I thought I'd ask around here as I'm planning a trip round France, Germany, and possibly Poland and Slovenia as well...

How doable is it to travel round western (and parts of eastern) europe without a passport using other formal ID like a driving licence instead?

I plan on renewing my passport before I leave anyway, but just in case it's not doable in time (and UK passports cost a LOT!) I'd like to know the other options.

Thanks in advance!
~CalonDdraig

hi...

normally you won't be asked for an passport when crossing borders, also in Eastern Europe as most of the countries now belong to the European Community. but you need at least an ID Card (not a simple a driving license) for the following reasons:

(1) when checking in a hostel, they often want to see your passport/ID card

(2) in some countries (for example Germany) you need your ID card with you as adult to control if you are the person on the passport - be sure you won't be controlled, but in the case it will, you have a problem.

(3) the most important reason: your InterRail ticket is a personal ticket. your name AND passport/ID card number is printed on it.
so you need a passport, because when the train staff control your ticket, you sometimes have to show your passport/ID card as well!


have fun,
Peter

Hi there,

I've never heard of people being able to go through UK passport control with a driving licence instead of a passport and I just found some information that I think you should be aware of. This is from Easyjet's site:

"Before you travel abroad you must hold a valid passport, even for a day trip. Make sure you apply leaving plenty of time before you’re due to travel."

I think moving around internationally when inside the Continental EU is easier but getting in and out of the UK is a different matter.

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck.


iaink

CalonDdraig wrote:I thought I'd ask around here as I'm planning a theretrip round France, Germany, and possibly Poland and Slovenia as well...

How doable is it to travel round western (and parts of eastern) europe without a passport using other formal ID like a driving licence instead?

I plan on renewing my passport before I leave anyway, but just in case it's not doable in time (and UK passports cost a LOT!) I'd like to know the other options.

Thanks in advance!
~CalonDdraig

When passing borders in Eastern Europe (e.g. Greece/Turkey, Turkey/Bulgaria, Bulgaria/Romania...) police officers will enter the train (or, the slighty more exciting version, make you leave the train and stand in line) and check your passport. We never tried just showing an other type of ID, but I would'nt count on it being succesful. Also, many hotels want your passport while you're there.

Never risk travelling without a valid passport of ID card. I am a Dutch national residing in the UK, I once lost my passport and wanted to cross the french/uk border at calais and i was detainded by french immigration police for more then 12 hours. Trust me u don't want to be there in a dirty police cell, horrible police officers that don't speak english and rubbish food. Make sure all your documentation is in order before u leave.

I was wondering this as well. I'm from Portugal, I'm travelling to UK, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Spain. Do I need a passport or is another form of ID ok?

You certainly need a Passport for the UK, since were not in Schengen (well, sort of). Also, I doubt the Czech Republic is a Schengen country

When travelling inside Schengen area (I believe all EU countries are now in Schengen area) you need a passport or ID card. I am certain ID card is enough to enter UK when coming from EU, even if you fly in. And Czech Republic IS Schengen country.

Well, I got my passport anyway. Stupid thing cost more than my ticket to London... I guess I'll have to do some more travelling to make up for it...

My bad, national identity cards are accepted, its kinda hidden away here:
ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/

surprises me as we are not really in schengen

Though "British passport holders do require their passport with them when travelling on journeys to/from/within Europe/the EU." is from the BA website, which is what confused me somewhat. I assume it is the same for non UK passport holders coming in

The UK and Ireland are definately no Schengen countries so you always need to show your passport at the border (ferry terminal, channel tunnel, eurostar, airport). As the UK have no official ID cards, as a British citizen you always need your passport.

EU members with a valid ID card scheme can however enter the UK with their respective ID card eg a Dutch national can travel from/to the UK with a ID card. Non EU nationals always need a passport. However I recommend if you live in a Schengen country and travel between them always take at least your ID with you, sometimes border officials carry out spot checks, in the Netherlands they call them identity checks.

Hy. I will travel from venezia ( italy) to Sofia ( Bulgari) , i will pass throught serbia but only by train, i have to take passport with me?
thx

Yes

Stupid question...but do I need passport to buy an interrail one country pass or is the ID card enough?

Hi!

ID card is enough to purchase the pass. But you may need your passport during your trip, depending on where you are going to.


Flo

Hi everybody!!if anybody can help me I would be reaaaally happy..the case is that I'm Argentinian and Swiss,I have both passport and by now I've been leaving in Switzerland for 6 months.I want to buy the Interrail global pass for 15 days,the problem is that my Swiss passport has already expired.Can I buy it anyway? If the passport is just needed to demonstrate that I'm the pass holder and that I'm an EU citizen is ok to buy the interrail ticket,isnt it? In case that police ask me for papers I would be able to show the Argentinian passport.. Would that be ok?? I could buy the eurail but is much more expensive and it doesnt cover the same countries as Interrail!
ANY HELP WILL BE GREATFULLED!!!

Hi!

