I question your premise.

Take the 15" Macbook pro with retina display.

Price in U.K. is GBP 1332.00 + 267 VAT = USD 2035.00 + VAT (using exchange rate today) Price in U.S. is USD 1999.00 + State sales tax.

So the difference in pre-tax price is less than 2%.

The apparent price difference is mostly your country's tax.

If you buy it at retail, say in New York state, you might pay 8.25% sales tax and your credit card will probably eat another 2.5% on top of the interbank rate for currency exchange fees, so your 1999.00 USD purchase costs you 1448 GBP.

The state sales tax is not refundable to visitors, by the way.

So your net savings, assuming you get away with smuggling, would be 181 GBP, or about 11%.

You may also need to buy the Apple World Travel adapter kit @25GBP or 29 USD if you don't want to carry a plug adapter around forever (the power adapter itself will work fine on UK voltage, but the plug is wrong).

If you pay VAT at the border @20% you'd be in the hole by about 100 quid.

While laptops and jewellery may seem easy to smuggle, people get caught every day.

Even a cursory look by a suspicious customs agent will probably reveal the deception immediately.

Yes, Commissioners of HMRC have broad and ancient powers to seize goods they suspect are illegally imported.

In this case, unless you can satisfy HMRC that you were not importing the item, you will have to pay a fine and the appropriate duty and VAT on the item.

I am not sure I agree with Relaxed's post

, I think in this circumstance the item might be detained until you have paid the bills.

On entry, you are legally required to use the Red Channel ("Goods to declare") and report the item to an HMRC officer.

(At domestic baggage claims there is a red telephone to use instead.)

In reality, if you decide to ignore your duty to report it, I think it is quite unlikely that you will be caught.

I have passed through a UK Border with my MacBook probably hundreds of times and no one has ever wanted to look at it.

Adding an answer from personal experience...

I purchased a laptop on a trip to California in 2012.

When I returned to the UK, I went through the 'red path' and showed it to the inspector along with about GBP 400 of other stuff I had purchased.

The other stuff was generic, like clothes and some USB sticks and what-not.

The inspector typed something into her computer (don't know what), and said that I was over the limit and the duty on my stuff was about GBP 410 plus VAT.

And since the laptop was a single item over the limit, it needed the entire duty paid.

Then she thanked me for declaring my stuff and went on to the next person.

No duty, no VAT, no confiscation, no nothing.

Just a 'thank you'.

So I packed my stuff back into its bags and went on out.

That was at Heathrow.

Another time I came back from the continent

and I was over the limit on 'fortified wine'.

I went through the 'red path' to declare it

and nobody was there

, this was about about 9 PM at Manchester.

I waited around until it became obvious that nobody would show up, then I started calling HMRC.

After a few calls I was able to speak to someone and they said they would send an officer from Liverpool to inspect my 'fortified wine'.

After about an hour, the officer arrived and collected the duty, it was about GBP 20.

I also used their complaint procedure to record that the waiting time was unsatisfactory.

These are only personal experiences and they seem out-of-whack with HMRC's published material on their web site.

I think it's good to know that sometimes they let you off the hook for reasons known only to them

(it might be an appreciation of your candour) and sometimes the 'red path' is not staffed leaving you with a decision of conscience.

If you opt to go through the 'green path' you are subject to a random selection where your demographics and where you arrived from may play a part.

If you are selected and get caught

they will probably not let you off the hook because you would be in a position to be aware of what the 'green path' means.

I doubt very much that they would confiscate your laptop, instead they would give you an invoice for the amount due and send you on your way.

And they would turn the invoice over to their chasers.

While they might detain it until you have paid all applicable duties and taxes, customs officers are not primarily interested in seizing goods that can be imported legally.

That's what happens to illegal drugs, weapons, some foodstuff or counterfeit goods.

For a laptop, if found out, you would be slammed with a significant tax bill (mostly VAT, some duty as well) and possibly a fine on top of that.

It could even happen years later , every time you cross the border (or theoretically even elsewhere, although that's even less likely), they don't need to catch you in the act the first time you cross the border with it.

Note that travelling by air from the US to the UK, you have a GBP 390 allowance and rather favourable rules for goods under GBP 630, so it should be possible to import a cheap laptop completely legally with not much duty or formalities, but a Macbook Pro will have to be declared to customs.

The chances of you being asked about a laptop is near to zero.

I have travelled in and out of the US

hundreds of times with two laptops, an iPad, two iPhones, iPod, headphones, disk drives, digital cameras...

the only thing they have ever looked at was the drives looking for kiddy / animal / snuff porn.

I've brought almost brand new electronics from my work, in and out of the country on a regular basis

- I had no problem, mainly because its not illegal.

That said, legally you should declare all items over your allowance.

Question: Next October I going to the US from the UK.I want to buy a Macbook Pro as it's much cheaper over there.I was going to take it out of it original packaging and put it in a laptop holder. My question is, can they confiscate it?

Importing a brand new laptop in the UK from the US. Can it be confiscated by customs if undeclared?

In theory, Commissioners of HMRC have broad and ancient powers to seize goods they suspect are illegally imported. However, you are very unlikely to be caught or asked about a laptop if you decide to ignore your duty to report it.

Customs officers have the right to stop travellers and seize items whose value is above the allowance for the country they are arriving from. However, items such as laptops are very unlikely to arouse suspicion and the cances of being stopped are extremely small.

Customs officers have the power to stop and seize goods beyond any allowances and it is the responsibility of the traveller to prove they are not importing the item.

If a traveller does not report an item, they are very unlikely to get caught when the item is something like a laptop.


Many phones have a silent, vibration only mode as part of the regular alarms.

A cheap Fitbit Flex band will do that too.

If a vibrating alarm isn't enough, you can get a wristband that delivers electric shocks to wake up, such as the Pavlok wristband ( store ):

At first, it will act like any other alarm clock, with a gentle vibration to get you up.

But if you keep ignoring the vibration or hitting snooze, the wristband will send a shock to wake you up for good.

For a custom solution : (from Wallace and Gromit )

You should not feel self conscious about having to wake up early.

We've all had to do this at some point during our (backpacking) travels, hence you can expect people to be tolerant about your early bird alarm.

Having said this there are a few unwritten rules you should respect when having to get up early in the morning in a shared hostel room: Place your alarm next to you so that it is readily available and can be turned off quickly.

Don't place it out of reach (for example stashing is at the bottom of your packed bag is what you shouldn't do) because it will take you ages to get to it before you can turn it off hence ensuring that it'll wake other people up too.

Don't hit the snooze button.

If you have to get up, get up.

One snooze might be acceptable but it would be better to avoid snoozing alltogether.

Don't turn on the light.

If you have to get ready use a flashlight, or your phone for lighting.

If your alarm didn't manage to wake other up, turning on the lights most probably will.

Pack your stuff the night before so that you won't have to spend half an hour rummaging through your pack looking for a clean pair of socks thus waking everyone else up.

This is especially true if you have a tendency of packing your gear in plastic bags.

Indeed these tend to make an unholy amount of noise which appears to be particularly unbearable in the early morning.

If you have en-suite bathroom facilities, shower the night before .

Waking up to the sound of running water might be pleasant if you camp next to a river but not in a hostel room.

Out of sheer courtesy, warn your room-mates about your early-bird alarm .

This will allow them to prepare for it, and take some counter measures to avoid being woken up (including wearing earplugs, sleeping under the pillow, etc.).

Everything goes after 08:00.

This is a sensible unwritten rule I found on this hostel etiquette website which states that the limit for unholiness when it comes to early birds is 08:00 in the morning.

All in all your main objective should be to be as courteous as possible to avoid waking others up too without hindering your right to an early bird start of the day.

For more information on the topic note that the internet is scattered with Hostel Etiquette webpages or blog posts.

I already linked one, here is another interesting one .

Immediately turn off your alarm after you're awake.

So, keep the alarm very close to your ears, under or next to your cushion, or perhaps above your head, if your hostel bed allows for that.

And find the lowest sound level that wakes you.

You can also get a vibrating alarm, which you can find in stores selling goods for hearing-impaired people.

If you fall asleep easily, perhaps you could fall asleep with the earphones (of earbud type) in your ears and have an alarm set up on your phone with the earphones connected to the phone (set up so that the phone's speakers are muted and all sound goes to the earphones).

This can be enhanced by using the tip from the comments on having phone's vibration on.

Have you tried a sleep cycle alarm clock (e.g. Sleep Cycle by Northcube )?

I too am a heavy sleeper but if it vibrates at a shallow stage of sleep, it could wake you up without any sound.

A much cheaper alternative than the shock wristband.

Perhaps try using the sleep cycle as a primary alarm and the noisy alarm as a back-up if you really want to minimize the chance of waking others.

Also, a free version of the sleep cycle alarm clock is to time your sleep in multiples of 90 minutes--you're most likely to be in a shallow stage of sleep at 90, 180, 270, etc.

minutes after nodding off.

If you set a vibrating alarm for yourself at any of those points, you're likely to wake up with minimal disturbance to neighbors.

I find myself doing this the most these days.

Question: I'm a pretty heavy sleeper and sometimes I need to wake up earlier for a bus/flight or to catch early light.   When sharing a room in a hostel type place, what's a good way to set an alarm without waking the whole room ?

Most respectful way to set alarm when sharing the room

You should not feel self conscious about having to wake up early, although you can do your best to wake up and get ready without disturbing others too much. You could pack your stuff and shower the night before, and keep your alarm next to you and set to vibrate or sound over headphones. If a vibrating alarm isn't enough, you can get a wristband that delivers electric shocks to wake up, such as the  Pavlok wristband.

