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European microstates

The European microstates are a handful of very small states on the continent of Europe or its islands. Properly speaking, microstates are internationally recognised, but this term may be confused with "micronations" and other small entities. How small they have to be is subjective, but a rough definition might be "smaller than Luxembourg", which is 82 km north-south, 57 km east-West, and has a population of around 660,000.

Microstates
These are very small states but internationally recognised as fully independent. They may cede some functions such as defence to a larger neighbour, and have an open border with it.

 * Andorra — small mountainous country between France and Spain
 * Liechtenstein — German-speaking country between Switzerland and Austria
 * Malta — island in the Mediterranean between Italy and Tunisia
 * Monaco — surrounded by the French Riviera
 * San Marino — surrounded by Italy
 * Vatican City — surrounded by the city of Rome

Dependencies
These are territories with local autonomy, but under the patronage of a larger state, which may control defence, currency and so on. This does not include areas that are duty-free but otherwise part of a nation, such as Samnaun in Switzerland (border with Austria) or Livigno in Italy (border with Switzerland), or any airport duty-free shop. It also excludes "extraterratoriality" such as US airbases in Europe, embassies, and the Norwegian oil and gas facility in England.

 * Akrotiri and Dhekelia (United Kingdom) — British military bases on the island of Cyprus
 * Åland (Finland) — a Swedish-speaking archipelago in the Baltic Sea
 * Faroe Islands (Denmark) — self governing archipelago between the United Kingdom and Iceland
 * Gibraltar (United Kingdom) — a British peninsula off mainland Spain
 * Guernsey (United Kingdom) — an island in the English Channel that also governs Herm, Sark and Alderney.
 * Heligoland (Germany) — a car-free and duty-free island in the North Sea
 * Isle of Man (United Kingdom) — a large island between England and Ireland
 * Jan Mayen (Norway) — in the Arctic Ocean, featuring the Earth's northernmost active volcano
 * Jersey (United Kingdom) — the largest of the Channel Islands, off the coast of France
 * Mount Athos (Greece) — an autonomous state under Greek sovereignty, home to Eastern Orthodox monks
 * Svalbard (Norway) — an archipelago halfway between Norway's North Cape and the North Pole

Exclaves
All the coastal countries of Europe have populated islands that may have some local autonomy, but that are governed in the same way as the mainland provinces. The many examples include Sicily, Crete, the Azores of Portugal, the Canary and Balearic islands of Spain, and the Hebrides of Scotland. Less common are exclaves or "land islands" - tracts of territory separated from the main body of their nation. They may have varied border and duty-free arrangements, nevertheless they are fully part of that nation.

 * Büsingen am Hochrhein — a German exclave in Switzerland
 * Campione d'Italia — an Italian exclave in Switzerland
 * Kaliningrad — a Russian exclave between Lithuania and Poland.
 * Llívia — a Spanish exclave in the French Pyrenees.
 * Nakhchivan — a region of Azerbaijan separated from it by Armenia.

These are sometimes called enclaves but that term is only correct if they're fully surrounded by a single nation, such as Llívia within France.

Disputed territories
These entities wish to be recognised as sovereign states, but are so to varying degree - often it's only their sponsoring nation that does so. Travellers have to accept the de facto control of their authorities and most can be entered on those terms. Problems arise if you then try to exit through a different country, which may accuse you of illegally entering through what they maintain is their wrongfully-occupied territory.

 * Abkhazia (Georgia) — a Russian-backed breakaway republic in the Caucasus
 * Kosovo — formerly part of Serbia, which is now one of the few standouts against this widely-recognised republic
 * Northern Cyprus (Cyprus) — Turkish-backed republic on the island of Cyprus. It's not part of the EU, but the border with Greek-speaking Cyprus is easy to cross.
 * South Ossetia (Georgia) — a Russian-backed breakaway republic in the Caucasus, culturally connected to the Russian republic of North Ossetia
 * Transnistria (Moldova) — an independent republic on the banks of the Dniester River, backed by Russia

Condominiums are where countries share sovereignty, all nice and amicable until there's a falling out and the place becomes disputed. Brčko is a condominium between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. One that has lasted since 1659 is the uninhabited Île des Faisans, a river island near Hendaye. Twice a year it changes hands between France and Spain, whereupon it becomes Isla de los Faisanes, or Faisai Uhartea in Basque, with no dispute at all.

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title: European microstates


text:
European rail passes

To save money on a multiple destination trip you may want to look into purchasing Interrail, Eurail or some of the regional passes. "Interrailing" has lost its status as a European rite of passage, but it remains a uniquely flexible way to travel – you can literally arrive at a city, decide you don't like the look of it, and zoom off on the next train out. This makes it a great way to get a feel for a large region, especially when heading out into the countryside. Do not, however, fall into the trap of travelling so continuously that all you see is a blur of railway stations.

Rail passes work just like flexible tickets. After validating the pass, the pass holder is free to board any train that does not require reservations and is within the area/countries specified on the pass.

General info
Interrail passes are exclusively available for residents of Europe and surrounding countries, whereas Eurail passes are exclusively sold to residents of the rest of the world – for precise information see the Interrail and Eurail sections. Most other European passes are available only to travellers who are not residents of the countries covered by the pass.

Validity
In general, passes are valid on all trains operated by national rail companies; more and more private rail newcomers accept the pass. In some countries (Italy, Spain and Switzerland in particular) you'll find regional or private companies that don't accept Interrail or Eurail passes, although many of them offer up to 50% discount for passholders. Depending on the country, the pass may not only cover intercity rail, but also some public transit and ferry services, but mind that not all railway companies or train services may be covered. The complete list of train operators accepting passes can be found at the Interrail or Eurail website.

Reservations
Extra fees can apply for making reservations, fast trains, couchettes and sleepers. The exact rules vary by country and can be very complex, so ask in advance, but a rule of thumb is that anything which requires a reservation in advance (shown with a black [R] in a box in schedules) will require a surcharge. In peak season on popular routes seat reservations are definitely worthwhile.

Night trains. Travelling overnight has gotten more and more costly and less worthwhile for passholders; the fees for couchettes are usually higher or even much higher for passholders. If booked well in advance, a non-refundable discount ticket (including the fee for a berth) might be cheaper than the mere berth fee according to the special tariff applied for passholders. If you particularly feel like passing a night sitting upright and perhaps getting no sleep at all, the "normal" seats most sleeper trains also carry might be a good deal, however

High-speed trains such as TGV, Thalys, ICE (only lines to France), Eurostar, Italia, Cisalpino, X2000, AVE and Talgo 200, may require pass holders to pay supplements, particularly in Spain, Italy and France, which makes rail passes for these countries rarely worthwhile (see Infobox). The One Country Premium Passes, which included the supplements, were discontinued in 2019.

Eurail and Interrail passes are valid on Eurostar crossings between UK and mainland Europe, but a reservation is compulsory (€30 fee between the UK and France or Belgium, €35 for the Netherlands, and €8 more for 1st class on both routes) and can be made from 12 weeks in advance here; the pass must be valid for travel in the continental departure or arrival country, i.e. for either France (Paris–London route) or Belgium (Brussels–London route).

You'll find an introduction to reservations on the Interrail website. Basically, reservation conditions are the same for both Eurail and Interrail, but as the participating countries differ, the corresponding website should be consulted to avoid getting misled – for detailed information about reservation see the Interrail resp. Eurail section.

Mind: A vacant seat is not guaranteed unless you make a reservation!

Ferries
On both Interrail and Eurail, ferries between Ireland and France, Italy and Greece as well as many ferries in the Baltic sea between Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Finland, are discounted, while a select few are free (albeit still subject to seasonal surcharges and port fees). Many boat rides on Switzerland's lakes are free as well. With a flexible pass and an ambitious itinerary, ferry travel can be a smart choice on the majority of routes where only a discount applies, as only free crossings use up a travel day. Bear in mind though, that on overnight sailings a reclining seat or cabin/berth, which is often an obligatory extra, is sometimes not subject to the same rate of reduction the basic fare is, and can be a significant hidden expense.

As of January 2019 the sale of Plus variants of Interrail one-country passes for Greece and Italy (including free ferry crossings between the two countries) has been discontinued. Now, on most lines you get free deck passage if the Eurail/Interrail pass is valid in both Italy and Greece. If the pass is valid in either Italy or Greece, a 30% discount is granted.

Also a special Greek Islands Pass is offered by both Eurail and Interrail and is available for 5 or 6 trips within one month. In the 6-trip pass 2 trips between Italy and Greece are included free of charge. Note that some conditions differ between the Interrail and Eurail pass. For details see Eurail Greek Islands Pass resp. the Interrail Greek Islands Pass.

The exact conditions vary according to the ferry operator.

Always check the daily schedules during the specific week of travel. Some ferries cease operation in the off-season altogether, while others reduce service to one round-trip daily, from several trips a day during peak season.

Travel days
Travel days are generally counted from midnight to midnight.

Any mention of "month" herein does not mean calendar month, but any month-like time span starting on any day of a month. For example, a pass can be valid from January 1st to January 31st (31 days), February 4th to March 3rd (28 resp. 29 days), or June 15th to July 14th (30 days). One-month passes last longer when starting (on any day) within a 31-day calendar month.

Concerning Eurail/Interrail, the former 7pm rule has been abolished as of 2019. If you take a train before midnight (e.g., 22:37 to 05:21 the next day), only the day of departure must be filled in. For more details see the Eurail/Interrail Good to know section.

