PBH

My husband and I are flying Lufthansa going to Frankfurt with connections to Venice. I'm now thinking we won't have enough time to pick up luggage and go through immigration to make our connecting flight. Flight arrives in Frankfurt at 9:50 am (if all goes well) and leaves for Venice at 11:55. This sounds like plenty of time at first glance but I know how long it has taken me in immigration in LA in the past and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Please reassure me that we will be ok. Yes, I am a "worry wart."

ira

Hi PBH,

You have two hours. That is OK. Others have reported making a one-hour connection at FRA.

I suggest that if you are significantly delayed that you inform Lufthansa as soon as possible. They can get you through the lines.

PBH

Thanks Ira, I feel better already!

AHaugeto

Hi PBH. Are you flying Lufthansa the whole way? I ask because we flew through FRA connecting to Prague last year, and didn't have to go through customs until we reached Prague. We only had 45 minutes and, amazingly, had plenty of time. Of course, I don't know if this is typical! I printed maps of the airport ahead of time from the FRA website, which greatly helped to get us from one end to the other. Good luck!

Mamma_Love

For US to FRA to VCE, we had no problems making a connection last March. Our luggage was checked through to Venice, so we did not have to get it in order to go through customs and re-check it. Going through customs was a breeze - no questions asked, just got passports stamped and we were on our way.

Now, if your return to the US is through FRA, make sure you have plenty of time - no less than 3 hours would be ideal. Going through all the security at FRA when you are US-bound is quite an experience. I think we had 5 or 6 check points before we got to our gate.

Buon viaggio!

AHaugeto

Mamma is right - if you go thru FRA on the way back, it's good to have extra time if you're US-bound beacuse of the security hoops. I remember I got such a thorough pat-down after waiting in a half-hour line I wanted an engagement ring, or at least a cigarette. Jeez.

KT

I just flew Lufthansa to Turin via Frankfurt with a layover about that long in late December. No problems at all. Luggage was checked straight through to Turin and Immigration at Frankfurt took no time at all. That doesn't guarantee that you'll have the same experience at a different time, but my experience was just fine.

Intrepid1

You don't need to have the luggage to go thru Immigration..you're thinking of Customs...make sure when you chek in for the first segment to FRA that the luggage is, in fact, checked through to Venice.

Relax...start enjoying this!

PBH

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments. Now I'm worried about the return flight out of Rome through Frankfurt. Looks like I have even less time. Arrive
Frankfurt 12:15, leave for San Francisco 1:45 pm. I didn't realize it would take so much time coming back to the USA.

hopscotch

My daughter did Los Angeles > Frankfurt > Milan, all on Lufthansa a few years ago. The luggage did not make the Frankfurt to Milan flight. They delivered it two days later. I suggest that you have enough in your carry on to get you through a day or two.

Do you know for sure that you will need to clear customs in Frankfurt? If your big stuff is checked through to Venice maybe there will be no customs clearance in Frankfurt.