Least invasive border crossings?
January 4, 2011 8:36 PM Subscribe
Which method of traveling/travel route from Europe to the US will be the least invasive in terms of baggage examinations, pat-downs, and background checks?
I am an American citizen who has lived abroad for a number of years. I want to travel back to the US but am sketched out by all the "security" measures and would like to avoid them. I am prepared to travel a more circuitous route (e.g. fly to Mexico, travel by car to the US) if it results in less scrutiny. I'll probably be traveling with a foreign national.
I am an American citizen who has lived abroad for a number of years. I want to travel back to the US but am sketched out by all the "security" measures and would like to avoid them. I am prepared to travel a more circuitous route (e.g. fly to Mexico, travel by car to the US) if it results in less scrutiny. I'll probably be traveling with a foreign national.
Fly to Montreal, drive over a remote border crossing to the east of the main one, say you're a Vermont 251 Club member and needed to cross Franklin off of your list. You'll deal with Canadian security at the airport, but they're much lower key, I've found.
posted by jessamyn at 9:02 PM on January 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 9:02 PM on January 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
You could fly to Canada, and then travel by car to the US; I think in general Canadian customs and US/Canada border inspections are more relaxed than their Mexican counterparts. I personally haven't crossed the border by land in a long time. This will obviously be more convenient if you're headed to Detroit or Seattle rather than Houston or Phoenix. Your information will presumably also be entered in a third country's database, which it wouldn't if you travel directly to the US.
Note that flights from Canada to the US generally have US customs cleared in Canada, and then a TSA-equivalent screening process done.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:02 PM on January 4, 2011
Note that flights from Canada to the US generally have US customs cleared in Canada, and then a TSA-equivalent screening process done.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:02 PM on January 4, 2011
Be aware that if you decide to visit over land, your companion will very possibly need to show proof of a return ticket from the US. A Spanish friend of mine crossing from Canada had to purchase a bus ticket back to Montreal to satisfy the border people even though she had a plane ticket leaving Montreal for one week later.
posted by Nothing at 2:08 AM on January 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Nothing at 2:08 AM on January 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hmm, no idea what the extent of variation of background checks is for different methods of border crossing. But unless you decide to pass on air travel completely you will have your bags examined and will be screened yourself checking in on any flight out of Europe, too. As I recall from travelling to the US 3 months ago you then do get another lot of hand luggage and person screening if you have a connecting flight, but the difference to the casual observer in the extent of these security checks is minimal and appears to be limited to potentially more privacy invading scanner technology US side. As I say, this is purely observational.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:15 AM on January 5, 2011
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:15 AM on January 5, 2011
My experience has been that crossing by car typically involves long waits as you inch forward in a long line of cars, but that as long as your situation is boringly normal (eg crossed the border for a long weekend for touristic reasons) they tend to wave you through with little extra attention. I doubt that this would be the same if your answer was something about having lived in Europe, flown to Canada/Mexico, rented a car, etc. That's not typical, and they are going to perk up their ears and want to ask extra questions. I've never had them do more than look in my trunk, but I've seen unhappy people getting their cars literally torn apart, so that potential is always there.
At airports the hassle is guaranteed -- you stand in a line, answer the same intrusive questions, etc -- but your situation is typical and shouldn't attract the extra attention. And even if you qualify for the extra special enhancedlove inspection, it's just you and a couple of suitcases, no big deal.
posted by Forktine at 6:26 AM on January 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
At airports the hassle is guaranteed -- you stand in a line, answer the same intrusive questions, etc -- but your situation is typical and shouldn't attract the extra attention. And even if you qualify for the extra special enhanced
posted by Forktine at 6:26 AM on January 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure how many years you've been away, but, in my experience, incoming US customs hasn't become any more or less irritating in at least the last five years (ten, really, though my memory is a bit hazy that far back)—at least not for US citizens (I've lived in Canada full-time since 2007, have been crossing back and forth via land and air with some regularity since 2005, and haven't had more or less trouble on the handful of occasions that I've been returning from Europe). I do, however, imagine that taking an elaborate detour through Canada or Mexico after being away for years would be a good way of ensuring that the customs experience becomes more intrusive.
What it sounds like you're worried about is the TSA rigamarole, and, frankly, that's a lot worse flying from or within the US than to it. Yes, most of the major European (and Canadian) airports have the pornograph machines and the liquid bans and all that dumb stuff, but the foreign TSA proxies are, in my experience (and the experiences of everyone I know who's flown to the States from elsewhere), waaaaaaay less enthusiastic about their employ than their domestic counterparts.
I would seriously just put your toothpaste in your checked bag and fly directly. Canada is a lovely country and eminently worth a visit, but I honestly believe that if you try and reënter that way, you're going to be under far greater scrutiny than you would otherwise, thus defeating the entire point (unless you feel like lying about your situation, though you'll get far worse than a crotch-grab or two if that blows up in your face). The size of the border crossing won't make that much of a difference: I've been pulled aside and interrogated at Windsor-Detroit (the busiest commercial land crossing), and, frankly, the border guards at the smaller crossings are often super-bored and willing to take that out on you. There are some unmanned crossings, but those tend to be so remote as the make the whole effort seem frankly a bit insane.
