A Traveler Looks at the European Traveling Puzzle

An odd thing:  The stars only represent a circle, or unity

Ready, set…Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the European puzzle that travelers need to know: the European Union, the Schengen Agreement (down came the borders) and the Euro (common currency).  And you thought everything was bundled into the E.U.  Oh, how wrong you are.  

I said ‘thumbnail’ and I meant it.  Don’t expect a diatribe wallowing in the worm bucket of political problems, or a digression to the beginnings of the search for European unity, or a creep forward with inane facts, until even thoughts of sex and alcohol won’t keep you from yelling at the wife and kicking the dog.  Want to know the history and all that?  Lots of books, plus Google.  Help yourselves.

I’ll put the tangled web of “whereas and wherefore” behind me and focus on what travelers need to know about the European Union, borders, and money. 

Yes, when first entering the E.U. you’ll have to have your passport stamped and even tiny, innocent children must have their own passports.  You’ll see a division at the Customs and Passport desks.  One sign will say Citizens of the E.U. and another will say Other Swine.  Just kidding about the swine, but there will be two sections.

Ok, you got through passports. Now let’s tackle the European Union. The E.U. is essentially a political and economic zone, neither of which a tourist needs to care a fig about.  Member states have their own militaries (if they have militaries), their own governments, and many of their own laws, but much legal power has been given over to the European Parliament.

But just so you won’t feel ignorant, what’s left?  Trade agreements, open borders, and the Euro. Today, there are 28 members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Note:  Wasn’t Brexit the end of the United Kingdom’s membership?  Not yet.  Takes years and massive brokering of trade and travel agreements to enter or exit European Union membership.

Now let’s get to the heart of travel: borders and money. The Schengen Agreement (1995) tore down borders between  many E.U. members.  Some non-members also signed Schengen.  The Swiss are a good example.  When visiting Switzerland you can cross the Swiss border without showing your passport.  Other states, such as Norway, Iceland, The Vatican, San Marino, Liechtenstein, and Andorra also have open borders.

Six E.U. countries didn’t sign:  Cyprus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Romania, the UK, so have your passport ready.

Here’s a map that may help.

The third part of the European puzzle is the Euro.  Those countries that use the Euro as their currency are commonly referred to as The Euro Zone.  That means all the members of the E.U., right?  Not quite.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the UK don’t use the Euro.  They’re all E.U. members, but kept their own currencies. So if you visit those countries you’ll have to change money, or better yet, use your credit card.  Also ATMs are all over.

But today’s Europe is a lot more convenient than it was when you carried a gunnysack of French Francs, Germany Deutschmarks, Italian Lira, and Spanish Pesetas.

You may well ask, the Euro is just in Europe, right?  Mostly right.  Territories owned by member states also use the Euro.  There are even some French islands off the Canadian coast that use the Euro.

Do other non-European Union countries in Europe use the Euro?  Yes.  Monaco, Kosovo, Montenegro, The Vatican, and others.

Those are the three pieces of the puzzle and as you can see, it truly is a puzzle, with some E.U. countries without open borders and also keeping their own currencies and some non-E.U. countries that are in the Euro Zone and have open borders.

All becoming clear now?  I thought so.

When you travel, the fine points aren’t going to be particularly troubling.  You have a passport, a credit card, a debit card, and a driver’s license, right?  Well, ok!  You may be in for a few surprises, but not many.  Slosh down the wine, gobble the food, chat with the natives!  Enjoy the atmosphere! You’ll have a great time.

Here are some other things to keep under your hat: 

Multiply by .6 to convert Kilometers per hour to miles per hour , so 100 kph = 60 mph (actually 62, but close enough!)

A liter is about the same as a quart.  (1 liter = 1.05 quarts)

Centigrade to Fahrenheit, double the Centigrade and add 32 will get you close.  15ºC doubled + 32 = 62ºF (actually, 59ºF, but close enough)

All European train schedules use a 24 hour clock.  4 p.m. = 1600 

Great minds with advice for travelers from autoeurope.com:

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller 



“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.” – Bill Bryson



“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag



“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

“Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.” – George Carlin.