Hostel etiquette suggests that when guests have an early start they should try to be as courteous as possible to other people in the same room. Some tips include getting a vibrating alarm or sleeping with earphones in. There are a few unwritten rules like not hitting the snooze button and not turning on the light. Moreover, it is recommended that early birds pack and take a shower the night before, as well as warn room-mates of the early departure.

There are a number of devices that will wake you up without waking other people who are sleeping. These include a vibrating alarm, a wristband that delivers an electric shock and sleeping with earphones in.

Waking up early is not a crime. However, courtesy to other people sleeping in the room is important.

There are several things you should and should not do when waking up early in a dormitory. You should not hit snooze on the alarm or turn on the light. You should pack the night before, take a shower the night before and turn off your alarm immediately. It is also best to warn your room-mates of your early departure the night before.


I did not visit Budapest, but spent some time in Hungary last year.

My experience was that even if a few shops accept euros (especially larger shops in areas with many tourists), they tend to give you very unfavourable exchange rates.

When hotels annouced their prices in forint and euro, in some cases, it even appeared to be two completely different prices.

One of the hotels I staid in offered a single room for 25€ or 5,500Ft a night.

The price in forint is about 30% below the price in euro.

As a foreigner, most hotels first gave me the price in euro and when I asked to pay in forint, without problems they offered me the lower price in local currency.

Many large shops accept EUR in Hungary, but they offer a terrible exchange rate.

You're better off if you do currency exchange in one of the dedicated booths or offices.

Most small shops don't accept EUR.

Depending on your home bank and your debit (not credit!)

card, withdrawing HUF from an ATM can give you a good rate.

Please make sure that your home bank does the currency conversion.

It might be possible to use only Euro, but as the others have already pointed out, the conversion rate is not very favourable.

In the last year, new ticket vending machines have been installed in Budapest, which accept credit cards, but obviously not Euro banknotes so at least for public transport you will need either HUF or a credit card .

So if you don't want to use HUF, you might use your card (depending on its conditions).

Of course, if you want to go to small shops, restaurants etc you will most probably need HUF.

It is usually preferred to pay with Forints in Hungary, as even in cases where the stores accept Euros they will do it with a sub-par exchange rates, and also give the change back in Forints anyway.

Most high street exchange booths (especially in tourist areas - airports and train stations) will also operate with very high margins, so you should avoid them too.

On the other hand there are a few , which operate with very low margin exchange rates, meaning you could potentially get much better rates than what you would get from your bank (the linked one for example has much better rates than most UK banks offer you).

If you want to get the most from your Euros you should defintiely check before travel whether it's more worth it to use your debit / credit card, or to use one of the exchange offices that operate with low margins.

Assuming that you want to hit up only major tourist destinations, it's likely that you could get by with only your credit card and a few thousand HuF.

But if you want to go to any truly local bars, restaurants, shops, etc.

, you'll want a decent amount of HuF, especially outside of Budapest.

I've just spend 4 days in Budapest in December 2018 .

I have an N26 credit card which I used: Public transportation ticket

In restaurents, In Széchenyi thermal bath , In 3D museum, dm (groceries - forgot shampoo), Aldi, Lidl small Christmas booths

It worked flawlessly.

Some of the restaurants printed a Forint reference price, but it was always way higher than what N26 charged me.

There were three occasions where I needed cash: Two super small christmas booths - I simply took others then A "pirate candy" shop

The luggage safe at the central station For the last one, I used Gyorspénzváltó Kft. .

It's a small shop with WAY better exchange rates than the ATMs / the exchange shop on the other side.

Question: The official currency of Hungary is the Forint but so far everything I have looked for prices online, such as trains, buses and taxis, are quoted in Euros and Forints. Hotel reservation asked that I pay in Euros at the hotel. Considering that I will only spend a few days in Budapest, are Forints necessary? Or can I pay for transport, admissions and food in Euros? In such a case, how is the conversion rate set?

How widely accepted are Euros in Hungary and how bad is the exchange rate practiced by shops/hotels?

Most small shops in particular will not accept EUR, and those that do will generally charge very unfavourable rates. Most high street exchange booths will also have very high margins, so you are probably better off using an exchange office or maybe a credit card with a few thousand HUF.

While it is possible to pay in EUR in tourist areas in Hungary, the prices are higher than for payments in HUF. It is recommended to use a debit card and exchange a small amount of money for paying in small shops and bars and restaurants away from tourist areas that do not accept EUR.

It is possible to use EUR in tourist areas in Hungary but the prices are higher than the prices in Forint. Exchange rates are also very bad in many places.

Small shops, bars and restaurants outside tourist areas do not accept EUR so you will need HUF.

A debit card can be used to pay in many places including in tranport ticket vending machines in Budapest. In tourist areas, it is probably possible to manage with a debit/credit card and a small amount of HUF.


As a foreigner residing in Hong Kong, I would actually advise you not to worry about the language since majority of the people speak English.

You will not have any communication problems unless you visit a few remote areas or when you deal with Mainland Chinese tourists and a few locals who do not speak English (Some of them speak English too).

I would suggest you taking the advices from Wikitravel .

Nevertheless, most locals under the age of 40 (and many over that as well) know enough English for basic communication.

To improve your chances of being understood, speak slowly, stick to basic words and sentences, and avoid using slang.

You may also speak Mandarin, which is also widely understood in the city.

I spent my semester abroad in Hong Kong (at HKUST) last year.

Basically everybody speaks English, from taxi drivers to cashiers.

Also road signs etc.

are all in English as well.

The students at HKUST did understand Mandarin, but were quite reluctant to speak with you in Mandarin, they definitely prefer English.

I do not read Chinese very well and speak only at a conversational level, but I have never had problems in Hong Kong, even ignoring my ability to speak some Cantonese.

Perhaps you already know this, but many public spaces (street signs, the bus or the metro, etc.) are bilingual.

So are many "menus" at many "fast-food" chains I have seen.

(To boot, I remember someone at a Subway being only able to speak in English to me.)

Between this and some level of competency in basic English among cashiers / servers / etc.

, I don't see much potential for a complete inability for someone who does not speak Cantonese to get by.

(This has been alluded to in other answers .)

Since Mandarin, in addition to English, is taught in schools, some people may also speak it.

However, it's not unlikely for someone's Mandarin pronunciation to be rather bad, and there may be some overlap between who speaks Mandarin and who speaks English.

Moreover, at least among some segments of the population (e.g. those who have spent a lot of time abroad in Anglophone countries, or some segments of the wealthier, which may include academic types), English may be a much safer bet than Mandarin.

This may even still be true for other groups, such as the "average" student (as stated here ): I know of people who grew up in the public school system in Hong Kong who are much more comfortable speaking English than speaking Mandarin.

I was there from 19th to 23rd, and most people of working age and of the white-collar occupations speak English.

However, you might want to have an extra patience on listening and understanding them as their Chinese accent indeed has bearing on their pronunciation.

Locals farther away from Central (e.g. Shau Kei Wan) tend to be less knowledgeable in English.

With the influx of mainland Chinese and the Return (internationally "Handover") of HK to China, Mandarin slowly creeps in.

However, due to various reasons while many Hongkongers speak Mandarin, they tend to favor Cantonese.

Regarding to my search on google: In Hong Kong there are forty six point zero seven (46.07%) peoples are English speakers.

The amount of English speakers are (3,136,784) And forty eight percent (48%) peoples in Hong Kong speaks Mandarin Mandarin overtakes English as Hong Kong's second language

I'm now traveling in Hong Kong and have talked with at least 120+ people, including airport, cafe, restaurants, police, hotel, bank, shop clerks, station attendants, money exchanger, etc... but only 5 people cannot speak English,

one of them is a security guard (age 50s or 60s men), another one is a beggar (60s men I think), another one is a cleaning staff at hotel (maybe 40s women), and the other two are staff at cafe and convenience store (40s or 50s women).

It seems to me that most people who is either under 40 to 45 or white-collar have little or no problem in speaking English.

The elderly people are far more likely to be unable to speak English.

I can even assume that I won't have any problems to live in Hong Kong without learning Chinese (Cantonese).

Also note that I travel around Hong Kong Island; maybe less peoples can speak English in Kowloon.

Question: I might be going to a 3 week camp (it's not really a camp, it's more of an academic program) in Hong Kong. How many people (a lot, a few, only certain occupations, etc.) speak English, and do they speak Mandarin too? I don't know Cantonese.

English in Hong Kong

Most white collar and younger people will speak English, and may actually prefer it to Mandarin. However, you may find more people who are unable to speak it in remote areas or in Kowloon, or if you speak to older people. Many public spaces (street signs, the bus or the metro, etc.) are also bilingual.

Communicating in Hong Kong is not a problem for speakers of English and/or Mandarin. Most Hong Kong residents speak English, especially younger people and white-collar workers. In more remote areas English may be less common. Mandarin is spoken by mainland Chinese and many Hong Kong residents. Moreover most public signs are in English and Chinese.

Most people in Hong Kong speak some English. This is particularly true of younger people and people in white-collar jobs. Elderly people ar far less likely to be able to speak English. In more remote areas, it may be more difficult to find English speakers.

Mainland Chinese and people in remote areas may not speak English but many know Mandarin. Mandarin is also widely spoken in Hong Kong.

Signs in public spaces are often bilingual, English and Chinese.


If the rule of thumb would be to not stop at a red light (in South Africa), traffic lights would be pointless.

if there is a rule of thumb in relation to this, it's that if you are driving and you feel threatened, if running a red light will diminish the threat, it's reasonably OK to run a red light.

I lived (and drove) in Johannesburg for about 2.5 years, and the above reasonably sums up the general consensus among South Africans.

I never ran a red light, seldom heard about others doing it and never heard about anyone being fined for it.