So, basically, what I'm saying is that you should just stay in Europe forever.
posted by wreckingball at 8:47 AM on January 5, 2011
What it sounds like you're worried about is the TSA rigamarole, and, frankly, that's a lot worse flying from or within the US than to it. Yes, most of the major European (and Canadian) airports have the pornograph machines and the liquid bans and all that dumb stuff, but the foreign TSA proxies are, in my experience (and the experiences of everyone I know who's flown to the States from elsewhere), waaaaaaay less enthusiastic about their employ than their domestic counterparts.
I would seriously just put your toothpaste in your checked bag and fly directly. Canada is a lovely country and eminently worth a visit, but I honestly believe that if you try and reënter that way, you're going to be under far greater scrutiny than you would otherwise, thus defeating the entire point (unless you feel like lying about your situation, though you'll get far worse than a crotch-grab or two if that blows up in your face). The size of the border crossing won't make that much of a difference: I've been pulled aside and interrogated at Windsor-Detroit (the busiest commercial land crossing), and, frankly, the border guards at the smaller crossings are often super-bored and willing to take that out on you. There are some unmanned crossings, but those tend to be so remote as the make the whole effort seem frankly a bit insane.
So, basically, what I'm saying is that you should just stay in Europe forever.
posted by wreckingball at 8:47 AM on January 5, 2011
Long time lurker here and this question motivated me to post.
Back in the pre 9/11 days I had a friend who's job with the INS (the precursor to the TSA) was to look for unusual travel patterns on international flights. For example, a Chinese National flying from Turkey to New York on a one-way ticket is "unusual" and this person would get extra screening. Note that this is prior to the current screening process and I'm sure the definition of unusual has only increased. Any non-typical flight decisions on your part are more likely to get you flagged, not less.
My recommendation is to fly into the largest US airport closest to your final destination and just deal with the TSA. I'm assuming you have a current US passport and aren't planning on smuggling anything in. Dress boring, hand your passport to the agent, and deal with the questions. I'm sure they are used to nervous passengers but they are trained to look for unusual evasions. Act casual, have all your paperwork complete, don't cop an attitude and your chances of winding up in Room 101 are slim. (Note if you have light brown skin and a beard none of this applies; just be ready for intense questioning)
I flew to London and back to Boston in December and getting through the line at Heathrow took almost 3 hours. In contrast, it took 10 minutes getting through customs at Logan. Granted, I'm a nondescript, middle-aged business traveler so YMMV.
Your foreign-national friend will be in a different line so I don't know what he or she will be subjected to. A co-worker of mine was traveling on an Indian passport and had no trouble, but then again she was prepared and had all of the appropriate paperwork ready ahead of time.
If you decide that you don't want to take my advice you can fly into a large Canadian airport and go through US Customs there. (The agents are Americans posted there for 2 years- I asked) . I did this in 2008 when returning from Asia. My flight from Toronto to Boston was considered "domestic" as I cleared customs in Canada. But, going back to my first paragraph, this might be flagged as unusual, especially if there are easier ways for you to get to your final destination.
posted by JohntheContrarian at 9:08 AM on January 5, 2011
Back in the pre 9/11 days I had a friend who's job with the INS (the precursor to the TSA) was to look for unusual travel patterns on international flights. For example, a Chinese National flying from Turkey to New York on a one-way ticket is "unusual" and this person would get extra screening. Note that this is prior to the current screening process and I'm sure the definition of unusual has only increased. Any non-typical flight decisions on your part are more likely to get you flagged, not less.
My recommendation is to fly into the largest US airport closest to your final destination and just deal with the TSA. I'm assuming you have a current US passport and aren't planning on smuggling anything in. Dress boring, hand your passport to the agent, and deal with the questions. I'm sure they are used to nervous passengers but they are trained to look for unusual evasions. Act casual, have all your paperwork complete, don't cop an attitude and your chances of winding up in Room 101 are slim. (Note if you have light brown skin and a beard none of this applies; just be ready for intense questioning)
I flew to London and back to Boston in December and getting through the line at Heathrow took almost 3 hours. In contrast, it took 10 minutes getting through customs at Logan. Granted, I'm a nondescript, middle-aged business traveler so YMMV.
Your foreign-national friend will be in a different line so I don't know what he or she will be subjected to. A co-worker of mine was traveling on an Indian passport and had no trouble, but then again she was prepared and had all of the appropriate paperwork ready ahead of time.
If you decide that you don't want to take my advice you can fly into a large Canadian airport and go through US Customs there. (The agents are Americans posted there for 2 years- I asked) . I did this in 2008 when returning from Asia. My flight from Toronto to Boston was considered "domestic" as I cleared customs in Canada. But, going back to my first paragraph, this might be flagged as unusual, especially if there are easier ways for you to get to your final destination.
posted by JohntheContrarian at 9:08 AM on January 5, 2011
I just flew back and forth to Europe, Raleigh to New York to Brussels, and there were no more hassles than any other times I've flown out of the country in the past ten years. No full body scanners, no extra pat downs. I'm pregnant, so was determined to opt out of any scanners, if need be, but wasn't needed. There were scanners in RDU, but they were optional, I just got in a non-scanner line.
Just be aware that you may be adding a hell of a lot more hassle to your trip for something that probably won't be much of an issue.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 9:33 AM on January 5, 2011
Just be aware that you may be adding a hell of a lot more hassle to your trip for something that probably won't be much of an issue.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 9:33 AM on January 5, 2011
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posted by bluejayk at 8:55 PM on January 4, 2011