Traveling in Europe

[MassageDrew]

So I'm traveling this summer to Europe - just to London then to Madrid. In any case I haven't used my passport in a while so I thought why not use before it expires. Do I need special travel documents as an American citizen? My flight from Chicago to London is direct. But from London to Madrid requires a stop over in Zurich. Do I need visas or other documents?

[escortrod]

At present the answer to your question isn't entirely clear. The current legal situation, to the best of my knowledge, is that you can travel to those countries as a tourist without acquiring a visa. However, the EU is making moves to require visas for American travellers, since the US requires visas for travellers from some EU member states. It is worth keeping an eye on the situation as it develops.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-usa-visa-idUSKBN1691Q9

 

(Switzerland is part of the Schengen Agreement, so it has common visa policies with the EU).

[+ saminseattle]

Also, if your passport is going to expire soon, that could be a problem, other than with the UK. Most European countries require you to have at least 3 months left on it before they let you in. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/countries-require-six-months-passport-validity-100788.html

[+ bashful]

So I'm traveling this summer to Europe - just to London then to Madrid. In any case I haven't used my passport in a while so I thought why not use before it expires. Do I need special travel documents as an American citizen? My flight from Chicago to London is direct. But from London to Madrid requires a stop over in Zurich. Do I need visas or other documents?

 

Also, if your passport is going to expire soon, that could be a problem, other than with the UK. Most European countries require you to have at least 3 months left on it before they let you in. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/countries-require-six-months-passport-validity-100788.html

 

Contact your airline for visa requirements. They won't let you board a flight out of the US without proper documentation (or they risk a fine). Visa requirements depend on citizenship, destination, countries you will transit, and in rare cases, previous countries you have visited according to stamps in your passport.

 

Some countries will require your passport have 6 months left before its expiration.

[samandtham]

When in doubt, always visit the official government website for concerns and questions related to traveling. The info there is up-to-date and is what the immigration personnel will follow. https://travel.state.gov

 

Currently, you do not need a visa for travel to either the UK or Spain, as long as your trip is 90 days or fewer. Unless you are planning on leaving the airport in Zurich and going a bit of sightseeing before your connecting flight to Madrid, you don't need to go through immigration. (Even then, you also do not need a visa to enter Switzerland.)

 

Your passport's validity is where you can get denied entry to a country, though. Spain requires that your passport be valid for three months beyond your date of departure. Switzerland requires six. There's no such requirement for the UK, as long as your passport is valid for the duration of your visit.

[Guest]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens

It looks as if the Russian Federation is the only European country currently requiring visas of US citizens prior to arrival. Belarus used to be another, but it looks like it's no longer the case.

[Guest]

Probably the best passports are those of Chile:

 

And South Korea

[MassageDrew]

Thanks for the info guys. Yeah my passport is not expiring until the end of 2018 which is why I want to travel now.

[+ Charlie]

This thread really makes me sad. I have been traveling in Europe for decades, and never needed visas anywhere, except the old Iron Curtain countries before 1991. It feels like 1911 again, when I believe it was Lord Grey who famously commented, "The lights are going out all over Europe."