Quirks and caveats
Unless otherwise noted, these all apply to all kinds of passes.

Border train stations are covered by passes outside the countries they are issued for as well. For example, Salzburg and Kufstein in Austria are considered border stations of Germany and therefore are covered by German railpasses. Likewise Passau and Lindau, among other minor border stations in Germany, as well as Buchs SG in Switzerland and Sopron, Szentgotthárd in Hungary are considered Austrian border stations.

Switching between classes. Passengers with 1st-class passes may travel in 2nd-class compartments at any time. Those with 2nd-class passes can pay the difference (usually 50%) between 1st- and 2nd-class point-to-point fares in order to upgrade to 1st class.

Better off with regular tickets? Check the actual prices of normal point-to-point tickets. In some cases your journey can be cheaper with them than with a pass. Especially in eastern European countries a pass tends to be bad value for money as the local cost of point-to-point tickets is very low. In Western Europe you may be able to cobble together an itinerary with non-refundable, non-changeable train-specific discount tickets (valid on a certain train only) that works out cheaper than a pass would, but this lacks the flexibility and sense of adventure that makes Interrail unique.

In some countries national discount cards may be an alternative, especially when undertaking few trips, in particular in Austria, where they are sold at a very low price to young people under the age of 26 and families as well as to seniors from the age of 63, which facilitate point-to-point tickets at half price.

At Trainline's websites – Trainline.com or Trainline.eu – a ticket agency which claims to offer best-price tickets from whichever railway company available, you can check out regular fares and those non-refundable non-changeable train-specific discount tickets.

Many city-to-city connections are listed on the ACPRail website showing travel details and where you also can check out regular fares.

Eurail / Interrail

Interrail is made available exclusively to residents of Europe, while Eurail is restricted to residents outside of Europe.

Almost all features and conditions of Interrail and Eurail, especially types of passes, variety of selectable travel days and prices, have been harmonized as of January 2019, but some differences do remain. For details see the Interrail resp. Eurail section.

Participating countries
Both Eurail and Interrail provide a variety of rail passes which cover travel in most countries in Europe, which comprise all European countries with railway services except Albania, Belarus, Kosovo, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.

Eurail/Interrail passes cover travel in a total of 35 countries:

The so-called Benelux country group, comprising Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, is always treated and counted as one country; passes are not available for any single country out of this group.

Mind that Northern Ireland is not covered by One Country Passes for Great Britain, but rather is covered by passes being valid in the Republic of Ireland.

The actual list of countries participating in Eurail can be checked here and of those participating in Interrail can be checked here, but mind that the lists are not always up-to-date and the mini-states are not mentioned.

Railway and ferry companies. The list of all participating companies can be found at the Eurail resp. Interrail website.

Pass types
The previous convoluted zone system has been abolished, and there are now only two basic types of passes, which are available for a variety of travel days:

 * Global Pass, which allows travel in all participating European countries (mind the different countries covered by Eurail and Interrail).
 * You can choose between "flexible" passes (for non-consecutive days) and "continuous" passes (for consecutive days):
 * - flexible passes:
 * 4 days within 1 month (not available at all European train stations)
 * 5 or 7 days within 1 month
 * 10 or 15 within 2 months
 * - continuous passes:
 * 15 or 22 days
 * 1, 2 or 3 months

 * One Country Pass, which covers one or, in some cases, a group of adjoining countries. Not for all participating countries does a one-country pass exist.
 * This pass is available in "flexible" variants only:
 * 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 days within 1 month.

The Global Pass and One Country Pass offer the same train services in the countries covered by the pass chosen, for details check the Eurail site or the Interrail site.

All Eurail/Interrail passes are available for 1st or 2nd class, with the exception of Norway: 2nd class only because of the absence of 1st-class train accommodation.

Prices
Pricing naturally depends on the exact variation as well as the age category.

Age categories

 * Adult: full price
 * Child: Children between the age of 4 and under 12 travel on a free Child pass if accompanied by an adult. Up to two children aged 4<12 may accompany an adult, for each additional child a Youth pass is required. Children under the age of 4 travel for free and need no pass at all, except if a reservation for a separate seat or berth is requested.
 * Youth: for young people between age 12 and 28 (must be under 28 on the first day of use)
 * Senior: for seniors 60 years or older. The Senior fare is not compatible with the free Child pass bonus. In order to profit from the bonus, a senior accompanied by children aged 4<12 has to pay the adult fare.

Note that the Saver category has been abolished and the Senior category extended to Eurail passes.

Pass prices
As of January 2020, the prices in euros for Eurail and Interrail passes are the same.

Prices are lowest for the youth age-category and highest for adults, while prices for seniors lie almost exactly in the middle between youth and adult prices. All prices indicated below refer to passes valid in 2nd class and are as of Jan. 2020. The surcharge for 1st-class passes is 33%.

 * Global Pass
 * Price examples (2nd class):

 * - flexible passes:
 * youth: €185 (4 days), €370 (15 days)
 * adult: €246 (4 days), €493 (15 days)

 * - continuous passes:
 * youth: €332 (15 days), €389 (22 days), €503 (1 month)
 * adult: €443 (15 days), €518 (22 days), €670 (1 month)

 * The complete Interrail Global Pass price list is provided at oebb.at, for Interrail you also can check prices on the Interrail website, for Eurail Global Pass check prices on the Eurail website.

 * One Country Pass
 * Prices vary from country to country depending on the size of the railway network and general price level, there are 7 price categories.

 * Price examples (2nd class):
 * lowest category (countries like Croatia, Czech Republic):
 * €51 (3 days, youth), €114 (8 days youth); €59 (3 days, adult), €132 (8 days, adult)
 * high category (Norway, Spain, Sweden):
 * €148 (3 days, youth), €243 (8 days, youth); €170 (3 days, adult), €281 (8 days, adult).
 * highest category (Germany, Great Britain – available only with Interrail !!)
 * €166 (3 days, youth), €257 (8 days, youth); €192 (3 days, adult), €297 (8 days, adult).

 * The complete Interrail One Country Pass price list for all countries is provided at oebb.at, for Interrail you also can check prices at Interrail website, for Eurail One Country Passes check prices on the Eurail website.

Reservations
Although the reservation requirements should be the same, in order to be sure look at the corresponding Eurail or Interrail site. Below you'll find helpful information about reservations on the corresponding website:

Good to know
Determining the starting date. There is a big difference between Eurail and Interrail passes:
 * Eurail passes are generally valid within 11 months from date of issue, but need to be activated either at a train station or online at the Eurail website. On activation, the first travel day has to be fixed, thus determining the effective period of validity.
 * Interrail passes are also valid within 11 months from date of issue, but the first travel day has to be fixed when the pass is ordered. However, this limitation does not apply when buying the pass in the new mobile format.

Prices usually rise every year to reflect the changes in exchange rate and point-to-point fares. Usually, there are promotion months in March and December, when the prices of most Interrail passes are reduced by 15%; the Eurail homepage advertises even reductions between 15% (One Country Pass) up to 45% (Global Pass). As passes generally can be purchased 11 months in advance, if you got your travel plans fixed it would make sense to buy passes months ahead of the journey.

Travel days. Usually travel days are counted from midnight to midnight. The former 7pm rule, which counted only the next day when you boarded a direct overnight train or ferry after 7pm, has been abolished as of January 2019 and does not apply anymore. The new regulation determines that the day of departure is counted in any case and you can finish the travel on a direct night train until you'll arrive without using another day. But if you have to change to another train on the next day in order to reach your destination, the next day is counted as one more day.

Ferries. Concerning overnight ferries the regulation is more generous: You can choose whether you want the day of departure or arrival to be counted. And for discounted ferry trips no travel days need to be used, simply showing your pass gets you the discount as long as the pass has not expired – even if all travel days have been used up.

Extra benefits. Passholders may obtain extra benefits like discounts on ferry fares or City Cards. Got curious? Here you can check the Eurail benefits and the Interrail benefits.

Eurail singularities

 * Eligibility. Eurail passes are intended for foreign visitors to Europe coming from other continents. The passes are similar in scope to Interrail, which is exclusively for people with principal residence in a European country. Find out on the Eurail website whether you are eligible for a Eurail or Interrail pass.

 * The list of Eurail One Country Passes can be checked at eurail.com.
 * The One Country Pass is not available for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
 * The One Country Pass France provides a greater choice of selectable days: 1 through 8 days within 1 month!
 * Eurail Scandinavia Pass: For the four Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) not only a One Country Pass for each country is available, but in addition a four-country Eurail Scandinavia Pass, valid in all 4 countries, under the conditions of a Eurail One Country Pass.

Rules of use
Eurail passes must be activated (or validated) by a railway agent or pre-activated at the Eurail website prior to first day of use. Holders of flexible passes (with non-consecutive days) should mark the date in the appropriate box before boarding a train or ship for the first time each day.

Unlike Interrail, there are no limitations regarding the starting country, and there are no discounts for travel outside the selected countries.

In case you need assistance with your Eurail Pass once you're in Europe, you can seek help from at a Eurail Aid Office at major train stations.

