Will we have to go through customs?
 

We are leaving from Canada and spending four days in Paris before heading to Rome. I know we will be going through customs in Paris. What about arriving in Rome? Do you go through customs when coming from another European country? I am trying to gauge how long it will take from touchdown to arriving at Termini (we are catching the train to Florence and want to have reservations). Appreciate the help.

Its like travelling in the states only to different countries. Once you are in Europe gthere is no customs.

No you won't have to go through customs again. It really is like travelling from state to state in the US.

Most countries in the EU have an 'Arrivals from the EU' passage through customs, along with the Green channel (Nothing to Declare) and Red channel (Something to Declare). If you're flying from Paris toR ome then you should head through there after clearing passport control, and you'll be unlikely to be troubled.

Also, check which Rome airport you're arriving in, there are two main airports - Fiumicino and Ciampino. Fiumicino has a direct rail link with Termini on the da Vinci express which (if memory serves) takes a bit less than 45 minutes.

Try this website for some further advise:

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/rome/airports.html

And please excuse my typing, grammar and speeeeling....

Travellingteacher,
We just flew to Venice via Paris and returned Rome-Paris-USA. As indicated above, we went through customs upon arriving in Paris, and only again when returning in Chicago.

Clearing customs takes no time, unless you have something to declare, you just walk through the green channel. However, I think you are asking if you have to go through additional immigration procedures when you land in Rome. Most likely you will not have to. Italy and France are signatories to the Schengen Treaty, which means they have agreed not to institute immigration procedures for travel between the two countries. There are two caveats to this: (i) a member country can at any time suspend the treaty and institute immigration procedures for national security reasons, and (ii) if your flight from Paris is the continuation of a US or other flight from a non-Schengen country, then you will have to go through immigration again in Rome. On the first point, Spain suspended its compliance with the Schengen agreement shortly after the bombing in Madrid. It is unlikely that Italy will suspend it, but possible.

Please also note that in my experience on both international and intra-Europe flights into Fumicino in the mornings, there is usually a wait at baggage claim to get your bags. A large number of flights arrive in the morning, including at least a dozen international 747 and larger planes. This can mean a wait of up to 30 minutes for your bags.

Not all European countries are members of Schengen or the EU. Switzerland, where I live, is not, and I have to go through regular immigration for each European nation I visit, as do EU member citizens traveling to Switzerland.

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I can now make my reservations.