sebastiandooris Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I have been offered a wedding in Koblenz Germany at the end of may and have a question about international travel with kit. Will be traveling light and should have 5 Lenses 2 Bodies 2 Flashguns 1 Laptop 1 Tripod With all the above equipemnt minus the tripod as hand luggage would anyone know if there will be any problems with customs or security. Or what should I look out for? Seb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You may need to find out what airline you are using to make the trip and inquire from them what is OK to carry on and what is not. ...Travel very light because if the airline demands you put your photo gear in luggage (not carry on) you will [likely] never see it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Shouldn't bea problem if your gear is neatly organizred and boy do I havethe perfect rolling case for you; <A HREF = http://thinktankphoto.com/> the Airport Security Rolling Carry-on from Think Tank Photo</a>. It is far and away the best camera case / rolling case I've used in 25 year of photography. <P>I would either put your tripod legset into your regular (checked) suitcase and the head in your carry on camera case or leave your tripod at home and just take the head and rent a tripod legset when you are there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cariad Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You will not have any problems taking your gear as carry on. I do it several times a year. I would suggest a rolling carry on camera bag. If you are taking a laptop make sure you can access it easy, because they will ask you here and in Germany to take it out of the bag. One suggestion that I have and it is very important. DO NOT let your gear go through the xray maschine until you are ready to go through the scanner too. There are people that watch and set it up that they are waiting on the other end and several of my friends had their laptops stolen that way. They will take it before you can get through. Always keep an eye on your gear. As far as the tripod, I always have packed that in my suitcase, because I felt they might give me problems because mine has spikes on the ends. Have a wonderful trip, Koblenz is a wonderful city and you will enjoy the backdrops :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastiandooris Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Some great advice thanks Will be checking in the tripod and have the rest in a backpack style case. As for the stealing of equipment from the X-ray machine. Dose this only happen in large ariports as in Dublin (Ireland) airport there would be nowhere to run or hide.. Anyway will keep it in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cariad Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 It happend in Spain and in Atlanta........... In Germany I know it would not happen, because they watch very carefully who picks up the bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark u Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You really do need to double check with the airline(s) you'll be flying with. There is a huge difference in what is permissable between different airlines, classes of service and routes. You may be faced with weight as well as size restrictions. It can be worth wearing a coat with large pockets that you can stuff a couple of heavier lenses in to circumvent weight restrictions (usually only checked at check-in). Remember to check all legs that you will fly - especially if you will be changing planes. It's worth having photocopies of your purchase receipts if any of your equipment looks new, and perhaps checking with customs prior to your departure if flying on an intercontinental route (a sheet with serial numbers/description of equipment - maybe from your equipment insurance policy can also be handy to prove that you are just carrying tools of your trade, purchased before you left). If you are flying within the EU, then customs shouldn't be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think27 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 One other note.. If you are taking film... Save some time for yourself by making sure the film (if boxed) is out of the box. Currently they are opening every single box and then opening every single canister to make sure it is film. It was suggested to me that I even take the film out of the canister to make it less time consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cariad Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I don't agree with Mark.......as long as your carry on is the size that is allowed you will be ok. I have taken as many as 3 bodies and 4 lenses and various other things like flashes ect. on board and was never asked by either Delta or Lufthansa about the weight of my carry on. You might want to think about getting an Archos to download your pictures to, because it is a real pain to travel with a laptop. I stopped taking mine a while back and love my archos. I just came back from Italy and stored all my pictures on it and was able to check the quality and sharpness. The Archos is smaller then a paperback book and fits right into your camera case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbowman Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You asked about customs in particular. There should be no problem at all in Germany. Customs deals primarily with merchandise brought in to the country and LEFT THERE to circumvent import duties. I presume you'll bring all of you equipment back out of the country with you - so you'll have no problems. German airports, in my experience, have been efficient and easy to deal with (Bonn/Cologne, Dusseldorf, Munich and Frankfurt at least). You'll find it refreshing compared to major US airports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastiandooris Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Hi SteffiGot a Archos AV500 60GB device a while back and it's home to over 10K shots. Love my little digital friend pitty about no builtin CF reader nor support for RAW. Anyway going to give Aerlingus a quick call to find out if they have any special regulations etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_beckmann Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 In Germany? That has to be a high paying job if you are going to do expensive airline travel for it. Have you decided on an airline yet? Why not send me to the wedding? Koblenz is just around the corner from my place. