Questions for flying from United States to Amsterdam then on to Barcelona?

[ROWSE]

Greetings!

We are soon to fly from US to Amsterdam and then have a rather short layover to catch our connecting flight to Barcelona.

Has anyone recently done this?  What is the protocol?  Do we go through immigration and passport control at Amsterdam

or just go to our connecting flight and do that in Barcelona?

Will feel less stressed if it is all done at end in Barcelona, but just want to be prepared either way.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

[hpeabody]

18 minutes ago, ROWSE said:

Greetings!

We are soon to fly from US to Amsterdam and then have a rather short layover to catch our connecting flight to Barcelona.

Has anyone recently done this?  What is the protocol?  Do we go through immigration and passport control at Amsterdam

or just go to our connecting flight and do that in Barcelona?

Will feel less stressed if it is all done at end in Barcelona, but just want to be prepared either way.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

If your origin was a non-Schengen country USA and your final destination is in the Schengen zone BARCELONA,SPAIN, you will usually need to clear immigration in the first Schengen airport you get to AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS 

 

https://www.sanspotter.com/do-you-have-to-go-through-customs-for-a-connecting-flight-in-europe/

[NownZen]

1 hour ago, ROWSE said:

Greetings!

We are soon to fly from US to Amsterdam and then have a rather short layover to catch our connecting flight to Barcelona.

Has anyone recently done this?  What is the protocol?  Do we go through immigration and passport control at Amsterdam

or just go to our connecting flight and do that in Barcelona?

Will feel less stressed if it is all done at end in Barcelona, but just want to be prepared either way.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

The last time we did this we had to go through immigration and customs and then back through security as the last flight was within the EU. Plan on a couple of hour layover.

[milolii]

Amsterdam’s  Schiphol airport has experienced  the longest security waits in Europe this year.  The most recent event was this last weekend. You can google and find many reports of passengers waiting hours and hours to get through security.  Reports are this  is due to staffing issues.  The airport is reducing passenger numbers in an effort to ease the pressure.  
 

We flew back using the airport in August.  We didn’t have many issues, but I did see long lines for some airlines amd people waiting outside to enter. We were traveling on United.  We saw many snaking rope lines set up for security but were mostly empty until we got upstairs. At that point, a sign said the wait was 35-40 minutes.  We had priority and got through in about 10 minutes.  Passport control was after security.  All total it took about 90 minutes to get past all of this  and head to the gate. I could be wrong but I think there is Only one main security checkpoint area.  It is quite large. But not all stations were open. 
 

The EU security checkpoints are more involved than the US.  Be prepared to remove all products that aren’t solid(not just liquids is the point I am trying to make here) and place in a plastic bag.  This includes hand cream, makeup, toothpaste, etc.  I would, say if you need to do what @NownZenreports plan on several hours. 

 

The airport has an app you can download and it will tell you how busy it is. 
https://www.schiphol.nl/en/download-the-schiphol-app

Edited October 5, 2022 by milolii

[ROWSE]

Thank you for the responses!  
I will be sure to have liquids in a separate clear bag.  I have read about there being long security waits at Amsterdam, but I was under the impression that was for those initially flying from Amsterdam not those connecting through from a prior flight.

 

We will just have to roll with whatever happens but thank you for the information!

 

[Denmal]

You will not need to go back through security UNLESS you leave the secure area for some reason.  You will need to go to passport control.   We have done this many times.

[ROWSE]

2 hours ago, Denmal said:

You will not need to go back through security UNLESS you leave the secure area for some reason.  You will need to go to passport control.   We have done this many times.

Love your reply!  That is what I was hoping for!  Now if we could just have our flight in to Amsterdam stop being late.  I check the flight we will be on every day, and it is late day after day!   Flying has become so stressful!  

Thank you again!

[partybarbie]

Pre-Covid, we did these exact flights. All immigration was done at the Amsterdam airport. It took almost two hours, the exact amount of our layover. I hope you have at least that much time allowed. I think three would be better. 

[ROWSE]

1 minute ago, partybarbie said:

Pre-Covid, we did these exact flights. All immigration was done at the Amsterdam airport. It took almost two hours, the exact amount of our layover. I hope you have at least that much time allowed. I think three would be better. 

Thank you for replying!  We only have 1 hour 40 min. and I know it is short for Amsterdam, that is what worries me.  We will just hope for the best.  

[pris993]

Have not done the flights you are talking about but have done similar traveling from San Francisco going thru Paris to Israel with short time for transfers.  This was prior to the Pandemic but I recall going through Passport control, there was a shorter line for those making connections, then directed through areas of the airport where we never left a secure area to get to our connecting flight.   Mention because similar to what someone else reported.  Always a concern when short on time, I would still make sure liquids in carryon meet requirements just in case.   Have a good trip. 

[fbgd]

On 10/4/2022 at 8:31 PM, NownZen said:

The last time we did this we had to go through immigration and customs and then back through security as the last flight was within the EU. Plan on a couple of hour layover.

 

You don't clear customs at AMS as that'd be done at the final airport. If the final flight is intra-Schengen, as is the case here, then it's not really a formal process, per se. 

[CruiserBruce]

Immigration/passport check in Amsterdam, Customs in Barcelona. Simple as that.

 

Customs is the Red/Green system. If you have something to declare,  you go in the red line, and may be subject to any of a number of procedures. If you don't have anything to declare,  you simply exit out the green area. Takes no time at all. Of, there is always the possibility of a random selection for further scrutiny, but that doesn't seem to happen often. 

