Customs - Do I have to?
 

Going to Belgium,Netherland and Luxembourg. Do I have to go thru customs in all 3 countries. I am leaving in 2 weeks and haven't thought of it til now. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.

This was some time ago, but I think it still the case, that you really do not have any customs or even border checks when traveling between those 3 countries. Once You enter/leave those 3 than there is customs. At least that was true few years back when I traveled by train between all 3.

If driving you don't even really notice immediately that you are in a new country. No one stops you at the border. Almost like driving state to state in the US. This also means that you won't get your passport stamped.

Thank heavens for the EU; you go through customs when you arrive in your first country from a non-EU country. After that, it's as though you're traveling between U.S. states. <BR>The only time there seems to be a customs/immigration hoo-hah is on the Eurostar - and it's pretty uneventful.

There are two different arrangements: one for you (people) and another for your bags (luggage). <BR>The following European countries share a common immigration area: Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria and Greece. (together called the "Schengen" countries, Schengen is the name of the Luxembourg village where the agreement was signed) This means that when travelling between those countries, you normally don't have to show your passport. At land borders, you just drive on. When you enter the Schengen zone from outside (for instance from the USA) you have to show your passport, and also when leaving the Schengen zone. <BR>All EU countries (the above + UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) share a common customs area. So, normally, your bags are not checked on the borders between those countries. Of course, they still can check for drugs etc., but everything legal can be brought in in unlimited quantities, as long as it is for personal use. Look at the stuff that Britains bring back from France! (beer, wine, food, cigarettes, everything is cheaper in France) <BR>Borders between Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg have been open (no checks) since the early 1960's. <BR> <BR>