Weird and Wonderful Borders & a May EES Update

Hey there, Travellers,

We were delighted to see yesterday that airlines aren't the only part of the industry where error fares pop up. Carnival Cruise Line fell foul of a "glitch" earlier in the week that saw fares slashed in half, and of course some eagle-eyed Redditors spread the word.

While we usually see airlines honouring error fares, Carnival opted not to, saying that it "fell far below any reasonable promotional fare." Despite getting a full refund, many affected travellers are upset as they'd already gone ahead and booked their flights out to the port of departure.

They clearly hadn't read our tips on what to do when you spot an error fare. Spoiler: we always recommend waiting at least a couple of weeks before booking anything else in case the carrier chooses to cancel. Until then, give yourself a pat on the back and open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate! 

Happy travels and safe landings,

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

International borders are strange and sometimes confusing things, changing over time and often on seemingly bureaucratic whims. And once you start digging into the wheres and whys, it's hard to look away...

Here are a few of our top picks for the world's weirdest borders:

The longest hole-in-one

Ever shanked a golf shot so bad it took an hour to land? Seriously! 

On the northern border of Finland and Sweden, you’ll find Green Zone’s 18-hole golf course. The quirk? Seven holes in Finland and 11 in Sweden, meaning golfers need to walk across the border multiple times per round. 

And since there’s a one-hour time difference between these Nordic neighbors, your shot technically takes an hour to get to the other side — or even appears to travel back in time.

A little to the left

Meet the undisputed champion of border lore. One of only two counter-enclaves in the world, and certainly the most bizarre. 

No corner of the towns Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog is safe from the patchwork white crosses that mark the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s a town of roughly 10,000 and made up of 22 enclaves belonging to the Belgian municipality of Baarle-Hertog, surrounded by the Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau, with 7 counter-enclaves. Because of this, you can cross the boundary 30 times in just 5 kilometers, with the border running straight through streets, supermarkets, and schools.

It’s a place where couples can sleep in the same bed while being in two separate countries and where residents have moved their front doors just a smidge to pay less tax.

A good book, a teary opera. Both have the ability to transport you into their stories instantly, but what if they could transport you across state lines… 

On the skirt of Vermont and Quebec, that’s precisely what happens at the Haskell Free Library & Opera House. The only indication you’ve swapped maples for stars? A black line cutting through a rickety floorboard.

It was built by a wealthy Canadian, Martha Stewart Haskell (no, not that one), after inheriting a fortune from her late husband. A gift to the community, it was intentionally built to straddle the border between the US and Canada as a symbol of friendship and cultural welcome mat for the border communities. It’s often referred to as “the only library in the US with no books” since most stacks are indeed on the Canadian side. 

Keep reading for more barmy borders...

Back in March, we shared what we already knew about the new EU Entry/Exit System. It has now been in place for over a month, and its flaws continue to dominate travel news. As we inch closer to summer travel, non-EU nationals are understandably anxious about delays and disruption. So what can you expect?

• An April statement on the website of the Greek Embassy in the UK suggested that Greece has suspended the EES system this summer for incoming UK citizens. British travellers make up the largest number of international visitors to the country from outside the EU, so the move is designed to prevent long lines in those smaller, island airports.
  
  
• This does not mean that tourists from the UK won't face checks—the usual passport control will be in place. 
  
  
• Visitors from other countries, such as Canada, the USA, Australia, and further afield, will still have to register for the EES system in Greece with their fingerprints and a biometric photograph.
  
  
• Portugal and Italy have announced that they do not plan to follow suit, despite extensive EES-related delays causing travellers to miss flights out of the country.
  
  
• Popular summer spots like Faro, Lanzarote, Milan and Lisbon have all recently been called out as airports where an influx of flights landing at the same time has led to hours of queuing. If you're planning a self-transfer trip, where you book an onward connection separately, allow several hours to get through passport control (twice!).

All that said, the experience is inconsistent. So far this year, I've travelled through Berlin, Brussels, and Amsterdam airports without any major to-do.

Admittedly, the line at passport control arriving into Brussels was a little slow, but having already provided my biometrics in Berlin a month earlier, I flew through without any issue once I reached the front. The delay wasn't helped by the fact I had to run back to the bathroom beside the gate to retrieve my forgotten suitcase, either...

Amsterdam certainly wasn't making the best use of its 12 border gates with only three operational. However, there was absolutely no need for me to arrive at the airport earlier than usual, despite the warnings on my easyJet app to do so.

Berlin, however, was super efficient. 5 minutes in the line, an apology from the border guard for keeping me waiting. I think I even made it through faster than some of the EU citizens waiting to use the eGates!

So what have our members reported over the last couple of months?

Have you got an EES tale to tell? Share your experiences in the comments!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Can fare class dictate in what order you evacuate a plane?
  
  
• Ever felt like you'd be able to keep raving a little longer, if only you could take a nap without getting thrown out of the club? Berlin has the solution.
  
  
• Young Americans, take the money-saving wins where you can get them with discounted TSA PreCheck this summer.
  
  
• Yes, "England" and "beach holiday" do go together, even in the north. Fish and chips obligatory.
  
  
• And finally, Magnus the walrus spent weeks making waves around Scotland before disappearing back into the chilly North Sea. As it transpires, he'd simply had enough of us and decided to continue his Northern European tour across in Norway. Do send us a pic if you spot him!