Refund. Eurail passes are 85% refundable if cancelled before being activated, even after pre-activation at the Eurail website if no data have been filled in and the pass has not been used and the pass is returned to Eurail before the starting date of its period of validity. Passes purchased at promotional prices are not eligible for refund. For details check here. No refund is possible for unused travel days during or after the period of validity. No refund is available for lost or stolen passes nor for lost or stolen reservation tickets. Customers are offered an optional [pass protection], which allows refund of point-to-point tickets bought within the scope of the pass in case the pass is lost or stolen. In order to find out what to do in such a case, consult the Eurail website.

Interrail singularities

 * Eligibility. Interrail passes are sold to any person who is a resident of Europe, i.e. in the European Union or any of Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Vatican City.
 * Decisive is not the citizenship, but the principal residence of the applicant, which must be in one of the above-mentioned countries (not travelling on a visa, or military personnel living on a base). Residents of all other countries have to use Eurail passes.
 * Find out on the Interrail website whether you are eligible for an Interrail or Eurail pass.

 * Restrictions as to the country of residence:
 * An Interrail One Country Pass cannot be purchased for the country of residence. (Many countries do, however, grant a 25–50% discount for the trip to the nearest border. The same discount may also apply if travelling from country A to country B through a country outside the pass. But for travelling through several countries, the Global Pass usually is cheaper.)
 * The Interrail Global Pass does not allow travelling freely in the passholder's country of residence, but two free trips in the country of residence are included: from any train station to a border resp. border station or to an airport and return.

 * Interrail One Country Pass.

 * Mind that the One Country Pass is not available for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
 * The sale of Plus variant for Greece and Italy (including free ferry crossings between the two countries) has been discontinued as of January 2019. For alternatives see the Ferries section.
 * The Premium variant for the One Country Pass for Italy and Spain has been discontinued as of January 2020.
 * The list of available Interrail One Country Passes can be checked at interrail.eu.

Rules of use
The actual pass is a booklet the size of an airline ticket, each page filled with rows and columns. The front page will state the validity of the ticket (zones and time) and your personal details, which must match the ID you are using (usually a passport). Using it is very easy: whenever you board a train, write down date and time, where you're going from, where you're going to, seat or couchette, and the train number. When the conductors come to check tickets, show them the pass and they'll (usually) stamp that row. That's it! If you manage to run out of pages — a sign that you're travelling way too much — you can get extra ones added on at any larger train station. Your Interrail pass cannot be refunded if lost or stolen, so guard it carefully!

Refund. An Interrail pass which has not been purchased at a promotional price is eligible for refund when it is unused and returned before the start date printed on the pass. For details consult the Interrail website. No refund is possible for unused travel days during or after the period of validity. No refund is available for lost or stolen passes nor for lost or stolen reservation tickets. Customers are offered an optional pass protection, which allows refund of point-to-point tickets bought within the scope of the pass in case the pass is lost or stolen. In order to find out what to do in such a case, consult the Interrail website.

European East Pass
The European East Pass permits unlimited travelling on all trains of the national railway companies of Austria, Hungary Czech Republic, and Slovakia, on 5 up to 10 days. It is available only to non-residents of these countries. Details can be found here.

Central European Triangle Pass
The Central European Triangle Pass is not a typical pass, but a special combined ticket for hopping between the cities of Vienna, Prague and Budapest or Vienna, Prague and Salzburg. This ticket is available for 2nd class only and can be purchased only by non-residents of the four countries. The ticket is valid for one month. Travel can start in any city, going to the others in any order. All trains of the national companies (ČD, MÁV, ÖBB) can be used in the 2nd class without supplement. Reservations are not included, which are recommended for some trains, especially those between Vienna and Budapest. But mind that you may get on and off the trains only in these cities, no interruption is allowed at intermediate stops. More information can be found here.

Balkan Flexipass
Although the slow and infrequent trains are by no means the most efficient way of traveling in the Balkans (this is by any standard the bus), it is one of the more comfortable and scenic.

The Balkan Flexipass allows unlimited rail travel for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 15 days of rail travel within 2 months in Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Republika Srpska (Serbian entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as Turkey (including the Asian part). The pass is available for 1st or 2nd class. For more information see the Rail Europe, ACPRail and Rail.cc websites, where also ordering is possible.

Caveat is that trains in the Balkans are already really cheap and that it only pays off for longer distances. Another thing to take into account is that the rail network in the Balkans is a lot less dense than in the rest of Europe, so some places simply cannot be gotten to by rail.

National passes
Several countries offer their own one-country pass. Some passes are only available as special offers and tied to a specific season or age group. The following list does not claim to be exhaustive.

The sale of the France Rail Pass has been discontinued as of January 2019.

Czech Republic
ČD (České dráhy), the national Czech railway operator, offer an All-Day Ticket, a one-day pass, valid on one day for all ČD trains of any category running on the network. The All-Day Ticket is available for any one region or for the whole country. The price of the All-Day Ticket valid in the whole country is CZK 699 (€29,40; as of March 2023). The All-Day Ticket is sold to anybody independently of residence.

Germany
German Rail Pass for travelling in the whole country on 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 or 15 consecutive or flexible days within 1 month. The pass is available for 1st and 2nd class.

Discounts are granted to groups of 2 travellers („Twin“ category) and youth 12<28. Up to 2 children 6<12 per adult travel on a free Child pass; additional children or those travelling alone require a youth pass; children under 6 years of age travel for free if no reservations are needed.

The German Rail Pass is not made available to residents of any European country, Turkey and Russia.

Great Britain
BritRail Passes: Most passes are available as mobile-phone pass (M-Pass), there are some regional variants available as M-Passes only:
 * BritRail Pass (covering all of Great Britain), BritRail England Pass, BritRail London Plus Pass', BritRail South West Pass, BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass (covering all of Scotland), BritRail Central Scotland Pass, BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass.

 * Northern England: North of England Rover Pass, North of England City Experience Pass

 * Scotland variants: ScotRail Spirit of Scotland M-Pass, ScotRail Central Scotland Rover M-Pass, ScotRail Scottish Grand Tour M-Pass, ScotRail Highland Rover M-Pass, ScotRail Edinburgh Days Out M-Pass, ScotRail Glasgow Days Out M-Pass

If you click on any pass in the list above you'll obtain all detailed information concerning that pass.

The maps which show where the different BritRail passes are valid can be found here and here. Mind that Northern Ireland is not covered by any of the BritRail passes! For travelling in Northern Ireland you have to use an Interrail/Eurail pass valid in Ireland which covers the networks of the Republic of Ireland as well as of Northern Ireland.

The BritRail passes are available for consecutive and non-consecutive days. The number of selectable days varies depending on the network and may be different for Europeans and non-Europeans. Most passes do not allow travelling before 9:00am.

All passes are available for 1st and 2nd class. The prices of the 1st-class passes have been adjusted to the fact that some trains do not have 1st-class accommodations.

Discounts are usually granted to groups of 3-9 people (up to 20%), youth 16<26 (20%), seniors ≥ 60 (up to 15%); one child 5<16 per adult or senior travels on a free Child pass, for each additional child the half adult fare has to be paid; children under 5 years of age travel for free if no reservations are needed. For most passes low-season discounts (up to 20%) are offered for travel between January 1st and February 28th as well as November 1st and December 31st.

The official website of BritRail is Britrail.com managed by National Rail, and more detailed information is provided by the authorized retailers where the passes can be ordered. The passes are available at agencies only abroad, and generally online or as mobile-phone app (M-Pass).

Eligibility. The information about who is eligible to BritRail passes is confusing. While Britrail.com says that all passes are exclusively sold to non-UK residents, BritRail.net affirms that North of England Passes and ScotRail Passes are available to anyone including UK residents, as is explicitly mentioned.

Italy
The Trenitalia Pass is available to Non-Italian citizens residing outside Italy. The pass does not allow unlimited trips on the days on which it is valid. Instead, the pass can be used only for the number of trips chosen at purchase.

With this pass you can travel on the "Frecce" high-speed trains and on the FrecciaLink service (providing connections) as well as on Intercity, Intercity Night and EuroCity Italy–Switzerland trains (on domestic routes within Italy), all being operated by the Trenitalia railway company. By other railway companies the pass is not accepted. Even regional and local trains operated by Trenitalia cannot be used with this pass.

In contrast to Eurail/Interrail passes, the Trenitalia Pass does include seat reservation fees. Nevertheless, reservations are mandatory, but free of charge.

The pass is available for and also for three classes - Easy, Comfort and Executive where Easy permits access to 2nd class only.
 * 3 or 4 trips within 7 days
 * 7 trips within 15 days
 * 10 trips within 1 month

Mind that a trip is defined as a ride on one single train without changing. Changing to another train (except to FrecceLink) reduces the number of remaining trips. Thus, the journey has to be planned meticulously in order to make best of use the "trips".

Prices are differentiated between the same age groups as with Eurail/Interrail. Also, the regulations concerning accompanying children are the same.

All prices and the conditions of use can be found on the Trenitalia website.

Spain
Renfe Spain Pass is an untypical pass permitting travel on Renfe's long-distance (AVE) and medium-distance trains on 4, 6, 8 or 10 trips (not days!) within 1 month. It is available for 1st class ("preferente") or 2nd class ("turista"). A trip is defined as a ride on one single train without changing, for each train a reservation is required which can be obtained only at train stations (no extra fee, included in the pass). The "generosity" they offer is to permit using commuter trains for free within the time span of 3 hours before getting on and 3 hours after getting off the long-distance train chosen by you. The terms of use are highly insufficiently explained on Renfe's website, but get clearer here. The Renfe Spain Pass is not made available to residents of Spain.

