Knife laws in multiple European countries on train

Question

I am going to make an Interrail trip in September this year, which will be a mix of rural camping and city trips. Due to the camping, I am considering taking my Mora Garberg (blade length: 10.9cm, blade width: 3.2mm) with me, but I am unsure about the laws and how the different train companies handle this topic.

I am planning on starting in Barcelona and continuing to Rome via Toulon. After that going to Slovenia, Austria, and Germany.

I thought of packing the knife into my sleeping bag (unlikely to be searched), but I don't want any trouble with the authorities. I am considering workarounds, e.g. my small Swiss pocket knife, but I am unsure if even that is illegal.

I don't carry it in the pocket of my pants when I am e.g. walking through Rome, but I am afraid of e.g. someone searching my backpack when crossing borders.

Answer 1

Quite generally:

• You should check the rules per country on Wikipedia's Knife Legislation page.

• In some countries some types of knives are forbidden altogether, because their only purpose is to be used as weapons.

• In many cases, the destination (in the sense "what do you intend to do with the knife", not "where are you going to") is relevant: having a kitchen knife in hand or in your pocket is very different from having a kitchen knife in a box or closed bag.

• I'm not aware of any systematic scans or checks anywhere (except Eurostar to/from London, which seems to be outside the scope of your question) and on high-speed services in Spain. Not familiar with Renfe's policies, but on the Eurostar they could bother you for nail clippers when departing from London while the guys in Paris (french customs officers) don't care the least. Bad movies notwithstanding, since it's going to be quite difficult to hijack a train, they should be more worried about guns (as in Thalys attack) and bombs (as in TGV bombing), but YMMV.

• The UK is probably the country with the most restrictions (and the only one I know with big posters at Saint Pancras telling you that knives are forbidden), but again, out of scope of your question.

• At borders between the countries listed in your question, there are no systematic checks anywhere. The only place they could have systematic checks is when you enter/exit the EU, i.e. when you go through Switzerland, but they definitely don't. They can do random checks, but as far as I know they are more interested in drugs (especially on routes from the Netherlands) and money (on routes to/from Switzerland).

• While at some borders there may be systematic passport control checks (due to "temporary" reintroduction of border checks between Schengen Area member states), those usually apply only one-way (basically South-to-North or East-to-West), and involve immigration, so passports and visas, rather than your belongings. Depending on the border the agents doing immigration and customs checks may or may not be the same, or they may do joint patrols, but still, what they are looking for is in my experience quite specific.

• One possible issue is that some "types" have a tendency to draw law enforcement like magnets. "Foreign-looking" people (especially from Africa, the Middle-East and South Asia) draw immigration and police looking for illegal migrants. Others like backpackers draw customs and police looking for drugs. While searching for those they may end up finding your knife, but that's usually not what they were looking after.

As others have advised, don't try to hide anything. Make sure the knife is not a type that is explicitly forbidden. Do not carry it in your pocket, but in a well-closed (ideally locked) box or bag, making it clear that there is no intent to use it.

Answer 2

germany

Some styles of knife are forbidden. They include butterfly knives, push knives, or disguised knives. Since they cannot be owned, they cannot be carried.

Other styles of knife are restricted from carry in the public. This includes blade lengths over 12 cm, or folding knives which can be operated with a single hand. There are exceptions from this restriction, plenty of kitchen knives are longer than 12 cm. These exceptions come down to "good reason" and "reasonable stowage." A picknick basket may contain a longer knife, but you can't wear it on the belt in a pub.

As I understand it, you have a fixed knife with a blade shorter than that. So don't hide it in the sleeping bag, pack it with your kitchen stuff along with spoons and forks. And pack the kitchen stuff so that there can be no suggestion that it is ready to draw.

Answer 3

There are only two train companies that are interested in what is in your luggage. Eurostar scans your luggage on UK - Continent services. RENFE pretends to scan your luggage when boarding a high speed train (but you can just put the knife in a jacket pocket if you want to avoid questions.

In all other countries there are no pre boarding procedures, other than in some services a ticket check. So do not worry about what you have in your luggage. And nobody will search your luggage when crossing borders as that is pretty much a non event within the Schengen Area these days.