I've found a set of flights that might work for a trip to Italy next May. The main thing I'm concerned about is the layovers on the return flight - this would be two stops on American, flying Venice (VCE) -> MAD -> Chicago O'Hare -> Nashville. The flights I'm looking at have layovers of <b>1:40</b> in Madrid and 2:25 in Chicago. I haven't flown through MAD in years - is that enough time? I'm assuming I wouldn't have to go through immigration since the flight would be within the EU?

Thanks!

If booked on the same ticket, I would chance it. Familiarize yourself with the airport map, especially if you have a terminal change.

I don't think that's the connection you ought to be worried about; I would be more worried about the MAD-ORD; 2 hrs 25 minutes is definitely not a lot of dilly-dally time...

Viajero2, I'm a little concerned about that one too! There's a later flight but it would be a 7-hour layover at ORD. Generally speaking I'd rather a longer layover than a shorter one, though. I'm still thinking about that one.

There is a 1:10 flight from Madrid to DFW, if my flight from Venice was delayed. But it wouldn't get me back to Nashville till 11pm at best.

By the way - is my assumption about not having to go through immigration in MAD correct? I haven't taken any connecting flights within the EU.

Now I'm also wondering whether I should wait in hopes that prices on the other airlines will go down and I can get a one-stop return trip. Prices have been around $1200 for weeks for our dates, but American just went down significantly, so I'm wondering if others will follow suit. Sigh... love playing the airfare game!

When you enter the EU, you go through Immigration at whatever point you enter. You can travel within the EU and between EU countries without showing your passport since you did that once when you originally entered. So for the flight between Venice and Madrid, assuming you have your return booked on one ticket you will have to show your passport at the ticket counter to the airline staff when you check in for your flight (this is because essentially you have an international ticket) But this is still an internal EU flight. You will have to go through EU passport control in Madrid, and you will then have to show your passport to the gate agent when you go to get on the plane.

Sorry, meath1 - I'm a bit confused. The first part of your post sounds like I can travel within the EU (so, from Venice to Madrid) without going through any sort of passport control, but then you say I will have to go through passport control, in addition to just showing my passport to the gate agent? Do you mean that even though I check in for all my flights and get all my boarding passes in Venice, I'll still have to go through some sort of immigration/security in Madrid?

Sorry for the confusion - just trying to get things straight. I've taken several flights to/from and within Europe, but never had a connecting flight to the US through a European city.

You should de disembarking in Madrid at T4 ( if an Iberia or one world flight)and not go through immigration at that moment, however, you will eventually have to show your passport and go through a passport and security control before passing into the international departure area.

If you are NOT landning at T4 before the Mad-ORD flight, then you do not hae any time to spare at ALL. Otherwise, Madrid should be fine, but keep moving!

ORD, I agree, can be a bear.

Thanks, lincasanova. AA lists the MAD->ORD flight as "AA by Iberia," so it sounds like we would be okay as long as things are on time.

However, I played with our trip plans a little. We're definitely going to Rome, Venice and one of the Italian lakes (probably Como). If we fly home from Milan rather than Venice, it's $25 cheaper (hey, every little bit!), and is only one stop each way, with 5-hour layovers at ORD going and JFK coming home. I try to avoid airports in the northeast, but this may be a better option!