When do you clear customs?

[marchmom]

Thank you for the information!

[Hydrokitty]

I think that if you only pick up your luggage in CDG because you are terminating there. Otherwise your luggage would be automatically routed to your final destination. [if I have that wrong someone will correct me.]

 

Thom

 

Right, she's flying from Phoenix to JFK and then JFK to CDG, so her bags will be checked through to Paris in Phoenix. And since she's terminating in Paris she'll pick up her luggage and then go through customs. If she's were flying on from CDG to another city then she would go through passport control and security in Paris but her bags would be transferred to her final destination. It sounds much more complicated than it is!!

[dreamworld]

I have a question about customs. I am flying Swiss air. Leaving Tampa direct to Zurich (no problem) on the return flight I fly to Amsterdam to Zurich to Tampa. Will I have to go thru customs in Amsterdam.

[Hydrokitty]

I have a question about customs. I am flying Swiss air. Leaving Tampa direct to Zurich (no problem) on the return flight I fly to Amsterdam to Zurich to Tampa. Will I have to go thru customs in Amsterdam.

 

You shouldn't have to go through customs until Tampa and your bags should be checked in Amsterdam straight through to Tampa. I've flown through Amsterdam several times from Budapest, Bucharest and Prague...you will have to go through airport security again, but not customs. Only reason you would go through customs in Amsterdam would be if for some reason your flight is delayed and you stay over-night in Amsterdam and leave the airport.

[npphotog]

You will have to clear customs in Tampa. We also fly out of Tampa.

[dreamworld]

thanks for the information, that;s what I thought

[Im_not_creative]

You shouldn't have to go through customs until Tampa and your bags should be checked in Amsterdam straight through to Tampa. I've flown through Amsterdam several times from Budapest, Bucharest and Prague...you will have to go through airport security again, but not customs. Only reason you would go through customs in Amsterdam would be if for some reason your flight is delayed and you stay over-night in Amsterdam and leave the airport.

 

I think you have misunderstood teh question here.

 

Amsterdam is not the "transit" airport, Zurich is (on the return flight). I presume the cruise is something like Basel to Amsterdam.

 

So yes, Dreamworld will have to go through customs at Amsterdam, but shouldn't need to at Zurich on the return flight.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Im_not_creative
spelling

[Im_not_creative]

you should see an exit immigration person and get a Schengen exit stamp at entry to that concourse. Some airport (especially in southern Europe) can be lax about issuing entry stamps, and if you don't get one officially you are illegally in Schengen and might have issues when you try to exit - northern European airport can be pretty strict about this.

 

As a traveler from the UK (which is not in Schengen), the above is simply not the case - although it may be different for US passoprt holders.

 

I have travelled fairly extensively in Europe, including travel to a number of Schengen area countries (Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Greece since it came in) and have never had my passport stamped on entry to any of them, nor had anybody looking through it for entry stamps on exit.

[sharkster77]

This thread reminds me of the Tom Hanks Movie The "Terminal", where he plays a man whose country's government dissolves while he is in the airport terminal (JFK?). He becomes a man without a country and cannot leave the terminal, but cannot go back home either, as his home country technically does not exist until the gov't is re-organized.

 

Long story short, I agree with what's been said, one does not go through customs until one reaches the final destination and is ready to leave the terminal. The terminal is sort of a "no man's land".

Edited April 23, 2015 by sharkster77

[Hydrokitty]

This thread reminds me of the Tom Hanks Movie The "Terminal", where he plays a man whose country's government dissolves while he is in the airport terminal (JFK?). He becomes a man without a country and cannot leave the terminal, but cannot go back home either, as his home country technically does not exist until the gov't is re-organized.

 

Long story short, I agree with what's been said, one does not go through customs until one reaches the final destination and is ready to leave the terminal. The terminal is sort of a "no man's land".

 

Apparently I had the departure city on her flight home incorrect, but it really doesn't matter whether she was leaving from Amsterdam or Zurich, she will not go through customs until Tampa.....I thought that's what I had said too, but you said it in a much simpler way. Thanks! ;)

Edited April 23, 2015 by Hydrokitty