Clearing Customs

[kcbmarek]

I am really not sure where to post this but I need some help in regards to clearing customs. DH and I will be flying from LAX to Berlin, then to Rome for our cruise on the Navigator. When we land in Berlin I know we will need to clear customs coming off the plane. What should we expect? Do we claim luggage prior to customs? When we fly into Rome, will we go through customs yet again? What about on our flight from Rome to Dusseldorf, Germany? This is a big unknown for us as we are trying to book train tickets and not knowing is slowing down the process :p.

 

Any insight would be awesome ....

 

TIA,

 

Kim

[CruiserBruce]

Going to Rome, you will only be clearing Immigration (called Passport Check in Europe) in Berlin, not customs. Your bags will go to your final destination, which is Rome, and you will clear customs there, which is about as easy as it can get. You will not have to clear Passport Check in Rome.

 

Passport Check in Berlin will be very similar to Immigration in the US.

 

Flying from Rome to Dusseldorf is a "domestic" flight in European eyes. Security will be the same, or very close to the same as the US. No Passport Check, although you should use your passport for ID in the airport.

[kcbmarek]

Going to Rome, you will only be clearing Immigration (called Passport Check in Europe) in Berlin, not customs. Your bags will go to your final destination, which is Rome, and you will clear customs there, which is about as easy as it can get. You will not have to clear Passport Check in Rome.

 

Passport Check in Berlin will be very similar to Immigration in the US.

 

Flying from Rome to Dusseldorf is a "domestic" flight in European eyes. Security will be the same, or very close to the same as the US. No Passport Check, although you should use your passport for ID in the airport.

 

Thanks but our big concern is that we have long layovers in both Berlin and Dusseldorf (22+ hours each) hence the reason we thought we would be clearing customs in both spots. In addition, we have never traveled internationally so all this is new to us. :rolleyes:

[CruiserBruce]

22 hour layovers. That is a nice piece of info to give out to help us help you.....

 

First question - can you arrange better flights, or are you deliberately scheduling such long layovers? Not sure why you are going into Berlin, where going into Frankfurt, or London, will get you to Rome after about a 2 hour layover. Just curious, what airline? Non-stop from LA it is Lufthansa?

 

If I had a 22 hour hour layover, I would be looking for a hotel either at the airport, or perhaps in town, getting there via train or taxi and claiming my bags. Customs is really easy, and is the least of your concerns.

 

Otherwise you need to check with your airline(s) to see if a 22 hour connection is "legal" in the sense you can check your bags thru to your desired (final) destination. Some airlines don't allow that long a bag hold if there are alternative flights that are sooner.

 

What train tickets are you referring to?

 

Sorry, there are just a lot of details missing here to give you solid info.

 

One correction on my part- it is "Passport Control" not "Check".

[cberge]

Thanks but our big concern is that we have long layovers in both Berlin and Dusseldorf (22+ hours each) hence the reason we thought we would be clearing customs in both spots. In addition, we have never traveled internationally so all this is new to us. :rolleyes:

Whoever booked your flights was not doing you any favors by such long layovers to be sure.If you are not getting off the plane and staying overnight and your bags are checked through you will clear passport control and customs as Cruiser Bruce has stated.If you have any chance of changing your flts I sure would try.Just my opinion.Your main wait re customs will be when you fly back into the US.

[kcbmarek]

22 hour layovers. That is a nice piece of info to give out to help us help you.....

 

First question - can you arrange better flights, or are you deliberately scheduling such long layovers? Not sure why you are going into Berlin, where going into Frankfurt, or London, will get you to Rome after about a 2 hour layover. Just curious, what airline? Non-stop from LA it is Lufthansa?

 

If I had a 22 hour hour layover, I would be looking for a hotel either at the airport, or perhaps in town, getting there via train or taxi and claiming my bags. Customs is really easy, and is the least of your concerns.

 

Otherwise you need to check with your airline(s) to see if a 22 hour connection is "legal" in the sense you can check your bags thru to your desired (final) destination. Some airlines don't allow that long a bag hold if there are alternative flights that are sooner.

 

What train tickets are you referring to?

 

Sorry, there are just a lot of details missing here to give you solid info.

 

One correction on my part- it is "Passport Control" not "Check".

 

Sorry for the missing information.

