I’m going to be spending two months in Ireland, and then some months in the UK, with a work permit for both countries. According to the organizing program*, it’s not recommended to go straight from Ireland into Britain, as you probably won’t get the stamp you need on your passport, which would make your work permit invalid, which would be a massive headache and something I want to avoid. They recommend leaving Ireland, going to somewhere else in Europe, and then going into Britain.
I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to do this, but I’m sort of stumbling around in the dark. Right now I’m looking at catching a flight from Dublin to Madrid (because it’s close and looks fairly cheap), spending a day there, and then flying into London. There’s no particular city I want to check out in this little excursion (never been to Europe before, pretty much anywhere would be awesome).
Is there an easier way to research European travel, rather than just trying out various city/date combinations on kayak.com? Are there any mainland-European cities that pretty reliably have dirt-cheap airfare to and from Ireland/Britain?
*It’s not an organized group trip or anything, so I can’t really get much help from the organization.
I’m not sure I understand your question. UK and Eire are both part of the EU and internal border controll range from minimal to nonexistent (driving between Holland and Belgium is about as eventful as crossing a county line in the U.S.). I assume you have all papers in order with the valid permits / visa needed. Why there would be a problem going from one to the other is beyond me.
Check out the UK visa website from the home office. I just tried it, but either my computer is drowsy or they have a lot of traffic right now. Without knowing your circumstances, though, I can’t be much help.
By all means, take some time to visit other places. Everything in Europe is a lot closer than you think. Cheapo flights are best bought when you’re there.
Sounds dumb to me. IIRC when you fly between Ireland and England you don’t go through the same process as coming from the mainland, but there were people there. I’m sure if you needed a stamp of some sort you could just ask for it. I’d actually have to look at my passport to see if they stamped mine when going back and forth between the mainland and England. I don’t remember if they did or not.
IIRC flights from Ireland to the UK still have passport control - holders of EU passports in one queue, their passports barely even merit a look and seldom get exmained; then there’s the queue for Non-EU passport holders …
I can’t recall showing my passport for ferry crossings tho’.
Lats time I flew to Ireland from France on my new (with married name) passport I asked the immigration man to stamp it for me - totally unnecessary expect for my vanity - which he did. Can’t guarantee it will work for you but …
The UK is not part of the Schengen border-control-free zone.
I had to pass throgh customs (in the Grubby Unwashed Foreigner Lane) when I went from France to the UK on the train. I had traveled through Finalnd, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium (I think–I was on a night train), and France without any delay due to a passport check.
I’m not sure whether Ireland is part of the Schengen zone.
I hear that northern France and the Low Countries are pretty this time of year. And I’m sure there are more that a few Dopers in the area. (Paging Maastricht, paging Maastricht… )
(This whole thing sounds like going from Vancouver to Los Angeles via Tokyo.)
You say that like there’s something wrong with that. :dubious:
Aaaaanyway. As pointed out above, you can just ask to have your passport stamped as you would otherwise if you came from the continent. My UK passport had few stamps from Ireland to England trips.
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