However, if you run a red light during rush hour in Sandton (a suburb of Johannesburg), the cops are likely to go after you if they notice.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times, and keep valuables out of sight.

Much more common than carjackings are smash-and-grabs: someone throws a brick through your car window and grabs valuables in sight, running off with them.

Also, at all times, at least make it appear as if you know what you're doing.

As important, it tends to be risky to not cooperate when a carjacking does happen.

But, that said, I've been told plenty of stories (and was in one myself) where the 'victim' pointedly did not cooperate, was not robbed and nothing happened.

Whether also the safest course of action is, of course, debatable.

Disclaimer:

I have never driven in South Africa.

This BBC article says that half of all South African carjackings occur in Gauteng, and elliptically suggests that local drivers will disregard stop signs and stop lights in this province to avoid becoming a victim to the practise.

Carjacking is a category of danger that would be novel to most visitors from western Europe.

There are junctions which are signposted as carjacking blackspots, and there are areas where drivers will avoid stopping at red lights, particularly at night, preferring the risk of a fine to the risk of hijack.

"Many people may come in rented cars and then like everyone else they will run the risk of this," says Dr Burger.

He notes that "most of the time" carjacking victims are "threatened or violently removed... not seriously injured".

Unlike most categories of violent crime, recorded instances of carjacking are on the rise in South Africa.

The police do their best to fight it, says Pretoria News crime reporter Graeme Hosken.

"We have had a problem with gangs following tourists from OR Tambo airport [near Johannesburg] and the cops cracked down on that.

I take precautions.

I've been nearly hijacked myself on an open freeway."

He advises: Keep your car locked while driving Don't stop for strangers or people who have broken down A blue light does not necessarily mean they are police

If carjacked, do not offer resistance Carjacking is geographically skewed with half of the 15,000 happening in Gauteng http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8668615.stm

Of course the obvious strategy is not to drive at night in unsafe, unfamiliar areas, keep your doors locked and your windows up at all times.

However, in most of South Africa and especially in the day time, the consensus appears that you should treat traffic signs with appropriate respect and stop at red lights.

As Mark Mayo suggests in a comment, you could be fined if not.

The following advice comes from the UK foreign office.

Drive cautiously, obey speed limits and avoid unfamiliar rural areas at night.

Thieves have been known to employ various methods to make a vehicle stop (eg placing large stones in the middle of the road) enabling them to rob the occupants.

Park in well-lit areas.

Don’t pick up strangers or stop to help apparently distressed motorists, as this is a technique sometimes used by hijackers.

It’s better to report any incident to the police.

The other famous strategy is to install a "blaster" (a set of door-mounted flamethrowers designed to blind would-be assailants) on your vehicle, but I doubt you will obtain a rental car with this feature.

I was born in Johannesburg, and lived in South Africa for 22 years.

I drove my self around since I was 18.

I have spent time in all the major cities and driven the Johannesburg-Cape Town road (~1500 km) at least 10 times.

From my experience, you certainly should stop for red traffic lights and generally obey all rules of the road.

The only possible exception would be in rurual / unsafe areas, late at night.

However, I would strongly recommend avoiding that situation.

Stay in built up, "tourist" areas, particularly late at night.

If you are unsure, ask your accommodation, they will be happy to advise.

I have family and friends in Pretoria and Johannesburg, and they all stop at a red lights.

But this is my opinion

Yes ofcourse, we do stop when the traffic signal shows red light as it clearly means to Stop.

I have relatives staying at South Africa and I have never heard of them saying they do not stop at red light of traffic signal.

But yes,different countries have different traffic rules so it would be better if you would hire a driver for your own safety.

Question: If it is true, are there any rules of thumb about where you should and shouldn't do it.

Is it true you must not stop at Red lights in South Africa while driving?

Generally speaking, people follow the rules of the road in South Africa and stop at traffic lights. However, there are junctions which are signposted as carjacking blackspots, and there are areas where drivers will avoid stopping at red lights, particularly at night, preferring the risk of a fine to the risk of hijack. If you feel threatened and think that running a red light will diminish this threat, it may be reasonably acceptable to do this.

Although carjacking is a problem in South Africa, it is not normally a reason to run a red light. In general, it is recommended to follow the rules of the road and stop at stop signs, especially during daylight hours. The risk of carjacking is higher at night and in carjacking blackspots. It is recommended to avoid those areas of possible. Running a red light carries the risk of a fine.

It is normal to stop at red lights in Johannesburg and most residents do that. This is especially true during daylight hours. In fact, drivers may be fined for running red lights.

It is only recommended to run a red light when the driver feels threatened. There are some areas that are carjacking blackspots and it would be better to avoid them if possible.


Maybe not exactly the answer to your question, but according to this site (see Section XIV, Chapter 71, HS code 7108131000), Russia imposes a 20% customs duty on the importation of gold bars.

So unless you have 5.3 million rubles on hand to pay the customs duty (or can break off a fifth of the bar), expect the customs officers to hold on to your gold bar until you come up with the money.

Be sure to get a receipt!

It's allowed, I have personally seen a passenger who booked a seat for a bag.

I then asked the passenger and he said it was gold.

I was an operating flight attendant.

I also do not recall any rules regarding prohibiting gold onboard, (from an aviation point of view) unless it was in the shape of a knife I assume.

Just check with the airline you are flying with in case they have specific rules regarding that (I don't think they would).

Finally, make sure about the customs regulations in the destination country, that's what I would worry about.

Anecdotally, you can buy gold at a vending machine in Abu Dhabi airport , in the outgoing terminal.

Whilst

policies at destinations will vary of course, it's highly unlikely to be widely illegal whilst being sold at an airport.

Gold ATMs are available across the world - not sure I would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself while transiting through Abu Dhabi!

travel.stackexchange.com/users/22821/StackExchange What The Heck

You are carrying a half-million dollars in gold on your person and you are flying into... Russia?

Keep a sharp eye out.

As Nate points out, you may have to pay an import duty in Russia, but apparently there are no restrictions on the British end.

In the US, you would have to declare it.

Last year, I got into a nasty run-in with ICE who were convinced I was exporting currency.

My research corresponds with yours: nothing about carrying metal on the plane.

I imagine getting through the security checkpoint is going to be a hassle though.

Gold is pretty impervious to x-rays.

Not exactly your destination, but Werner Rydl was arrested in Brazil when he was carrying a bar of gold .

Also others have been arrested when they were unable to promptly provide the origin of the gold they were carrying.

Since you said in some comment that you will just transport the gold but you're not the owner of it...

You'd be a mule , or, if you were in Brazil, mula .

Question: Can I fly with a  Good Delivery  gold bar? I'll have the certificate that I have been given with it.  I have looked on Google and found nothing that suggests it's a prohibited item on an aircraft. It's below the weight I am allowed to carry in person. I'll be taking it to Moscow, flying from Heathrow with BA.

Can I fly with a gold bar?

You may have to pay an import duty if travelling to Russia, but apparently there are no restrictions on the British end. Check the customs regulations in the destination country to be sure.

Although there do not appear to be airline restrictions preventing passengers transporting gold, it is considered a good idea to check with the airline before travelling. Leaving the UK with gold also does not appear to be a problem, however, Russia imposes a 20% import duty on gold.

There may be customs restrictions on importing gold into the destination country. In Russia the tax is 20%. There are no restrictions on leaving the UK with gold.

Transporting gold does not appear to be a problem with airlines, but better to check before travelling.


Kangaroos are wild animals.

While you will come across them if you are driving in rural areas, do not approach them.

While most will simply run away, some may enter a more defensive posture especially if there are young (joeys) nearby.

A kick from an adult can kill a human ( http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/animals/kangaroo_attacks.htm ).

Kangaroos can be mean vicious creatures.

When I was growing up as a kid in Australia, we were cautioned away from getting anywhere near them.

The best and safest way to get a selfie with a kangaroo that isn't a cardboard cutout is to go to a zoo that has a petting zoo component.

Instead of kangaroos, they often pick the smaller/friendlier cousin, the wallaby ( http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/wallaby-vs-kangaroo.htm ).

This is just one of many petting zoos that have wallabies: http://www.featherdale.com.au/# =

It depends on how close you intend on getting for your selfies.

If you insist on approaching closely, I would only do so in a controlled environment.

If you're willing to have your selfie with the kangaroos a dozen or more metres in the background, you'll be fine.

As to where you're able to do so, just about every major town or tourist location has some location where you can get close to kangaroos - patting or hand feeding, either of which would allow selfie opportunities.

Some examples include: Sydney has Taronga Zoo (free roaming kangaroo area) and Featherdale Wildlife Park Melbourne Brisbane Cairns and Kuranda Alice Springs

Even the Whitsundays Searching specifically for whereever you may be visiting would almost undoubtedly find somewhere, as all international airports and ports would have somewhere within an hour or less.

Of course, you could just go golfing.

Mareeba Golf Course.

Credit:

Sweetwater Lodge Yamba Golf Course.

Credit: Shelley Street Beach House Anglesea Golf Course.

Credit: Anglesea Golf Club

The Cairns Tropical Zoo has a Kangaroo enclosure: Spend time in our kangaroo area.

Around 60 tame

Eastern Grey kangaroos spend their day meeting visitors, eating from your hand and lazing in the heat of the day.

I can confirm that they will let you get relatively close if they are in the right mood, but not necessarily for the kind of "hugging"

selfie

you'd take with a human.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane also has a kangaroo enclosure

where you can hand-feed kangaroos, including (according to their website)

Red Kangaroos and Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

I visited many years ago and can confirm that they will eat out of your hand; however, selfies were not a thing then, and so I didn't try to take one.

If you are traveling to Melbourne, I recommend you visit Healesville Sanctuary

, it's about an hour east of Melbourne, they have Kangaroo's they are quite used to people.