[cruiseaholic78]

Maybe you should check on the actual Schiphol information site.

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/transfers/

Rosalyn

[Zach1213]

21 hours ago, ROWSE said:

Thank you for replying!  We only have 1 hour 40 min. and I know it is short for Amsterdam, that is what worries me.  We will just hope for the best.  

 

It's actually not too short for Amsterdam. It's fairly common for KLM and Delta to make relatively short connections at AMS. It's generally a fairly efficient airport, and it seems as though the long waits in European airports that was occurring over the summer has gotten better. No get lazy, but 1h40 should be okay if everything is on time (which is always the caveat). 

 

21 hours ago, pris993 said:

Have not done the flights you are talking about but have done similar traveling from San Francisco going thru Paris to Israel with short time for transfers.  This was prior to the Pandemic but I recall going through Passport control, there was a shorter line for those making connections, then directed through areas of the airport where we never left a secure area to get to our connecting flight.   

 

Not to pick nits, but it's unlikely you went through passport control going SFO-CDG-TLV because you were never entering France/Schengen. What you likely went through was a passport check - one more check to make sure you had proper documentation to enter Israel, and that your name matched your boarding pass. 

[hallasm]

23 hours ago, ROWSE said:

Thank you for replying!  We only have 1 hour 40 min. and I know it is short for Amsterdam, that is what worries me.  We will just hope for the best.  

 1 hour 40 min is sufficient time for transfer in AMS. You’ll pass immigration in AMS and customs will be BCN.

Just make sure your luggage is checked thought to BCN. No need for panic. Enjoy your flight and cruise.

[Dancer Bob]

To expand on what other posters have said, you should know your Schengen visa/ETIAS status before booking the cruise.

After you have your luggage, you make your Customs declaration by picking the green or red door, so you need to know if you're carrying any prohibited/dutiable items for the destination country by then. Of coure, you should know prohibited/dutiable items before packing your bags, to travel anywhere.

With the standard caveat, that flights are on time.

[hallasm]

55 minutes ago, Dancer Bob said:

To expand on what other posters have said, you should know your Schengen visa/ETIAS status before booking the cruise.

Good point. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is currently not in operation. ETIAS is expected to be operational in November 2023.  

[texasstar]

On 10/5/2022 at 8:43 AM, ROWSE said:

Thank you for replying!  We only have 1 hour 40 min. and I know it is short for Amsterdam, that is what worries me.  We will just hope for the best.  

We were there in May.  They were very good about rushing people through that had quick connections.

[pris993]

15 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

It's actually not too short for Amsterdam. It's fairly common for KLM and Delta to make relatively short connections at AMS. It's generally a fairly efficient airport, and it seems as though the long waits in European airports that was occurring over the summer has gotten better. No get lazy, but 1h40 should be okay if everything is on time (which is always the caveat). 

 

 

Not to pick nits, but it's unlikely you went through passport control going SFO-CDG-TLV because you were never entering France/Schengen. What you likely went through was a passport check - one more check to make sure you had proper documentation to enter Israel, and that your name matched your boarding pass. 

Good be, I would not know the difference.  

[ROWSE]

I thank you all for your answers but at Murphy's Law would have it, Delta had a code share (KLM)

airline cancel our flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona and after being on phone with EZ air 

and Delta we now are leaving a day early and go from Atlanta right to Barcelona.

 

SO take that Amsterdam!!!  😂

Trying to make light of how terribly stressful this was when we leave in two days!!!

 

Note:  EZ air was very difficult to work with and they finally said sorry can't rebook you, you have

to deal with Delta. (WHAT??? YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO HELP)  Well earlier Delta had said you have to deal with agent (Princess EZ air).

One more try with Delta and told them what EZ air said and after almost 2 more hours they 

had me rebooked a day earlier.  Lost my lovely seats I had booked months ago, but at least

we get to go.  

 

Again, thank you for for what happens at Amsterdam on a connecting flight if we ever do go there!

[Azulann]

ROWSE,

And that is why we booked our flights to Europe for June 2023 cruise, directly with the airline. In our case it is Delta /KLM. We did not use the air offered by our cruise line.  Do not need any stress  right before our flights leave. next summer. 

 Gook luck to you, and once on board I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Azulann

[FlaMariner]

We did this a year ago Delta/KLM....with a connection to Schipol to Florence, Italy.

 

Easy.

 

In Amsterdam....

You do go thru passport control

We did not have to fetch our bags

We easily found our connecting gate to Florence

 

In Florence...

We just got off the plane and had no passport control area

Our bags were on the carousel

 

Schipol is like ATL for Europe.  They know how to hub and spoke. 

[jackiel3290]

We had to go through passport control at Schipohl in October on our way to Barcelona.  We then found ourselves in a long security check line and were running out of time. Someone was asking the flight times and was expediting those who were about to miss their flights. We only had an hour layover. It wasn’t really enough time. We were on Delta/KLM. We made it, but just barely.

[waterbug123]

9 hours ago, jackiel3290 said:

We had to go through passport control at Schipohl in October on our way to Barcelona.  We then found ourselves in a long security check line and were running out of time. Someone was asking the flight times and was expediting those who were about to miss their flights. We only had an hour layover. It wasn’t really enough time. We were on Delta/KLM. We made it, but just barely.

If you were flying from the US through Schiphol and on to Barcelona, and it was all on on ticket, something went wrong if you ended up going through security at Schiphol.  You must have accidentally exited the secure area by mistake.