It's a good question. Worldwide, most private aircraft and flying was suspended 'for the duration' and most aircraft 'impressed' into service, mostly for communications flying. Obviously places far from any real enemy action, such as mainland N & S America were less directly affected, and other countries initially as remote responded as per more threatened ones, so private flying through most of the British Empire was restricted as it was in the UK, though not under the same direct threat.
Most places imposed some form of rationing, obviously fuel being the main restriction, but parts and material were needed 'for the war effort'. Most airfields became military or were disabled.
In the very early war period (1939 - May 1940) many European countries maintained some degree of airline flying throughout Europe, countries like Holland and Denmark painting their airliners in high-viz colours and national names; obviously that changed after occupation, and there were shootdowns. Some countries remained neutral throughout the war (Sweden, Portugal) and would see airliners from Axis and Allied countries on the field simultaneously. Famous examples are the shoot down of the BOAC DC-3 with Leslie Howard on board by the Germans after flying out of Lisbon; the idea of flying from Casablanca to Lisbon (and 'freedom' further on) in the film
Casablanca (although not in a Lockheed 12!) and the first 'round the world airline flight' by a Pan Am Boeing 314 in 1941.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOAC_Flight_777http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_ClipperSome semblance of airline flying continued to the war's end by most belligerents and neutrals, but there were numerous cases where airliners were shot down, sometimes by their own side, such as the tragic case of US agent Townsend Griffiss aboard a BOAC Liberator, shot down by RAF Polish pilots in error returning to the UK from Russia.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17011105There were of course things like 'The Ball Bearing Run' with de Havilland Mosquitoes (civilian pilots, civil registered and operated BOAC aircraft, but on vital war work) and also cases where aircraft were stolen or grabbed and flown to safety; mostly the latter were military types, sometimes trainers like Stamp biplanes, or German military trainers (a Klemm and a Bucker, IIRC) but in one case a Fokker G-1 Reaper.
http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter2/mosquitos.htm(Profile 3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_G.I#AftermathLastly there were some ASR flights and flying with civil-registered and marked military aircraft, such as the Heinkel He 59, treated as legitimate targets and shot down when found by the RAF.
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During WW2 I would assume Civilian aviation activity in North and South America would have been stable if not slightly less active, but what about European countries? Would there have been much, if at all, civilian activity such as airlines airborne during the war?
Don't know about the other Americas, myself, but no private flying in Canada, I think, and otherwise airlines or war work only there. Our Canadians may have better comment? Otherwise see above.
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If active was there a way or paint scheme that would have been used by civilian aircraft in neutral countries next to active war zones?
Yes, the Aviodrome has an orange DC-3 in Dutch pre-invasion wartime markings, as mentioned above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stmaartenpiloot/810443471/After the early pre-May 1940 period, most airliners likely to fly in combat zones took on camouflage, as few were neutral and best chance was evasion rather than status. British (BOAC) were a belligerent nation and as Gregory said, liable for attack, so camouflaged, but with civil codes underlined with a read/blue red/white/blue bar.
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I wonder how many stories there are about civilian aircraft caught in harms way and what the outcome was. If indeed civilian aircraft were caught in combat and shot down would they have been scored as a kill?
Generally would be shot down, but there could be repercussions, as in the Leslie Howard case. If it was an enemy country's, it would count as a kill. If neutral or 'one of ours' counting kills wasn't the pilot's concern any more.
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It would also be interesting to know what the Government regulations and restrictions were in the US for civilian aircraft operations during WW2. Could civilian aircraft fly freely in the US and abroad?
It would! Not my field, over to our US experts.
Hope that helps,
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