Well traveling through the Schengen area is like traveling between US states. You don't even need a passport once you're in.
If you're traveling on a non-EU passport, I don't know if entering the EU is much better. IIRC flying through Frankfurt once the customs people rifled through my carry-on for no apparent reason.
It's really different. Going to the US with a Latin American passport gives me a lot of anxiety. In Europe, I'm always asking myself "is this all?". It's a much better experience.
I'm not certain but I think German airports will rifle through everyone if they don't have lots of visitors. That was my experience two times flying there.
I had a security guy that checked for drugs telling me "This is Germany, why don't you speak German!" when I told him if he could explain what he wants me to do in English. (put down my bag on the table and show my phone so they can check it for chemicals)
Yep, this happened. In Airport. International Berlin airport.
I didn't say anything because I did not wanted to be detained for longer and miss my connection flight. But WTF.
My anecdotal experience is similar. Entering the US on a US passport is a breeze. Entering the EU on a US passport felt very hostile. I would imagine it's the same everywhere - it is the most fundamental job of a government to secure its own borders and maintain its own power.
I have found entering the US after visiting the EU (Schengen, technically) to be more hostile.
The EU person typically looks at me for a second or two and then stamps. Maybe they ask me how long I'm staying, I say "a week" or whatever, and they stamp.
The US people (EWR or JFK, maybe it varies) have an attitude that suggests that they think someone who visited Switzerland or Denmark is likely to be coming back from a vacation training with ISIS. They also really can't decide if my girlfriend is supposed to come to the booth with me, all of the rules suggest no since we are not a family, but then they tend to get upset after they ask me if I was traveling alone and I say no.
Interestingly enough, I travelled to the San Diego two years ago and I was expecting a round of “premium questioning” because I had a (long expired) multi-entry visa for Syria in my (now expired) passport (I was in Damascus in late 2009), but the guy didn’t care at all, just asked what the purpose of my US visit was, spent a few minutes looking at my passport and checking his computer and then he welcomed me and sent me on my way. It was all rather painless and everyone was relatively friendly.
That isn't too surprising, is it? That would be true for almost every democratic country.
As an EU citizen, I found entering China less scary than the USA. The Chinese officers were almost painfully polite and matter of fact, whereas the TSA officers were borderline rude and threatening. I'd really lover to go for holidays in the USA again, but not anytime soon. Since I don't have a FB, Twitter or IG acc't, I'd probably be denied anyways.
You need a visa for each country in the EU if you are from China since they don’t have a visa agreement with the EU. I know this because my friend was dealing with it this year because of SIGMOD.
If you're traveling on a non-EU passport, I don't know if entering the EU is much better. IIRC flying through Frankfurt once the customs people rifled through my carry-on for no apparent reason.