starting this Jan most European countries in the EU have abolished internal borders along with the Schengen Accord. Even Switzerland, non EU country, is joining in (Schengen is a European and not just EU thing)

But it's the EU that is expanding the borderless group of states most or all the former east Bloc members are joining the Schengen - Estonia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary ,etc.

Germany and Poland in fact i think this week did away with the border.

So now a passport is needed to enter the EU but not to travel from Estonia to Portugal or Athens to amsterdam.

Britain and Ireland, as usual, are the odd men out so Fortress Britannia remains intact - Passport please and be sure to fill out that 150 questionnaire before reaching passport control.

For the average traveler by road or rail or air no more passport controls, border checks, etc.

"fill out that 150 questionnaire"

Aren't you getting us confused with the US? Where, after the two page questionnaire, they make every guest wait for photographing and fingerprinting till every single local citizen has been processed?

When your inhospitable dump learns a few lessons in politeness, we might - just might - smile at idiotic digs like that.

But as long as your country remains the world leader in deliberate bad manners to visitors (not even Uzbekistan goes out of its way so spectacularly to offend), you'd do well to keep such fatuities to yourself.

Immigration controls have been dropped for land crossings but they won't be dropped for air/sea arrivals from other Schengen countries until March.

Flanneruk does have a point there guys and girls. Just compare security at UK airports with ours.

I never have had a problem entering or leaving the UK. In the US, the situation is different because of my titanium hip.

In the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, same guy, same hip, but the review is quick and efficient without the stupid, undignified procedure TSA puts me through every time I fly.

"fill out that 150 questionnaire"

Aren't you getting us confused with the US?>

No this is a new thing British customs is drawing up i read.

And what the Fortress USA! has to do with my EU post and Britain's recalcitrance to become pan-european in borders only Brits can figure out i guess.

Actually other EU countries should be outraged at the British attitude of being holier than thou and not trusting the Italians, Slovakians and other external bordering countries to do their job.

In fac they are being helped by a pan-european effort, sans British and Eirish i guess, to make the external frontiers even more non-pourrous than the British iron curtain.

Back to the "Eirish" thing eh PalQ?

Maybe were just keeping out of Schengen to help all those yanks who keep complaining about their 90 day Schengen visas. They need somewhere to reset their 90 days.

they'd have to stay in UK 180 days or more to reset the visas i think and few septics can afford that

pardon for the typo - i did mean Irish and not to raise anyone's Eire - i note the mistake and will taken pains for more 'proper' kes stroking in the future or else eire not mention Ireland again