checking luggage

NAncy, You can check your bags straight through. You don't clear customs and immigration until you enter a new country. The only thing you might have to do in O'Hare is clear security a second time, if your flight is leaving from the International Terminal. There is no way to get to International terminal from domestic terminals without leaving security. However if you are flying on a US airline you will be okay as they depart from domestic terminals and only arrive in International Terminal. On your return through O'Hare you will clear customs/immigration in the first US airport that you arrive in. You'll clear immigration, pick up your bag, clear customs and then give your bag back to the airline. Then you leave International terminal, leaving security, ride the train to the domestic terminal of your airline, re-clear security and you'll be on your way. I always like to have a really nice layover between my domestic legs. I usually travel overseas in late summer and those summer storms can mess up air travel so I like the cushion. Pam

Thank you soooo much for the excellent information. It will make our trip less hectic....there are eight of us taking our 84 y/o mother (grandmother) to Ireland in August. I need as much info as possible to make things go smoothly. I have been to Europe before but I could not recall the series of events it took to get there. Thanks again. Nancy

Personally, the 1h45m layover makes me a bit nervous. Unless the 4h layover is really a hardship in some way, I'd choose it. For example, August is hurricane/tornado season. Even if the weather is peachy in Detroit and Chicago, your plane b/n the two cities may be coming from Dallas...and if the weather there is bad, your plane isn't coming - at least not on time. And your plane from ORD to Dublin takes off without you. There are 101 reasons why 1h45m might not be enough...and 4,394 why it might. I don't want to take a chance - ESP. on the first leg of my European vacation - that there will be a problem. And I can run for my next gate, wearing my backpack. I'd hate for your grand/mother to be in a position to need to 'run for it'. Yes, some airports have carts that people can ride, but you have to wait for them to come along... Also, four hours in a large airport is not nearly as much time as it sounds: you have to deplane, get from your gate to your next one (and for domestic-to-international flights that almost always involves changing terminals - riding a bus or tram/train to the correct building), make a restroom stop or two, and your international flights start boarding earlier than domestic flights. Plus, perhaps you'd like to eat lunch, dinner, or get a snack. Or, a soft drink, coffee, beer, wine - whatever. Or, buy a neck pillow, some aspirin, or a magazine because you forgot to bring something to do on the plane while you should be sleeping :-( It's definitely not 4 hours of sitting and waiting...And I'd much rather be bored out of my mind than completely freaked out (a medical term!), sweaty, and out of breath with a turned ankle from running for my plane. And my clincher would be knowing that my checked luggage had 4 hours to make the plane...!

I totally agree with Eileen. We intentionally built in a 4 hour layover in Chicago just in case our flight was delayed, bad weather, or any other of the numerous things that can go wrong. There was plenty to do to occupy our time and we were able to relax and look forward to the flight to Heathrow. Carole

Nancy, IIRC if you are flying Aer Lingus you clear customs in Dublin on your return flight or something to that effect. You should check into it only if you are flying Aer Lingus. Edwin

Thank you all for the great info. I think we will do just fine. I have been reading all the other helpful hints. Traveling with a "pack" can be daunting but I think will all the helpful hints and info here we will do just fine and my mother will have the trip of her lifetime! (Ireland may never be the same, tho. ) :0) Thank you again for taking the time to answer my question. It helped a lot. Nancy