I went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park outside of Sydney when I was about 16.

It was great and plenty of exotic(by

my standards) animals running around that could be fed and touched.

However, I don't recall any kangaroos that were free roaming in the park

, I think they were all in enclosed spaces, but plenty of small wallabies running around like goons.

Featherdale in Sydney has wallabies and possibly roos.

Bonorong, just outside Hobart, has both.

In fact, they give you a bag of food for them upon entry.

They seem to be very people friendly and don't mind you petting them.

Cleland Wildlife Park in Adelaide has tame Kangaroos for selfies.

Question: I see a lot of people doing this. I believe this is not safe, isn't it?  Where can I do this?

Where can I take a selfie with kangaroos in Australia?

Unless you are a dozen or more metres from the kangaroo, it is better to do this in a controlled environment with tame kangaroos, which you can often pat and hand-feed. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary  in Brisbane also has a kangaroo enclosure, Featherdale in Sydney has wallabies and possibly roos and Cleland Wildlife Park in Adelaide has tame Kangaroos for selfies. If you are traveling to Melbourne, you can also visit Healesville Sanctuary.

The safest place to take a selfie with a kangaroo is in a controlled environment and there are many throughout Australia. Featherdale in Sydney, Cleland Wildlife Park in Adelaide and Healesville Sanctuary in Melbourne all have kangaroos and wallabies that are used to human contact. Taking a selfie with wild kangaroos, however, is considered quite dangerous and it is recommended not to get too close to them.

It is possible to take a selfie with a kangaroo in the wild but it is not safe to get very close to them. For a close-up selfie, a controlled environment is recommended.

Most tourist locations have places where tourists can get close to kangaroos. These included Healesville Sanctuary in Melbourne, Featherdale in Sydney and Cleland Wildlife Park in Adelaide.


The Narita Express train runs straight from Tokyo Narita to Shinjuku .

Route map: Bear in mind that Shinjuku is a huge station and that it's quite easy to get lost or turned around in it.

In light of that it may be helpful to figure out which exit

you want to take in advance.

Here's a map of the exists: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/img/map_e/e866.pdf Also, there's an attached underground mall called Subnade (connected to the Shinjuku station via the East Exit, which takes you to the Metro Promenade, which, in turn, takes you to Subnade) with additional exits: http://www.subnade.co.jp/english/e-floormap.pdf

For my hotel the optimal exit was # 13 of Subnade.

YMMV.

It's years since I did this but the airport limousine bus went straight to the hotel (Shinjuku Washington in my case).

It looks like it still does.

This avoids the need to navigate Shinjuku station just after arriving in Japan, as well as the need to get from the station to the hotel with your luggage -- if the bus stops at your hotel (or the one next door).

As usual, Hyperdia will show you all available train connections, just be careful to choose "Narita Airport Terminal 1" (or 2) as your departure station and not just "Narita" (the latter is located in downtown Narita city).

The Narita Express is the only direct rail link between Narita airport and Shinjuku, but it is also the most expensive one.

However, since cheaper alternatives require making at least one transfer at a central Tokyo station, I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a fairly seasoned user of Japanese urban rail (and if you were, you wouldn't be asking this question).

Nevertheless, for your reference the cheapest train options can be found by unticking the "Limited Express" box in Hyperdia.

This will exclude the more expensive limited express trains, such as the Narita Express and the Skyliner, from the results and keep only the cheaper, ordinary commuter trains.

As pointed out by Chris H, limousine buses are also an option well worth considering, especially if they stop at or near your hotel.

Access Narita limousine bus is the cheapest option to/from Narita airport.

It costs only 1000 yen one-way to Tokyo or Ginza stations and preschool kids are free if sitting in your lap.

So, for the family with two preschoolers it costs only 2000 yen one way.

From Tokyo or Ginza, it's an additional 200 yen by train to Shinjuku.

Note however that it is only marginally (30 yen)

cheaper than an ordinary train on the Keisei Main Line to Nippori.

(From Nippori to Shinjuku is also an additional 200 yen.)

I am going there in April 2016, Upon researching, I find that Limousine Bus can be pricier option.

Option 1: Access Narita bus from Narita -> Tokyo station and then JR train.

(1500 yen) Option 2: Keisei Limited Express from Narita -> Tokyo station and then JR train.

(1200 yen) Option 3: NEX Train for foreigner -> 2000 yen Option 4: Limousine Bus -> 3100 yen

You can also check this site: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html

Question: I'm flying into Tokyo Narita at the end of September and will be staying in Shinjuku. As I understand it taxis from the airport are very expensive.    What's the best way to get from the airport to Shinjuku?

Most reasonably priced way to get from Tokyo Narita to Shinjuku?

The Narita Express  train runs straight from  Tokyo Narita to Shinjuku, but is also the most expensive option. Limousine buses can be cheaper and may stop at or near your hotel, or there are cheaper train options that can be found by unticking the "Limited Express" box in Hyperdia.

The Narita Express and Narita limousine bus are considered the two best option for travelling from Tokyo Narita Airport to Shunjuku. However, cheaper train fares can be founf by unchecking the "Limited Expres" box on Hyperdia.

The Narita Express is the best train connection from Tokyo Narita Airport to Shinjuku, as it is the only direct rail route.

The Narita limousine bus may be the best option for getting to Shinjuku, as it stops at some hotels.

Cheaper train options can be found on Hyperdia by unchecking the "Limited Express" box.


Given that some airlines even give you a complimentary pyjama

when flying in first class I'd say that it would be perfectly legal for you to wear one on the plane regardless of which class you're flying in.

Worst case scenario you'll get some looks from other passengers.

Go ahead and fly comfortable.

Yes, you can wear your pajamas during a flight.

You might get some strange looks, but there is nothing wrong with wearing them.

Other options would be a 'sweat suit' with elastic at the waist and a t-shirt and hoodie for the top.

Unless you're concerned about your appearance prior to boarding the flight for some reason, I see no reason not to take @cgcampbell's advice.

I have to wear a metallic brace for an arthritic knee,

so I either wear comfortable shorts, or a pair of (equally comfortable) zip-off pants so I can easily show the brace to security agents (TSA here in the US).

I still get wanded at each security point, but I've only had one agent in Cambodia insist that I take the brace off, but I was able to convince her that it was very inconvenient to do so, so she backed off.

This was on a trip with six international flights just recently.

If you're not concerned about your prior appearance or your post flight appearance (you're not being picked up by clients or someone else who expects you to be dressed well), then wear comfortable clothes for the the entire flight.

If you are concerned about your post flight appearance, every airport in the world that I've flown into has large enough restrooms in their arrival halls to easily change into appropriate clothes after you've gotten off your flight and before anyone who matters can see you.

as someone who only wears sweatpants/sweatshirts on planes, nobody will question it.

I show up in them, but changing in the bathroom shouldn't cause an issue as long as you can stuff your other clothes into your carry-on.

Just make sure, as @Joe

Blow said, your pajamas don't let anything illegal out.

I fly about 100,000 miles a year, mostly long haul.

I wear them all the time, in economy and business class.

It's fine and your fellow passengers won't think twice about it.

Just make sure you're wearing undergarments of some kind so people can't see the outline of your genitals.

If you're really concerned about it, buy some nicer ones that toe the line between casual and straight up PJs.

I would actually suggest changing in the airport, not on the plane.

Handicap stalls are much larger and have places to put your luggage.

Wear flip flops, and stand on them and a seat protector.

Also, airplanes tend to be cold at altitude.

You may want to bring some wooly socks.

I have been travelling internationally a lot.

I have travelled in shorts all the way to a three piece suite, and never had any issue.

My preferred option is always: Find a CLEAN restroom and change into comfortable clothes before boarding.

Alternatively you can change right after boarding.

If you wait too long, the restroom floor starts getting dirty, and there's a chance you might get stuff that you don't want on your clothes, especially on your pant leg bottoms.

If you are going to a decent airport, you can change after exiting immigration, again in a clean restroom.

If the airport is not-so-good, you have to either change in the plane restroom or take your chances with airport restrooms.

My 2 cents.

Hope this helps.

Question: Due to a medical issue I can't sleep well with tight trousers and wearing a belt. Should I expect any problems if I go to the toilet, put my pyjamas on, go to sleep in my seat and then change back after I wake up and before landing.

Am I allowed to put on my pyjamas during a long flight?

It is possible to wear pyjamas, a sweatsuit or other comfortable clothes, but as the onboard restrooms are small and can get dirty quickly, it might be better to change at the airport just before and after boarding and unboarding, or changing immediately after boarding the plane. Aeroplanes can be cold at altitude, so you might want to bring some wooly socks.

Wearing pyjamas or casual, comfortable clothing on a flight is not a problem in fact it is highly recommended. It is considered better to change in the bathroom at the airport prior to boarding and change back again at the destination airport. However, if changing on the plane is necessary, it is better done at the start of the flight before the bathrooms get too dirty.

There is aboslutely no problem with wearing pyjamas orother casual, comfortable clothing on an airplane. You can always change back into normal clothes after the flight.

Changing into pyjamas before getting on the plane is recommended as airport bathrooms are bigger and therefor changing will be easier. If you must change on the plane, do it immediately before the bathrooms get too dirty. Change back at you destination.


In mainland Europe the rule is actually occupy the free rightmost lane unless when overtaking.

In other words, the leftmost lane should be used exclusively for overtaking and not to cruise in.

Indeed doing so is an offence and could result in a fine regardless of whether you are driving at the speed limit

and nobody can legally overtake you.

It follows that one should never undertake (overtake on the right) ( although some countries do allow "passing" on the right ).

The Wikipedia page on overtaking is very informative on the subject, and has a list of rules regarding undertaking by country.

