[Albion] Travel via third country

finbar · Feb 28, 2024

Sorry, another thread on Rome travel, I am in a panic.

If flying to Rome via a third country, e.g. France, Spain etc im trying to work out the amount of time needed between flights to make sure I don't miss the second flight - does anyone know if there is a black and white answer about whether you need to go through immigration at the first airport?

My assumption is yes, and I therefore need to leave hours and hours for any passport queue delays.

Again, apologies for yet another thread

Mr Bridger · Feb 28, 2024

Will be on the itinerary if booked all together.
I’m going via Barcelona and have a 3hr wait so have told the Mrs I’m taking her for lunch in Spain then tea in Rome to take the sting out the fact we might be tear gassed.

essbee1 · Feb 28, 2024

Surely that "in transit" means you simply get off a plane in one terminal gate and walk to the gate of the connecting flight.
I've never had to go through any controls except at source and destination of course. But I tend to take direct flights
these days - so might be wrong here. The delay will be if your flight is delayed and you miss the connection.

Arthur · Feb 28, 2024

essbee1 said:
Surely that "in transit" means you simply get off a plane in one terminal gate and walk to the gate of the connecting flight.
I've never had to go through any controls except at source and destination of course. But I tend to take direct flights
these days - so might be wrong here. The delay will be if your flight is delayed and you miss the connection.

Nope you are spot on. There should be no need to go through passport controls assuming you are getting your connecting flight from the same airport.

Possibly if it's a different terminal??

Yes Chef · Feb 28, 2024

It depends. If you have, for example, booked an easyjet flight to, say, Berlin and then have a Lufthansa flight to Rome then you will have to go through immigration at the first airport (Berlin, in our example)

Bozza · Feb 28, 2024

Arthur said:
Nope you are spot on. There should be no need to go through passport controls assuming you are getting your connecting flight from the same airport.

Possibly if it's a different terminal??

Whilst broadly agreeing, that can't be the case all the time.

One route home was Rome -> Edinburgh -> Gatwick.

if you don't go through immigration in Edinburgh you'll not be doing so at Gatwick as you arrive on an internal flight.

Kinky Gerbil · Feb 28, 2024

Wouldn't do this unless it's one through ticket, so you have some form of protection if the first flight is delayed.

If you book them as 2 different tickets you will be out of luck if you miss connection and could have to buy a whole new ticket.

There is a fair amount of short haul delays/cnx atm

Arthur · Feb 28, 2024

Bozza said:
Whilst broadly agreeing, that can't be the case all the time.

One route home was Rome -> Edinburgh -> Gatwick.

if you don't go through immigration in Edinburgh you'll not be doing so at Gatwick as you arrive on an internal flight.

But that isn't flying via a "third country" though is it.

Nicks · Feb 28, 2024

I'm going to Rome via Brussels from Heathrow then back to Heathrow from Rome via Zurich .
I came back from Marseille via Bordeaux and it was easy enough

peterward · Feb 28, 2024

finbar said:
Sorry, another thread on Rome travel, I am in a panic.

If flying to Rome via a third country, e.g. France, Spain etc im trying to work out the amount of time needed between flights to make sure I don't miss the second flight - does anyone know if there is a black and white answer about whether you need to go through immigration at the first airport?

My assumption is yes, and I therefore need to leave hours and hours for any passport queue delays.

Again, apologies for yet another thread

For low cost airlines generally like Ryanair, easyjet, Wizzair, who only fly point to point and not hub/spoke then yes, you would need to clear customs/immigration and re check in, go through security.

For most legacy carriers, like British airways, air france etc, you dont, it will be transit lounge. You need to check with the airlines involved as they will have different policies.

Who is it with?

peterward · Feb 28, 2024

Arthur said:
Nope you are spot on. There should be no need to go through passport controls assuming you are getting your connecting flight from the same airport.

Possibly if it's a different terminal??

I'm not sure thats correct? it will most likely be easier on your return to UK than outbound potentially. As you will be leaving an EU/Schenghen state from Rome and most likely transiting through another, in which case youre still in EU/Schenghen and will almost certainly just transit (if its right type of airline).

You may find problems outbound as some countries will insist on anyone coming from outside Schenghen or EU (see: https://www.northstandchat.com/threads/brexit.343854/) may have to complete security at their first port of arrival (transit airport) to get into EU/Schenghen before transit.

Id look carefully.

ROSM · Feb 28, 2024

I know of people going to athens from edinburgh who had to go through immigration at schipol.

Also some flights are sold as self connecting through places like skyscanner/kayak so that means youre on your own of flight is delayed

Pinkie Brown · Feb 28, 2024

You will clear immigration at the first point of Schengen entry. Your second flight would be inside Schengen and is akin to an internal flight. If you have booked through a cheap third party seller rather than an airline direct on a seamless booking, the former often cobble together separate bookings with sketchy connection times. Bear in mind if your first flight is late and you miss your connection, unless you've purchased any kind of extra cover, you can launch your second ticket into the bin. If you do have cover, you will have the fun experience of attempting to call an offshore call centre to arrange a new flight. Airline staff at an outstation aren't going to assist if you've purchased via a third party seller. If you've booked direct with the airline on a seamless booking reference to your final destination, they will put you on the next available flight at no cost to yourself.

