[Sam Kapasi]

Just before the sun cam out and the traffic jam started, we had to take a toll ticket (unmanned booth) at the border.

I guess we will have to pay toll in Italy, depending on where we stop using the Brenner way.

Half an hour has gone waiting in one spot, it appears to be an accident somewhere ahead. In about 40 minutes after we have stopped, the traffic begins to move and in no time we're back to speed.

The drive from Bolzano to Trento is stunning, saturated blues and deep greens, vineyards and mountains, probably one of the better drives of my life.
The temperature has risen from a chilly 4 degrees to hot and sunny 24 degrees already!











Jenny do you know what city is coming soon?
What?
The home of Romeo and Juliet! Verona!

Of course Verona just turns out to be an unromantic little city, viewed from the highway. But I hear that inside it is quite beautiful.

The italian Autostradas are built quite differently from their Austrian and German counterparts, being a little rougher material, but overall newer and smoother.

We make a proper road video. This one is about 3.5 minutes long and focusses on the road and its surroundings with a little free gyaan from me as usual.

Presenting to you from sunny Italy: A YetiVideo® - for road enthusiasts only!

YouTube - italian driving.m4v

It won't be long before we are in Venezia now.

As I mentioned, after a day or two here - we're thinking about loading our car onto a ferry from here and cross the Adriatic Sea!

[Thad E Ginathom]

From 4 to 24 --- I have no doubt at all about which side of those mountains I would want to be!

Enjoying the pics, enjoying the story ...

[MileCruncher]

Firstly many congratulations to Mrs. & Mr. Sam Kapasi on your marriage.

Please keep up the pace of the travelogue so we all can enjoy the Italian scenery.

Cheers

[Sam Kapasi]

I neglected to mention the tolls:

As I mentioned just as we reached the Brenner way we paid a little under 8 euros to Austria. However many many kilometres later, when we exited, the italian toll naka asked for a little under 18 euros. Wow. Don't convert to rupees Sam, don't convert to rupees Sam.



Past all the little cities and towns we arrive at what should be Venice on the map. But of course we're in the surrounding city.

It's like reaching Ernakulam and wondering what happened to Fort Cochin.

As Jenny looks around and screws up her nose I assure her.

Not yet. We have to reach the bridge.
Bridge?
The Ponte della Libertà.

And sure enough. There it comes.







I have been here once, 15 years ago. Certainly not by car. But there is something that is ticking at the back of my head. Something that reminds me that... that...
I've never seen a car in Venice! Of course!! It is a walking city! That's when I see the big P signs everywhere



We have to find a Parkhaus Jenny.
Why?
Because I now remember clearly. You canot drive in Venice. You have to find a Parkhaus on the outskirts and leave the car there.
For how long?
As long as we are in Venice!
And the Ferry to Croatia?
I guess we have to come back for the car then.
Are you sure?
Uh huh. No I'm not 100% sure, but I have a good feeling I'm right.

And so with that, we're in Venice!! One of the most beautiful, quaint and romantic towns of the world. WOOOHOOOO!

Who would have known we would be in Italy today! Ha!

And here is a super short video crossing the bridge.

YouTube - Ponte della Libertà

[sami316]

Hi Sam,

Really good snaps. Have a rockin Honeymoon..

[mallumowgli]

Your reference of Ernakulam/Fort Cochin for Venice - my 'Khaleja thanda hua'.
Keep going, Sam. But your offbeat comments are less post-wedding. Being a 'phamily man' has made you a wee bit more serious, eh?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Border crossing in Europe is so easy?

What about passport, visa and immigration control if one does not have schengen visa and entering the country illegally?

I thought, there will be pics of Austria-Italy border like Indo-Pak border at wagha!!!!

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Border crossing in Europe is so easy?

What about passport, visa and immigration control if one does not have schengen visa and entering the country illegally?

I thought, there will be pics of Austria-Italy border like Indo-Pak border at wagha!!!!

Sometimes I wonder Ashish, tera kya hoga.

It is a logical situation. If you are in Austria, you already have a EU visa. So there is no border between Germany and Austria and Italy between each other. However if you try to enter any of these countries by air, you will see.

Think about it.

Germany or Italy or Austria have no border with a non-EU nation.

Germany is bordered with Benelux, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Poland.
All of these countries accept entry with a Schengen visa. So Germany has no road borders with them.

It is the same with Italy, they are bordered with Switzerland, France, Austria and Slovenia, again all of them accept entry with Schengen Visa today.

So Italian border/immigration control exists for air and sea entry only.

If you enter them by road, you HAVE to be coming from a country which you COULD not have entered without a Schengen visa in the first place!
Alternatively, you could be a citizen of any of these countries and you would be allowed entry either with the passport or the residence identity card.