In general, no .

Germany e.g. changed the law from the necessity to drive right at all times to allow staying in a lane if and only if there are vehicles on the right side for approximately every 20 seconds.

If the road is empty, you are obliged to drive right.

No exceptions.

It depends on culture, but e.g. in Germany it is not your business to dictate other people how to drive.

The most important law here is

the first law: Wer am Verkehr teilnimmt hat sich so zu verhalten, dass kein Anderer geschädigt, gefährdet oder mehr, als nach den Umständen unvermeidbar, behindert oder belästigt wird.

(People who are road users have to act in a way that no other people are harmed or endangered.

They also should not encumber or pester other people if this is not strictly necessary.)

And yes, driving left without reason other than being comfortable is considered encumbering.

If you are going "the speed-limit", in almost every location I've ever lived in the US, you are the slowest person on the road.

If you are the slowest person you aren't passing.

If you aren't passing and you are on the left, then you are breaking the law (where applicable).

If you are going above the speed limit, and other cars are stuck behind you then, sooner or later, you are going to make people pass on your right.

Whether you are "right" for actually following the speed limit or not is rendered moot by the fact that by not passing you are no longer following another law:

Slow traffic to the right.

I can drive 10 over the speed limit in most places and constantly get passed.

In many places in California, going 10 over on the highway would be the slowest lane.

Going 10 over in the fast lane would be asking for a road rage indecent.

Here in Ireland you will receive a fine and licence points, if you drive in the overtaking lanes but are not overtaking, regardless of your speed.

Overtaking lane is any lane, other than the left most lane.

edit

That is the law, implementation of this is almost non existent

As the other answers have already pointed out, the laws vary greatly from one country to another.

Here in Spain you would be fined and I think that you will also lose points in your driver license.

I would like to point out that here overtaking over the speed limit is not illegal.

In fact, you can go faster than the speed limit when overtaking (by 20 km/h) in some specified situations, so, even if you drive at the speed limit, you could be always legally overtaken.

Question: As far as I have read, overtaking over speed limit is  always  illegal. So do I need to keep in left if I am at speed limit and no one can overtake me legally? It is also less tedious to just stick to one lane and cruise at a legal top speed rather than go to left lane, overtake, switch back to right lane N number of times.  This is of course keeping in mind that emergency vehicles are always given passage.

In countries with a "Keep right/left unless overtaking" rule: May I keep the left/right lane if driving at speed limit?

In mainland European countries like Germany and Spain, it is the law that you should occupy the free rightmost lane  unless when overtaking. Regardless of speed, you could receive a fine and licence points if you drive in the overtaking lanes but are not overtaking.

You have to drive in the right lane if you are not overtaking. This is the rule almost everywhere.


Sorry, that visa is going to be pretty tough to get .

You are required to get a visa for Kosovo in advance and applications must be made in person .

The nearest embassies from India are in Japan , Saudi Arabia and Turkey , each of which also require visas for Bangladeshi citizens.

That said, the answer to this previous question indicates that applying via mail is possible, so I recommend you get in touch with one of those embassies and see what they say.

In addition to the answer of jpatokal, the website of the Brussels embassy states Foreign citizens, subject to visa regime application, but bearers of valid multiple entry Schengen visa may enter the Republic of Kosovo and stay up to 15 days without having to obtain a Kosovo visa.

This might be an option if your Kosovo stay

is part of a Europe trip or in between other European travels.

However, I was not able to confirm this information from the websites of the other embassies (I didn't check all of them, just a not very random sample).

If you would go for this option, it appears wise to look for additional confirmation.

Foreigners who possess a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa don't need to obtain a Kosovo visa to enter, transit or stay in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo for up to 15 days, within a period of 6 months.

For more information, please have a look at these resources: Non-Schengen Area countries where you can GO with a Schengen VISA Kosovo Visa Application Requirements, Procedures and Guideliness

According to VisaHQ : Kosovo tourist visa is not required for citizens of Bangladesh for a stay up to 90 days.

However, IATA seems to indicate that a visa is required and the KLM version of TIMATIC appears not to know of Kosovo.

According to Wikipedia : VisaHQ maintains the world's most comprehensive database of international visa requirements).

However, it seems it may have failed to update part of it over the past 3½ years (up until 1 July 2013 Kosovo did not require visas for anyone).

CITB UK has:

Yes, a visa is required to travel to this country.

It has proved very reliable though at times slightly overstates the requirements (for example may fail to mention that visa on arrival is available).

However the site goes on to mention:

The embassy requires the applicant to apply for a visa in person.

Which is clearly not practical for someone based in New Delhi (according to Embassy Worldwide

there is a Kosovo Embassy in UK, but no embassy or consulate for Kosovo in India).

The CIBT USA is less helpful, with the only choice for purpose of trip being "Connecting/Transit".

So it may be worth contacting Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in London: Address:

Rr.

John 8 London WC1N 2ES UK e-mail: visa.london@rks-gov.net

http://www.ambasada-ks.net/gb (London because English is more likely to be understood there) and seeking clarification of (a) what is required and (b) if a visa is, where and how to apply when based in India.

Yes, as a Bangladesh citizen, you need a visa: http://www.mfa-ks.net/?page=2,102 Bangladesh

You need a visa to visit or transit Kosovo.

Visas may be obtained from diplomatic and consular posts of Kosovo in: Tirana, AlbaniaAmbasada e Republikës së Kosovës në TiranëRr.

Donika Kastrioti, Vila nr 6, TiranëE-mail : visa.al@rks-gov.nethttp://www.ambasada-ks.net/al/Istanbul, TurkeyKonsullata e Përgjithshme e Republikës së Kosovës

në StambollVali Konağı Cad.

No: 74 D 3Nişantaşı, İstanbul / TurkeyE-mail: visa.ist@rks-gov.nethttp://www.ambasada-ks.net/tr/

Please note that you do not need a visa to visit or transit Kosovo, if: You are a holder of a valid biometric residence permit issued by one of the Schengen member states or a valid multi-entry Schengen Visa

(max. 15 days stay)

You are a holder of a valid Laissez-Passer issued by United Nations Organizations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe or European Union

You are a holder of a valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (max.

15 days stay)

You can apply in the following consulate:

Question: I am planning to visit Kosovo. I am from Bangladesh, currently staying in New Delhi, India. I don't know where the Kosovo Embassy in India is, nor where I apply for a visa.

Applying for a Kosovo tourist visa from India

You do not need a visa to visit or transit Kosovo,  if you are a holder of a valid biometric residence permit issued by one of the Schengen member states or a valid multi-entry Schengen Visa. Bearers of valid multiple entry Schengen visas may enter the Republic of Kosovo and stay up to 15 days without having to obtain a Kosovo visa. Visa applications must be made in advance and in person, and the nearest embassies from India are in  Japan, Saudi Arabia  and  Turkey , each of which  also  require visas for Bangladeshi citizens.

The bst way for a Bangladesh passport holder to visit Kosov may be to get a Schengen visa, as holders of Schengen visas can visit Kosovo for 15 days. This is because getting a visa for Kosovo is more difficult as Kosov does not have consulates in all countries.

Bangladesh passport holdrs require a visa to enter Kosovo. His is difficult to get as the nearest consulates are Japan, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

Bangladesh passport holders who have a Schengen vida may visit Kosovo for 15 days without applying for a visa for Kosovo.


According to TSA.gov , the FAQ says no : I’m traveling with my family; can they also use the TSA Pre✓ ® lane?

Family members ages 12 and under traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA Pre✓ ® indicator on their boarding pass can participate in expedited screening.

Family members 13 and older must go through standard security lanes or should apply for a DHS trusted traveler program.

I know your question isn't about family, but 'travel companions', but seeing as they don't even allow family members over 13 to join you on your KTN, it can safely be assumed by a reasonable person (and yes, I know we're talking TSA here, irony noted) that a non-family member would also not be eligible to travel under your KTN.

My sister and I both have KTNs and recently traveled with a friend, booked together in one record.

She doesn't have a KTN but received TSA pre-check on both legs of the journey.

Two friends who booked independently did not.

So it seems that there is a higher likelihood of the TSA pre going to some traveling on the same record as another KTN holder.

I have a KTN #.

My wife does not and is not even a U.S. Citizen but always gets TSA Pre Check when traveling with me on Delta, American and United.

Southwest is the exception whereas I get Pre Check

but she has to go through regular line.

So far, 100 % of the time this is the case.

Even when she didn't have her permanent resident card, she still had TSA Pre Check.

It makes no sense to me.

I am not complaining, just confused why she gets cleared for TSA Pre.

I have a Global Entry card, which allows for TSA Pre access, but only on UAL, not Frontier or Southwest.

My wife has never applied but generally gets TSA Pre on her UAL boarding pass also when we book and fly together.

Go figure.

Officially, Known Traveler Numbers (KTNs) belong to a person, so every traveler needs their own KTN so long as they are 13 or older.

Anecdotally, I have KTN and my partner does not.

I have made three roundtrip flights over the last six months (domestic) and we both receive precheck on our tickets.

As others have reported, some travelers have been admitted to the precheck line simply by asking nicely.

Question: If I have  TSA PreCheck  (i.e. I have a KTN from TSA and the "pre-check" logo gets printed on my boarding pass) and a travel companion does not, can they go with me through the PreCheck security lines? This is assuming that the travel companion is booked in the same reservation on the same flights and is also a U.S. citizen and not on any no-fly or otherwise increased scrutiny lists.  I'm guessing the answer is no, but I haven't seen anything from TSA specifically addressing this.

Can others in my party go through TSA PreCheck?

Family members ages 12 and under traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA Pre✓ ®  indicator on their boarding pass can participate in expedited screening, but older children and presumably also non-family members would not be eligible.

