Immigration question

[Atlanta]

I will be flying from Atlanta to Paris, then taking ground transportation to St. Jean. My question is that I would like to have the flexibility to not purchase my return ticket until after I am nearly on my way home. Will Spanish and French immigration let me do that? I may want to visit a friend in Poland before coming home and I don't want to make that much commitment early on. I realize that one pays a bunch of extra money for that flexibility and I'm prepared to do that. My concern is whether the immigration officials will allow me to enter their country without a return ticket. Does anybody have experience with this? Should I buy the cheapest return ticket possible with the understanding that I may have to change it? Or can my return be truly open ended?

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Atlanta and welcome to the Forum ~
I've never been asked to show a return ticket when flying into Paris and I can't find anything online that suggests otherwise. I'm pretty sure you're fine. Here's info from the French consulate: Visa requirements for american passports holders - Consulat Général de France à Chicago

[BHinSanDiego]

Last year when I did my Camino I met some people and they invited me to come visit them in Germany, since I already had a return date I changed my ticket, it cost me about 200 dollars to do so. I've read that one can be turned back if they do not have a return ticket, but no actual situations with myself or anyone I know. Since you're arriving in France Spain won't be a problem because there is no border check point anyway.You can also look into an open jaw ticket, that is fly into Paris with your return from Warsaw or where ever you are in Poland.
Ultreya,
Barry

[Atlanta]

Thanks guys. I will be speaking to a Delta rep soon to see what all my options are for ticketing and to see how much various levels of flexibility cost. It's good to know that borders don't seem to be a big hassle. I was really hassled at a recent crossing into Canada on a road trip. They thought I was perhaps a vagrant and were pretty thorough in the search through my stuff to make sure that I wasn't trying to stay in Canada long term. I guess I am just a bit shy about that now.