dgruzew

I am considering a trip to italy this october, would like to fly into naples (from chicago) since there are no direct flights I will have to change in europe somewhere (London,paris,milan) Do I have to go through customs in the change city - do I have to get my luggage? in the US this is required.

m_kingdom2

You go through the "arrivals from EU" customs gate so do not have to declare anything.

dgruzew

I actaully meant if I landed in London or Paris from the US would I have to grab my luggage go through customs and passport control - then check my bag back in and continue on the my next flight. This is how it work in the US if you are arrving from abroad and your final destination is different than where you landed.

Should I expect the same in Europe?

m_kingdom2

I'm not sure, I always go to EU, there might be somewhere labelled connections, if not then you will have to put up with the tedium.

DougP

As an American arriving in Europe you will have to clear customs and immigration at your first disembarkation point. If you are travelling beyond that point you will have to recheck your luggage. In some cases it is easy ( you are already in a secure area) and you can easily proceed to to your next boarding area. In short the answer is yes, you will have to get your luggage. The last time I arrived at CDG from NY I went through customs and immigration, received a stamped card, retrieved my luggage and went through one more passport control showing both my stamped card and passport although the security of this procedure seemed very lax.

Christina

That isn't entirely true, but I don't know when you do or don't, exactly. I know I did have to take my luggage myself through customs and recheck it when flying from US to Spain via London.

However, flying from US to Marseille via Paris, I did not. The bags were simply checked through at CDG by Air France -- both legs were on AF. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to do that going from US to Prague on AF through Paris, either. I think AF checked the bags through there, also.

111op

Not an expert, but it may depend on whether the countries involved are Schengen states. The UK is not, for example. But I guess if Christina didn't have to clear customs in France en route to the Czech Republic, then this theory is disproved since CR is also not a Schengen state.

I've been traveling with carryons lately so I guess I don't really face this sort of problem.

MAS16

When we flew to Athens (from NYC), we stopped in Switzerland and did not have to clear customs or re-check our luggage there.

rkkwan

Okay, first understand the Schengen zone. Go to www.eurovisa.info to see the countries in the zone. Italy is Schengen. France is Schengen. The UK or Switzerland are not Schengen.

Now, if you're connceting at Paris, Amsterdam or any other Schengen country, you will go through immigration there. However, your luggage will be checked through to your destination, and you'll go through customs in Naples if you have anything to declare.

On the other hand, if you're connecting at London, Zurich, or other non-Schengen countries, then you'll be simply a transitting passenger. In that case, you won't go through immigration or customs there. Only after you arrive in Italy.

All the above is assuming you're flying on the same itinerary, or if the first airline will tag your bags to Naples for you. If you're flying a European low-fare airline on the 2nd leg, then it's TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Most of those airlines don't do interline baggage transfer, so you must go through immigration and collect your bags REGARDLESS which airport, and then bring the bags yourself to the check-in counter of that low-fare airline.

Budman

We flew to Paris thru Frankfurt. Been thru Frankfurt several times. We never had to retrieve our luggage and recheck it. It went straight thru to Paris.

We did have to go thru passport control (immigration) and go back thru security to catch our connection.

When we got to Paris, we went thru imigration/customs.

Christina

I wasn't positive about the leg from Paris to Prague and the luggage, but I thought that was the case -- rkkwan explained why and now it does make sense, since it was Paris and the same itinerary. This is useful to know if you want to avoid having to retrieve bags.

celticdreams

I can't answer to all airlines or countries. I flew Boston to Naples on Air France through CDG and did not have to collect my bags. I did, however, have to run through the airport to get to my next gate!

Sjoerd

rkkwan gave the only correct answer. Immigration is at first airport within the Schengen zone, customs is at final destination for checked luggage and at first airport of arrival in EU for hand luggage (normally a non-event)

Eleni

Just make sure that your bags are checked all the way through to your final destination when you leave Chicago. I have had ticket agents fail to do so, and once had to get a supervisor involved because the ticket agent simply did not know it was possible to check bags all the way through. If this is done, you DO NOT need to get your luggage until you get to your final destination EXCEPT if you are changing airlines, in which case you do need to pick up your luggage and clear it through customs. It is also conceivable that if you go through Milan and transfer to Naples you may need to go through customs at the first place you land in Italy. The only way to know for certain is to call the airline on which you are flying and ask them the rules.

suze

If you are continuing on the same airline (i.e. arriving & departing London Heathrow on BA for example), your bags can be checked-thru to the final destination. You only need to go thru immigration (your person). Customs (your possessions) are checked at the first airport you walk out of.

If you are changing airlines, I assume you'd have to collect and transfer baggage yourself, but am not positive about that part. Also if you arrive one airport London, but depart another (there are 3) am guessing customs might then be involved as Heathrow would be considered your point of entry.

rkkwan

Most of the major airlines have "inter-line" baggage agreements, so that they can transfer your baggage for you. Doesn't matter if they're member of the same alliance or not. So, you should be able to check baggage through from AA to LH, or UA to BA, for example. Just have the check-in agent do that for you, AND CHECK THE LUGGAGE TAG yourself to make sure.

However, this DOES NOT APPLY to many low-fare, low-cost carriers, like Ryanair. For those, you have to collect your bags, and bring the bags to the check-in counter yourself. Ryanair doesn't transfer your bags even if both flights are on them.

adrienne

You're getting some conflicting information here. Anytime I've flown to Europe and had to connect I did not have to claim my bags at the European point of entry. They were checked through to the destination. Sometimes I did have to go through immigration and show my passport.

If you connect in Heathrow you do not have to claim your bags or go through immigration. Simply follow the signs for connecting flights or transfer flights. Even if you come into Heathrow at one terminal and then depart for the next flight at a different terminal (and a different airline) you follow the procedure above. You are taken by shuttle from one terminal to the gate area of the other terminal.

When I connected at CDG I had to show my passport at immigration. Same in Frankfort and Munich. However, I did not claim my bags.

dgruzew

adrienne,

You experiance seems to make sense given what rkkwan stated above

Thanks for the tips. I want to make reservations that will be easy. Connecting in the US when coming home from US can be kind of hassel because of customs, I almost missed my flight at IAD before. It seems like the Europeans try to make it a little easier even the though the procedures are vary so much

kismetchimera

I agree with Adrienne..

Eleni

Theoretically adrienne is correct, but in practical application my experience has been that certain transfers between airlines, like Ryanair mentioned above but also some smaller european carriers, require going through customs with your bags at the first landing point. The best advice is the CHECK WITH THE AIRLINE on which you are flying to make sure your ticket will allow your bags to be checked through without clearing customs.