not risk it, here's why: There are frequent delays at Schiphol (due to weather).
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What is a "fare component" when buying an airline ticket? In the terms and conditions for an airline ticket, I have encountered this: Cancellations rules apply per fare component. When combining fares charge the sum of the cancellation penalties of all cancelled fare components. The ticket involves two legs, one directly on the airline, and the next leg is on a code share airline. I'm trying to find out how much it would cost to cancel this ticket, but I'm not sure if there is one or two "fare components" in the ticket. Specifically, this is a one-way ticket from Lisbon, Portugal to Charlotte, NC on Air Portugal (book.flytap.com). <Q> That's a rather odd fare condition - at least for a non-LCC (low cost carrier) airline. <S> Normally change fees will be charged per ticket/booking, not per fare component. <S> To make it worse, TAP's website doesn't seem to actually show the fare components when you make a booking. <S> The best option is likely to use Google's ITA Matrix search tool . <S> When using this tool, after selecting the flights, it will show the "fare breakdown" for the flight, which will include details of the airfares, followed by any taxes/fees/etc. <S> If there is only one fare component being used, then it will only show one "fare" line, and this will cover the entire trip (eg, LIS to CLT) : <S> If there's more than one fare component being used, it will show these individually, including details of where each component covers. <S> eg, in this case there's one fare from LIS to LAS, and then a second fare from LAS to LAX : <A> The fare component is a specific fare for transportation between two cities together with the flights on the ticket that make up the journey between those cities. <S> It is the most basic unit of ticket construction. <S> Every component consists of exactly one fare and at least one flight. <S> The same fare can be used multiple times on a ticket as part of different components. <S> Each of the flights on the component is said to be covered by the associated fare. <S> Fare components can be interrupted by other components in the case of side trips , but components do not interleave one another. <S> A component may also include one or more surface sectors, which are gaps between cities, the travel between which is not provided by the ticket. <S> One or more consecutive fare components make up a pricing unit (sometimes priceable unit ). <S> Each fare component belongs to exactly one pricing unit. <S> The most common pricing units are round trips and one way journeys , but there are a few others such as circle trips and open jaws. <S> Pricing units are set patterns, like the round trip; you cannot necessarily take a bunch of fare components and make that into a pricing unit. <S> A round trip consists of two components; one outbound and one return. <S> The fare for each component is the same. <S> If different fares were used for the outbound and return, formally this is a two-component circle trip and not a round trip. <S> Finally, the ticket consists of at least one and at most sixteen pricing units. <S> So the morphology is <S> Ticket consists of pricing units Pricing units consist of fare components <S> Fare components consist of flights + a fare <A> Tariff component (TK) is a segment of a transportation route between points of a route, for estimating the cost of which the OW tariff or half of the tariff RT can be applied (a segment of the route between two successive tariff building points).
| Every flight on the ticket is part of exactly one fare component.
|
Is it safe to roam with girlfriend in India on February 14? Many videos and news articles of the past says that couples who roam freely on Valentine's Day, are subjected to moral policing and the media will cover such incidents, which leads to public insult. My places of interest are from north Indian states Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Roaming freely in the sense of going to hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, walking on roads, movies, staying in a hotel, park etc., Is it safe to roam in India with my girlfriend and is there any way to bypass those issues? Note: This question has been asked in the male perspective. <Q> Be cautious. <S> Let me address the situations one by one. <S> Going to restaurant <S> - Safe Shopping Mall <S> - Safe <S> Walking on roads - <S> Movies - Safe, Stick to multiplexes. <S> Park - Can be unsafe. <S> Strictly abstain from PDAs, parks can be targets for hooligans <S> Hotel stay <S> - Depends, On higher end hotels, its not an issue. <S> Or stay with couple friendly rooms. <S> Most other smaller hotels outright rejects unmarried couples. <S> Take extra cautious and escape if such hooligans appears. <S> Don't hesitate to call police on them. <S> Sometimes, police can also get to moral policing like calling your parents, even if you are an adult. <A> In India, PDA (again, that means Public Display of Affection) is generally considered inappropriate, at least a lot more than in the US or in Europe. <S> That includes kissing, hugging, sometimes holding hands while walking or over the table, or stuff like grinding). <S> This is little related to Feb/14, but applies all year. <S> Couples walk all the time, talk, smile, laugh, and nobody cares, and larger cities tend to accept a bit of kissing also, unless it becomes serious making out. <S> Note that in many Indian cultures, it is not uncommon for men to hold hands with other men when walking, and that does not imply a homosexual relationship as in the western world, just good friendship. <S> Of course, women touch each other too all on the time, with the same meaning - just good friends. <S> It is generally a good idea to learn and understand the culture of the country you visit, and maybe adjust behavior to show respect for it. <S> So just leave the kissing part out when you are in India in public. <A> Adding to everybody's advice of no "Public Display of Affection" (PDA's), I think it's pretty safe to "just" roam around. <S> I mean what could be the harm? <S> Yes I know around this time of the year, we have "Bajrang Dal"(groups of people who search for lovers and beat them up if they are found doing PDAs) memes here in India but <S> the ground reality is too many talk about joining such groups but most of them rarely actually do. <S> Maybe they are busy with their own loved ones. <S> I have never heard of any couple getting beaten down this way. <S> Ending with a little bit of my own experience, few years back I "roamed" around with a girl the whole Valentines week(in Delhi), and all went pretty well.
