I am meeting a friend at the Copenhagen airport. Both of us are flying in on flights from the USA (Houston and Atlanta). Are we able to meet before we go through customs? Where would be a good place to meet.
Thanks Linda
Posted by
11156 posts
I think you mean passport control? Customs is a walk through a door “nothing to declare”. Are the flights scheduled to arrive close to each other? The train into the city is easy so you could meet at your hotel.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Upon arrival in Europe, you have to go through immigration, then checked luggage retrieval, then customs. Immigration can be quick or slow, depending on how many other planes are arriving and how many agents are on duty, and how long it takes cannot be predicated. Customs is just a matter of walking through the "Green Channel Nothing to Declare" line; unless you are "randomly selected for additional screening" (possible but rare), you then go through the opaque doors and are officially in Copenhagen.
You are usually not allowed to linger in these steps, so even if you arrive in the same part of the airport, it's not a good idea to plan to meet before finishing these formalities. Instead, you will want to meet somewhere in the airport after these steps are finished. Someone more familiar with the airport can suggest a good place.
Posted by
Copenhagen, Denmark
971 posts
Immigration is handled right after you leave the gate, customs is handled after you collect your luggage just before you leave the airport. There is a small tax free shop by the luggage collection which i have suggested as a meeting Place in another thread here https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/denmark/copenhagen-airport-finding-someone-else-there
Posted by
Glostrup, Denmark
1323 posts
I suggest you plan to meet in one of the eateries after customs. The first one there can follow the arrival of planes on the screen and you can use your mobile phones to adjust your plan on-the-go.
Posted by
Reno, NV, USA
2427 posts
I might also suggest to check at an info desk to see if your friend’s flight is on time or delayed.
Posted by
16 posts
My brother and I just met in Copenhagen. We both flew from the USA (Portland and Nashville) and arrived 40 minutes apart from each other. There was a 7-Eleven right before going through the passport control, which is an easy spot to meet if you both arrive in the same terminal. However, if you land at different terminals, that won't work. You'll need to meet in the main airport, which is like a shopping mall. If you have a phone or device with WiFi, I recommend using an app like WhatsApp to connect at the airport. WiFi was free, and I text my brother when I arrived and we found each other in less than 5 minutes. It was super easy.