I`ll probably be travelling to Port Elisabeth in March. Now I need to book my own tickets for the trip.
Any airports I should avoid in Europe?
Any companies who has anything against travelling with guns?

It will probably be from Oslo (Norway) to Paris, London or Frankfurt, and then Jo`Burg or Cape Town in RSA..
What would you prefer?
I just read Cunninghams post, so I need to avoid Nationwide Airlines. That`s for sure..
Thanks!

Hi,

I flew through Frankfurt on my way to Namibia in Oct -it was a hell hole, had to pass three security checks in the airport in order to get to my deprature hall.

Haven´t been to London for a few years but I here they lose guns there.

Try flying through Zürich (flew that way returning from Namibia). It has to be the friendliest, cleanest and most efficient airport in Europe.

Avoid changing airports in London as this requires an expensive bonded courier to transport your firearms from one airport to the other.

Also, I believe British Airways requires advance notice that you are transporting firearms.

Regards,

Terry

...... 3 days notice. If you make a booking with BA ask the travel agent to comment 'travelling with sporting firearms' in the comments section of your booking and get a hard copy of that booking..... then if there's any argument you can wave it at the airline staff concerned.

Ensure you use the term sporting firearms and not hunting rifles.......

I'd avoid Paris like the Black Plague. When I went through there on my way to Cameroon in 2004, they had some sort of stike going on and we had to de-plane way out on the runway in the middle of a snow storm and then the coffee machine was down in the canteen.

On my way back from Cameroon they somehow decided my baggage was overweight and these were the same bags as when I left the USA and I didn't buy anything. Ended up costing something like 100 Euros to get my bags on the plane to Atlanta.

I'll swim across the pond before I route through Paris again.

Mac

Anders,

FWIW, I've flown thru both London and Frankfurt several times with guns. And have come to prefer Frankfurt and stay away from London. Even if it's just in transit. Frankfurt might be a boring airport (IMO), but a lot of personel in London REALLY hate guns/hunting and will sometimes go out of their way it seems to make things difficult. Both I, and others I know have also lost bags going thru London, that have ended up elsewhere and taken several days to catch up. Which isn't much fun if you're going hunting right away...

Anders: Frankfurt is more than boring it´s comparable to a bus station. No problems with guns but everything is a hassle and people are (pseudo)friendly only if you speak German.

Give me Zürich über alles.

I actually ended up booking, going through Paris..
Have received written proof that the airline company know I will be travelling with firearms, so that should be ok.

Have gone through there before, had some minor problems, but I know how to avoid it now..
Have gone thorugh London and Frankfurt some years back, but as I understood there were new challenges, especially in London.

Will be flying Air France to Paris and Jo`Burg, then SAA to Port Elisabeth.
What do I need to prepare for Johannesburg? Some new documentation needed, as I`ve understood?

Thanks for all the input!

Fill out the SAPS form in good time before arriving and use the right color ink (blue?), remeber to keep you letter of invitation and intention handy.

Don´t loose your temper when treated badly, don´t offer bribes.

Good luck and have a good trip.

I have flown through Heathrow, Gatwick and Frankfurt 3-8 times each.

Of these 3, Frankfurt is by far the best (Schippol in Amsterdam used to be equally acceptable, but I have not travelled through there with firearms in the past 5 years).

John

The best advice I can give you on Jo'burg is to get hold of Optima travel services. I used them three weeks ago for a trip thru Jo'burg to Harare, and they were worth their weight in gold. Only $60US, and they met me a total of three times. They meet you at the end of the jetway and take it from there.

Apparently they had had some trouble in the not-too-distant past, but according to Gracy Travel they have worked it out. My trip was exemplary and after getting thru the diplomatic passport line (no line, actually) instead of standing in the 'regular' line, hustling around back corridors of the airport, dealing with the gun permits, etc. I'm sold on them.

quote:

Originally posted by Anders:
I actually ended up booking, going through Paris..
Have received written proof that the airline company know I will be travelling with firearms, so that should be ok.

Have gone through there before, had some minor problems, but I know how to avoid it now..
Have gone thorugh London and Frankfurt some years back, but as I understood there were new challenges, especially in London.

Will be flying Air France to Paris and Jo`Burg, then SAA to Port Elisabeth.
What do I need to prepare for Johannesburg? Some new documentation needed, as I`ve understood?

Thanks for all the input!

Anders,

Mac is bang right about strikes in the french airports. It happens too often but not on a regular basis. About overweight in Cameroon, the outfitter should have given them a tip (5$) and the so-called (tipsucking device)overweight would have disappeared.

Check that You are satisfying all Air France requirements. Basically they aren't anti-hunter and that's good. At the opposite the Brits suck when having to deal with guns and trophies in their airports.
I'll go to Africa in 3 weeks. May be that's because I am a frog, I was as usual asked
1) to declare the size and weight of my guncases.
2) to declare the serial numbers of my guns
both 3 weeks in advance.
3) stocking my ammos only in a rigid case which cannot be over 10 pounds (5kg).

I don't know Frankfurt. Zurich is pure love.
Good luck.

Sao Paulo Brazil is crowded, disorganized and downright scary. I won't go thru there again if I can help it.

I have already measured and weighed my guncase, and I also did give them the serial number and how many rounds of ammo.
Regarding packing of ammo, my "travel agent" was a bit unclear.
I planned on using a normal MTM-box. Do you think this is good enough, or should it be a more solid, lockable case..?
I have used the MTM on two african hunts before, without problem, but I have never travelled with Air France.

I have 3 1/2 hours in Johannesburg. Hope this is enough for clearing guns?!

quote:

I have 3 1/2 hours in Johannesburg. Hope this is enough for clearing guns?!

If you are coming in during the day you might want to hire yourself one of those meet and greet services(post can be found here in the archives). But what I found out this last summer was to hit JNB at night and you will be in and out. We, all 5 of us, were in and out in under 30 minutes and on our way to the hotel.

quote:

If you are coming in during the day you might want to hire yourself one of those meet and greet services...

We`ll arrive in JNB at 06.45 in the morning. Early, but that might be a busy time as well?? What do you think?
I better contact one of the above-mentioned companies and see what they can offer for a novice..

Anders

I highly recommend Air 2000 as meet and greet. Also I read somewhere that Air France does require a lockable ammo box as well as regular ammo boxes but check directly with them before flying.

Mark