Switzerland
Swiss Travel Pass for travelling in the whole country on 3, 4, 8 or 15 consecutive or flexible days within 1 month. The Swiss Travel Pass also covers premium panorama trains (except for reservation fees) and most of regional and local public transportation (including buses, trams and boats) and offers discount on privately operated cable cars and funiculars. Free admission to over 500 museums is included as well.

The pass is available for 1st and 2nd class. A discount is granted to young people under 26 years of age. The Swiss Travel Pass is not made available to residents of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

An overview on passes and discount cards for tourists is given here. There are also day-passes and week-passes available for certain regions of Switzerland including not only train services, but also regional and local public transport within the region.

Buy
Eurail passes can be purchased in travel agencies outside Europe as well as at ticket desks of some European railway companies, and usually also at the Eurail Aid Offices, for example in Austria where the Eurail Aid Offices are situated in the First-Class Club Lounges of three major train stations. But be warned that railway companies may have a reduced variety of passes only. Interrail passes can be purchased at ticket desks at train stations of major cities.

The advantage of buying a pass at a train station is that you don't have to pay shipping costs and obtain the pass immediately. Note that Eurail/Interrail Global Passes with a validity of 3 days are not sold at train stations and agencies in Europe, but only at agencies outside Europe and online.

Official Eurail and Interrail ticket shops
 * eurail.com
 * interrail.eu

Eurail, Interrail and other European passes may be obtained on a variety of online ticket shops, where also regular tickets can be ordered. (But be cautious: Not all information on passes might be up-to-date.)
 * ACPRail
 * Rail Europe
 * Rail.cc

For regular-fare and discounted point-to-point tickets you can check here and also buy tickets:
 * Deutsche Bahn (DB): International ticket shop

title: European rail passes


text:
European route E39

European route E39 is a European route stretching from Nørresundby in Denmark to Trøndelag in Norway. The main part of the road runs on Norway's west coast, and goes through some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Norway, mountainous, with deep fjords, pristine lakes, as well as major Norwegian cities. The E39 is the most complex road construction Norway.

Unlike in many European countries, where the European routes are not signed or signed poorly, the European route system is fully integrated into both the Norwegian and Danish road networks; the roads have no other national numbers. This itinerary starts in southern Norway, despite the fact that the south end of the route is actually in Denmark. This is due to convenience; only a tiny part of the route is in Denmark. If you are in Denmark, however, a ferry goes from Hirtshals (the last Danish town on the route) to Kristiansand (the first Norwegian town). If you want to shorten your driving route and stay longer on a ferry, direct crossings between Hirtshals and Bergen or Stavanger are an option.

Understand
Within Norway the route includes seven ferry crossings, more than any other route in Europe. The route crosses all the great fjords of west Norway. As there are few bridges or tunnels across these wide and deep fjords most crossings are by car ferry. Ferries are part of the route and not regarded as a separate means of transport. The road and route sign leads to the dock where vehicles wait for the next departure (first come, first serve principle). Scheduled buses, ambulances and some other special transport has priority on ferries. Ferries are frequent, typically every 20 or 30 minutes at day time. Most ferries have cafeterias on board with snacks, sandwiches, coffee and in some cases also hot meals. Ferries are comfortable and safe, and welcome pause from driving. Norway has two pontoon bridges, both on E39.

Road standard on the European route E39 is very variable, on some stretches motorway, other places narrow and winding, but mostly standard two-lane undivided. There some toll booths passed.

This is Norway's most complex road as it cuts across the complex terrain of steep mountains and deep fjords. Norway's two pontoon bridges are both on this route. Most of the road is two-lane undivided, some more narrow and winding stretches remain, particularly between Lavik (ferry) and Førde. A substantial upgrade is underway (as of 2016) and the narrowest points around Sande were replaced with a new segment in 2016. Because of the difficult terrain there is plenty of tunnels (even more after upgrade) and hills. Of Norway's well over 1000 road tunnels, about 100 are on E39. Traffic is generally moderate or light, except long lines of cars leaving ferry and except around major vacations. Drivers must be patient, speeding and overtaking is often risky and gain little.

The most southern part between Kristiansand and Stavanger runs through lowlands and moderate hills. The stretch from Stavanger to Halsa (near Kristiansund) runs across the famous fjords of west Norway.

Parallel alternative routes

 * Stavanger-Førde: Stamvei 13.svg Road 13 through Odda, Voss and Dragsvik (at Balestrand) to Moskog at Førde
 * Molde-Trondheim: Routes 62, 70 and E6 via Sunndalsøra and Oppdal to Trondheim
 * Førde-Trondheim: Routes 60, 15 and E6 via Stryn and Otta

Prepare

Norwegian roads in general are narrow and slow compared to roads in most European countries. The only motorways in the country are in and around the largest cities, and mostly in the flat eastern parts of the country. E39 is motorway first in the Stavanger-Sandnes conurbation, and later in Bergen. Elsewhere, it is generally two-lane (one in each direction) undivided - a few places more narrow and sometimes better.

Long stretches of the road go through desolate areas without towns and petrol stations. Make sure your car is in good condition and that you are never close to running out of fuel. While E39 is a relatively busy road, being the main road between Bergen and Sogn og Fjordane, it may still be difficult to get help in case your car breaks down. Cellphone (GSM) coverage is of varying quality, but generally acceptable. There is 3G (UMTS) coverage in most towns above a certain size.

By plane
Denmark
 * Aalborg Airport

Norway
 * This itinerary starts in Kristiansand (not to be confused with Kristiansund). Route E39 runs near the following main airports:

 * Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik
 * Stavanger Airport, Sola
 * Haugesund Airport, Karmøy
 * Bergen Airport, Flesland
 * Ålesund Airport, Vigra
 * Molde Airport (the road runs very close to the airport)
 * Kristiansund Airport
 * Trondheim Airport, Værnes (40 km east of end point of route)

Minor airports in Norway:
 * Førde airport (next to the road)
 * Sandane airport (road runs under runway)
 * Ørsta/Volda airport (close to road)

By train
Railway stations connected to the route:
 * Aalborg ((Aalborg-Frederikshavn line, change at Hjørring)
 * Hjørring (Hirtshals line, Aalborg-Frederikshavn line)
 * Hirtshals (Hirtshals line)

Norway
 * Kristiansand (Oslo-Kristiansand-Stavanger line)
 * Stavanger (Oslo-Kristiansand-Stavanger line)
 * Bergen (Oslo-Bergen line)
 * Thamshavn (museum railway)
 * Trondheim
 * Rauma line terminates at Åndalsnes, 50 km east of the route

Drive

Denmark

 * The starting point for The European route E39 is outside Aalborg, North Jutland, Denmark. Good highway across the flat countryside.

Kristiansand to Stavanger
The southernmost section runs through the lowlands of Vest-Agder and Rogaland. Partly rugged hills, valleys and lakes, but not great elevations.

The low plains of Jæren is the one of the few really flat areas in western Norway and the coast is not protected by skerries and islands. The road along the coast from Egersund to Stavanger airport (Sola) offers a different kind of west Norway, including wide sandy beaches often with generous waves loved by surfers and kiters.
 * Sidetrip to Jæren and beaches

Stavanger to Bergen
This stretch runs across wide fjords and several islands.

There are two major car ferries on this stretch:

Bergen to Byrkjelo
This segment of the road is extremely varied as it runs from the city of Bergen through rugged land, across and along fjords. The small town of Førde is the only notable settlement. The road runs through deep, often gorge-like valleys. There are countless lakes and waterfalls along the road. The road has several steep hills between Bergen and Førde.

This stretch has one floating bridge crossing a fjord just north of Bergen. The wide Sognefjord has a major crossing at Lavik-Oppedal:

Instead of going directly north to Oppedal ferry dock, road E16 to Voss then road 13 over Vikafjell mountain pass and across the great Sognefjord to Balestrand. From Balestrand continue along national tourist route (road 13) via Gaularfjell mountain pass and the romantic land of lakes and waterfalls until junction with E39.
 * Sidetrip to Balestrand

Byrkjelo to Ålesund
Just north of Byrkjelo there is a ferry crossing of the great Nordfjord to Nordfjordeid, about 10 minutes. The road then turns east along the shores of Lake Hornindalsvatn, with more then 500 meters this calm lake is the deepest in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. Most of the lake's volume is under sea level and on average water takes more than 15 years to pass through the lake. At Hornindal (Grodås village) the road turns west towards the alpine landscape of Volda and Ørsta villages, then onto the Festøya-Solevåg ferry for Ålesund. Ålesund and suburbs sits on an archipelago connected to the mainland by short bridges. In the interior around Stryn and Geiranger fjords are wilder and mountains higher than further west. Switch to road 60 at Byrkjelo and climb the hills towards Utvik and Stryn. At Stryn there are two options: The scenic mountain road to Geiranger (and further to Åndalsnes on road 63) or turn west and get back on E39 near Grodås (quick drive through the new tunnel to Volda and Ørsta). From Grodås another nice option is driving road 60 to Hellesylt and go by ferry Hellesylt to Geiranger or continue from Hellesylt via Stranda-Sykkylven to Ålesund.
 * Sidetrip to Stryn and Geiranger
 * Sidetrip to Stryn and Geiranger
 * Sidetrip to Stryn and Geiranger
 * Sidetrip to Stryn and Geiranger

Ålesund to Kristiansund
North of the Ålesund peninsula there is one ferry crossing from Vestnes to Molde:

Instead of driving straight to Molde, a drive through Valldal and Trollstigen to Åndalsnes is one of the highlights in the area. The magnificent valley and wild mountains at Åndalsnes is worth a detour. See more details for Route 63. From Molde an easy detour is along the very coast where an interestings stretch of road jumps from skerry to skerry on the edge of the atlantic.
 * Sidetrip to Valldal and Åndalsnes
 * Sidetrip to Atlantic road

Stay safe
Drivers must be patient. There is little to gain by speeding and overtaking. Norwegian traffic is generally very safe, partly because speed limits are fine tuned to conditions - there is always a reason for reduced speed limits. While some stretches of roads like these may look scary or dangerous, surprisingly few serious accidents happen.

