Riviera Venice to Barcelona May 25----immigration customs ?????

[NorthCoastCruisers]

Going it will be when you enter EU (FRA of MUC); returning it will be SFO

 

Thank you for all your help and everyone else who answered my questions. Loving all the help on cruise critic.

[babysteps]

Going it will be when you enter EU (FRA of MUC); returning it will be SFO

 

Paul is right. In addition there will be minor departing immigration formalities (mostly a passport exit stamp) at your last EU airport.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Thanks - I just found some through United (operated by Lufthansa) that go to FRA/MUC. I was avoiding United because their Economy Plus seats do not recline but looks like Lufthansa Airbus does have reclining seats. If we go SFO-FRA/MUC-BCN going - when do we go through immigration and/or customs? Same thing coming back FCO-FRA/MUC-SFO? Sorry for all the questions but out first time doing an international trip:confused:

 

Immigration (AKA Passport control) deals with your legal ability to enter/leave a country. That's where your passport comes into use. Customs deals with the money you may owe your country of citizenship based on how much you bought during foreign travels. In post #7, I describe the only circumstance where a US citizen might be expected to pass through Customs entering a foreign country. The circumstances are specific and you're highly unlikely to need to do this. But returning to the US, you'll fill out a declaration of purchases on a form you'll receive while on your flight to the US. (If your US gateway city is one other than your final destination, you'll deal with Customs when you first touch down in America.)

 

When you return to your own country, you'll go through both Immigration Control and Customs although those two different activities will be somewhat separate steps. Arriving in the US at Dulles International Airport, for example, you would present both your passport and declaration of purchases to the officer at Passport control, he/she will scan your passport and stamp your declaration. Assuming you're under the spending limit, you would hand your declaration separately to a Customs officer as you exit the area. (There will be a detour to the nearby Customs area if you've spent more than a specific amount.)

 

You'll show your US passport to Immigration/Passport Control exiting a foreign country.

 

Is there a reason you've written FRA/MUC on both your outbound and return itineraries? Do you have the option to go to either airport for the same route? I certainly hope your itinerary doesn't include both of those stops within Germany.

[Kate-AHF]

As posted above, immigration will be in Madrid and I hope you have lots of time for connection as it may take some time for immigration and changing terminals.

We try to avoid Madrid for connections whenever possible after a close call there for above stated reasons.

What Paul said. I will never willingly change through Madrid again. I hope you have sufficient time to get from the terminal where you arrive, to the terminal (and gate) for your departure. That trip through the airport felt like I was embedded in an Escher drawing.

[StanandJim]

That trip through the airport felt like I was embedded in an Escher drawing.

How Vivid! :hearteyes:

[NorthCoastCruisers]

Immigration (AKA Passport control) deals with your legal ability to enter/leave a country. That's where your passport comes into use. Customs deals with the money you may owe your country of citizenship based on how much you bought during foreign travels. In post #7, I describe the only circumstance where a US citizen might be expected to pass through Customs entering a foreign country. The circumstances are specific and you're highly unlikely to need to do this. But returning to the US, you'll fill out a declaration of purchases on a form you'll receive while on your flight to the US. (If your US gateway city is one other than your final destination, you'll deal with Customs when you first touch down in America.)

 

When you return to your own country, you'll go through both Immigration Control and Customs although those two different activities will be somewhat separate steps. Arriving in the US at Dulles International Airport, for example, you would present both your passport and declaration of purchases to the officer at Passport control, he/she will scan your passport and stamp your declaration. Assuming you're under the spending limit, you would hand your declaration separately to a Customs officer as you exit the area. (There will be a detour to the nearby Customs area if you've spent more than a specific amount.)

 

You'll show your US passport to Immigration/Passport Control exiting a foreign country.

 

Is there a reason you've written FRA/MUC on both your outbound and return itineraries? Do you have the option to go to either airport for the same route? I certainly hope your itinerary doesn't include both of those stops within Germany.

 

Thank you for outlining all the steps really lets us know what to expect. I did FRA/MUC because we would go through one on the trip there and then the other on the trip back and I couldn't remember which was which.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Thank you for outlining all the steps really lets us know what to expect. I did FRA/MUC because we would go through one on the trip there and then the other on the trip back and I couldn't remember which was which.

 

Got it. There's no reason to prefer FRA over MUC or vice versa. Both are well run and pleasant.

 

There's one more phrase to keep in mind when changing planes internationally: transit/transfer passenger. You are a transit/transfer passenger because you're changing planes en route to your final destination. Keep looking for the signs that indicate the walking route for transit/transfer passengers. This route will allow you to stay within the secure area and avoid going through security again. (In this era of heightened security, some airports have introduced a check of passports within the secure area, but the process is more perfunctory than a full-up security screening/passport check.) Do not make the mistake of exiting the secure area.

[riffatsea]

IF you go via Canada you'll have to do immigration twice , once in Canada and then in Europe.

I'd not bother with that if any other route was possible.

[NorthCoastCruisers]

IF you go via Canada you'll have to do immigration twice , once in Canada and then in Europe.

I'd not bother with that if any other route was possible.

 

The Canadian airports have a handy tool where you put in your citizenship, the flight country of origination, the airline(s) you are using and your final destination and they gave you the steps you take for customs/immigration. There were no screenings required and we would stay in the same terminal. I was going by the tool, maybe you experienced something different than what the tool was showing.

[Paulchili]

. Keep looking for the signs that indicate the walking route for transit/transfer passengers. This route will allow you to stay within the secure area and avoid going through security again. (In this era of heightened security, some airports have introduced a check of passports within the secure area, but the process is more perfunctory than a full-up security screening/passport check.)

