Travel Tips

What is the National Identification Number of Dutch citizens?

5/27/2019 4:40:11 AM That’d be the BSN. The Dutch Citizen Service Number (BSN) is your official national identification in the Netherlands. It replaced the old social security number (sofinummer) in 2007. The Dutch BSN was introduced in July 2007 to enhance the efficiency of government administration and improve public service delivery to citizens. The BSN […]

Can my American children re-enter the USA by International flight with a passport card, as their passport book has expired?

5/16/2019 1:03:51 PM The problem has two layers. Being allowed into the country — they are US citizens. They cannot be refused entry into the US. However, immigration can detain them as long as is necessary to confirm their citizenship. The passport card should cover this task, however you are technically are violating the law […]

Is EU roaming supposed to work on any local network or can your home provider restrict your choice to a single operator per country?

7/6/2017 11:09:55 AM For you to roam in a foreign network, your Home operator and the Visited operator must already have a roaming agreement in place (or both have such an agreement with the same roaming hub). So if your operator has agreements with two local operators, you will be able to choose from any […]

UK visa refusal letter suggests mix up of applications. What should we do?

7/28/2017 10:16:33 PM TL;DR: Approached the international help desk, emailed the New Delhi office at an address I found online. Not sure what worked, but they asked us to resubmit our documents, and we got the visa. Gayot has provided an excellent guide about how to handle the situation. I approached the international help desk […]

How does jetBlue determine its boarding order?

10/10/2019 4:01:41 PM FWIW, the groups listed above are just guidelines. The last two times I flew, I had window seats in the rear of the aircraft (an A320), and I still got assigned to “C” boarding group. Can an Iranian citizen enter the USA on a Dutch passport? 5/7/2019 4:13:34 PM In October 2017, […]

What is the use of that Internal rail?

What is the use of that Internal rail?

4/4/2020 10:38:14 AM The internal rail is there to make it possible for narrow gauge freight trains to pass through the station if needed. This was mostly essential in the 1960’s but is still used today on suburban rail routes which share track with mainline trains or freight trains. UK: Is a 10 year ban […]

Can an Iranian citizen enter the USA on a Dutch passport?

5/5/2019 8:07:34 PM In general, Dutch citizens are able to use the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to enter the US, which would require obtaining an ESTA before travel. However under the “Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015“, the US added additional restrictions to the VWP program, and people that are […]

Would barium get me in trouble in airport security?

6/22/2017 10:30:06 AM No, a barium meal will not set off alarms. Lots of security places have radiation detectors, and they are set to detect very low levels of radiation. From personal experience they can detect a “radioactive stress test” a few days after it happens. However a barium meal is not a “radioactive stress […]

Travel between Egypt and Israel

Travel between Egypt and Israel

6/18/2017 2:54:11 PM I did Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and UAE in October. I highly recommend Jordan and you can easily fly or take a bus to cross over to Jordan, then fly to Cairo from there. I LOVED Jordan and really think you should consider at least a day or two in Amman, maybe traveling […]

UK: Is a 10 year ban still valid after acquiring new citizenship?

2/22/2019 11:20:33 PM The ban is not against your passport, it is against you the human being bearing the passport and hence regardless of whichever different nationalities you assume or acquire (barring somehow acquiring British or EU citizenship), the ban remains in effect. If you decide you still want to visit the UK after your […]

Is fear of having drugs planted in my bag enroute to Malaysia justified?

6/3/2017 4:51:25 PM Just to add one more point to Mark Mayo’s excellent Answer, this would be concern everywhere, not just Malaysia. However, planting any contraband in passenger baggage is very uncommon because it is comparatively risky for the smugglers. There is a much higher chance of either losing control, as opposed to airline or […]

Will having long hair (as a man) cause me problems when travelling in Muslim countries?

5/9/2019 4:27:20 PM De jure discrimination for non-Muslims and expatriates does not exist, but de facto discrimination might. While there were issues in a conservative Emirate a decade ago, the man-bun (as an example) is now fashionable for some people and includes long hair, in the same place. Context is important: if you’re worried about […]

Does anyone recognize this temple in SE Asia?

Does anyone recognize this temple in SE Asia?

4/27/2017 11:30:36 PM Looks like Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya, Thailand, north of Bangkok: (courtesy Justin Vidano via Wikimedia) While the tubular central Khmer-style prang does indeed look a bit like Angkor Wat, the red brick is distinctively different and the tilted chedi dome (right in the original, far left in the photo above) and the […]

Applying for ESTA, or any travel document (vacation) as an ex US Permanent Resident Card holder

5/27/2020 11:12:41 PM If I got it right, they don’t allow you to travel under VWP even if you filed I-407. I think the reason is that you are a “potential illegal immigrant” as you already once had interest in a resident status. Therefor you must apply for regular visa and proof very well that […]

Does Eurostar enforce any penalties for booking a throwaway return ticket?

3/26/2017 3:11:15 PM Looking in my travel history, I found that I travelled from Brussels to London in Jan 2015 on a throwaway return (23 pounds cheaper) without going back. Never heard anything from Eurostar since, so given that the question is about actual practice, no, at least in Jan 2015 they weren’t enforcing any […]

What will happen if my flight gets cancelled after my 90 days is up and I am already at the gate?

4/25/2017 11:37:52 AM This has happened to me personally, you either get a 24 hour temp visa or they escort to a hotel at the airport and back again the next day, both happened to me, FWIW other countries mostly do the same it happened to me in china and in Australia as well, as […]

Visiting my mother in the US; she has overstayed her visa

5/10/2019 5:25:06 PM Can this situation affect my ability to enter the US? Yes it can and likely will. Although individuals are supposedly evaluated on their own merits, having a close family member as an overstayer can negatively impact your application, especially since you are a minor who traveled there with her. what questions would […]

Am I able to travel to the Netherlands without a visa to seek asylum?

3/3/2017 6:05:58 PM Not with just a Nairobi-Amsterdam ticket, since the airline is fined if it carries someone without the right documentation. EUR 11,250 per passenger, just so you know. As such, you need to buy a ticket to a country you can enter visa-free or with a visa on arrival via Amsterdam For Kenyans, […]

Vaping in Japan?

9/10/2019 1:51:53 AM In general, vaping (e-cigarettes) are split into two categories, those that include some sort of head and those that don’t. Vaping that use heat are considered smoking and subject to the smoking rules in Japan and you will be restricted to the smoking areas. Those that don’t are not subject to the […]

Indian e-visa: Is all I need a print out of the email?

2/1/2017 11:58:15 PM Yes, this is the document you need. I only printed it last moment before departure as I figured a copy on my phone would do – this is NOT the case. In addition to the existing answers I would like to warn you not to print out a Gmail page (including the […]

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