Free Movement Still Faces Friction

The European Union remains a global benchmark for open borders and coordinated mobility. Yet, for many travellers, especially those navigating multiple Member States, cross-border travel can still feel disjointed. Despite the strength of the Schengen framework, procedural hurdles, inconsistent practices, and fragmented coordination often create invisible borders that impact how visitors experience freedom of movement in everyday life.

This article highlights the less visible barriers - legal, administrative, and perceptual - that can undermine the EU’s efforts at seamless travel. These barriers are not insurmountable, but they do require renewed focus, especially in an era of increasing geopolitical and economic competition.

What 'Seamless' Really Means

Seamless travel is about more than the absence of ID checks. It involves a unified and predictable experience, from visas and customs procedures to infrastructure and digital systems. It means reliable rail links, harmonised road rules, interoperable smart borders, and user-friendly public services at both internal and external frontiers.

But just as critically, seamlessness is about perception. Travelers and tour operators, especially from outside the EU, respond as much to clarity and consistency as they do to official rules. A complicated visa application, unpredictable wait times, or differing border procedures can detract from an entire region’s appeal.

The Procedural Hurdles That Matter Most

Experts and stakeholders repeatedly point to procedural and administrative inconsistencies as a major source of friction. At Schengen’s external borders, procedures vary widely between entry points, with significant differences in wait times, technology, and traveller experience. Even inside the zone, the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls (often a politically motivated decision) can contribute to a sense of fragility. National planning cycles, migration policies, and security concerns often influence decisions on border management, with limited input from tourism operators or regional stakeholders. Smart border technologies and health protocols - vital tools for managing movement - require greater harmonisation to build traveller confidence and operational efficiency.

Visa rules and requirements, particularly for long-haul travellers, remain complex and difficult to navigate. Discrepancies between consulates of the same country can deter travellers, as can the cost of providing biometrics in person. Tour operators and travel agents from Asia or Latin America may pivot to more predictable destinations if uncertainty surrounds the Schengen zone entry process.

Infrastructure: Still a Supporting Role

Infrastructure remains an essential, though no longer central, challenge. While initiatives such as TEN-T and the Connecting Europe Facility have improved many cross-border routes, some gaps remain - particularly in border regions where funding and political coordination can lag. Rail links like Vienna-Ljubljana or Warsaw–Kaunas show what’s possible; others, such as Görlitz-Zgorzelec, remain stalled.

Cycling and walking routes across borders also illustrate both progress and fragmentation. EuroVelo 13, tracing the former Iron Curtain, stands as an example of successful cross-border collaboration. Yet in other areas, mismatched signage, inconsistent maintenance, or missing links still hinder travel on foot or by bike.

Despite strong EU-level strategies, the traveller experience is ultimately shaped on the ground. Administrative barriers, while less visible than fences or checkpoints, are often just as disruptive. Travellers remember not only what happens at the border, but also how long it took to get information, book a ticket, make an appointment to provide biometric information, or receive a visa.

The Stakes for Tourism

Despite strong EU-level strategies, the traveller experience is ultimately shaped on the ground. Administrative barriers, while less visible than fences or checkpoints, are often just as disruptive. Travellers remember not only what happens at the border, but also how long it took to get information, book a ticket, or receive a visa. These friction points carry direct economic implications for the tourism sector. Uncertainty, delay, or confusion can divert tourist flows and affect Europe's positioning as a preferred destination, and travellers who have positive experiences elsewhere are more likely to then recommend that destination, leading to a compounding geometric loss of tourism. Visa facilitation and seamless travel are investments rather than costs;  in a competitive global travel market, seamlessness is a value proposition

Luxury and business travellers in particular prioritise smooth transitions, predictable procedures, and consistent standards. If a journey involves unexpected stops, delays, or last-minute checks, it risks damaging Europe’s reputation as a connected and visitor-friendly space. There is also scope for value-adding; if travellers can pay for a seamless experience which minimises time spent on administrative matters and maximises perceived service levels, they will, which is reflected, for example, in the demand for fast-track options. Crucially, however, the availability of premium options should not detract from the importance of ensuring that standard service is also high-quality. 

It is worth noting that the current Royal Decree in Spain imposes unusual obligations on suppliers, requiring them to report client data to government authorities. This is creating cross-border complications within supply chains and, regardless of compliance with the EU’s GDPR, represents yet another instance of unilateral action by a Member State that risks undermining the perception of the EU single market as a coherent and harmonised system.

Next Steps: Aligning Policy, Practice, and Perception

Delivering true seamlessness will require more than new funding or regulations. It demands deeper coordination between EU institutions, Member States, and local actors. Institutional players like DG MOVE and DG HOME must work more closely with regional authorities, tourism bodies, and the private sector to compare insights and ensure smoother implementation.

Digital tools such as ETIAS and EES are promising, but their success depends on user experience and interoperability. Health protocols and emergency coordination, lessons from the COVID-19 period, remain relevant for ensuring travel continuity in times of crisis.

Freedom of Movement as a Lived Reality

The EU has the ambition and many of the tools it needs. The next challenge is to make the experience of seamless travel a lived reality for all - citizens, visitors, and businesses alike. That means turning legal frameworks into operational clarity, and infrastructure into predictable, high-quality service.

While the political and social symbolism of borders remains critically important, increasingly cross-border travel is less about geography and more  about experience. If Europe wants to maintain its edge as a global tourism leader and a champion of mobility, it must ensure that freedom of movement is felt at every step of the journey.