 

22+ hour layovers are fine with us as it gives us a chance to see Berlin and the castles ont he Rhine. We do have hotels booked in both these locations for each night. When we booked our tickets, Air Berlin offered the best deal and was $500 cheaper than anyone else. We live in Las Vegas and will be driving to LAX leaving our car at a friend's home.

 

Leaving our luggage with Air Berlin is the big unknown as well. When we booked our tickets and such, we were told that there would be a $10 fee for them to hold our luggage at the airport and get onto the plane for the next flight(s). On a recent phone call to Air Berlin, we were told the exact opposite that they would NOT hold our luggage and we would have to claim. In Berlin it is not a big deal as we are leaving the airport and going directly to our hotel before going into Berlin. Dusseldorf, we are riding the train down to Bingen to see the castles on the Rhine and not checking into the hotel until we arrive in Bingen.

 

DH and I are trying to make this as smooth as possible and clearing customs / passport control is only an issue for us in Dusseldorf as we are trying to figure out train times and do not want to cut ourselves to close in catching a train.

 

This trip is a big deal for us as we married 5 years ago with 3 immediate teenagers and now they are all out of the house (2 Army and 1 college) hence we are empty nesters now.

 

Again, sorry for the missing information and any help is greatly appreciated.

[Hlitner]

I would just add an "editorial comment" based on forty plus years of international travel. There are two recipes for luggage disaster. (1). Have a very short transfer between different airlines. and (2) trust an airline to hold your luggage for more then 4 hours! In both those cases you really increase the likelyhood that your luggage will not appear at your final destination.

 

Hank

[CruiserBruce]

Sorry for the missing information.

 

22+ hour layovers are fine with us as it gives us a chance to see Berlin and the castles ont he Rhine. We do have hotels booked in both these locations for each night. When we booked our tickets, Air Berlin offered the best deal and was $500 cheaper than anyone else. We live in Las Vegas and will be driving to LAX leaving our car at a friend's home.

 

Leaving our luggage with Air Berlin is the big unknown as well. When we booked our tickets and such, we were told that there would be a $10 fee for them to hold our luggage at the airport and get onto the plane for the next flight(s). On a recent phone call to Air Berlin, we were told the exact opposite that they would NOT hold our luggage and we would have to claim. In Berlin it is not a big deal as we are leaving the airport and going directly to our hotel before going into Berlin. Dusseldorf, we are riding the train down to Bingen to see the castles on the Rhine and not checking into the hotel until we arrive in Bingen.

 

The Rhine and the castles are a long way from Berlin, and several hours from Dusseldorf. On the other hand, they are about 60-75 minutes from Frankfurt. Was just there in mid May.

 

DH and I are trying to make this as smooth as possible and clearing customs / passport control is only an issue for us in Dusseldorf as we are trying to figure out train times and do not want to cut ourselves to close in catching a train.

 

Again, Passport Control is the time consuming thing, but it won't take an hour. Customs is on what is referred to as the Red/Green system, an honor system when in if you have something to declare- you won't- you go thru the Red line and get questioned. If you don't have anything to declare- again, you won't- you walk thru the Green side and you are done.

 

This trip is a big deal for us as we married 5 years ago with 3 immediate teenagers and now they are all out of the house (2 Army and 1 college) hence we are empty nesters now.

 

Again, sorry for the missing information and any help is greatly appreciated.

 

If it were me, I would just claim the bags, thus knowing they have arrived- and move on.

 

I guess this is a case of you get what you pay for. By saving that $500, you are getting two nights in hotels, and a number of headaches. And, to go with Hank's comment, which is right on, in our almost 30 years of international travel.

[cberge]

I do not think you have the time to do what you think you are going to see and do re Berlin,Castles, the Rhine etc.You need more than a layover.I would make this another land trip,rebook your flights for Rome and stay there pre and post if you have never been there before.You are trying to do so much pre and post.I usually would never tell someone how to travel,but this just seems A LOT to try and fit in.

[kcbmarek]

We cannot change our flights without huge penalties and really do not want to. We were looking forward to our day in Berlin, cruise, 3 days in Rome and then our brief train ride down the Rhine. With out long layovers we are not going to sit in hotel rooms so we are adverturous enough to explore the area and because we do not know when we are going to be able to get back, now is the time.