Well...officially your Swiss passport has to be valid when you use it for buying an InterRail pass and travel with it. But if you have been living more than six months in Switzerland and can prove this by some (valid ) documents you can also use your Argentinian passport to buy your InterRail pass.
So your InterRail pass would look like this:
Passport Nr: of your argentinian passport
Country of residence: Switzerland

Border controls dont check your tickets, they only want to see a valid passport in case of a control. But I wouldnt recommend using an outdated passport for purchasing an InterRail pass in case that you are checked by an attentive conductor.


Flo

Thanks for the quick answer!!! This forum is really great
The matter is that as I'm a swiss citizen living in switzerland (as any other)they just give me a paper that says that I've get the residence in here,it doesn't say since when!
There would be a problem if I buy my Interrail with my Argentinian Passport but with residence in Switz(as you suggest) and traveling with my Argentinian Passport,My Swiss passport(that has expired) and that paper that says that I'm living in here but not since when?!
I guess there wouldnt be any problem as I'm also a Swiss citizen even if my passport is not valid! or would be?
THANKS A LOTTT!!!

OK, two options for now:

1: Using your outdated Swiss passport for buying the ticket and showing the conductor, using your valid Argentinian passport for border controls
2: Using your valid Argentinian passport for buying the ticket and border controls, showing the residency paper without date to the conductor to prove your Swiss residency

So, you are definitely fine with border controls, only thing to worry are conductors who check your ticket and passport thouroughly. In my experience, about 1 out of 10 conductors check the passport/id together with the InterRail ticket itself...
I'd say, you could have arguments with a conductor either way...but you should be able to explain your situation - as long as the conductor can understand you.

Have you thought about renewing your Swiss passport? Or is there any kind of other ID existant in Switzerland that you could easily get as a Swiss resident - because you dont neccessarily have to use your passport to get the InterRail ticket.

THANKS A LOT FLOW!!!!
Tomorrow (as its laborable day) I'll remove heaven and earth trying to get my updated swiss passport so that I can travel in peace,or any other paper with some "weight" that confirms my residency...
Thanks you and Peter for the AMAZING work you do in here!!

hi peter

a night train stopped and searched at the border of Croatia and Slovenia by the police, please help
Good day

Hi Toni.
I don't understand what you want to tell?
Peter

Dear Peter

the border of Croatia, Slovenia, the train is controlled by border police, yes and no.

qao qao toni

There is no general answer:
as you can be controlled at borders even between France and Germany - travelling in between of two Schengen countries.
Do you want to know if you can travel with your nationality to Croatia and Slovenia?

Hi everyone, here is the question.

I have got Cypruss passport which is about to expire in 10 days, and Cypruss ID. I have to go to a Country that has a Cypriot embassy to extend my passport for later, which is because I live in Turkey and there is no Cypriot Embassy in this country.

If I cannot travel within 10 days to a country (Such as UK - London, France - Paris..) to extend my passport, is it possible to travel after passport is expired, and enter the EU country (England for example) using the ID at the airport ? Do they let me in with the ID?

P.S. Cypriot citizens are given rights in UK as UK citizens (also the Indians have the same rights with English people). Does this matter ?

Thanks and regards.

NO since a few years'thanks those terrorists agian'you MUST have a VALID passport or ID at all times. it used to be that passprts were accepted even when expired for a few monthes ONLY in the Eu and ONLY by EU nationals, but this is withdrawn. I have no solution for your problem. It is much better to ask thse things at an embassy or consul of your country or in some forum that is more specialised in these matters.

and here are the rules for travel IN the EU for those holding an EU or EFTA =incl. also NO, CH, IC:
to travel IN thse countries you MUST have a valid ID, this can be either a passport or an official ID card- IF your country issued those. SOME nearby countries to the EU also accept an ID card and not a full passprt, but this is often very restricted.
The SCHENGEN zone is NOT identical to the EU, as IE+UK are not in and NO and CH are. Even though they say that alll border checks are withdrawn, this is NOT true- there will still be occasional random checks. It is again high time that these Brits learn what this all is, their general knowledge about EU-mattersis really appalling low, most EU sstudents learbn that at lyceum and high school

So I have got a valid ID card of Republic of Cyprus; Cyprus is a EU country but non-Shengen. Can I enter France with the valid Cyprus ID card ??

I have found the documents for the explanations thanks.

Required documents for necessary countries.

register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st15/st15010.en06.pdf

and

www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/tim_website_client.cgi?SpecData=1&VISA=&page=visa&NA=CY&AR=00&PASSTYPES=PASS&DE=FR&user=DL&subuser=DELTAB2C

Hi,

this summer i want from the Netherlands to Istanbul through Belgium, France, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria.
I am only 16 years old, so I am not allowed to travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina without a legal permission letter, so i skipped that out my planning.
My question is: Am i allowed to travel through Croatia and Serbia without my parents, and will they accept my Dutch ID card? or do I need a passport?