| Mostly Safe, refrain from PDAs (Public Displays of Affection) Although the law is on your side, the people engaging in moral policing is on rise in these days, especially northern India. Law is completely on your side, use it.
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Rolling shirts in a bundle VS laying them flat while packing? I am using 40/45 liter backpacks with front-loading. What I did so far was the following: I put 2-3 shirt and sweaters, fold vertically and then roll. Then I stuff such rolled batches next to each other in the backpack. I wonder why is this more efficient than just laying my clothes flat on top of each other? <Q> Depends what you mean by efficient. <S> I don't think it is more space efficient. <S> It will result in fewer creases, but is likely to take more space than folding to fit your rucksack. <S> It could well be more time efficient, as you can access daily clothing more easily without having to empty your rucksack. <A> Because rolling squeezes some air out. <S> One of the reasons packing cubes can also be very efficient because if you pack it very tight then the cube does the squeezing. <S> Eagle Creek has packing cubes with an added zipper for more squeezing. <S> For extreme results you could use a space bag. <S> I tried to use the roll up ones, some people report success <S> but I didn't quite like the results. <S> I hope this is not going to be taken as spam -- here are the results of the new Aroo travel vacuum on one of my pillows, the other included for comparison <A> I do this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtCH6KLdfBs (without the toiletries) for a "one day pack": underwear and shirt. <S> The socks keep the rest of the cloth in compression, so there is less air squeezing required.
| It' time efficient (quick to grab a new one each day) and space efficient, if you size the rolls to your luggage.
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Which airport will I land at in Iceland if my ticket says "Reykjavik Keflavik Internationl Apt."? I have booked my flight from London to Iceland. The flight ticket says London Heathrow Apt - Reykjavik Keflavik Internationl Apt. I checked on Google Maps; it shows Reykjavik Domestic, Reykjavik International, and Keflavik International - all three as different airports (although the first two are very close or probably the same, whereas Keflavik one is far from the other two; about 41 mins drive according to Google Maps). Now I need to hire a car from the airport. Which airport should I request car hire from? <Q> Google was wrong. <S> There are two airports "in" Reykjavík: Reykjavík Airport , which is close to town and serves only domestic destinations and Greenland, and Keflavík International Airport , a.k.a. Reykjavík–Keflavík, which is 50km to the west and which has all the international flights. <S> At the time when the question was posted, if you searched Google Maps for "Reykjavik International Airport", it incorrectly marked a spot within Reykjavík [domestic] airport and labelled it "Reykjavik International Airport". <S> That map search now takes you to Keflavík International Airport. <S> In all cases, the way to be sure which airport you're going to is to look at the IATA code, which is a three-letter code that will appear in your booking confirmation and on your boarding pass. <S> Reykjavík Airport is RKV; Keflavík is KEF. <A> You will be arriving at Keflavik (KEF), which is a 40-ish minute drive outside Reykjavik. <S> Keflavik is now the main airport for Reykjavik, and all the car hire agencies have a presence there. <A> If you are travelling from London, then you are going to land on the International airport not the domestic one. <S> This would be KEF and is approx. <S> 30 miles (49.5 km) away from Reykjavík. <S> In terms of transportation, you can always hire a car on arrival, the rates aren't high and is economical too.
| There is no such thing as "Reykjavik International Airport".
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