This route has a large number of steep hills, some inside underwater tunnels. Use low gear on the steep descents to avoid overheating brakes.

Some narrow stretches remain particularly between Lavik (ferry dock) and Førde. (Information updated as of June 2016. Road construction is in process at bottlenecks around Vadheim and remaining bottlenecks around Sande.) Where the yellow median line is missing, the road is too narrow for vehicles to pass at full speed. Take it easy, also be prepared to pull over and let oncoming vehicles pass - it is particularly important to let oncoming buses and trucks pass as these are often too big to pull over or have problems reversing.

Winter conditions

E39 can be a dangerous journey in the winter if the vehicle does not have good winter tires. For trucks, truck trains, buses and other heavy vehicles, it is mandatory in Norway to use mounted snow chains during snowfall. Heavy vehicles must carry chains during the winter months. All drivers should take extra care and must expect extra time. It's better to arrive late than never. A sensible driver has a shovel lying in the vehicle to avoid being stuck. The police and the road authorities have checks during the winter along the entire E39. Irresponsible driving can result in severe penalties. The E39 runs through areas with different climates and frequently highly varying conditions in winter.

Go next
From the north end of the E39 European route E6 leads you north to Trondheim in Norway, and continue north furthermore, through Trøndelag and North Norway all the way to the Russian border. Head south over the Dovre mountains to Oslo and the Swedish border.

From the Norwegian south end of E39 in Kristiansand, ferries run to Hirtshals in the South, where the European route E39 continues in Jutland, Denmark. European Route E18 leads you north to Oslo and further east to Stockholm in Sweden.

From the Danish south end the European route E45 leads you south on Jutland, to Aarhus and the German border.

title: European route E39


text:
European Union

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states in Europe. Additional countries participate in specific areas, such as immigration controls and currency.

Travel between member states is generally much easier than crossing other international borders, both for residents and for people from outside the union.

History
The European Union was in part motivated by the catastrophe of World War II, with the idea that European integration would prevent such a disastrous war from happening again. The idea was first proposed by the French foreign minister Robert Schuman in a speech in 1950. Schuman was from Alsace – a region at the heart of three violent changes of hand between Germany and France between 1870 and 1944. The speech resulted in the first agreements in 1951: the European Coal and Steel Community, which formed the basis for the European Union. Another important milestone was the Treaty of Rome which came into force on 1 January 1958, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) which evolved into today's European Union.

While the attempt to create a "European Army" failed in the 1950s due to the instability of the Fourth French Republic which was preoccupied with Indochina and Algeria at the time, the six founding members (Italy, France, Germany and the Benelux countries) pressed on with deeper integration and the reduction of barriers to trade and free movement. While the United Kingdom at first saw itself as a benevolent spectator more focused on its special relationship with the U.S. and with its empire and Commonwealth, by the 1960s the French veto was the only thing keeping them from joining. The UK joined the EEC in 1973 together with Ireland and Denmark. During the 1970s military dictatorships fell in Greece, Spain and Portugal, and democracy was reinstated. A few years later, these countries joined the EEC.

The EFTA (European Free Trade Area) was set up as an alternative of sorts to the EEC/EU, with EFTA members mostly participating in the trade aspects of the EU but foregoing other forms of deeper integration. Most former EFTA countries have now joined the EU. The EEA (European Economic Area), covering more areas of coordination, has now mostly taken the role of EFTA. Switzerland was part of both but has now replaced EEA membership with more or less equivalent bilateral agreements.

The mid-1980s to the mid-1990s were important years in the history of the EU, with the Single European Act (establishing a single market), the Schengen Agreement (establishing free movement), and the Maastricht Treaty (establishing the single currency and cooperation in several areas from agricultural policies to peacekeeping) being signed and coming into force. From that point on, the union became known as the EC (European Community) and eventually as the EU. Also during this time the Iron Curtain fell and Germany was reunited, which marked the beginning of the eastwards expansion of the union. The former EFTA members Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995 (the Norwegians voted against membership), and the number of members almost doubled in the first decade of the 21st century, when a large number of the former Eastern Bloc countries joined.

The European Union has been active in brokering peace both at home (e.g. Northern Ireland) and abroad with mixed results. Successes include the relatively peaceful resolution after the Balkan and Kosovo wars, which resulted in two former Yugoslav Republics (Croatia and Slovenia) becoming EU members.

EU institutions have long been criticised for a perceived lack of democracy. Although democracy is a key European ideal, many think that the bureaucracy and the long chain between institutions and voters make the EU significantly less democratic than its member states. That the union was built around economics still shows: social and environmental issues (among others) are often handled as an afterthought. One answer to this criticism is that the European Parliament has been directly elected every five years since 1979, and has increased its power in the last decades. However, it still lacks some of the powers other parliaments have or has to share them with other bodies. Transparency has become much better, though still a problem. There is also an ongoing argument about how to bring the EU "closer" to its citizens. This has resulted in the EU being a highly-visible sponsor for many minor projects, including projects that traditionally were adequately handled locally at least in some countries. This sponsorship has been important in cases where the area has been neglected at the national level, and local resources have been scarce.

The European Union experienced its first departure on January 31, 2020, as the United Kingdom voted in a referendum in 2016 to withdraw from the union, in a process known as Brexit. Although the country had always been known for a high degree of euro-scepticism, the vote was driven by internal government party politics with no actual popular demand for the referendum. Nevertheless, a hard campaign was fought yielding a surprising decisive victory for "leave". There have been similar calls for leaving from growing Eurosceptic parties in France, the Netherlands and Germany and other EU countries, although none are gaining enough traction to push for more referendums, as of Feb 2024.

European institutions and organisation
There are at least four EU related groups of countries in Europe relevant to the traveller. They overlap but are not identical:
 * The European Union (EU), a partial political and customs union.
 * The European Economic Area (EEA) and , where most of the EU legislation applies. EEA comprises the EU plus EFTA, the latter consisting of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland used to be a member of the EEA and has equivalent bilateral agreements.
 * The Eurozone comprises countries using and controlling the common currency, the euro (€), all of which are EU members. The euro is also the currency of Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican City and Andorra by agreement with the European Union. Kosovo and Montenegro also use the currency, though they are not part of the Eurozone and there is no agreement with the EU. Eventual adoption of the euro is a requirement for new members, however some existing EU countries neither use nor plan to introduce the euro.
 * The Schengen Area comprises countries using common visas and immigration controls. While primarily composed of EU member states, the Schengen area also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Some EU members, such as the Republic of Ireland, are not part of the Schengen agreement. Some small states in Europe — Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City — that in practice are inaccessible other than through the Schengen area are de facto part of the area given that there are no border controls. On the other hand, travel to and from Andorra is controlled.
 * The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. Transfers denominated in euros can be done with the same rules as with domestic systems. If you have a euro-denominated account, you can pay with chipped debit and credit cards (Mastercard or Visa) issued anywhere in the SEPA. A limitation is that not all countries in the SEPA have adopted the euro, so you still have to exchange from the euro to the national currency.

In addition to these there are European institutions independent of the EU. One such is the Council of Europe (CoE), an international organisation aiming to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, and to promote European culture. All EU members are also members of the CoE, and the EU has adopted the council's flag and anthem. Another is the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, created during the cold war to further understanding between governments across the Iron Curtain. It is still an important institution for the furthering of peace.

There are also territories around the world outside of continental Europe that belong to the European Union owing to the sovereignty of an EU member and subsequent agreement:

Territories outside of continental Europe and not included in the list above are not considered part of the European Union, even if they belong to EU nations. Territories such as New Caledonia (France) and Greenland (Denmark) have separate entry and travel requirements. However, even in territories that aren't part of the European Union, certain EU regulations relevant to travel may apply. On the other hand, even in certain places that are part of the EU certain exceptions to EU or national laws relevant to travel apply.

Get in

The EU does not have an all-encompassing immigration policy, and therefore immigration controls are in principle specific to each country. However, most of its members have adopted the Schengen Agreement, which makes travel very easy between these. Some non-EU countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) also belong to the Schengen area, while three European micro-states – Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City – do not have any immigration controls with the Schengen countries.

There is an earlier, related but separate, concept of free movement inside the EU, which gives EU/EEA/Swiss nationals the right of abode in each other's countries regardless of Schengen.

There are usually no border controls between countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement. Members of Schengen are still permitted to introduce border checks temporarily for security reasons, such as in connection with major events (and since 2015: crises), and there may be random checks of travel documents, not only at the border. A tourist visa granted for any Schengen Agreement signatory country is valid in all other countries that signed the treaty. However, people who need a visa should get a visa from their "primary destination" country.

