Travelling to Europe, What to know.

Printable View

07-10-2007, 12:37 PM
pilothaz

Travelling to Europe, What to know.

Morning Gents,

I was talking with a few members about my travels to Europe and thought I would ask the group for some helpful tips. This is going to be my first flight in a commercial plane (yes I know the guy with his Private Pilot's Licence hasn't been in a Commercial Jet). My trip is primary to see my buddy who is over there for a co-op position working for Barclay's Capital Investment.

The other parts of the trip is that we are going to see the Reading Festival. I know I will not be able to take my razor in there for the 3 days but that will be OK with me as the concert will just be amazing. From there we will also be hitting up the Notting Hill Carnival.

While there, I am also going to be doing some traveling by myself. I am planning on a quick 3 day trip to Ireland to Dublin, Belfast and possibly where my family is from (Balleymena in Northern Ireland, where there is still family). To that I will be traveling with my buddy to Barcelona as well, where I might find some razors.

There-in lies the point of the post, how have any of you dealt with buying razors in your travels and had problems with the borders or airports? Randy was suggesting for me to buy them and ship them home before I get on the planes, and some say place in your luggage. What do the security say to you folks when you travel with your straights? I would assume that if it is in the Luggage area and NOT in the main cabin, then I would be fine.

Ideas, thoughts, and places to go? :)
07-10-2007, 01:03 PM
nickyspaghetti

I travel between Poland and England regularly and have never had a problem with my main luggage. I just make sure they are packed well. You won't get them through in your hand luggage though.
07-10-2007, 01:07 PM
pilothaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickyspaghetti

You won't get them through in your hand luggage though.

I knew that much. lol, "But sir, it is just a simple razor.... That I can WIELD like a mofo! " (As the security throw me to the ground)

:roflmao
07-10-2007, 01:55 PM
majurey

I've had no problem with transatlantic flights and having straights in my checked-in luggage. Travel within Europe should been even easier since there are no tax concerns across countries regarding buying goods abroad. I would be surprised if you came across any problems.

P.S. Take lots of bog roll to Reading festival. It's very different to Glastonbury (flat, more crowded, more rock/indie music) but is fun nonetheless. As for Notting Hill Carnival, be prepared to be severely crushed! One year I wanted to cross a bridge to another part of the carnival and it was so crowded I found myself battling against the tide, then getting lifted off my feet by the crush and carried back in the opposite direction. Sounds funny now, but the feeling of not being able to dictate your direction of travel in a very crowded atmosphere is pretty scary!
07-10-2007, 02:07 PM
pilothaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by majurey

I've had no problem with transatlantic flights and having straights in my checked-in luggage. Travel within Europe should been even easier since there are no tax concerns across countries regarding buying goods abroad. I would be surprised if you came across any problems.

So you would just suggest checking them, and not shipping them home then? I thought that it would be fine to bring them all home.

Quote:

Originally Posted by majurey

P.S. Take lots of bog roll to Reading festival. It's very different to Glastonbury (flat, more crowded, more rock/indie music) but is fun nonetheless.

I am soo pumped for this concert. Soo many good bands it will be insane!

Quote:

Originally Posted by majurey

As for Notting Hill Carnival, be prepared to be severely crushed! One year I wanted to cross a bridge to another part of the carnival and it was so crowded I found myself battling against the tide, then getting lifted off my feet by the crush and carried back in the opposite direction. Sounds funny now, but the feeling of not being able to dictate your direction of travel in a very crowded atmosphere is pretty scary!

That does sound crazy Scary! Hopefully I will be able to handle myself there, though my friend is a tiny tike lol. Myself being 6'4" and 15.3 stone (sorry just had to convert :D) should be alright.
07-10-2007, 02:20 PM
tonyspurs

so pilot which bands are you looking forward to seeing?
the pigeon detectives and the klaxons are good so to are the view,although the chillis will take some beating live.
have a great weekend and safe journeying through europe
07-10-2007, 02:25 PM
pilothaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyspurs

so pilot which bands are you looking forward to seeing?
the pigeon detectives and the klaxons are good so to are the view,although the chillis will take some beating live.
have a great weekend and safe journeying through europe

There are a Ton of bands I want to see live. The list would be this in not particular order:

Smashing Pumpkins, RHCP, Arcade Fire, The Shins, We Are Scientists, The Used, NIN, The Klaxons, Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Razorlight, Turbonegro (really like them), Billy Talent (as they are from right around me), Hellogoodbye, Brand new, Hot Hot Heat, Jimmy Eat World, Silver sun Pickups and a couple other ones. I will have to check out the Pigeon Detectives now as you suggested. :P
07-10-2007, 03:24 PM
bpatton

It cost me $80 to ship things home from Edinburgh recently....I'm checking the rest of my stuff. Also, if you check it there is a limit to how much you can bring in, as in cost of the item in $.
07-10-2007, 03:28 PM
pilothaz

I am really not expecting to get many if ANY at all when I am there. It is just to make sure that I would be able to bring them back from when i am traveling from Barcelona back to England and such.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpatton

It cost me $80 to ship things home from Edinburgh recently....I'm checking the rest of my stuff. Also, if you check it there is a limit to how much you can bring in, as in cost of the item in $.
07-10-2007, 06:49 PM
Kees

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickyspaghetti

I travel between Poland and England regularly and have never had a problem with my main luggage. I just make sure they are packed well. You won't get them through in your hand luggage though.

