AmyB81

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip that will fly in and out of Dublin. When looking at airfare I'd like to gauge what a reasonable departure time is... but I can't find info on their website regarding recommended pre-arrival time allowances.

Here in the states it ranges from 1 - 2 hours for domestic flights and 2-4 hours for international. Is there anything like that for Dublin or any of the major European cities?

Also, when the layover is in another country would we go through customs in that city rather than Dublin. Example, CA to Dublin with a layover in London.

Thank you,

nytraveler

You need to contact your airline - not the airport to find out how early to arrive.

Where you go through Immigration (showing your passport and being allowed to enter- Customs is just luggage) depends on the specific cirucumstances.

If you are just tranferring to another flight in London you stay airside and don;t get to Immigration until you get to Dublin. (I assume by "layover" you don't mean a lengthy time when you would leave the airport.)

As for luggage - again you have to check with your airline - and make sure they will allow you to check your luggage straight through to Dublin.

Assume you are leaving from Dublin you will go through US Immigration there and need to arrive at the airport at leasat hours in advance - bu again - talk to your airline.

Southam

If your return route goes via London, then I doubt the US border officials will be screening the Dublin-London flight and there is no screening in London for US flights. But I am just guessing so, as above, check with the airline.

AmyB81

Yes the layover is just the time between arrival and departure. Sometimes listed as under 2 hours.

I hadn't thought to check the airlines as most airports over here have recommendations based on their security speed vs another airport.

Thank you for the advice.

Cowboy1968

If you connect through Heathrow check the airport's website for exact info on how to proceed from your US arrival terminal to your connecting flight to Dublin.
The time you need to transfer between terminals in Heathrow (if applicable) is more relevant than Dublin (which usually is not big deal to handle).


I would not bet my own money on it, but since the UK and ROI are a Common Travel Area, you should be going through immigration in London (and NOT stay "airside") coming from California.

On your way back to LHR to connect to the US, your DUB-LHR flight will have nothing but the regular security checkpoint while your luggage will be checked through to California (assuming you have both legs on "one" ticket).

Anyway, check what your airline says.

flanneruk

"would we go through customs in that city rather than Dublin. Example, CA to Dublin with a layover in London."

There's no one answer to this question. Any more than there would be to the parallel question in North America (Do I go through "Customs" in the US or Canada if I fly from London to LA via Toronto or Vancouver?). The answer also depends on which direction you're flying in. As a result, it's very foolish to expect useful answers about the specifics here. The source of knowledge about this is your airline, and they're the people you should ask about how long to allow.

Let's look at the specific example you quote:

If your bags were not through checked, you need to add at least two extra hours to procedures at the transfer airport to these guidelines. Your bags will NEVER be through checked if you use a legacy airline transatlantic and a low-cost carrier across the Irish Sea (or for any other intra-European connection).

IF your transatlantic airline has a baggage transfer agreement with the London-Dublin carrier, you follow signs at London arrival for Flight Connections, stay airside, go through (and queue for) the special airside UK immigration desk , go through UK biometric capture and UK security and get on the Dublin-bound plane. This takes a minimum of 60 minutes - though it will take a very great deal longer if you do not stay airside

You then present your passport again at Dublin immigration, collect your bags, exit through the green ("nothing to declare") channel, NOT the blue ("arrivals from the EU" one.) You will not be troubled by a Customs officer if you do this, though if you take your bags (whose labels indicate that your flight originated outside the EU) through the blue channel, you are likely to be stopped and asked a few questions by Irish Customs officials.

In reverse, you check your bags through to California, go through Irish security, get on the UK-bound flight, follow signs for Flight Connections, go through UK security then get on the plane. Depending on whether the incoming and outgoing flights are in the same or different terminals, the minimum time for the processes at London will be between 60 and 90 minutes, though some transatlantic airlines might expect you to be in London longer because of their (not the London airport's) additional security procedures . At Dublin you are in effect getting on a domestic flight (though at a very crowded airport), for which 60 mins is usually more than ample

To add to the fun: most (but not all) nonstop Ireland-US flights require you to go through US immigration and usually Customs in Ireland.

As a result, checkin times for flights involving London, Ireland and the US vary from 15 minutes (for business class flights from London City Airport to the US via Ireland) to at least 2 hours (for flights direct from Ireland to the US clearing US formalities in Ireland).

Because of occasional changes in the security rating of flights between Britain and Ireland, procedures for transfer may sometimes take longer. If you've through-booked, airlines simply move you to the next ongoing flight (flights to Dublin and New York from Heathrow are about as frequent as tube trains). That's why it's always wise on this route to through book, and let the airline worry about (and tell you about) connection times.