I am annoyed that all EU countries with Identity Cards can use these as a passport for entry into the UK and yet UK citizens have to produce a Passport to leave and enter the UK.I am not suggesting we go to the expense of Identity Cards,but surely for any person from the EU to enter the UK they should have a passport

I have to say as a UK National and resident, I do not possess a Passport, yet I regularly travel within EU as part of my work and I only ever have to produce my Full UK driving Licence to do this. Only once was I asked if I had a Passport by Ryanair and when I stated no, they made a quick telephone and then allowed me to check in.

Lightbulb117,Hi and welcome,your comments are really interesting,got to say I was unaware a full driving licence is acceptable

Thanks

FS

Try flying Alitalia using a driving license!

They will get to your destination from the check in desk with a kick in the rear!

Perhaps I would get a kick in the rear from Alitalia, however, I NEVER stated that I travelled with all the airlines that fly to Europe, I have flown Ryanair, Air France and EasyJet without issue apart from the first time with Ryanair as stated above. As for the others, I have no idea. Though for anyone wishing to fly without a passport to Europe, I would recommend calling the relevant airline in advance to enquire if they would permit it, this way you do not encounter any problems.

really is this possible fly to Europe only with driving licence ?

really is this possible fly to Europe only with driving licence ?

Perhaps I would get a kick in the rear from Alitalia, however, I NEVER stated that I travelled with all the airlines that fly to Europe, I have flown Ryanair, Air France and EasyJet without issue apart from the first time with Ryanair as stated above. As for the others, I have no idea. Though for anyone wishing to fly without a passport to Europe, I would recommend calling the relevant airline in advance to enquire if they would permit it, this way you do not encounter any problems.

It appears that you can, with some airlines, unless you are suggesting lightbulb117 is mistaken in their recollection of travelling on a driving licence.

I agree it would be wise to confirm it in advance with the airline.

I suspect the issue will be proving you are a UK or EU national, which a driving licence does not do.

In the not too distant past you could easily travel back and forth to France on a ferry without once being asked for ID never mind an actual passport, which really bugged me after I'd paid out for emergency ones for my kids after booking a last minute holiday. We now have hours of queues at immigration (well, ten minutes at least!) whilst every passport is scanned and recorded, going both ways, and this is after providing ID info for both people and vehicles in advance.

If Ryanair or anyone else are really letting people travel on a driving licence, I for one find that quite worrying. I could have arrived in the UK yesterday (or any other EU country), swapped my licence for a UK/EU one next week and be freely travelling throughout the EU the week after if that were true.

How do you get around the advance passenger information thing? Doesn't that need a passport or identity card number?

the driver licence on number 3 state your DOB and place saying that you can prove that you are EU or UK citizen.

but it would be wise to confirm it with the airline.

Perhaps I would get a kick in the rear from Alitalia, however, I NEVER stated that I travelled with all the airlines that fly to Europe, I have flown Ryanair, Air France and EasyJet without issue apart from the first time with Ryanair as stated above. As for the others, I have no idea. Though for anyone wishing to fly without a passport to Europe, I would recommend calling the relevant airline in advance to enquire if they would permit it, this way you do not encounter any problems.

Really???

International flights outside the EU - Valid passport only

International flights within the EU - Valid passport or national identity card *

Domestic flights (excluding UK) - Valid passport or national identity card *

Domestic flights UK - Valid passport or photographic I.D.

* not every country issues a national identity card

Please note: a driving licence does not represent a valid photographic ID, with the exception of UK domestic flights.

http://support.easyjet.com/case-4077

Im sorry lightbulb 117, but a uk driving licence is not suitable for travel within the EU, only on domestic flights staying within the uk. The uk NO longer has a national id card and a uk natioanl can NOT own a valid one as we do not make or issue them and any old ones are no longer valid, all we have is the passport.

As you can see below, we are opt outs and therefore, we require passports to travel. I would be VERY wary of travelling under the advice given by Lightbulb117. Im not saying he didnt, but it looks like that if stopped, you may have to produce or have a problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

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Ireland and the United Kingdom were the only EU members which, prior to the 2004 enlargement, had not signed the Schengen Agreement. Both countries maintain a Common Travel Area with passport-free travel for their citizens between them and the three British Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which are outside the European Union.