Children aged 12 and under travelling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA pre check indicator on their boarding pass can pass through expedited screening. Everybody else must pass through normal screening.


Last time I was in this situation

I was careful enough to include the name of the house owner to the destination address

(that's what c/o is for) , so that the postman knows where to ring/in whose post box to place the package.

Something like this will work: John Doec/o

Addams Family0001 Cemetery LaneChicago, US

For completeness sake, the equivalent of c/o in German is p.

Adr.

which would result in: John Doep.

Adr.

Addams Family0001 Cemetery LaneBerlin, Germany

It is not exactly clear why it's on travel but just write your name and the address on it, it's not like the postman is going to run a check against the land registry to see whether the package is addressed to the owners and refuse to deliver if not.

When I was in Germany in a similar situation in 2007 I had zero problems receiving packages, including a laptop mailed from Japan.

Can't imagine the situation changing materially since.

However, if you are worried then Germany has a ton of pickup locations, check About Pickup Locations for Amazon Deliveries for more.

As Aleksandr mentioned, the first step is to convince Amazon to try and ship to a new address.

When I tried things like that, the Amazon site asked additional verification questions before they shipped it.

Amazon will then give the parcel to DHL .

There are some reports how DHL subcontractors are under extreme time pressure and will not spend much time to resolve problems if nobody answers the bell or if they can't find your name on the door.

If they can't deliver the parcel, it goes to a Deutsche Post office and the recipient gets notified.

(If they find the address but nobody answers the bell, they might give the parcel to a neighbour and put a note into the mailbox.)

In the post office, you will have to identify yourself before they hand the parcel over.

There could be a hitch if you can't show that you're living at the address, or if they haven't seen that kind of ID before.

The suggestion of a c/o address sounds sensible, but I haven't tried it.

A solution to several of the problems raised in the other answers might be to contact your hosts and arrange with them that you can order the item to arrive before you do, (if they live there and are willing to accept it for you or at their home address where they can arrange for it being delivered or collected.)

I am sure many hosts will do, maybe at a small charge.

If the online seller is giving you a hard time, your host might even do the actual ordering but in that case you may have to send them the money before they order,

that requires more trust than just accepting a package.

If you want to use amazon.de for ordering goods, one option is to not use your address at all and to have your goods delivered to a Hermes Paketshop .

During checkout, the Amazon website will allow you to select one and shows its opening times.

If you select this option, you will receive an e-mail when your delivery is at the Paketshop and then you can collect it from there during its opening times.

In many major cities, there are gas stations with pretty good opening times (e.g., 6:00-22:00) available as Paketshops.

You need some form of ID (e.g., passport) to collect your items.

The advantage of taking this route is that you don't risk your package being delivered to the neighbour in case you are absent when the postman comes.

Depending on the neighbours, the packet can be tricky to collect, especially if you don't speak German.

Alternatively, the package can be taken to the next post office, which may have inconvenient opening times (some close at noon-ish on Saturdays, for example).

Also, the Hermes Packshop has the advantage over the DHL Packstation that you don't need to register in advance (and thus do not have to wait for a couple of weeks for your Packstation card to arrive).

Amazon has unified accounts for their sites in various countries many years ago.

If you have an Amazon.com account then you can use Amazon.de with the same account (not sure if you still have to do a registration step the first time you use it).

You can specify an arbitrary delivery address.

If you want to test that, you can buy me a gift :)

The real concern is avoiding tripping fraud prevention mechanisms.

Given the amount of hacking that is going on lately, many organizations are on a hair trigger.

Warning flags for them are shipping address being different from billing, credit card being used for online purchases in a different country, brand new online account created, package being sent to a hotel, etc.

I've noticed Amazon in general is fairly lax about fraud prevention, and you should continue using your account on amazon.de instead of registering a new one.

You should notify your bank, but often the problem is not with them (since the store and its credit card processor carries the cost of fraud as well).

So, your luck will depend on the store you order from.

Shopping in a physical store has higher chances of success.

Question: I'm going to Germany for 3 weeks in December. While I'm there I'd like to order a few things off Amazon.de and have them delivered at the place I'm staying in (it's a paid apartment and the owners are not around). Can I sign up in Amazon.de and set the shipping address to the place I'm living in? Will I be able to receive packages etc.?

Receive packages from Amazon.de while in Germany for 3 weeks (Tourist)

Amazon unified accounts in various countries many years ago, so you can use Amazon.de with the same account and specify an arbitrary delivery address. You could arrange with your hosts to receive the package before you arrive, or use one of the Hermes Paketshops or DHL Packstations (which require you to register in advance).

Amazon parcels can be delivered to a Hermes Packshop and the recipient can pick them up at their leisure. These are recommended if home delivery may be difficult. However, Amazon will deliver to any delivery address you specify in your account. It is possible to add c/o and the name of the house owner if you are in temporary accommodation.

You can have parcels delivered to a temporary address without a problem. Maybe use the c/o with house owners name to be sure it is delivered to the right place.

Amazon accounts are unified, you can use Amamzon anywhere and specify any delivery address you like.

An alternative to hoe delivery is to pick up from a Hermes Packshop. There are many in Germany and mostly have good opening hours There is no need to register for the Hermes Packshop.


Do not worry, Wifi pass phrases for personal use should only be in printable ASCII characters , in other words English characters.

They do not support Unicode or other codepages.

For more details check the Wikipedia's Wi-Fi Protected Access page .

Except if you are redirected to a webpage for authentication, that's a whole different story and Karlson's answer is applicable.

For Android depending on the model of your phone you may have to add Russian Language to the available keyboards.

I have Galaxy S5 and under Settings -> Languages and Input

you should be able to do this from the Galaxy App Store.

You should be able to do the same for the iPad just add a Russian Language, which will allow you to switch to it and make the keyboard available for use.

I am Russian and I never met a WiFi password in Cyrillic.

I traveled in Russia in 2011 with a tablet, smartphone, Vita etc.

Every WiFi network was in Latin characters.

As with most nations they try to be somewhat accommodating to tourists and English is a good baseline, even for people on holiday from other parts of Europe.

I've been living in Russia for 3 years, lived in various hostels and hotels, but I never saw a Wi-Fi with a cyrillic password anywhere.

I'm not even sure that it's technically possible.

I have been to Russia.

Once I was hosted by a friend in Moscow.

He said I could use the wifi.

He gave me the password.

Accessing to his wifi was just like anywhere else on the planet.

Here i show you a ticket of a Cafetería in Moscow called Costa Coffee where they specify the login and password to access their wifi.

As you can see, it is in latin alphabet.

Take a look .

Question: I'm about to travel to Russia, and I made sure to book only accommodations that offer Wi-Fi to its customers, but a question came to my mind.  As Cyrillic is the standard alphabet in Russia, is there a chance that the passwords in Wi-Fi networks will have to be entered in this alphabet? How do I know which keys to press on a Latin keyboard, so that my devices can connect to the network?

Will Wi-Fi passwords in Russia be in Cyrillic? How do I type them on a Latin keyboard?

You may have to add Russian language to the available keyboards, but Wifi pass phrases  for personal use  should only be in printable ASCII characters and you shouldn't need it for this purpose.

Russian WiFi passowrds use English letters, however, Android phone users can add the Cyrillic keyboard if they wish.

WiFi passwords in Russia use the English alphabet.

A russian keyboard can be added to your Android phone if you wish.


It does not get cold in Copenhagen in November.

It has a maritime climate and

the average daytime temperature in November is +7.1°C

(24-hour average +5.1°C).

The record low for November is -7°C, which is still no problem for cycling with a hat and gloves.

You do not need any special bicycle or special outdoor gear apart from normal layers for a mild winter.

It should certainly be possible to rent a bicycle in November.

Some outlets may be closed as it's a low season, so you should contact rental agencies in advance.

I live in Copenhagen and use my bike to go to work all year like many other locals.

There are plenty of bike rentals for tourists as this is a popular way to explore the city.

You will find that the scenic city centre and waterfront a best travelled by foot or by bike as car traffic is restricted.

Its is a very good city for cycling with high priority to bicycle and foot traffic and bike lanes everywhere.

If there is snow in the winter the bike lanes in the main roads are cleaned quite quickly by the municipality.

November weather is normally nice, but some rain and wind is likely.

Snow is unlikely.

Bringing gloves is probably a good idea.

That time of year I would also recommend bringing a light poncho or raincoat just in case.

Please be note that you can bring your bicycle on the S-trains and Metro so you can combine the door-to-door flexibility and ubiquitous free parking possibilities of the bicycle with public transport for longer distances.

It is free to bring a bike on the S-train: in the Metro you need an extra ticket and there are certain restrictions during rush hour traffic.

We currently have mild weather in Copenhagen and it should stay that way for the coming month too, although you may see snow and sleet eventually.

That should not be a big problem, given the correct clothes, as stated by others.

As for bikes, check this out: http://bycyklen.dk/en

As far as I remember people cycle all year long.

Maybe when it snows a bit less people do it due to ice.

Relating to renting, the city used to have a free public bike system.

The problem sometimes is more to find a bike available.

While there are many good answers, I think there is a big point being missed here: the great unpredictability of Danish weather .

Contrary to what another answer claims, the temperature can go way lower than -7.

For instance, the Danish extreme for November is just below -21 degrees Celcius (and there's not much difference across the relatively small country).

Also, autumn/early winter is the season for storms in Denmark , which (on its own, cold or warm) may make it very impleasant and/or dangerous to go outside.

My point: you should be able to rent a bike and explore the city, but beware that in November the Danish weather can vary a lot, so check the forecast before you go, and maybe have a plan B ready.

Yes it is quite common, there is actually a lot of tourism in relation to bike tours, walking tours and boat canal tours.

