BootsnAll Travel Community

If you are traveling by train through different European countries (crossing borders) is there an Immigration/Passport check at each border? I ask because I'll be traveling through about 8 countries by train this summer and I love collecting stamps in my passport! I have a US passport.

I believe not if you are traveling within the EU.

When I first traveled, pre-EU, I didn't even get stamped while on the train. It was a bummer, but that's how they did it.

What boarders will you be crossing? Stamps on trains are fairly unusual in western Europe, outside of EuroStar's UK<-->France/Belgium services. There are no immigration folks for Schengen Agreement countries. And where you do meet an official, a stamp is somewhat unusual, depending

Not so much and it depends what border you are crossing. I remember it happening more in eastern Europe countries and on overnight trains. I do remember being awoken a few times by border guards. My experiences have always been good, although I have heard some stories

I got 6 going from Sarajevo to Budapest. Everytime you're about to successfully fall asleep there appears someone to check your passport. If you're in Eastern Europe you'll get tons. The last time I went to Europe I didn't get any....not even at the airport! boo



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Well, since Schengen expanded last year, there's even fewer borders to get stamps at, even in eastern Europe. But mode of transit doesn't matter, they just don't stamp at internal borders, and will rarely check passports at all.

External borders and non-Schengen countries will still stamp you on the train. I have many acquired this way.

I think you can ask if you feel like you're dealing with an especially friendly passport-checker - I know people who have gotten stamps they otherwise wouldn't because they asked for them specifically - but if they're busy or surly, that's probably not going to win you any friends.

If we are talking about the itinerary you describe in that other thread, and have London-Copenhagen and Zürich-London flights, then you can expect only two stamps: Copenhagen inbound and London inbound. The rest are either Schengen (DK, NL, B, D, L) or so darn close to joining that they don't bother stamping (CH, FL).