cindyeo

I've missed many flights changing Air France flights in Paris over the past couple years, so I'm thinking of flying Lufthansa this time from Boston to Rome. I can change in Frankfurt or Munich. Any opinions on the most efficient airport to move through arriving from the US?

kfusto

In my opinion, Munich. Smaller than Frankfurt and infinitely better than CDG, one of the worst airports anywhere IMO and IME.

cindyeo

I can second that opinion!

logos999

Simple to answer: MUC

greg

MUC

yestravel

MUC by a mile

Alec

MUC, esp if you are transferring from one Star Alliance flight to another, which all use the same terminal 2. If you have to change terminals, it's still good but allow extra time.

hsv

FRA.
I would think that you have to pass security again between your flights (enter Schengen area, immigration in Germany) and MUC security has the most obnoxious personnel in all of the German airports I have encountered (quite a few). I have never been harrassed as much as in Munich - and not only on one occasion.
In general they seem to take some false pride in holding up the German image of being orderly to the extent where there is no more room for common sense.

StCirq

I was going to say it's unanimous - Munich - but then I read hsv's post and remembered the last two times I went through Munich and was manhandled beyond belief by two enormous female German security officers both times. My traveling partner even commented she didn't know I liked to have rough sex in the morning! It was bad.

kappa1

Just for a balance, I used MUC airport few times for Europe - Asia connection and remember no particular trouble as above 2 posters state. And I too think MUC is the best of the 3 airports for connection.

Alec

The reason why MUC is one of the best airports in Europe for connection is that it was specifically built as a hub for Lufthansa and other Star Alliance airlines. Terminal 2 only opened in 2003, and incorporates a state-of-the-art bagggage handling system, short walks to gates and absence of any satellites, necessitating the use of buses or driverless trains.
Both FRA and CDG have developed organically with the growth of air travel. If you are building a new airport today, you won't start with Frankfurt, CDG, or Heathrow!

cindyeo

thanks for all the replies, I think I'll try MUC. You can run into rude personnel anywhere, but it sounds like the infrastructure is set up better in Munich. I spent most of my allowed transfer time on a bus in Paris.

logos999

I've never found security personnel in Munich to be rude. Just many passangers that don't know the (rather simple) rules and cause delays for everybody else.

Cowboy1968

hmm.. if you're talking about security checkpoints, I've never had an unfriendly experience there in 40 or so flights per year.. at passport control, which I use only 6 or so times per year.. well, not unfriendly, but often so sloooow.. my tax euros (not) at work lol

if you run into a problem with either, there are complaints forms available in the waiting areas near the gates..

summero

Is Vienna an option as a transfer site? Two years ago, we flew from Atlanta into and out of Vienna on our way to Florence and Rome. The Vienna airport is smaller and easier to navigate than the others mentioned, and security inspections were much more efficient and quicker than in FRA or CDG, which has to the be world's worst in that regard. I don't know yet about MUC; we will be flying there next spring, so I am following this thread with interest. Does MUC, like FRA, have two security checks for departing international flights? That was a real time-killer in Frankfurt. CDG had only one check, but the average wait time on two recent departures was over an hour and the lines were so long that it was hard to know what line to get in. At Vienna, there was one security check and the wait time was no more than 10 minutes.

travelgourmet

Munich is better than Frankfurt, but out of Boston, I would fly Northwest via AMS over Lufthansa via MUC. I think the airport is just as easy and the plane will be better equipped - with AVOD vs looped movies and power ports in the front half of the cabin.

This assumes that you are traveling in the back. Up front, I would go with Lufthansa.