I wish this were true (and maybe it is sometimes/somewhere). I remember being very upset at FRA airport changing planes from an intra-European flight to fly home. While it is true that we went through transit area we had passport checks AND security checks where they confiscated my sealed water bottle that I carried from the previous flight.It was a full security check. In my opinion there was no need for this as we had just disembarked from a flight (having been cleared for that flight) and went directly to a second flight through transit secure area.

Personally I do prefer MUC to FRA.

[YoHoHo]

I wish this were true (and maybe it is sometimes/somewhere). I remember being very upset at FRA airport changing planes from an intra-European flight to fly home. While it is true that we went through transit area we had passport checks AND security checks where they confiscated my sealed water bottle that I carried from the previous flight.It was a full security check. In my opinion there was no need for this as we had just disembarked from a flight (having been cleared for that flight) and went directly to a second flight through transit secure area.

Personally I do prefer MUC to FRA.

We too had a less than happy experience in transferring through FRA a few years back.

 

On our designated route to gate XX we had to line up for an "empty your pockets" security screening. All the scanning stations open but moving slowly. Finally we were next in line when a loud buzzer sounded as a yellow light flashed. The officials all looked to a key person and then they just closed all the lines and waived us off.

<CHOP. Too long>

Swore I would not transfer through FRA again. Until next time ...

 

I almost always take flights with considerably more transit time than "legal". The allowed transfer times are out-dated especially with security issues

[YoHoHo]

... Keep looking for the signs that indicate the walking route for transit/transfer passengers. This route will allow you to stay within the secure area and avoid going through security again. (In this era of heightened security, some airports have introduced a check of passports within the secure area, but the process is more perfunctory than a full-up security screening/passport check.) Do not make the mistake of exiting the secure area.

Through a series of changeable glassed-in walkways, Vancouver physically confines in-transit passengers. They are spending a lot of money to increase these in order to facilitate more routes (especially USA <-> Asia) that do not have to go through additional screening. It is to everyone benefit with faster transfer times, tight security, lower operating costs, fewer queues but it does cost a lot up front .

 

I have been to an airport where one can easily step over a line (and it was not a marked on the ground line as it should have been but by a portable sign in a hallway) and find themselves heading outside of the secure area. There was not even a door or threshold to mark it. The man I witnessed crossing the line, and *maybe* not even a full step, was detained as the agent decided he was arguing with her and called security with Code "x, code x". The pax was quite reasonably and calmly pleading his case and forgiveness - a long shot from arguing. It was scary - too much authority from poorly trained, or poorly chosen, personnel.

 

Where she came from I really don't know. Perhaps from behind one of the signs hidden from view like the old cartoon of a cop sleeping in a patrol car behind a billboard on a straight stretch of country road waiting for speeders.

 

It was scary actually. I hope in the end he did not miss his connection. If it wasn't for the fact that he was a few yards ahead of me I likely would have done exactly the same thing.

[Earl Rosebery]

The Canadian airports have a handy tool where you put in your citizenship, the flight country of origination, the airline(s) you are using and your final destination and they gave you the steps you take for customs/immigration. There were no screenings required and we would stay in the same terminal. I was going by the tool, maybe you experienced something different than what the tool was showing.

If you change flights in Montreal, you will almost certainly still have to clear Canadian customs. They have an agreement with Air Canada whereby your checked luggage should be transferred automatically. They have recently opened a new ‘connections Centre’ in an attempt to reduce what were serious problems

https://news.google.com/search?q=trudeau%20airport%20delays%20customs&hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen

[Pet Nit Noy]

Got it. There's no reason to prefer FRA over MUC or vice versa. Both are well run and pleasant.

 

There's one more phrase to keep in mind when changing planes internationally: transit/transfer passenger. You are a transit/transfer passenger because you're changing planes en route to your final destination. Keep looking for the signs that indicate the walking route for transit/transfer passengers. This route will allow you to stay within the secure area and avoid going through security again. (In this era of heightened security, some airports have introduced a check of passports within the secure area, but the process is more perfunctory than a full-up security screening/passport check.) Do not make the mistake of exiting the secure area.

 

NorthCoastCruisers, there have been a flurry of responses to this post motivating me to try to distill the replies. FRA is one airport where you're likely to encounter hiccups in the transit/transfer process. There's an unnamed airport that lacks both glassed in walkways and adequate signage. Transferring planes at Vancouver airport via their glassed-in walkways is a turn-key, risk-free activity. My experiences have been far more positive than negative, but in this era of heightened security things change.

 

The take away for you, as new-to-international-travel, is that you should be alert when changing planes and look for the route -- hopefully well marked -- for transit/transfer passengers.

[NorthCoastCruisers]

So much great information. Thank you everyone - we will keep what you have said in mind as we select flights and transfer planes.

[Paulchili]

I wish this were true (and maybe it is sometimes/somewhere). I remember being very upset at FRA airport changing planes from an intra-European flight to fly home. While it is true that we went through transit area we had passport checks AND security checks where they confiscated my sealed water bottle that I carried from the previous flight.It was a full security check. In my opinion there was no need for this as we had just disembarked from a flight (having been cleared for that flight) and went directly to a second flight through transit secure area.

Personally I do prefer MUC to FRA.

 

To clarify my post about the second security screening in FRA.

This happened at the gate itself just before boarding. It most likely was only for flights to US. Whether this was a policy of US government or local airport authority I cannot be certain but I would guess the former. As NCC will be flying to US as well this may happen to him/her as well (unless things have changed).