DrTom2014

Hi there!

I am planning our trip to Europe and would like to book a coach. Now, the question is: How long does it actually take us to go thru all the procedure after landing at London Heathrow Terminal 4.
We fly with AIR FRANCE from Bangkok - Paris and than from Paris - Heathrow arriving at Terminal 4 at 7:20 PM next sunday.
Now,as we come from Paris, we should not need to go thru immigration at LHR again, right? So, we just land, get out and right to the luggage claim?!
Do you think I can book seats on a coach leaving Terminal 4 at 7:50 pm?
If it is a "domestic" or "EU" flight, 30 minutes should be ok, or?

Any advise would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Cheers,

Thomas

sparkchaser

It depends how long the queue is when you get to immigration and whether or not you look suspicious.

You still have to go through immigration as the UK is not part of the Schengen Zone. Speaking of which, do you need a UK visa?

PatrickLondon

And do you need to book for the coach? For quite a few it may well be possible just to walk up.

bilboburgler

19:20 on a Sunday is normally a bit quiet and there are fewer flights in from the more obvious drug/terrorist countries so the Qs should be short. But in reality you cannot tell if some extra warning comes through the Qs will go longer.

As the guys above say.

DrTom2014

Thanks for the replies. We have EU passports and land in Paris first. So, I think we go thru all the immigration stuff there and than continue from there as "domestic".

If we are handled as an internatinal flight in LHR there is no way we can make it within 30 minutes.

Want to book a coach ticket prior to make sure we get seats. It´s a weekend with fewer coach connections and therefore I am afraid we have to wait another 2+ hours (after already 17h flight). There are only 2 connections at this time. First 7:50pm and next 9.35pm Travelling with a small child, so you want to avoid any unnecessary waiting.

But again: The question is are we handled as "domestic" or "international"? And have we go to any kind of customs or immigration procedure again?

mjdh1957

The UK has a completely different immigration control system from the Schengen area so you will definitely have to go through passport control.

Unless you are carrying contraband or have dutiable items, customs is only a matter of walking through the Green Channel, though there is a chance for a random inspection.

Odin

Sunday night is busy at LHR, people are coming back from being away and others are coming in so they can be there in time for Monday morning. With an EU passport, you go through passport control for EU passport holders, the lines can be quite long but normally can get through pretty quickly. If you have an ePassport you can use one of the automatic gates. I don't think you can make a 7.50pm coach when arriving on a 7.20pm flight. Where is the coach leaving from? You are arriving on an international flight. Paris-London is not domestic.

bilboburgler

"international"

Cathinjoetown

Where is your final destination? Have you explored alternatives to a coach?

With a small child, would it be better to book an airport hotel for the night and a coach early in the morning?

No way you can make a 7:50 coach particularly, if I interpret your post correctly, you are picking up checked baggage. It can be quite a walk from the gate to Immigration and baggage claim.

Sorry.

janisj

>>Now,as we come from Paris, we should not need to go thru immigration at LHR again, <<

>>Thanks for the replies. We have EU passports and land in Paris first. So, I think we go thru all the immigration stuff there and than continue from there as "domestic". <<

Where are you getting your info -- you have said similar twice and it simply isn't the case.

You will definitely go through Immigration/passport control. Customs is a non-issue. Deplaning and the walk from your gate to immigration may take the full 30 minutes you have.

Where are you headed - a coach might not be your only option. But if it must be a coach, book the later one.

nytraveler

I'm confused - are you staying in Paris? If not - are you just transiting - on the air side - to the flight to London? If so - why would you go through immigration in Paris if you are not entering the country.

And I don;t see any chance of making a coach 30 minutes later - even if you are in the first row of the planes and race through the airport. Won't you still have to pick up luggage? How long will that take to arrive?

jamikins

It has taken us an hour just to et our luggage at heathrow...

TDudette

I was in line for over an hour on an April 2014 trip from Madrid to London. I used justairports and had to pay extra for parking. I'll do taxi next time.

DrTom2014

Thank you all for your quick replies.
I understood now, that I will be handled as an "international" flight, because as someone mentioned I am not entering France but just stop-over.
This makes it clear, that I have to go through immigration in England and therefore need at least one hour.

Different case would have been, if I would have changed the carrier in France. - Was a bid confused, but clear now.

Thanks!!

Gordon_R

>>I understood now, that I will be handled as an "international" flight, because as someone mentioned I am not entering France but just stop-over.<<

>>Different case would have been, if I would have changed the carrier in France. <<

Er no.... the reason your flight will be handled as international is because that is precisely what it is. France and UK have totally separate immigration controls as explained several times already. Even if you had entered France for a stopover and then gone onto the UK later on, you would need to go through UK Immigration and Customs.

Northstar75

Hello,

i fly every second week to Heathrow from Geneva and in my opinion the 30 minutes will not be sufficient to make it to the coach.
If your flight lands at 19:20 you'll need to:
- Disembark the plane (5 - 10 minutes)
- Go from the gate to the immigration (10 - 15 minutes)
- Immigration (depends on the queue, everything from 5 - 30 minutes)
- Pick up your luggage
- Go through customs.

Arriving from outside the U.K. everyone needs to go through immigrations. There will be a separate line for the EU citizens but you still have to through it.

So i would not take the coach, it is highly unlikely that you'll make it in 30 minutes. Rather take the tube (station in Terminal 4) or the Heathrow express train in case you want to head into London. Tube takes 1 hour to KingsCross, Heathrow Express half an hour.

janisj

>>Different case would have been, if I would have changed the carrier in France. - Was a bid confused, but clear now.<<

You completely misunderstand. No matter what sort of connection you make in Paris / France . . . Even if you were staying in Paris and then taking a train to London . . . You would STILL go through passport control.

nytraveler

You still seem very confused. France to the UK is an international transfer. Your nationality doesn;t matter. If you are transferring flights or not doesn't matter. France is part of Schengen and the UK is not - so this is ALWAYS an international flight (or train or ferry).

And 30 minutes is nowhere near enough. I would allow 1.5 hours to play safe - and that is assuming that your luggage is not delayed extra long. (We have waited more than 45 minutes for luggage more than once.)

thursdaysd

You are confusing the EU and the Schengen zone. The UK and France are both in the EU, but only France is in Schengen. See http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area