Same thing on Porto airport 2 years ago: couldn't take my Swiss Army knife that I had kept in my pocket with me. I could either leave it there or take it to the airport post office where they kindly gave me an envolope to send it home: cost me Euro 3.-- which is a bargain compared to Dutch national mail rates! Schiphol airport is very strict as well!! Buying nice straights here won't be easy: mostly crap is offered for sale, rarely see nice razors in antique or brocante shops. Friodurs are still for sale though in the Henckels shops in The Hague and Amsterdam.
07-10-2007, 07:40 PM
heavydutysg135

I just got back from a three week trip to Europe and I brought 3 straight razors in my check in bag. There were absolutely no issues and I don't see why you would have any issues either. Shipping them back is an unnecessary expense imo. If you are stupid enough to try to bring them on your carry on bag then you probably should not be shaving with a straight razor in the first place lol.
07-11-2007, 07:52 PM
Estroncio

If you travel to Barcelona you can find razors here www.ganiveteriaroca.com that is a site opened from 1811 and originally dedicated to straightrazors. They have variety of dovos, kenckell and perhaps some filarmonica. Also this www.artero.com that this near previous and the this opened one from 1909. It is not cheap. The rest that you can find is scrap iron. You can obtain to alum to 2,6 euros and some thing but. They are both only sites of the city where there is east type of things.

Greetings from Barcelona

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilothaz

Morning Gents,

I was talking with a few members about my travels to Europe and thought I would ask the group for some helpful tips. This is going to be my first flight in a commercial plane (yes I know the guy with his Private Pilot's Licence hasn't been in a Commercial Jet). My trip is primary to see my buddy who is over there for a co-op position working for Barclay's Capital Investment.

The other parts of the trip is that we are going to see the Reading Festival. I know I will not be able to take my razor in there for the 3 days but that will be OK with me as the concert will just be amazing. From there we will also be hitting up the Notting Hill Carnival.

While there, I am also going to be doing some traveling by myself. I am planning on a quick 3 day trip to Ireland to Dublin, Belfast and possibly where my family is from (Balleymena in Northern Ireland, where there is still family). To that I will be traveling with my buddy to Barcelona as well, where I might find some razors.

There-in lies the point of the post, how have any of you dealt with buying razors in your travels and had problems with the borders or airports? Randy was suggesting for me to buy them and ship them home before I get on the planes, and some say place in your luggage. What do the security say to you folks when you travel with your straights? I would assume that if it is in the Luggage area and NOT in the main cabin, then I would be fine.

Ideas, thoughts, and places to go? :)
07-11-2007, 08:06 PM
Jimbo

Pilot,

I've done the trip from Oz to the UK twice in the past 6 months or so. I brought home 3 razors the first time and 1 the second. And I took 3 of my personal razors with me both times to shave with. I just put them in my toilet bag, and packed that in my check-through luggage. No problems at all either time. The only down side is the chance that your luggage gets lost (never happened to me yet), so don't pack your best blades.

There's quite a few antiques places in the UK - I got an excellent ivory scaled Heljestrand (No. 32) from a little place for 8GBP, but I probably got lucky. Then there's the London shops like Trumpers and Taylors - they only sell the Dovos, as far as I could tell.

James.
07-11-2007, 08:12 PM
pilothaz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Pilot,
No problems at all either time. The only down side is the chance that your luggage gets lost (never happened to me yet), so don't pack your best blades.

I only have 2 currently so I might only bring one. I was thinking about the luggage being lost which i hope won't happen. I got them from a barber right by my place (Playboy Barber Shop, where you get a nice set of matches with a topless girlie on it. Or at least used to)

When I bought the razors from him, he first told me I was going to kill myself trying to use them :roflmao

Then I asked how much he wanted them for, he gave me them for $5 CAD each. After which he proceeded to tell me, that he would give them to me for free, but with knives of any kind you must never give to someone for free (it is bad luck). So he said at the end if you don't like your mother-in-law give her a nice set of steak knives :hmmm:
07-11-2007, 08:18 PM
Jimbo

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilothaz

I only have 2 currently so I might only bring one. I was thinking about the luggage being lost which i hope won't happen. I got them from a barber right by my place (Playboy Barber Shop, where you get a nice set of matches with a topless girlie on it. Or at least used to)

When I bought the razors from him, he first told me I was going to kill myself trying to use them :roflmao

Then I asked how much he wanted them for, he gave me them for $5 CAD each. After which he proceeded to tell me, that he would give them to me for free, but with knives of any kind you must never give to someone for free (it is bad luck). So he said at the end if you don't like your mother-in-law give her a nice set of steak knives :hmmm:

I've heard of luggage getting lost, but I think it's relatively rare (so now it'll happen next time I travel...:w )

Do you reckon cutlery counts in that mother in law thing? It did have butter knives in it....

James.