How long to allow is a piece of string length question. Since Brexit UK citizens now have to join the rest of the world queue when entering the Schengen Zone. That can be a slow process compared to the good ol days. If you should land shortly after flights from Lagos or Calcutta have dropped in, all bets are off. Allow LOTS of time, then a bit more on top.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 28, 2024

Pinkie Brown said:
You will clear immigration at the first point of Schengen entry. Your second flight would be inside Schengen and is akin to an internal flight. If you have booked through a cheap third party seller rather than an airline direct on a seamless booking, the former often cobble together separate bookings with sketchy connection times. Bear in mind if your first flight is late and you miss your connection, unless you've purchased any kind of extra cover, you can launch your second ticket into the bin. If you do have cover, you will have the fun experience of attempting to call an offshore call centre to arrange a new flight. Airline staff at an outstation aren't going to assist if you've purchased via a third party seller. If you've booked direct with the airline on a seamless booking reference to your final destination, they will put you on the next available flight at no cost to yourself.

How long to allow is a piece of string length question. Since Brexit UK citizens now have to join the rest of the world queue when entering the Schengen Zone. That can be a slow process compared to the good ol days. If you should land shortly after flights from Lagos or Calcutta have dropped in, all bets are off. Allow LOTS of time, then a bit more on top.

Very much this. Connecting flights with swift transfers are now impossible from the UK for UK passport holders.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 28, 2024

peterward said:
For low cost airlines generally like Ryanair, easyjet, Wizzair, who only fly point to point and not hub/spoke then yes, you would need to clear customs/immigration and re check in, go through security.

For most legacy carriers, like British airways, air france etc, you dont, it will be transit lounge. You need to check with the airlines involved as they will have different policies.

Who is it with?

This is not the case if you from the UK and are connecting with a flight which is a 'Schengen' flight i.e. leaves and lands in the Schengen. These are the same as domestic flights. You will go through immigration when you first hit the Schengen. When a Schengen flight lands you are in the 'open' section of the airport and are free to walk off the plane and walk straight out the airport....therefore the border has to be before you board the flight.

peterward · Feb 28, 2024

Herr Tubthumper said:
This is not the case if you from the UK and are connecting with a flight which is a 'Schengen' flight i.e. leaves and lands in the Schengen. These are the same as domestic flights. You will go through immigration when you first hit the Schengen. When a Schengen flight lands you are in the 'open' section of the airport and are free to walk off the plane and walk straight out the airport....therefore the border has to be before you board the flight.

It is the case and I did make the point about having to clear immigration at first arrival outbound from UK?

But on return, If you leave say Rome and to London and fly air france via Paris, in Paris you will go via the connecting flights transit area and not have to re-do security and recheck in, your bag will be checked through to London. But you would have to clear security and re-check in on low cost airlines Like Ryanair as theyre 2 seperate flights.

Yes, if you went London Rome on air france via paris, you would need to enter Shenghen in Paris, clear immigration in Paris then proceed to the next sector to Rome within Shengen.

My point to the OP question, was that legacy carriers that fly to a hub, wont require you to clear security and re-check in, inside Shenghen, whereas low cost airlines that fly point to point (and not hub/spoke) still will require you to clear security and re-check in. They are 2 seperate flights.

dsr-burnley · Feb 29, 2024

finbar said:
Sorry, another thread on Rome travel, I am in a panic.

If flying to Rome via a third country, e.g. France, Spain etc im trying to work out the amount of time needed between flights to make sure I don't miss the second flight - does anyone know if there is a black and white answer about whether you need to go through immigration at the first airport?

My assumption is yes, and I therefore need to leave hours and hours for any passport queue delays.

Again, apologies for yet another thread

If you have booked the tickets for the two flights as a single booking, then the flights will be far enough apart to allow for transfers. They wouldn't sell you a flight that can't be done.

For example, my next flight to the USA has a stop in Dublin which is very handy (and deliberate) because I can go through American immigration and customs in Dublin. The stopover is 1 hour 40 minutes. (Though obviously neither Dublin nor Chicago are in the Schengen zone.)

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 29, 2024

dsr-burnley said:
If you have booked the tickets for the two flights as a single booking, then the flights will be far enough apart to allow for transfers. They wouldn't sell you a flight that can't be done.

For example, my next flight to the USA has a stop in Dublin which is very handy (and deliberate) because I can go through American immigration and customs in Dublin. The stopover is 1 hour 40 minutes. (Though obviously neither Dublin nor Chicago are in the Schengen zone.)

The airline will sell you a ticket which, in theory. will enable you to catch the connection. They can’t predict delays with immigration (or the flight) though…any hold ups you might have an issue.

Further, the US pre clearance facility in Dublin is a dedicated service for one single country ….you can’t really compare this to a Schengen entry point at a similar, or larger, airport.

papachris · Feb 29, 2024

I assume the third country will be in Europe. Especially if you are entering the Schengen Area you will have passport control there. If it is schengen then there will be no passport control when you arrive in Italy.

empire · Feb 29, 2024

Nicks said:
I'm going to Rome via Brussels from Heathrow then back to Heathrow from Rome via Zurich .
I came back from Marseille via Bordeaux and it was easy enough

Is the correct answer

Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Albion] Travel via third country

Active member

Sound of the suburbs

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

You can change this

Im The Scatman

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

I'll look after the skirt

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Share this page