However there are road borders between EU and non EU nations - this will come later in my story.

For the common information of all the readers: the countries that allow you access if you possess a valid Schengen visa (at the time of my writing this) are

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden.
• In addition, Switzerland also honours the Schengen visa.

For all other countries, regardless of EU or not, as an Indian passport holder you need to apply for a visa before you enter the country.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

What about passport, visa and immigration control if one does not have schengen visa and entering the country illegally?

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

All of these countries accept entry with a Schengen visa. So Germany has no road borders with them.
It is the same with Italy, they are bordered with Switzerland, France, Austria and Slovenia, again all of them accept entry with Schengen Visa today.
So Italian border/immigration control exists for air and sea entry only.

If you enter them by road, you HAVE to be coming from a country which you COULD not have entered without a Schengen visa in the first place!

Do you mean that if i want to visit France only, then i should get schengen visa valid for EU rather than visa for France only?

Couldn't i enter in France with France visa only?
I will enter in France with France visa, drive to Spain/Italy by road pretending that i have schengen visa as there is no border control, i enter in Italy by road illegaly. Is it possible?

Sorry for OT on this lovely travleogue.


EDIT:

If you enter them by road, you HAVE to be coming from a country which you COULD not have entered without a Schengen visa in the first place!
Alternatively, you could be a citizen of any of these countries and you would be allowed entry either with the passport or the residence identity card.

I got your point.
It means that if you have schengen visa then only you can travel to any schengen valid countries by road, your passport or i card will be checked at border and there will be no stamping and all fuss.
It means that there is some sort of border control.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

Do you mean that if i want to visit France only, then i should get schengen visa valid for EU rather than visa for France only?

Couldn't i enter in France with France visa only?
I will enter in France with France visa, drive to Spain/Italy by road pretending that i have schengen visa as there is no border control, i enter in Italy by road illegaly.

I think your basic concept is incorrect. If you are going to France, you will not receive a FRENCH visa from the embassy. You will receive a SCHENGEN visa issued by the government of france. Yes, even if your plan is to only visit France.
If it is multiple entry (which is usual) you can use this very visa to travel to all the countries I have mentioned.

The French Government does not issue a "France Only" visa. (Yes they do so in special cases, but that is a different story) - They automatically issue a Schengen Visa which is honoured by all the countries I have mentioned.

To make it easier for you to understand, let us say the French Embassy issued you a one-month visa (which would undoubtedly be Schengen) you could in fact use this same visa to visit all the other countries too.

BUT - by RULE, if the French govt gives you a visa, your primary destination must be France. It is a crime to apply for a visa in one country and use it to only visit another.

But after you enter France, you could easily decide to drive to Italy without a worry, as long as the visa is valid and is multiple entry, you are well within the law.

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

I got your point.
It means that if you have schengen visa then only you can travel to any schengen valid countries by road, your passport or i card will be checked at border and there will be no stamping and all fuss.
It means that there is some sort of border control.

No Ashish. No border. No check. No stopping. No Naka, no police, no immigration. It is open. Austria and Italy consider themselves states of the European Schengen territory. I hope you understand.

However, during your stay at anytime within the EU, you are expected to be carrying your passport with valid Schengen visa. At any time any police officer may ask to see this and you are obliged to present it.

(However this is rare)

Sorry for OT on this lovely travleogue.

Not at all, I am happy to help. By asking these questions you have helped many other who many not have understood the European immigration system.

[Urban_Nomad]

Those pics between Bolzano and Trento are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing Sam.

And again, many congratulations to the happy couple. Wish you a lifetime of joy.

[f1fan]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

For the common information of all the readers: the countries that allow you access if you possess a valid Schengen visa (at the time of my writing this) are

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden.
• In addition, Switzerland also honours the Schengen visa.

For all other countries, regardless of EU or not, as an Indian passport holder you need to apply for a visa before you enter the country.

During my trip to Germany and Austria in 2001, Switzerland did not honor the Schengen visa and we were asked for specific Swiss Visa.
Did this change post that?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

If you are going to France, you will not receive a FRENCH visa from the embassy. You will receive a SCHENGEN visa issued by the government of france. Yes, even if your plan is to only visit France.

That cleared my doubt about Schengen visa.

Thanks for clarification!!!

Waiting for Venice and gondola pics.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by f1fan

During my trip to Germany and Austria in 2001, Switzerland did not honor the Schengen visa and we were asked for specific Swiss Visa.
Did this change post that?

Yes, this changed in 2008 I believe. You do not need a swiss visa if you possess a valid Schengen visa.

[f1fan]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Yes, this changed in 2008 I believe. You do not need a swiss visa if you possess a valid Schengen visa.

That's really great news.
So now apart from the UK, you can pretty much visit the whole of EU on one visa.