July 11-24...Customs inspection questions

courtjester · Post by **courtjester** » Sun 21st May 2006 04:06 am

Greetings one and all. My wife and I are making our 'Dam debut in July. I've read many of your posts in preparation over the last several months and found them enormously informative. Thank you.

A few questions:

1. Could someone provide information about the security policies we might encounter when traveling by train or bus between Netherlands, Germany and Belgium? My understanding is that there is no customs inspection when traveling between the countries, but I have no idea whether that's true. I'd like to bring a little smoke when the wife and I make our day-trip excursions to Brussels (by train from Maastricht) and Aachen (by bus from Maastricht), without ending up in some stalag.

2. I have read that possession of up to three grams of soft drugs has been decriminalized in Belgium, that if the police find no more than that on you, they warn you that it is illegal...then actually return your stash. Is this true? (And if so, why would anyone want to be a freaking cop there?!?)

3. I understand that possession of less than six grams -- more in some localities -- has been decriminalized in Germany also. Truth? Wishful thinking?

4. Is anyone aware of another place, or places, besides Netherlands, where the sale of soft drugs is so openly practiced and condoned by the authorities? I know there are some mail-order places out of Canada, and some pretty forward-thinking practices there (against the heavy-handed policy pressure of the witless, war-mongering bastards running my own nation to the immediate south), and have heard of a place in Hamilton, Ontario, which supposedly has something of an open smoking practice (but also is subject to frequent shutdowns, which would lead me to believe it isn't entirely accepted).

I look forward to your replies. Thanks again for all the info over the last several months. Less than two months until my first trip to civilization. Can't wait.

FlyByNite · Post by **FlyByNite** » Sun 21st May 2006 04:16 am

What dates will you be in Amsterdam? I'll post you on the Whos In Town page ( link below ) Never mind, I got it from another post. You are now listed.

courtjester · Post by **courtjester** » Sun 21st May 2006 05:35 am

Thanks for the link, FlyBy. I can see where that has big possibilities as more people become aware of it. I'll be sure to check it again periodically in the weeks to come. Peace to you.

Rev · Post by **Rev** » Sun 21st May 2006 06:40 pm

Hey, I was staying in Belgium a couple of years ago, and we popped to a'dam for a few days, we went by train, and had 3 bags of weed, 2-3 grams in each, I passed them to my friend to stick in his shoe, but he missed one of them and it sat on the table just as a couple of customs officers walked through, they looked at the weed, smiled and walked on so I would guess there is no problem..but then we might have just been lucky

Epsilon · Post by **Epsilon** » Sun 21st May 2006 08:12 pm

The border between NL/DE or BE is like driving from West Virginia to Maryland these days ... We've yet to see a checkpoint the last 5 years ,but we've been in a car ...am curious if anyone has heard anything about the World Cup affecting this in June

Paco · Post by **Paco** » Sun 21st May 2006 08:56 pm

Well it is like Roulett.At the German Boarder it could be a bit diffcult ( they are (the police) looking for young people in trashy cars,sterotype of smokers).
When they bust you they gona throw the weed away.Porbably they will take some money of you (kinda punishment).

As some people said, at the WCC there will be a lot of Police driving the Boarder up and down.So take care of you.

People who are not looking like typical smokers wont be stopped by the police.As I said its like playing Roulett...

Como · Post by **Como** » Thu 25th May 2006 01:03 pm

I always fly (by plane!) when I travel abroad. I've never encountered any probs at my home airport or Amsterdam Schiphol, but recently I returned from Bergamo in Italy and while I was waiting in the departure lounge a policeman asked me to follow him into a small room where he took a swab from inside my rucksack before entering the swab into a computer. No trace was found of drugs/explosives as I was allowed to carry on with my journey. Be aware thats my only advice.

Doog · Post by **Doog** » Thu 25th May 2006 04:21 pm

Epsilon wrote:am curious if anyone has heard anything about the World Cup affecting this in June

Yep security is gonna be all over the place in Germany and ESPECIALLY at border controls where cars and buses carrying supporters (or terrorists) will be trying to gain access. You can also expect any German airports to have much tighter security as well.

This is a worldwide event and obviously presents the ideal opportunity for some organisation or other to "present their case to the jury".

cattales1960 · Post by **cattales1960** » Mon 3rd Jul 2006 03:50 am

we flew and our plane was held up because another passenger tried to take "stuff" in there checked on luggage. The pilot announced that there was some people holding us up. and that they were to be removed from the plane, and were waiting for the cops to show up and the people were not allowed to leave on the plane when we did. I have no idea what they tried to bring home with them, but they did miss their flight.

Boner · Post by **Boner** » Mon 3rd Jul 2006 04:17 pm

Doog wrote:
Epsilon wrote:am curious if anyone has heard anything about the World Cup affecting this in June
Yep security is gonna be all over the place in Germany and ESPECIALLY at border controls where cars and buses carrying supporters (or terrorists) will be trying to gain access. You can also expect any German airports to have much tighter security as well.

This is a worldwide event and obviously presents the ideal opportunity for some organisation or other to "present their case to the jury".

Just wanted to add to this, someone off Channels went to Amsterdam then onto Germany so I asked him about borders and shit here's what he replied with:

yeah we did go via the dam we travelled by train on the saturday 10th
no probs on the borders at all ( nice bag of weed in my pants yeeeeha)
had no tickets for the game but had a top buzz over there

Doog I'm not having a go I just wanted to point that you shouldn't really speculate unless you have proof or at least make a point that its just a guess.

G_Dead · Post by **G_Dead** » Thu 6th Jul 2006 04:11 am

Me and a friend just got back from Amsterdam a few days ago. We drove to Germany last Friday and had about 4 grams and a pipe with us. At the border all cars had to drive through what looked like a rest stop. It looked like they were randomly stopping a few cars but I didn't get that good a look. We were just waved on through. Yee-ha. We didn't even know when we crossed into Belgium or back into Holland, no security or border that we could see. Have a good time and be careful.

Dead

urban_mogli · Post by **urban_mogli** » Thu 6th Jul 2006 04:25 pm

Hi there,

I´m from Germany and got some experience with "border-line"

smuggling.
But first the World Cup will finish on July the 10th ( I will take a trip shortly after that

), so i think were out of danger.
I would never drive again with a train back to Germany, because they stop the train on the first station in Germany and send cops sometimes with dogs through the train. I had this twice of twice times i travelled with train. Many of my friends got the same experience. Ride by car is only a good idea if you got an "upper-class" car and no dreads and that. Dont drive by night like many follish people did ( only cars on street with five youth and named by car shields as tourists). Best thing is to drive with granny´s in bus (Dutch-flower-tours)

and sit right @the end of the bus.....

By the way it is strictly illegal to have dope in Germany. But in most "states" and lower amount cases the only write down a complaint and drop it before it comes to court, because of the collosal paper-work here.(good ol´germany)

You can have luck for sure but i would disadvise the train, or drop it of in the train an catch it up later ( think about fingerprints)

By the way thanks for all the informations@this forum the really make me dreamin´.....
Best regards and Schönen Tach noch

courtjester · Post by **courtjester** » Sat 8th Jul 2006 02:33 pm

Outstanding, Urban. We're taking the bus from Maastricht into Aachen, and I'm already figuring I can take three or four joints for the day, stash them somewhere on the bus, then deny all knowledge until safely crossing the border.

All I know is we're leaving in two days for our first trip to the 'Dam, and I'm starting to understand why "Boner" calls himself that.