For instance Nova Fairy Tales (former Copenhagen Fairy Tales) has a pretty good bike tour in CPH .

Regarding time of the year, I think you should be fine in November as long as you wear warm clothes.

It's mostly in the period of December to February, that it can happen to snow.

You'll see a lot of natives bike even in these period, so I'm sure you can still enjoy a bike tour in November.

Question: I've a trip planned to Copenhagen in late November, is it fairly common for people to rent a bike and explore the city? I'm specifically asking as I'm not sure about people riding a bike in November as it tends to get cold early in that part of the world.

Renting bikes in Copenhagen

It does not get very cold in Copenhagen in November, and while some bike rentals may be closed for low season, you should not need a special bike or special clothes beyond gloves and a raincoat. People cycle all year round, and bike lanes are cleared of snow quite quickly. It is free to bring a bike on the S-train, but in the Metro you need an extra ticket and there are certain restrictions during rush hour traffic.

Temperatures in Copenhagen in November can be as low as  -7°C, so warm clothing and gloves are recommended for cycling. However, locals cycle all year so it is possible to enjoy a bike holiday in November. Moreover Cpenhagen is a very bike-friendly city. There are plenty of places to rent bikes, many bike lanes and bikes can be taken for free on public transport.

There is some debate as to whether the weather in Copenhagen in November should be classed as cold or not. It may reach  -7°C. However, locals cycle all year round so it is possible. Some warm clothing and gloves are recommended. Maybe keep an eye on the weather forecast and have a plan B.

There are plenty of places to rent a bike and Copenhagen is a very bike-friendly city with lots of bike lanes. You can also transport your bike for free on public transport.


He will go through immigration in Heathrow anyway.

Nobody will stop him from going through customs without his checked baggage.

After coffee, he'll have to go through security to get to the gate, using his boarding pass, and will go through customs again, but not immigration, on arrival in Scotland.

I've done this many times, both as the traveler and as the coffee companion.

Yes, he should simply follow the "Arrivals and baggage claim" sign and not the "Flight connections sign".

No one at the airport will know that he is a connecting passenger as he leaves the airport.

There is no way for anyone to realise that.

His bags will still be transferred.

Even if they do know, it is totally allowed (although someone might think he is lost).

After dinner with you he can go over to Terminal 5, go up to the top floor, go to a check in desk to get his next boarding pass (if he doesn't have it), or if he does have it he can go airside.

He needs to go airside at least 35 minutes before departure and this is strictly enforced.

By the way, when I connect from international to domestic at Heathrow, I always go this way instead of following the normal Flight Connections route.

This is a lot faster, that's why.

Of course he can.

A citizen can come and go as he pleases (at least, in the UK, he can).

He will, as others have pointed out, have to go through immigration, but no one will prevent him from leaving the airport.

But if you meet him in the airport, he is less likely to miss his connecting flight.

Two and a half hours minus security on return, passport control twice, and travel to & from your meeting place won't leave him much time.

In fact, to make it achievable, it seems like you live nearby.

So why not save him the stress and go to the airport to meet him?

That way, you will both have more time together.

travel.stackexchange.com/users/3390/Mawg says reinstate Monica

Here is an alternative: Buy yourself a full fare refundable ticket and go through security.

Have coffee with him behind security.

"Miss" your flight and get the refund.

You will spend more time with him as you can be with him right up until the time he has to board.

If his plane is delayed, you can spend even more time with him.

I've done this twice, both time in countries that I am not a citizen of

(I'm Irish).

Once in Bogota, during a five-hour layover.

We left the airport as normal, through immigration (without our checked bags), took a taxi downtown, and enjoyed an nice afternoon strolling the old town.

On returning back to the airport, we just bypassed checkin (we already had boarding cards) and straight to security.

No problems.

The next time was in Washington DC.

We left the airport during a six-hour layover to visit some friends.

But this time we missed our flight as there was a problem with our child's boarding card which took forever to fix and then the security in Dulles is so slooooow!

We had to find a hotel and fly the next morning.

Question: My brother is British, who is traveling to Scotland coming from Qatar on Qatar Airways. He'll have to spend two hours and a half in Heathrow as his ticket is a connecting flight and he has to change planes.  Can he leave the airport and have a coffee with me? His luggage will be transferred from one plane to another as usual and he does not have to pick them up for a coffee break.

Can I leave the airport during a connecting flight if I am a citizen of the country where I have to change planes?

He will have to go through immigration following the "Arrivals and baggage claim" sign and  not  the "Flight connections sign", but nobody will stop him from going through customs without his checked baggage.

It is quite possible to leave the airport during a stopover and then return for the connecting flight if you are a citizen of the country. Nobody will stop you.

Nobody will stop a person leaving the airport as long as they are allowed to enter the country.

A citizen can exit the airport and return for a connecting flight with no problems.


It may lead to additional questioning, but provided you have the appropriate visas / right to access in both countries, there's no theoretical reason you can't.

It's very common at Victoria Falls, where people hop back and forth between Zimbabwe and Zambia on the bridge at the border crossing for photo opportunities, or to get to the bungy jump in the middle of the bridge.

I've spent less than a couple of hours in Paraguay, and less than that in Brazil twice (getting to a border town there from Argentina).

I've walked across to the US from Canada to get dinner, and then walked back a couple of hours later too (that one raised eyebrows but was fine).

I've also bussed into Mexico merely to fly out to Cuba, and I've spent a couple of hours in Lithuania once between flights.

So it's not uncommon

, I've never had problems, and legally there's nothing stopping you, unless your reasons for doing so raise concerns with the border guard / officer.

In the Netherlands we have "het Drielandendpunt" (the three-country point).

That is where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands share borders.

You can be in three countries at the same time and nobody cares how many circles you make running around the boundary post.

The green lines are actual country borders.

At several borders there has been a practice called "Visa Run".

People would renew their "visa on Arrival" by briefly passing the border to the neighboring country.

Examples are e.g. the Turkish-Greek or Turkish-Bulgarian or the Thailand<-> Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos Borders.

I do this frequently in Canada.

Many Canadian airports have no concept of international transit so when flying from the US to Europe or Asia you need to enter and then immediately leave again.

It's quite inconvenient but also sort of funny: the immigration officer often asks "how long do you plan to stay in Canada?"

and I'm always tempted to answer: "only 45 minutes but its going to be a lot longer if you don't hurry up"

The common point in the other responses that's not made explicit, is that it is never a problem to stay for an arbitrary small amount of time in one country.

What might give you problems is returning to the country you came from.

Obviously, countries with open borders typically won't mind at all.

But, if you're hopping borders for a visa run, laws might be in place that will deny you entry, or might see you be hassled by immigration officials of the country you return to.

So, because different visa rules apply to different people in different countries, leaving some country for a very short amount of time and then returning might be problematic.

However, staying in some country for a very short time should never be a problem.

I was once in international transit in Germany, and for reasons I do not remember, I needed or wanted to get out to the train station or some other part of the airport.

I got lost, so I went through passport control three times instead of once to get out of the international zone.

In other words, I entered Germany, exited a couple of minutes later, and then entered again a couple of minutes after that.

Then I exited once again a few hours later for my flight.

There was no trouble or delay.

There is no minimum time you must spend; I know many people that fly Kuwait - Bahrain - Kuwait (just to reset visa time limits).

They spend less than 15 minutes in Bahrain

(that is, time spent from when the visa is stamped entry, till exit stamp).

They actually spend more time in the lounge than "officially" in the country.

Similarly, I have done a "day run" to Dubai where I fly out and return the same day.

No issues whatsoever.

I spent 30 minutes in Dubai this year.

I went through immigration, out to the mosque in the airport parking lot, found and logged a geocache , and went right back into the airport and through immigration.

travel.stackexchange.com/users/12690/Sumyrda - remember Monica

I guess it is dependent on the pair of countries.

In most of the European Union there is no border control (most of the times) within the Schengen Area .

So you may just go across and back.

I would say it is very much dependent on the specific case.

Check the border in this question on Stackexchange.

You might get problems if this quick in-and-out looks as if you're trying to exploit a loophole in the law.

A road runs along a good portion of the border between Brazil and Uruguay and crosses the border many times.

It goes through the cities of Rivera and Santana do Livramento where for about ten kilometers, the street is the border.

You can cross that street as often and as fast as you want (if drivers don't stop you).

Some countries do have different visa requirements for folks who are just passing through (transit visas) versus visas to actually visit the country.

Some airports are better than others about handling changing planes without technically leaving the "international" space.

For the minimum duration in country (requiring a visa, rather than the many options that do not require a visa, such as The Hotel Arbez )

it may be hard to beat the example at Turkish single-entry visa stamped in transit by mistake.

Can I still use it to enter Turkey? .

OP does not specify the time interval there but by the sounds of it

it was a few seconds rather than a few minutes.

Question: Is there a minimum amount of time I must spend in a country ?  Is this country dependent? Or I can just enter a country and then exit immediately in 15 minutes or so?

Can I enter and exit a country immediately?

You might get problems if this quick in-and-out  looks as if you're trying to exploit a loophole in the law, but this is often done and can be just to reset visa time limits. There is no minimum set time to stay in one country.

It is not generally considered a problem to stay a very short time in one country. In fact some countries are regularly visited in this way. However, if you appear to be doing something illegal, you may get into difficulties.

Some countries are often used for very short entry times: Canada, Bahrain and Dubai are examples.

It is never a problem to spend a very short time in a country.

There may be problems depending on the countries involved and if you look as if you are doing this for illegal reasons.


I don't know about any place where you can already use a bus that shares the road with other vehicles, but in Rotterdam, the Netherlands there is a bus that drives autonomously on a dedicated lane with road crossings.

