International flights and layovers...a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to prefer international layovers because I could take a quick trip into town. Now I prefer domestic layovers so I can avoid going through immigration at Dulles.

Last time l travelled Dublin had US immigration check BEFORE you boarded the flight—- l was the best thing! I wonder if it is still that way. Skipping immigration at Dulles is the dream 😀

[Anonymous]

It depends on the time zone and the city. Some airports are close to the CBD (like DCA!) but some are too far out to visit on a layover timeline.

If you can’t sleep on the plane, a layover might not be fun. Ex, flight leaves at 11 pm and you land at 9 am local time. You are going to be very jet lagged if you did not sleep.

[Anonymous]

On the way there by far the latest flight possible out of the US, eat before you board and decline meal service. You should be able to get almost 6 hours of sleep that way, which is manageable. That usually means the layover in the US.
On the return don’t do a layover in the US bc that’s painful. After a long flight, you just want to be home and it’s such a pain to get your luggage to clear customs only to have to board again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the way home, wherever you enter the US you have to clear customs and collect bags and recheck, so I hate doing this and never want to have a layover in the US coming home. On the way there, it’s fine though.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to prefer international layovers because I could take a quick trip into town. Now I prefer domestic layovers so I can avoid going through immigration at Dulles.

Last time l travelled Dublin had US immigration check BEFORE you boarded the flight—- l was the best thing! I wonder if it is still that way. Skipping immigration at Dulles is the dream 😀

Yes it's called US Preclearance.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance

[Anonymous]

never, never lay over in the US on the way TO the US

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread and off topic but how do you know if you’ll need yo collect bags etc at a layover in a European city? We’re flying to Italy and layovers are Brussels going and Frankfort on the return. Trying to guesstimate what layover time we’ll be comfortable with.

===
"Yes bags are checked through unless the layover is overnight generally.
===
This is as opposed to the US, where you have to always collect checked bags upon first airport of arrival. It's different there- you don't technically clear customs until your final destination."

====
Rule of thumb is that you have to clear customs at the first point of entry. (Aka you don't go through customs for domestic flights.)

So for the US, if you were to fly Rome-NYC-DC, the last leg is domestic, so you collect bags & clear customs in NYC.

For US - Brussels - Rome -- Brussels & Rome are both in Schengen, so you likely will collect bags and clear customs in Brussels.
For Rome - Frankfurt - US -- you aren't entering a new area for customs purposes in Frankfurt, so you won't need to collect bags and clear customs.

====
That's not how it works for the Schengen Area. Because they have entry AND exit passport control, it's different than how the US does it. When entering the Schengen Area, yes you go through passport control upon entry, but you do not clear customs until your final destination. In fact, if you are transferring to another non-Schengen flight, you stay in the non-Schengen part of the airport and don't go through either. That's why that guy got stuck in Paris airport for so many years, that Tom Hanks made a movie about.

I'm so confused. Aren't these mostly inconsistent answers?
We're flying IAD to BRUssels to Venice and return is Venice to Frankfort to IAD. For our best options, layovers range from just under 2 hours to up to 4 hrs..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to prefer international layovers because I could take a quick trip into town. Now I prefer domestic layovers so I can avoid going through immigration at Dulles.

Last time l travelled Dublin had US immigration check BEFORE you boarded the flight—- l was the best thing! I wonder if it is still that way. Skipping immigration at Dulles is the dream 😀

Yes it's called US Preclearance.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance

Same. We went through Dublin security and then US security and that part sucked. US security (in Dublin) was evil and jarring and rude after the Dublin (and redundant).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread and off topic but how do you know if you’ll need yo collect bags etc at a layover in a European city? We’re flying to Italy and layovers are Brussels going and Frankfort on the return. Trying to guesstimate what layover time we’ll be comfortable with.

===
"Yes bags are checked through unless the layover is overnight generally.
===
This is as opposed to the US, where you have to always collect checked bags upon first airport of arrival. It's different there- you don't technically clear customs until your final destination."

====
Rule of thumb is that you have to clear customs at the first point of entry. (Aka you don't go through customs for domestic flights.)

So for the US, if you were to fly Rome-NYC-DC, the last leg is domestic, so you collect bags & clear customs in NYC.

For US - Brussels - Rome -- Brussels & Rome are both in Schengen, so you likely will collect bags and clear customs in Brussels.
For Rome - Frankfurt - US -- you aren't entering a new area for customs purposes in Frankfurt, so you won't need to collect bags and clear customs.

====
That's not how it works for the Schengen Area. Because they have entry AND exit passport control, it's different than how the US does it. When entering the Schengen Area, yes you go through passport control upon entry, but you do not clear customs until your final destination. In fact, if you are transferring to another non-Schengen flight, you stay in the non-Schengen part of the airport and don't go through either. That's why that guy got stuck in Paris airport for so many years, that Tom Hanks made a movie about.

