Customs on a connecting flight??

[mrsd2006]

Most of our flights to Europe are direct, this might be the first flight we have with a connection. We are flying from ATL to Paris (CDG) then to Barcelona. Do we have to go through customs in Paris? Our connection time is about an hour. 

It looks like YES we do from what I'm reading but I just want to be 100% sure before we move our seats from the back of the plane to closer to the front. 

TIA! 

[chimera]

You do immigration (passport check & stamp) at your first landing in a Schengen area -EU- So you’ll need clear immigration(passport check) at CDG and then go through a security check to get to your gate to BCN.


Customs is easy (in BCN) grab your bags - you either go through the green side saying you have nothing to declare or the red side saying you have something to declare

*** Check with your airline to make sure your bags are checked to final- normally they are if they are on the same ticket/airline/partner alliance. (If you are checking any)
Also keep your baggage claim tickets handy as those sometimes get checked when leaving.

[Shreddingbetty]

We flew ORD to London then Paris after our direct flight was canceled. I don’t believe we went through customs at all in London. Plus we didn’t have to get our luggage and then recheck it like we do here in the US. I would think even if you have to clear customs it won’t take long like it does here.

[chimera]

Sept 30, 2019 17:42:19 GMT -5 Shreddingbetty said:

We flew ORD to London then Paris after our direct flight was canceled. I don’t believe we went through customs at all in London. Plus we didn’t have to get our luggage and then recheck it like we do here in the US. I would think even if you have to clear customs it won’t take long like it does here.

The UK isn’t a Schengen area so you’d transit as a direct airside transfer without clearing passport control and clear immigration at your final destination.

[gigem]

Yep ditto pp. at Roissy CDG as a transfer you will go through a passport control ( not the big main one with the ppl leaving the airport) and then a smaller security check. Not to say it can’t get backed up- depends on the time of the year.

You don’t pass customs with your bag unless your airline in the US couldn’t check your bags all the way through.

Also it is very likely you will have to switch terminals on a bus (but within the controlled area). You’ll probably land in 2e or 1 and the flight to Barcelona would be in 2f or 2g.

[mrsd2006]

Sept 30, 2019 23:10:36 GMT -5 gigem said:

Yep ditto pp. at Roissy CDG as a transfer you will go through a passport control ( not the big main one with the ppl leaving the airport) and then a smaller security check. Not to say it can’t get backed up- depends on the time of the year.

You don’t pass customs with your bag unless your airline in the US couldn’t check your bags all the way through.

Also it is very likely you will have to switch terminals on a bus (but within the controlled area). You’ll probably land in 2e or 1 and the flight to Barcelona would be in 2f or 2g.

Thanks. Our flight is on Delta but operated through Air France. Do you think 1.5 hours is enough time for this? We land at 7:55 am and depart 9:30 am. 

[gigem]

Oct 1, 2019 8:56:53 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Sept 30, 2019 23:10:36 GMT -5 gigem said:

Yep ditto pp. at Roissy CDG as a transfer you will go through a passport control ( not the big main one with the ppl leaving the airport) and then a smaller security check. Not to say it can’t get backed up- depends on the time of the year.

You don’t pass customs with your bag unless your airline in the US couldn’t check your bags all the way through.

Also it is very likely you will have to switch terminals on a bus (but within the controlled area). You’ll probably land in 2e or 1 and the flight to Barcelona would be in 2f or 2g.

Thanks. Our flight is on Delta but operated through Air France. Do you think 1.5 hours is enough time for this? We land at 7:55 am and depart 9:30 am. 

Yes you will be totally fine! Both flights are Delta/AF? You will land in 2E probably in that case and then have to go to 2F so that’s an easy transition, no bus. Looks like security might be before passport control in that case (maybe all cases now that I think about it).

Roissy has a really good website called easycdg. It’ll explain how to move btwn terminals:
easycdg.com/passenger-information/connecting-flight-connections-paris-cdg-airport/transfer-terminal-2e/terminal-2e-to-terminal-2f/

[mich1]

I just flew Seattle-Amsterdam-Bergen a few days ago. We went through passport control, but our bags were checked through to Bergen. We were all on Delta.

[audry80]

We had the exact route when traveling to Barcelona. We had to go through passport control and security with our carry ons. It was a different security check than people entering the airport so no line. The only bummer was we had to throw out a huge bottle of water. Other than that, it was quick and you should be able to clear it quickly.

[alleinesein]

My last 2 trips to Europe (Croatia and Germany), I went through passport control in the UK (BOM-LHR-ZAG) and Germany (JFK-FRA- DRS)) and just grabbed my bags at my final destination and walked out the door. Never cleared customs because my final leg in Europe was treated as a domestic flight. It was weird b/c I was expecting to clear it.