Customs/Immigration for Transatlantic Flights

[I object 2]

This is our first transatlantic flight. We'll be flying one way from Ft Lauderdale (FLL) on US Air to Philadelphia (PHL), then directly from PHL to Venice (VCE). Would we go through Customs or Immigration at FLL or PHL, or just when we arrive in Venice?

[WatchHill]

You'll go through immigration control, [passport will be stamped], when you reach Italy. Once you collect you luggage, you'll go through customs.

 

Enjoy your trip

 

Darcy

[ducklite]

You will be asked to show your passport in FLL when you check your bags through to Venice.

 

You will then go through TSA and board like you would for any domestic flight.

 

You will also show your passport before you board in PHL. They will stamp your boarding pass that your passport has been checked. Unless TSA does some special gate check or you leave the sterile concourse, there will not be any additional screening in PHL.

 

When you arrive in Venice, you will pick up your bags and go through immigration control where they will check your passport and stamp it. If you have nothing to declare, you're free to leave at that point. If you have something to declare, you'll proceed to another line for customs. The average tourist has nothing to declare.

[I object 2]

Thanks for your responses. We were worried we might need to book a flight with a much longer connection lay over. We can stick to plan A.

[alcpa1]

How long is your layover in Philly? You should plan on a padded connection time especially if you are not familiar with the airport.

[scottbee]

This is our first transatlantic flight. We'll be flying one way from Ft Lauderdale (FLL) on US Air to Philadelphia (PHL), then directly from PHL to Venice (VCE). Would we go through Customs or Immigration at FLL or PHL, or just when we arrive in Venice?

 

On the way there,

Immigration & Customs in VCE

 

On the way back,

Immigration & Customs in PHL, and then you'll need to re-check your luggage for your flight to FLL

[Gloria Mundi]

On the way back,

Immigration & Customs in PHL, and then you'll need to re-check your luggage for your flight to FLL

 

And go through the TSA lines again, probably. Don't forget that. The layover coming home may need some extra margin.

 

Of course, I had a 5-hour layover in Chicago coming home from London last week and got through Customs, Immigration, the TSA and at the gate for my flight home in 30 minutes, and couldn't get on an earlier flight. Murphy's Law. :(

[ducklite]

And go through the TSA lines again, probably. Don't forget that. The layover coming home may need some extra margin.

 

Of course, I had a 5-hour layover in Chicago coming home from London last week and got through Customs, Immigration, the TSA and at the gate for my flight home in 30 minutes, and couldn't get on an earlier flight. Murphy's Law. :(

 

The TSA line at PHL A West (after immigration) runs very quickly and the TSA agents there are unusually nice.

[BEAV]

delete!

[I object 2]

Hi all. We went with the flight with the 3.5 hour layover in Philly vs. the flight with a 1 hour 20 minute layover. Just in case the flight from Ft. Lauderdale runs late for any reason. We sure would hate to miss the flight to Venice! :(

[ducklite]

Hi all. We went with the flight with the 3.5 hour layover in Philly vs. the flight with a 1 hour 20 minute layover. Just in case the flight from Ft. Lauderdale runs late for any reason. We sure would hate to miss the flight to Venice! :(

 

PHL is a great airport to kill time. Have a meal at Legal Seafood between the B/C concourse--best kept secret, if you sit at the bar there are outlets under the bar where you can charge your electronics. They'll be just above your knees as you sit down, and there are plenty to go around. ;)

 

Check out the many art exhibits--if you go to the web site you can find out what is currently on display.

 

You can also do some shopping or grab a rocking chair and people (or plane) watch.

[I object 2]

PHL is a great airport to kill time. Have a meal at Legal Seafood between the B/C concourse--best kept secret, if you sit at the bar there are outlets under the bar where you can charge your electronics. They'll be just above your knees as you sit down, and there are plenty to go around. ;)

 

Check out the many art exhibits--if you go to the web site you can find out what is currently on display.

 

You can also do some shopping or grab a rocking chair and people (or plane) watch.

 

Thanks for the info. Sounds like there will be plenty to keep us busy.

[blonde1981]

I have a similar question but didn't want to start a new thread. I've done Houston - Paris - Venice before and remember having to go through immigration (I believe) in Paris and then again in Venice (Customs perhaps). Back we flew Venice - JFK - Houston and did both Customs and Immigration at JFK with the claiming the bags and rechecking.

 

So this time I'm looking at flights and trying to decide whether to do a Houston - another USA stop/Europe stop - Copenhagen or Houston - Toronto - Copenhagen (air canada).

 

So my question is what happens when we go through Toronto since we aren't stopping overnight and it isn't part of the EU so we couldn't knock immigration out of the way. Would we just connect as you normally would for domestic flights or would we have to go through Customs & immigration for Canada and then back through to get to Europe?

[Clay Clayton]

I suspect someone else who has done exactly what you are doing will answer but just in case.....when we flew Raleigh -Toronto-Buenos Aires! We went through a Canadian immigration station but not customs. Our bags were checked through to BA...actually they got waylaid, but that's another story:eek: the immigration station was in the concourse, seems like we went from one glass enclosed corridor to another running right bedside it. On the way back, we went through Canadian immigration, US immigration and customs and then rechecked our bags. The outbound probably only took 10 minutes...the return was closer to an hour.

[blonde1981]

Thank you for the reply! As long as I'm not having to recheck bags in Canada it seems manageable.