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark u Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Whether Steffi agrees with me or not is irrelevant. I've flown extensively in all sorts of different aircraft on all sorts of different routes with many different airlines, in first, business and economy/coach. For example if Sebastian is flying from Dublin to Frankfurt/Hahn with Ryanair, he would be limited to hand baggage of 10 kilos and 55x40x20cm - believe me, Ryanair enforce those limits VERY strictly (partly because they charge per item for checked baggage, and penally for excess baggage). Aer Lingus limits are even tighter - just 6 kilos, and 23x45x36cm in economy (slightly larger dimensions in premier class, but still the weight limit). Forewarned is forearmed. Airline baggage policies are available from their websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cariad Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Well, I must be flying the right airlines, which are Delta and Lufthansa ..........mostly Lufthansa and they have never decided to weigh my carry on as long as it fit their girth requirements :) You must have one of the newer Archos, because mine has the CF reader and I also have adapter for other cards that fits into it. Amazing how fast things change..... I better not upgrade this little baby. By the way, I have saved Raw files on it and you can upload them to the computer later, but not view them........but then yours might not do that either......so try it first on something unimportant. Mark, you convinced me never to fly those two airlines, you are wonderful to tell me :) hahahaha I sure would hate to leave some of my babies behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35mmdelux Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 make sure its in a small carry-on or the knuckleheads will make you check it in. Seen that too many times boarding plane. Guten tag, groose bier bitte! auf vierdersien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 The bag Ellis recommends is exactly the size limit for Northwest Airlines ... as long as the bag isn't overstuffed. On a couple of flights The overhead wouldn't even fit that sized bag and they tried to make me check it. I had to put it under the seat where it barely fit, and left me with no leg room. With the cut backs in flights, many are fully booked and overhead space gets eaten up quickly. Try to get a Exit seat because they are the first coach seats that are boarded ... which assures overhead space for your gear. It's not easy to get one of those bags under the seat in front of you if you board late and the overhead compartments are full. Best of luck on your adventure. Have a great shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger.a Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Tell us what airlines you arte flying and we may have more specific advice. For example, Aer Lingus will sometimes put all luggage with wheels in the hold if they are fully loaded - whether or not it is the right size. Very unlikely that they will bother to open film cartons in Europe - everything goes through the x-ray or you don't fly. Limits to one piece of hand luggage are fairly strictly enforced at some times. Men will not always get a "personal item" (i.e. handbag). You can expect to have to open the laptop, and possibly switch it on, at most airports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cariad Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 This is getting funny.......... Sebastian is flying to Koblenz/Germany and not to Ireland why is everybody focust on Aer Lingus. Most likely he will be flying Lufthansa or Delta since they offer the best flights to German destinations and with both of those airlines you are allowed two pieces of carry on as long as they meet their size specifications. Lets be real, he is taking two camera bodies and 5 lenses and unless he is taking several 70 - 200 f/2.8 Canon's he should be ok. As far as the laptop, I would not haul it to Europe, but that is me ......... I have done is so much that I found it to be a pain. Oh by the way Sebastian, you can go into any internet cafe in Europe and burn your picture files to CD, I just got back from Italy and noticed that when I went into several to check my email. I also saw that several photo stores offered that service and it was not expensive at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastiandooris Posted March 24, 2006 Author Share Posted March 24, 2006 Ok this should be the last post in this tread I'm flying Aer Lingus they flu direct to D�sseldorf where I shall meet the Groom and get the nity grity details sorted out. Then off to relax for 4 days before the wedding. Going to attend the rehearsal and plan a few shots and have a look at what sort of lighting I have to play with and props. Then the big day and heading home the following morning. THe Archos I got is the 60GB one and AV500 and can be connected to any std CF reader but it's not built in. it will store RAW but to give a preview of them. May post some of the shots onlne but as a general rule I dont like posting my work to the web they never look as good as in real life. Seb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 European airlines are a lot more picky about the size and weight, yes, weight, of your carry ons. A few years ago, I got into a major argument with a KLM ground crew at the Amsterdam airport because we had some big lenses (500mm/f4 and 300mm/f2.8) in the carry on, even though the size of the carry on met the requirements. Last year something similar happened when we flew Air France, who also charged us for over-weight checked luggage and we had to pay 109 Euros. US airlines are usually not as strict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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