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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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Posts: 100,417
Customs: I did a lot of travel to western Europe in the 1980s and I never had CBP search my bags upon my return, nor did I ever face extensive paperwork. IIRC the USA used the same basic blue form and other countries had one or two landing cards for immigration and customs.
In fact, the worst paperwork I can recall was when I walked into East Berlin for the day through Checkpoint Charlie and had to itemize the exact amounts of every currency I had with me. As I had been traveling throughout Europe, I had coins from about ten different countries to sort and count before crossing the border. Upon the return, I was required to itemize every pfenning of the mandatory East German Marks I exchanged, including tips for restroom attendants.