Travelling With Firearms

[Howe1401]

I'm planning a wild boar hunt in Hungary this December and would like to take my own rifle as I struggled with the estate rifles last year.

Anyone here have any experience of what the process is to travel with your rifle abroad, or have you done it?

Just looking for some pointers so I don't fall into any obvious traps.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Depends how you will be travelling.
If driving through Dover with FAC & EFP no problems & no extra costs are involved you only have to pre register to the ferry company. Tunnel car trains not sure but must be available info online. Eurostar might be a no no.
Flying from the UK = there is another thread active at the moment ref Heathrow firearms ban but I do know easy Jet do allow firearms as checked baggage (cost? no idea).

• 
  The transportation of weapons to and from London Heathrow (LHR), Aberdeen (ABZ), Edinburgh (EDI), Inverness (INV) and Glasgow (GLA) is forbidden. Please choose another airport in London or Great Britain if you want to take your licensed sporting or hunting weapon with you.

A bit of a tin of worms really.
If driving, you will be passing quite near to my house - the German post code is 92363.

 

[Howe1401]

Thanks for your reply, really helpful!

Just been looking into flying a bit more and it seems the airlines just don't want you to fly, so I think driving is the best option.

I've done it before, but was trying to avoid the lost days in the field from driving 1,900Km from Scotland to SE Hungary.

 

[Lace1978]

Flew from Gatwick into Budapest with easyjet two years ago no problems apart from the idiots the other end forgot about taking the ammo off the plane it costs around £70 as a firearm is classed as sporting equipment !
The paperwork was relatively straightforward at the airport just allow yourself an extra hour to check the guns in

 

[Howe1401]

Thanks for that!
We could do Gatwick, so that might work.
Hope you had a successful trip to Hungary when you last went!

 

[Lace1978]

It was good I personally didn't get the opportunity to get a boar but most of the group either had chances or shot boar ! all of us shot roe so had a good few days
Will be off to Turkey with A1 decoy in feb 2021 so looking forward to hopefully getting my chance there

 

[artschool]

I usually travel abroad to SA and Germany once a year with a firearm. It is straightforward.

 

[Jagare]

I flying from Sweden to Budapest on the 5th December for a 2 day driven hunt near Marcali. Fourth visit to Hungary and second time near Marcali. I drove down in January. All my visits whether flying or driving have been problem free. Just make sure you have all your paperwork in order

 

[TonyC]

Get your EFP ASAP and fly from Gatwick to Budapest on Easyjet. If we are out of Europe then the FAC should suffice perhaps together with proof of insurance (BASC Card). Rifle in a locked case (no knife) ammo in a locked box either in hold bag or with rifle depends on airline on the day! Give yourself plenty of time - get there 3 hours before flight as going thru the customs and security bag check takes time. When you get to Easyjet introduce yourself to the staff, they are pretty good most times. Make sure you book and pay for the rifle and ammo when you book flight on line.

 

[TH4]

Depends how you will be travelling.
If driving through Dover with FAC & EFP no problems & no extra costs are involved you only have to pre register to the ferry company. Tunnel car trains not sure but must be available info online. Eurostar might be a no no.
Flying from the UK = there is another thread active at the moment ref Heathrow firearms ban but I do know easy Jet do allow firearms as checked baggage (cost? no idea).

• 
  The transportation of weapons to and from London Heathrow (LHR), Aberdeen (ABZ), Edinburgh (EDI), Inverness (INV) and Glasgow (GLA) is forbidden. Please choose another airport in London or Great Britain if you want to take your licensed sporting or hunting weapon with you.

A bit of a tin of worms really.
If driving, you will be passing quite near to my house - the German post code is 92363.

Spoke to the armoury at heathrow this morning, I work at heathrow and nobody knows of any ban on flying from heathrow with guns.

 

[Orion]

Spoke to the armoury at heathrow this morning, I work at heathrow and nobody knows of any ban on flying from heathrow with guns.

He's quoted the Lufthansa information out of context. Other airlines should be no problem.

 

[Lateral]

One caveat, will depend what happens on October 31st ?

EFP with theoretically be invalid ?

Although after today, it's probably a mute point !

 

[Howe1401]

All a great help, thanks everyone!

 

[Howe1401]

I flying from Sweden to Budapest on the 5th December for a 2 day driven hunt near Marcali. Fourth visit to Hungary and second time near Marcali. I drove down in January. All my visits whether flying or driving have been problem free. Just make sure you have all your paperwork in order

I tend to be in the SW part of the country as I know the outfitters there. Would like to stay closer to Budapest one time, and I think the place you mentioned is South of the Balaton. Do you use an outfitter there?

 

[Howe1401]

It was good I personally didn't get the opportunity to get a boar but most of the group either had chances or shot boar ! all of us shot roe so had a good few days
Will be off to Turkey with A1 decoy in feb 2021 so looking forward to hopefully getting my chance there

Good luck when the time comes!

 

[Colonel]

I went to South Africa from Heathrow in July with no problem

 

[Howe1401]

I think I just need to do the research and get all the paperwork in order. Just heard so many horror stories about how difficult it is.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[Jagare]

I tend to be in the SW part of the country as I know the outfitters there. Would like to stay closer to Budapest one time, and I think the place you mentioned is South of the Balaton. Do you use an outfitter there?

I use a Hungarian agent. Everything above board with a proper contract and very well organised. This will be the third hunting trip with him.
I had a drive round Lake Balaton in January. Looks like quite a summer holiday destination but completely dead in the winter.

 

[Howe1401]

I use a Hungarian agent. Everything above board with a proper contract and very well organised. This will be the third hunting trip with him.
I had a drive round Lake Balaton in January. Looks like quite a summer holiday destination but completely dead in the winter.

Balaton is great in the summer, and I do a bit on the roe bucks in a place called Gyula during the summer. Do you have an interpreter on your trips or is English spoken?

 

[Jagare]

Balaton is great in the summer, and I do a bit on the roe bucks in a place called Gyula during the summer. Do you have an interpreter on your trips or is English spoken?

The agent speaks a little English. He does send me the contract in English/ Hungarian. As the prehunt talk is done in German he does a printed prehunt protocol for me in English that covers safety, shootable game, etc. The guns come from Germany the Balkans and Hungary and several of them will speak English. Not had any problems yet.