Travel between a Schengen Agreement country and any non-Schengen country will mostly result in normal border checks. Ireland and the United Kingdom operate a "Common Travel Area" policy which is outside the Schengen agreement and as such, both countries require passport controls of travellers arriving from other EU countries, while Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus have not adopted Schengen yet, despite joining the EU.

Russian citizens and residents, and perhaps Belarusian ones, have a problem coming from their homeland because of the war on Ukraine. The Baltic countries, Poland and Finland deny entry to most Russian tourists at their respective land borders. There are also no flights between Russia and the EU. Flights via a third country may be the most convenient means of entry. Getting a visa has become more difficult, especially to the above-mentioned five countries, and they are also retracting long-time multi-entry visas. There are negotiations on introducing a more uniform policy. Russian passports issued in or to residents of disputed territories may be rejected.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens face no restrictions on travelling anywhere in the EU, except in some cases for serious criminal convictions. They should use the immigration queue often signed "EEA". Most countries still require people to carry an official ID, and passports may be required when venturing out of the Schengen free travel area.

Citizens do not need visas to study or work in other EU countries (except possible restrictions on working for nationals of new EU members), but moving to another EU country for an extended time (more than three, six or twelve months) can cause a change of residency and mean you lose social welfare and healthcare benefits in your former country. Such longer stays may also require some specific status, such as employed, student or pensioner with own funds. Many countries require registration of new long-term residents, and a change of driving licence after one year.

Animals

Free movement inside the EU does not always apply to your pets. Relevant national rules should be consulted before travel.

EU citizens can travel within the EU with their cat, dog or ferret provided they have a European pet passport with required treatments documented. The most important compulsory treatments are those against rabies, and against the tapeworm Echinococcus in at least Ireland, Malta and Finland.

Alcohol and tobacco from outside of the EU
You're legally allowed tax-free import from outside the EU of 1 litre of spirits (above 22% alcohol) or 2 litres of alcohol (e.g. sparkling wine below 22% alcohol) and 4 litres of non-sparkling wine and 16 litres of beer. If you're younger than 17, it is half these amounts or nothing at all. Amounts exceeding this must be reported at customs for paying (quite heavy) duties and taxes.

Amounts of tobacco allowed depend on your country of arrival.

Age restrictions on handling tobacco and alcohol vary by country.

Food and plants
Meat and milk products, fresh berries, fruits and vegetables, seeds, cuttings, cut flowers, potted plants and the like may not be brought from outside the EU – they need a certificate, impractical for non-commercial import. A few tropical fruits are exempted, but e.g. apples and oranges are not allowed; eat them before customs. There are also some exceptions for baby food and foodstuff needed for medical reasons. Check if relevant.

There are less severe restrictions for some countries, such as Norway, Switzerland and San Marino.

Medicines
You can usually bring your own medicines, but look out for medicines locally classified as narcotics and medicine-like products not regarded as medicines. You usually need to bring the medicines in their original packaging and have the prescription. If the prescription isn't in an EU language, you may want to carry also a translation.

Moving between countries inside the EU
There are no restrictions on moving goods between EU states. For certain types of goods, such as alcohol and tobacco, taxes of the country you are entering may have to be paid, unless the goods are for "personal use" (including as gifts and the like, with quite strict criteria). Claiming that is not enough; if the authorities suspect the goods are for resale and you cannot convince them, you are in trouble. At a minimum they will ask you to pay the appropriate duty or face confiscation of the goods.

For antiques and some other cultural products there may be additional restrictions.

For medicines, check their status for all countries you are going to travel through. If you get medication while in the EU or the Schengen, tell your doctor about your travel plans, to get an international prescription.

Products that may spread animal diseases should generally not be brought across borders.

Some areas within the EU, such as Åland, are not part of the customs union (actually: the VAT union). Products need to be imported across those borders, which may affect what you can carry without paying duties.

Long stay with vehicles
If you plan on coming by car or yacht and staying for an extended period, check the rules not to have to register it locally – or how to register it without too many bad surprises. Generally the vehicle has to leave the EU within 18 months (get and keep papers proving entry date). Lending such a vehicle to an EU resident or to a non-relative is usually not allowed. Moving vehicles between EU countries is not free either: stays longer than 6 months (depending on local law) can be considered permanent, which means that the vehicle has to be registered locally and substantial taxes have to be paid. For yachts, you can prolong the 18 months by having it wharfed off season according to specific bureaucracy.

Currency
When travelling between EU countries with €10,000 or more in physical assets (euros, other currencies, precious metal etc.), you should check with authorities in each country whether special measures are needed. Maintaining your cash in an EU bank account effectively frees you from any such controls, since the free movement of capital is maintained across the EU.

You must declare at customs when leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in euros or the equivalent in other currencies.

Get around
Although the European Union is moving towards the standardization of travel around the EU, national laws do still vary and it is important to refer to the article for each country for planning your trip. Similarly, while open access and harmonization of railway legislation are intended to lead to an integrated railway market for all of Europe, national railways still dominate their countries and overlap tends to be limited.

By car

With the exceptions of Cyprus, Ireland, and Malta, which drive on the left, the EU drives on the right. There are no restrictions on these cars being driven to a country that drives on the other side. Extra care must be taken however; simple modifications to mirrors and headlights make driving somewhat easier.

All cars with the standard EU license plate may be driven without additional requirements in another EU country. Cars with other types of license plates must have an oval decal affixed to the car with the international licence plate country code.

Driving licence

EU drivers are issued with a standard European Union driving licence. If you hold an EU driving licence then it may be used for driving throughout the EU. One important caveat is that age restrictions are not uniform across the EU, and your licence is not valid in any EU country unless you also meet the minimum age requirement. Old driving licences may be a hassle, get one of the standardised type if possible.

If you hold a non-EU driving licence, then check with each country in order to determine whether it is valid.

By train
Border controls on international trains are usually done on the moving train and usually via spot checks. No international train stops at the border for significant amounts of time. Tickets can usually be bought from both national railways involved unless it is a "private" operator like Thalys. Prices may differ depending on the country where you buy the tickets. When you buy online, prices may vary depending on the website you use and sometimes even depending on the language version of the website. The European Union also continues to push for more and better high speed rail connections across borders, designating prioritized corridors and spending EU resources as well as encouraging member states to spend their own or local funds on rail projects. Those corridors are summarized under the heading TEN-T - Trans European Network for Transportation.

Customer protection for travel issues
The EU continues to create a common framework for travel between all the member states as well as from/to the EU from other countries. This may assist you with issues you may face when travelling and are covered under the Cope section.

The euro
The euro (€; EUR) is the common currency of 20 of the 27 countries that are members of the European Union. These are commonly called the Eurozone. The other 8 countries of the EU retain their national currencies.

One euro equals 100 cents, sometimes referred to as "eurocents" especially when there is need to distinguish them from other currencies divided into cents.

When an EU country decides to adopt the euro, there is a transition period during which the local currency being phased out and euros are both legal tender. Be aware when this period ends, so as not to be left with the phased-out currency when it is no longer possible to use it for payment. The period may be as short as two weeks. If you end up with any of the obsolete currencies, you may be able to change it in a bank, but don't count on it.

Even in EU countries that have not adopted the euro, it is usually the easiest foreign currency to exchange and is accepted in some places at the discretion of the business, but the exchange rate is unlikely to be favourable. For details, see the destination articles.

Euro banknotes are the same in all countries, except for small identifying national features, such as the first letter in the serial number and a printing code. Coins, on the other hand, will be identical on the reverse (value) side across countries, while the obverse is country-specific. Although the coins thus look different, they can be used in any country within the Eurozone, for example a €1 coin with a Greek symbol can be used freely in Spain. There are also commemorative coins, with the obverse looking different than on other coins from the same country, also legal tender everywhere.

 * Normal coins: All eurozone countries have coins issued with a distinctive national design on the obverse, and a standard common design on the reverse. The coins can be used in any Eurozone country, regardless of the design used (e.g. a one-euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal).
 * Commemorative two euro coins: The obverse differs from normal two euro coins, but they are used like the normal coins (although more likely to end up among collectors). Each country may produce a certain amount of them as part of their normal coin production and sometimes "Europe-wide" two euro coins are produced to commemorate special events (e.g. the anniversary of important treaties).
 * Other commemorative coins: Commemorative coins of other amounts (e.g. €10 or more) have entirely special designs and often contain non-negligible amounts of gold, silver or platinum. While they are legal tender at face value, merchants may not accept them. As their material and collector values are usually much higher than their face value, they will hardly be found in circulation.

Low-value coins (one and two cents) are being phased out to varying degrees in several countries. For example, in the Netherlands all cash payments are rounded to the nearest 5 cents and shops may refuse 1 and 2 cents as long as it is being indicated on for example a sticker at the window or till. In Finland payments in cash will likewise be rounded, but you can use the small coins for paying the rounded prices. In other countries, e.g. in Germany, those coins are treated as any other money and prices are not rounded.

Value added tax
All purchases made within the European Union are subject to value added tax (VAT), included in the advertised prices. Non-residents can claim this amount back for goods they are taking back to their home country, under certain circumstances.

