We'll be traveling with a tour group, and we were wondering if they ever check tour buses when crossing the borders (the popular countries - Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France). There has been mention of dogs in trains & airports. I'm concerned as one of the members of our group plans on visiting the "Coffee Shops" when we're in Amsterdam, and taking some extra "Coffee" for the rest of the trip, but will finish it before we fly out. It would ruin our trip, if one of the group got in trouble.
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Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
Germany, Italy, and France are all part of the Schengen Treaty, which, amongst other things, eliminates border checks. To steal a line from the movie Stripes, "It's like going to Wisconsin!". Since Switzerland is not part of the treaty, I would imagine that there will be a border check there. However, none of that has anything to do with taking substances outside of Amsterdam. Amsterdam laws apply to Amsterdam and nowhere else. Going to jail in a foreign country is a major, major nightmare. My best advice, to borrow another phrase, would be "What happens in Amsterdam, stays in Amsterdam".
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
There are no real border controls within the Schengen countries. However, cars that look suspicious and tour busses with a good portion of youger people will be stopped and serached thru on the road in Germany and Belgium. In Germany you are allowed to carry one small amount of "coffee" that's just enough for your private one-time use. Maybe I should send you a private message for some "extra information" for your "friend".