It is guided by a magnetic strip under the ground, but it is autonomously controlling its speed.

It has been doing this since 1999 already.

Image source

It's called the ParkShuttle II, and it is used to connect a business park to a nearby metro-station (the blue line in the image).

Image source More information about it can be found here .You

can watch a YouTube video shot from the inside here .

The autonomous one sharing public roads with other traffic in the Netherlands is the "WEpod" (link in Dutch) .

(image from Wageningen University's twitter feed)

As far as I know, they have been tested in the last months of 2015 and will be available for visitors to try out in May and June 2016, travelling between the Ede/Wageningen train station and the Wageningen university campus (around 8 km, at 25 km/h).

I don't know if they are planned to become permanent.

This may not be the answer you were looking for in a stricter sense, but just to play the devil's advocate real quick: you could always go ahead and buy a Tesla or schedule a test drive!

I don't know if they are already up for rent anywhere

but you could always go ahead and schedule a test drive, which is free and

you'd share the lane with others

The autopilot has seen great feedback as far as I can tell.

Just remember, it's not 100% autonomous :D

Update 2016/03/23

As of today the system is operational and can be tested in Sion.

It runs on Tuesday - Sunday afternoons and there's a website with timetables and disruption messages as well as other important information.

The test will run until October 2017.

There's one driverless bus system to be launched in the old city area of Sion in Switzerland.

It is currently being tested and will be opened for free to the public in spring 2016 for a 2 year testing period.

The area in question is a mostly car-free pedestrian area, but I am sure that the interaction of the bus with the quite crowded pedestrian area is going to be interesting to experience as well.

(picture from above linked article by swissinfo.ch)

This system is quite comparable to a similar system that has been used on the campus of EPFL in Lausanne which had a public test period last year.

There's the Heathrow Pod - little electric self-driving cars in dedicated lanes.

Image from ultra global PRT .

The Heathrow POD is free to ride between the T5 car park and Business Parking.

It runs very close to the end of the runway so you can sometimes get an excellent view of planes landing.

From within T5, follow signs to 'Heathrow pod'.

It's a fun thing to do if you have a bit of spare time at Heathrow (particularly with kids).

The company's website has an interesting downloadable software simulator which you can use to plan and simulate your own pod network.

If you don't mind it being a bit larger then lots of airports worldwide have automated guideway transit systems, some of which aren't so different to self-driving buses in dedicated lanes.

[ Image by LERK Update:

The BBC is now reporting that vehicles based on the 'pods' used at Heathrow are to be used for a trial project in Greenwich, where they won't have their own dedicated lanes: The first driverless cars to be tested on the streets of London will resemble the electric passenger shuttles currently in use at Heathrow Airport.

The group behind the project is currently adapting the pods for use on the roads.

It has yet to unveil the exact design but confirmed that the adapted vehicles will not run on dedicated tracks.

Greenwich is one of four places in the UK where driverless pods and public reaction to them are being tested.

Trials will also take place in Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes.

The £8m project is jointly funded by government agency Innovate UK and industry.

The Greenwich Automated Transport Environment project - or Gateway - will see seven driverless pods tested on the pavements around the Greenwich Peninsula, where the O2 Arena is based, from July.

London's first driverless cars based on Heathrow 'pods' , BBC News, Jane Wakefield, 29 Jan 2016

Question: I heard that in the Netherlands there would soon be a self driving bus, and this would be the first sharing the road with other cars.  There are also a couple of other places with autonomous cars, but they travel in dedicated lanes.  I think these things are amazing and will revolutionize transport. I can't wait to try it. Where can I find these?  I would prefer a car/bus sharing the road with other traffic, but if not possible trying one in a dedicated lane would already be nice.

Where can I try an autonomous driving car?

The WEpod in the Netherlands is a bus that drives autonomously on a dedicated lane in Rotterdam with road crossings. There is also a Heathrow Pod in the UK, with plans for it to be used for a trial project in Greenwich called Gateway.

The Netherlands alrady has driverless vehicles running. In the UK, there is a driverless system at Heathrow and the idea is to use this system as a basis for a project for London, starting in Greenwich.

Rotterdam is one place where there is a driverless bus, however it runs on its own track. The Wepod, also in the Netherlands, shares public road

The Heathrow Pod has driverless vehicles. The same vehicles are going to be used in London, initially in trials at Greenwich.


I resolved with the same width and height (for example 500 pixels width and 500 pixels height), the photo crop tool provided by the web site is unhelpful and it doesn't throw error or anything.

Thank you.

Don't forget everyone, make sure the self image you upload has the exact same pixel length both horizontally and vertically for the image to upload correctly for the e-tourist visa.

Otherwise it will not work.

Such a common problem amongst travellers.

Apart from following: The aspect ratio of 1:1 (min of 200 pixel & max of 900 pixel in width and height) for applicant image 1:3 (min of 67 pixels & a max of 300 in height, and a min of 200 pixel & max of 900 pixel in width) for signature image Keeping the file in size limit under 200 KB Make sure to do not have any periods (full stop . )

in your file name.

If you have a full stop in your file name of the image, rename it without that and try uploading again.

It should work.

My friend had same complaint.

After trying everything from different browser to different .jpg

and .jpeg format, we used a slightly smaller crop size than the maximum selection offered by the cropping-square and VIOLA!!

We could move forward to the passport filling page!!

One more glitch I ran into: if your session expires before you upload your photo (for example, if you need to spend some time scanning it etc), all uploads will silently fail with no error message of any kind, it will just kick you back to the upload page again.

The only hint, and it's a small one, is that the top of the form will say "Application ID:-" instead of having the actual alphanumeric ID.

To fix the issue, navigate back to the home page, retrieve your application again, and the upload form should magically start working.

On a mac you need to do the following with images as even though you think you are within the guidelines, it doesn't seem to work.

Go to Tools-Adjust Size and adjust the pixels.

Then go to File-Export which allows you to adjust the quality level - pick the lowest and it reduces the size dramatically and will allow you to upload!

I have had isssues with uploading the picture, I had to apply for four people.

I was using UK passport size pictures, after cropping and several attempts

I was able to upload and complete two applications.

I wasted more than five hours doing this.

Rest of the two applicants I used new photographs size 2*2 which slightly bigger than the UK passport pictures.

Then the magic happened with no fuss right in the slot, all done in ten minutes.

Google chrome works better....than the explorer.

Question: Anyone know which browser or what to do to upload the photo in the  India e-visa  process? In the form, the popup to upload the photo is working but after it closed the main form is not showing the photo and I can't continue the application.  I've tried with latest Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge, but nothing is working. I tried to reach help desk information (from the website) without success.

Unable to upload my photo while applying for an Indian e-Visa. What am I doing wrong?

Make sure your photo has the exact same horizontal and vertical pixel length for it to upload correctly, and that your image file name does not have a full stop in it.

To upload a photo on the Indian visa application site, the photo must be the same size vertically and horizontally. In addtion, there should be no fullstop in the file name.


There are three similar cases.

There are traffic lights where the pedestrians usually have a red light and only

get a green light if they request it by pushing a button.

This seems to be the case in your question.

A pedestrian is required to push the button and wait.

(A slight variant has induction loops to detect bicycles, but pedestrians are still required to push.)

There are traffic lights which are switched off until a pedestrian pushes a button.

A pedestrian is not required to push, in that case the normal rules for an intersection/road without traffic lights apply.

(Once somebody touches the button and there is a red light, you have to wait ...)

There are audible signals for visually impaired pedestrians which can be activated by a similar-looking box.

There have been examples of the first case where the button has no effect and the green light comes according to schedule anyway.

Either this has been done as a placebo to keep pedestrians from crossing at a red light, or the traffic lights of the intersection are not configured as originally inteded and the button wasn't removed.

Also note that sometimes the main traffic lights directing vehicles operate on their own schedule, and are not effected by the button, but the button controls the operation of the pedestrian walk/don't walk light.

So for example, when there is a separate light for traffic turning left off the main road, across the pedestrian crosswalk, the walk/don't walk light will normally be red, but will turn green only if both the button has been pressed and the left-turn light is not active; ie.

it is letting pedestrians to know whether it is safe to cross so they don't have to figure out what is going on with the vehicle traffic lights in a complicated intersection.

The ones in Heidelberg are required to get a green light as a pedestrian.

If you don't press them, it never turns green, it is green for the cars all the time.

You said in comments that it turns green anyway, but somebody else must have pressed either the light on your side or on the opposite side.

For lights in other cities, other rules may apply, as discussed in other answers.

In my city in Spain, those buttons reduce 1/3 the time of waiting during day schedule, and, during the night, the pedestrian lights won't ever turn green unless they are pressed.

Depends on the traffic light system in use in the particular city or at the particular traffic light.

Some, particularly in less busy areas (usually crossing a single street) keep the vehicle lights green unless someone pushes the button.

Some (intersections) skip the pedestrian light cycle and keep them red if no button is pressed.

Certain intersections, particularly busy ones, stick to their cycle and have no button or sometimes even buttons with no effect (other than a little LED), just to give you the idea of having done something :)

Question: I've been to Heidelberg, Germany recently and I've found things like this in most traffic lights in the city:   If I press it a message that says "bitte warten" (please wait) appears. This is not common where I come from so I don't know if pressing has any additional effect.  Does pressing reduce the waiting time? Or does it just display the message?

Button for pedestrian traffic lights in Germany

This depends on the traffic light system and sometimes the particular traffic light, but the ones in Heidelberg require you to press the button to get a green light, and otherwise cycle through the main traffic lights.

The way the lights for cars and pedestrians interact at traffic lights depends on the traffic light system in use. However, In Hiedelberg, the pedestrian lights only turn green when activated by a pedestrian.