In many countries, the purchases must be above a minimum value at a single merchant. Therefore, you may benefit from making several purchases in one transaction, instead of visiting multiple stores. Not all merchants participate in the refund program, so check before finalizing the purchase. Present your passport at the register, and the seller will complete the necessary paperwork. Keep these documents, as you will need to present them to customs before leaving the EU. Paying with a non-EU credit card will make this easier.

EU regulations around VAT and duty do not apply to certain places inside the EU including the Canary Islands and the Åland islands

Debit cards
Most EU countries use debit cards as the primary method of payment. However, some merchants in some countries only accept local-only debit card (i.e. those without a Visa or MasterCard logo).

If you have a euro currency debit card then you will not pay any additional charges from your bank when using the card in another EU country to:

 * Withdraw cash from an ATM (although cash machine operators may charge their own fees)
 * Pay for goods or services

Many large banks outside of the EU offer Traveler Cards in the euro currency that have the same benefits. Other debit and credit cards will also work but their use can be subject to fees.

European EC, Maestro, and V-Pay debit cards are being eliminated and replaced with debit cards of Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard.

Transferring money within the EU
There are nominally no restrictions in transferring funds between banks in different EU member states (although capital controls were imposed on Greece and Cyprus in the 2010s). Within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) transfers in euro are considered domestic and no additional charges can be applied in the normal case. This also applies to euro funds transferred to EU countries not belonging to the Eurozone (i.e. a transfer of €1,000 from Germany to Sweden will still be treated as a domestic transfer, even though the euro is not Sweden's currency).

For travellers this means that you can easily pay for goods and services throughout the Eurozone provided that you have a euro currency bank account anywhere in the EU.

See the article on Money for more information on the topic.

Visit

The EU isn't a travel destination in itself, although being regarded as an important project it does open many of its institutions in order to help people learn about it and its objectives. These are generally spread across the whole EU, although key institutions are to be found in a small area in Northern Europe in the cities of Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Frankfurt.

The public transport between all the institutions below is excellent, and you can visit them all with a combination of train and tram. The memorials may be more remote, but can still be accessed by regular buses.

Work
An EU citizen can generally apply for jobs in any EU country under the same conditions as a local citizen. Work permits are not required, but certificates required for some types of work are not always recognised. Only Croatian citizens still face restrictions in some EU member countries.

Accessing social security benefits may depend on the length of time that you have worked in that country. EU/EEA citizens usually get the local social security – and lose the domestic – at the moment they start working, but there are exceptions.

EU workers who settled in the UK before the end of 2020 are eligible for settled or pre-settled status and must apply by June 2021 to continue working in the UK. UK citizens in the EU should check the policies of the country they live or intend to work in.

Health coverage for EU residents
All EU countries operate public healthcare services that provide medical treatment for free or low cost to all residents. Non-EU residents can also use these systems, although they may have to pay a fee.

Travellers who live outside the EU and hold citizenship of an EU country may find that it is not possible to access the public health service in the same way as residents. British nationals (for example) must be resident in the United Kingdom for 6 months before they are entitled to take advanced treatment under the British national health service.

EU, EEA and Swiss residents can obtain a European Health Insurance Card that gives access to public medical care on the same terms as for local residents in any other of the countries. This includes necessary treatment of chronic conditions, but not advanced medical treatment. The specific rules and practices vary quite a lot from country to country, but generally you will get cheap or free medical care. Not all doctors and hospitals operate within the reimbursement system, so check beforehand.

It is important to carry your Health Insurance Card at all times, since it will simplify greatly getting access to medical treatment abroad in any EU country. You still have the same rights to treatment without it, however you may be asked to pay all costs upfront, and then go through a complex process of reimbursement when you return home.

There are some restrictions:

 * The Health Insurance Card cannot be used in Denmark by holders who are not citizens of an EU country (residency is not sufficient).
 * Croatian citizens cannot use the Health Insurance Card in Switzerland
 * The Health Insurance Card does not cover rescue and repatriation services
 * Health Insurance Card does not cover private healthcare or planned treatment in another EU country

Health coverage for non-EU residents
All EU countries have public health services that are available for everyone to use. Non-EU residents may be charged for using these services, and the cost will vary between countries where the health service was used. Being an EU citizen who is resident outside the EU may mean that you fall into this category.

Emergency services are generally available to everyone without having to pay upfront. Nevertheless, private travel insurance should be considered before travel to the EU.

Medical prescriptions
Anyone visiting a doctor in the EU can request a cross-border prescription. This means that the prescription is valid and will be honoured in any other EU country.

Pharmacies may refuse to supply you with medicine without this prescription.

Air passenger rights
You are covered by the same set of passenger rights when flying:

 * within the EU on any airline
 * departing the EU on any airline
 * arriving into the EU on an EU airline

These rights include:

 * Ticket price: Your nationality and the location of purchase must not affect the price
 * Online booking: All websites are legally obliged to clearly display all costs before booking, including taxes, airport charges, surcharges and other fees
 * Financial compensation: You will be compensated a set amount when a flight is cancelled, delayed more than three hours (at arrival) or you are denied boarding.
 * Within the EU: €250 for 1,500 km or less, €400 for over 1,500 km
 * Between an EU and a non-EU airport: €250 for 1,500 km or less, €400 for 1,500-3,500 km, €600 for over 3,500 km

Travellers by air can submit an air passenger rights EU complaint form on return if they wish to apply for a refund or compensation.

Rail passenger rights
You are covered by the same set of passenger rights when travelling by rail between any two EU countries. These rules do not apply when travelling by rail inside an EU country, or travelling to or from a non-EU country, however some railways have adopted similar rules for domestic travel and in some countries of the EU they are national law.

If before your journey you are told that you will experience at least a one-hour delay, then you are entitled to:

 * Cancel your journey with an immediate refund
 * Accommodation (if an overnight delay is expected)
 * Meals and refreshments
 * Refund if you continue your journey:
 * 25% of the fare, if delayed between 1 and 2 hours
 * 50% of the fare, if delayed more than 2 hours late.
 * Compensation for lost or damaged registered luggage:
 * Up to €1,300 per piece of luggage, if value can be proven
 * €300 per piece of luggage, if value can not be proven

While it is possible to get a reimbursement for some of the above after you already paid them out of your pocket, it is easier to directly contact the company while still on the train. The easiest way to do this is to talk to conductors or other staff on the train when a delay is probable or when you are likely to miss your connection. They will usually give you forms for your refund and give you contact details for meals or hotels as most major railways have contracts with certain hotels in major cities to be able to hand out vouchers for stranded passengers.

Bus passenger rights
You are covered by the same set of passenger rights when travelling by bus between any two EU countries for a distance greater than 250 km. These rules do not apply when travelling by bus inside an EU country, or travelling to or from a non-EU country.

If you experience a two-hour delay in your journey, then you are entitled to either:

 * 1) Cancel your journey with a refund as well as be provided with a free journey back to your initial departure point
 * 2) Request alternative travel arrangements to your destination

Additionally you may be entitled to:

 * Refreshments
 * Accommodation overnight to a maximum €80 if required (except when delay is caused by severe weather)

Ship passenger rights
You are covered by the same set of passenger rights when travelling by ship from or to the EU. These rights generally do not extend to freight ships or small vessels (less than 13 passenger capacity).

 * 1) Cancel your journey with a refund as well as be provided with a free journey back to your initial departure point
 * 2) Request alternative travel arrangements to your destination

If you experience a delay arriving at your destination for more than 1 hour and it is not caused by bad weather, then you may be entitled to compensation worth between 25% and 50% of your paid ticket price.

Consular assistance
Although the EU runs its own diplomatic missions, known as delegations, these are dedicated to government-to-government relations, and do not provide consular services. Consular services are provided by the missions of individual EU countries. However, citizens of EU member states have the right to seek consular assistance from the missions of any EU member state when in a country where their country lacks representation.

Brexit
The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020, and the transitional period ended on 31 December 2020. See the UK government's transition website for details.

 * No change to the open border with Ireland. UK and Republic of Ireland passport holders may freely visit, work, study and reside in each other's country. The reality is that if you travel by air or ferry between the two countries you must show a valid passport, in effect to prove that you don't need to carry a passport. Some of the other requirements below don't apply to Ireland either.

Citizens and residents of the UK:

 * To visit the EU, your passport may not be more than ten years old and must have six months' validity beyond your date of return. Expect this to apply to other countries that align themselves with EU rules (e.g. Iceland as part of the EEA).
 * As of 2024, no visa is needed to travel to the EU as a tourist for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, but a visa-waiver programme "Etias" is scheduled to start in mid-2025 for the Schengen countries. It's like the US ESTA, you'll apply online, pay, and be granted a waiver for stays of up to 90 days. Procedures for those ineligible or refused Etias will probably stay the same, with tedious paperwork and a visit to the relevant embassy. Procedures for the EU non-Schengen countries except Ireland (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) aren't known.
 * European health insurance cards (EHIC) will continue to be valid until they expire, but only within the EU and not in affiliated countries such as Switzerland. For UK citizens, expired EHICs can be replaced by a GHIC, which is essentially the same thing but with a different name (the G stands for "global"). In any case you need proper travel insurance, as an EHIC card is no substitute.
 * Mobile roaming: despite original declarations that EU roaming would continue for UK operators, this has been since abandoned. Expect high roaming charges.
 * Driving licences: you may need an international driving permit to drive in some EU countries. With your own car you'll need a "green card" from your insurer and a GB sticker displayed on the back.
 * Pet passports will cease to be valid. Instead, your pet will need to be vaccinated and get an animal health certificate, which may take as much as a month.
 * If you are a British national and you've been living in an EU country since before the end of 2020, you're allowed to stay under similar terms to EU citizens in the UK. You may need to apply for a new residency status. The procedures differ by country and the dead lines may have passed.