I'm so confused. Aren't these mostly inconsistent answers?
We're flying IAD to BRUssels to Venice and return is Venice to Frankfort to IAD. For our best options, layovers range from just under 2 hours to up to 4 hrs..

I don't know why that earlier poster said that about "Collecting bags at first port of entry"- that's a US rule, and not how they do it in the Schengen Zone. For your itinerary, in both directions, your checked bags will be checked through at your layover, and you will only have to collect them at the end of your journey. What you will have to do, perhaps unusual to most Americans, is go through Schengen exit passport control at Frankfurt on your return trip. This is because you will be transiting from the Schengen portion of the airport (from the "domestic" flight from Venice) to the non-Schengen portion (for the international flight to the US). But your bag makes that transition automatically, as it will in Brussels on the outbound trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it’s best to fly as direct as possible. Layovers are for those who can’t afford direct flights.

I think you’re on the wrong thread or you didn’t read the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread and off topic but how do you know if you’ll need yo collect bags etc at a layover in a European city? We’re flying to Italy and layovers are Brussels going and Frankfort on the return. Trying to guesstimate what layover time we’ll be comfortable with.

===
"Yes bags are checked through unless the layover is overnight generally.
===
This is as opposed to the US, where you have to always collect checked bags upon first airport of arrival. It's different there- you don't technically clear customs until your final destination."

====
Rule of thumb is that you have to clear customs at the first point of entry. (Aka you don't go through customs for domestic flights.)

So for the US, if you were to fly Rome-NYC-DC, the last leg is domestic, so you collect bags & clear customs in NYC.

For US - Brussels - Rome -- Brussels & Rome are both in Schengen, so you likely will collect bags and clear customs in Brussels.
For Rome - Frankfurt - US -- you aren't entering a new area for customs purposes in Frankfurt, so you won't need to collect bags and clear customs.

====
That's not how it works for the Schengen Area. Because they have entry AND exit passport control, it's different than how the US does it. When entering the Schengen Area, yes you go through passport control upon entry, but you do not clear customs until your final destination. In fact, if you are transferring to another non-Schengen flight, you stay in the non-Schengen part of the airport and don't go through either. That's why that guy got stuck in Paris airport for so many years, that Tom Hanks made a movie about.

I'm so confused. Aren't these mostly inconsistent answers?
We're flying IAD to BRUssels to Venice and return is Venice to Frankfort to IAD. For our best options, layovers range from just under 2 hours to up to 4 hrs..

I don't know why that earlier poster said that about "Collecting bags at first port of entry"- that's a US rule, and not how they do it in the Schengen Zone. For your itinerary, in both directions, your checked bags will be checked through at your layover, and you will only have to collect them at the end of your journey. What you will have to do, perhaps unusual to most Americans, is go through Schengen exit passport control at Frankfurt on your return trip. This is because you will be transiting from the Schengen portion of the airport (from the "domestic" flight from Venice) to the non-Schengen portion (for the international flight to the US). But your bag makes that transition automatically, as it will in Brussels on the outbound trip.

This clarification gives me so much peace of mind regarding our preferred flights and their layover cities/time. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Depends heavily on layover city options. You look for the airport with most connections, best weather and logistically easiest in and out. So Heathrow Amsterdam and Paris CDG avoid at all costs just logistically.

I prefer on a practical level to get stuck somewhere I would be OK being stuck at worst case scenario v the way you are approaching by US/foreign country. Cause you know I have no desire to camp out in Newark or Ohio. Just saying.

[Anonymous]

I want to go through customs/passport at my destination. So if traveling to Schengen layover in US, if traveling out of Schengen layover in Schengen. Same with UK, though I’d never take a layover to fly to the UK. Sometimes it’s not possible and you just have to layover in the European airlines hub city and that’s just life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to prefer international layovers because I could take a quick trip into town. Now I prefer domestic layovers so I can avoid going through immigration at Dulles.

Global entry is worth every cent. (Actually, it was free with my credit card). Bypassing the hoards of people at Dulles Immigration… priceless. (TSA precheck too).

[Anonymous]

I was on a trip to Italy DCA to JFK to Rome… DCA flight was late and we got there - ran to the gate - plane was still there - but they wouldn’t let us on 😞.

Had to leave secure area and go to ticketing counter - making it impossible to make any alternative flights leaving anytime soon because we had to get re ticketed check in and do security all over again. - almost got stuck overnight in JFK - but another passenger with perks took us under her wing and insisted we be put on the same connection as she was.