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Comment by lucb1e | Hacker News Reader

I keep seeing in reviews that people get woken up no matter what hour of night and have to present their documents for border checking, despite going between Schengen countries. Is that a guarantee whenever you cross a border or is this review bias? (Where annoyed customers are more likely to seek out where to leave a review, I mean.) Apparently you can't just leave the documents with the conductor because they need to check in the cabin for stowaways and match faces to pictures. I've only ever taken a Nightjet within Germany so I haven't experienced one myself

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10+ years ago there were very few checks — the police would need a specific suspicion to carry out a check. I saw this once on a daytime train, when they checked three people who clearly matched a description, and arrested the third one! I've also seen this twice when disembarking a within-Schengen plane, with police on the jetbridge checking documents — until they find the person they want.

The neverending "refugee crisis" (the official reason several countries have introduced checks within the Schengen area) has allowed more frequent checks, but it seems fairly random whether or not they happen. Out of perhaps 10 overnight journeys, I've not been checked going south or east, but around half the time I've been checked going into Denmark from Germany.

It's so disruptive that I no longer take the overnight train into Denmark. You should prepare for it — put the passport in the mesh holder so you can just hand it over — but I find it difficult enough to sleep on a moving train anyway.

Leaving Germany? Fine. Entering Germany from Austria? Yes, knock at the door at 4AM.

Having recently visited Germany via plane, they have certainly gotten stricter/performative. Leaving Munich for London and despite already have presented passports to immigration, they had police checking passports on the gangway to the aeroplane…

It's happened to me. The good news is they're unfazed if you present said documents in your underwear.

Seems to be certain borders. I've only been from Germany to Denmark twice and each time the Danish police decided to check everyone's passports. Denmark to Germany, Germany to Belgium, and Belgium to Germany, they didn't.

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