Citizens and residents of the EU:

 * EU citizens can travel to the UK for up to 6 months as a tourist without a visa. You will need a passport in most cases.
 * Might you be Irish? If you are eligible to claim that citizenship, you would have the special rights that the Irish will continue to have in the UK. This might arise by ancestry, or if you've lived and worked long term in either the Republic or in Northern Ireland. This is in addition to the UK "settled status" arrangements above.
 * Mobile roaming: up to the operator, so check to see if you'll be charged for roaming.
 * Driving: You don't need an international driving permit to drive in the UK. If you're bringing your car to the UK, you need proof of insurance such as a motor insurance green card.
 * EU citizens will continue to have access to the UK National Health Service with their EHIC. However, EEA and Swiss residents lost this right in January 2021.
 * EU pet passports are still valid for the UK.
 * To work in the UK, you'll need a visa. The UK has introduced a "points-based" immigration system favouring those with desired skills and competence in English, with no distinction between EU and other nationalities. The government wants to stop migration to fill low-wage jobs, such as fruit-picking, bar and restaurant work, and in social care - the sort of jobs an overseas student might take on a gap year. Detail is scanty, and it's doubtful if such jobs can be filled by UK residents; the hike in wages and consequent price rises look unaffordable to many businesses.

Stay safe
Dialling  from any phone will connect you to all emergency services, with English-speaking staff available, wherever you are in the EU. In some countries your call will be forwarded to a more specific number depending on the emergency, in others all or most emergencies are centrally handled. There is always English-speaking staff available on 112. Calling with a SIM-less phone works in some countries, in some the answering is delayed or requires you to to type an additional "5".

By phone
If your mobile phone operator is based in the European Union (or Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway), then the default is for roaming to be no more expensive than domestic use. Dubbed "roam like at home", this means that you can buy a SIM in any EU/EEA country and use it across the region more or less as if you never left that country, for the same price. This covers most calls and text messages as well as data. You should get the level of service promised in your plan, to the extent it is available in the local networks.

There are some limitations. The regulations on roaming are primarily intended to ease the life of EU residents who roam with their domestic SIM. In some countries operators require you to prove a tie to the country to get a roam-like-at-home plan. Operators are allowed to place limits to discourage buying a plan that will mostly be used for roaming. Above these limits, you may be charged €1–2/GB even if your plan covers "unlimited" use. Also, cost of free, extra charge and similar special numbers may differ from that with a domestic SIM. You should be informed about limits and charges in your contract, by an SMS when crossing borders and on a dedicated web page.

Some plans do not include roaming at all. While the regulations apply to default plans that offer roaming, operators are allowed to offer plans that aren't covered. Some plans include countries outside the EU, such as the UK, on the same terms. Non-European territories of EU countries are covered only by some plans, often by operators in the relevant mother country.

Hhile any EU countries' mainland territory in Europe is covered, this does not include non-terrestrial networks, such as service via satellite onboard ships. Close to the outer borders, your phone may choose a network from outside EU/EEA. Where connecting to a network that isn't covered is likely, be sure to choose the network manually.

If you exceed the limits on roaming use, the per unit Eurotariff surcharges below apply. You should be informed by SMS when you reach 80% of your quota, and if you are to reach €100 in any one billing month.

See this EU FAQ for more information on exceptions and restrictions to the roaming policy.

The Eurotariff dictates the maximum surcharge for roaming and the maximum cost with it included, when your plan and network is covered. VAT is not included in the table:

If you use a provider from outside EU/EEA, the roaming surcharges are not covered by these regulations. This includes the UK. There were promises that providers in the UK and the EU/EEA would treat UK as a EU country in this respect, but there is no more any international obligation and at least some providers in the EU treat the UK as a normal non-EU country. The Channel Islands and Isle of Man are special cases, which are even less likely to be covered.

By post
Each EU country runs its own postal service. This means that stamps for one EU country are not valid in another, and you will need to obtain the stamps of the country you are in to be able to send mail.

Internet censorship
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all Russian government-affiliated news sites, including RT and Sputnik News, have been blocked in the European Union. This includes their content on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which is not allowed to be viewed within the European Union.

title: European Union


text:
EuroVelo cycling routes

The EuroVelo cycling routes are a network of 17 long-distance cycling routes connecting most parts of the continent of Europe. As of 2023, approximately 45,000 km of the planned 90,000 km are in place. The routes are managed by the European Cyclists' Federation, who work with the countries the routes pass through to develop the routes.

Used by both cycle tourists and commuters, the routes are well used, and can be busy in the summer months.

Understand

While Europe has few border controls, bicycle infrastructure varies a lot between countries. The European Cyclists' Federation aims to implement a series of high quality cycle routes in all European nations.

The official website of the network has downloadable GPS tracks, but you can see them also on OpenCycleMap along with many other cycle routes in Europe.

Routes
There are 17 routes. The numbers indicate the general direction: odd-numbered routes run north-south, even-numbered routes run east-west. That's why the numbers reach 19, but there are only 17 routes.

North-South routes

 * 1. Atlantic Coast Route (8,186 km): North Cape - Sagres

 * 3. Pilgrims Route (5,122 km): Trondheim - Santiago de Compostela

 * 5. Via Romea Francigena (3,900 km): London - Rome and Brindisi

 * 7. Sun Route (7,409 km): North Cape - Malta

 * 9. Amber Route (Baltic Sea to Adriatic Sea - 1,930 km): Gdańsk - Pula

 * 11. East Europe Route (5,984 km): North Cape - Athens

 * 13. Iron Curtain Trail (10,400 km) Barents Sea – Black Sea

 * 15. Rhine Route (1,320 km) Andermatt – Wijk bij Duurstede – Hook of Holland
 * 17. Rhone Cycle Route (1,250 km) - Andermatt - Lausanne - Geneva - Lyon - Avignon - Montpellier - Marseille
 * 19. Meuse Cycle Route (1,050 km) - Langres - Verdun - Charleville-Mezieres - Ardennes - Namur - Maas Country - Roermond - Den Bosch - Rhine-Meuse Delta - North Sea

West-East routes

 * 2. Capitals Route: (5,500 km) Galway - Moscow

 * 4. Central Europe Route: (4,000 km) Roscoff - Kyiv

 * 6. Atlantic Ocean to Black Sea: (4,448 km): Nantes - Constanta. This route includes the Danube Cycleway.

 * 8. Mediterranean Route: (5,888 km): Cádiz - Athens, plus Izmir Province and Cyprus

Circuits

 * 10. Baltic Sea Cycle Route: (Hansa circuit - 7,980 km)

 * 12. North Sea Cycle Route: (5,932 km)

Main points on the EuroVelo routes

 * Legend: Green: North-South / Blue: West-East / Red: Circuits

title: EuroVelo cycling routes


text:
Eutaw

Eutaw is a city in Greene County, Alabama.

Do

 * Christmas Parade

title: Eutaw


text:
Evans Head

Evans Head is a small town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Understand
Evans Head is a small town about 40 km south of Ballina.

Get in
The town is serviced by a daily NSW Trainlink coach from Casino, connecting with the XPT train. There are also infrequent commuter buses provided by Buslines group to Grafton, Lismore and Ballina. If entering by road there are two ways into the town, both leading from the Pacific Highway. One leaves the small village of Woodburn, the other leaves from the small village of Broadwater. All 3 are approximately 10 km away from each other. In effect the roads form a triangle facing the Pacific Ocean, with Evans head at its apex, the Broadwater-Evans Head road forming the northern side, the Evans Head-Woodburn road forming its southern side and the Pacific Highway forming the western side.

Note that the locals travel quickly along the roads into town-particularly Broadwater–Evans Head Road. Feel free to slow down somewhat if you don't feel comfortable doing 100 km/h. Woodburn–Evans Head Road has an 80 km/h speed limit and is more residential.

Get around
The town itself is very compact so walking or a bicycle should suffice.

See
There are some nice lookouts on the south side of town.

Do
Swim at the beach. There is a beach on both the river and ocean. The ocean beach is occasionally patrolled.

Buy
There are basic shops at the town, including 2 groceries, several takeaway food shops and a smattering of other shops and services. The shops are mainly utilitarian in purpose however. There is a service station in town however cheaper petrol can probably be had elsewhere.

Eat
There are many take away hot food shops who do fish and chips, burgers etc. The RSL also has a restaurant attached.

Drink
There is an RSL club and several pubs in town, however there isn't really much nightlife in general.

Sleep
There are several options for accommodation. Holiday rentals are popular-see the local real estates for more information. There are several motels in nearby Woodburn and Evans Head that may also be of interest

Stay safe
The town has some problems with gangs of bored youth roaming the town on weekend nights. Most of them are bored-not looking for trouble however be mindful of where you are and who is around. Whilst violent crime is rare there is occasionally vandalism and petty theft perpetrated by these groups.

Go next
The road to Broadwater passes through a national park and may have wildlife on it during the evenings and nights so caution is advised. Take it slow and you should be alright, or alternatively travel via Woodburn. There is still a risk of some wildlife however the road passes through farmland and is fenced at least.

title: Evans Head