Good Rule of Thumb?

There's really a pretty big variable here. Every airport is different. I would not give the same comfortable time allowance for Charles de Gaulle that I would for Schiphol Airport, which is much easier to navigate and get through.

That said, generally, I would say an hour and a half is usually a fairly comfortable margin, although, as I said, I would probably want 2 hours for CDG.

A good rule of thumb is this: book the whole trip with one airline and let them carry the risk.

TY Mardee, yes I know there are so many variables to consider. Just trying to find a sweet spot without the overbearing stress.

TY WengenK. Definitely the way to go.

WengenK, I am assuming when the OP says "maybe same airline or not" that they are referring to a flight with a codeshare. For example, I book flights on KLM, but the airline that operates the flight from the U.S. to Europe is usually Delta, and then I will get a KLM or possibly an Air France flight for the second leg. In those cases, it's all on the same ticket.

Obviously, if there are two separate tickets, that adds a whole other aspect, and you would definitely need more time.

Wen, I didn't think that fully through. I was thinking 2 single tickets/different airlines, but you point out also the possibility of 2 different airlines but same ticket. Good point and I will keep that in mind. TY

One additional variable to add into the mix is the new EES, could be through in a few minutes could be through in a few hours, but if it is a major European hub airport then 3 hours minimum, I certainly would book on one ticket, if you have to go through entry and then security again it could take a while.

TY UncleGus. I like the 3 hour timeline.

What airport are you intending to fly into

I would book on two separate tickets only if the second ticket was so inexpensive I could afford to lose it because I missed the flight and could afford to buy a new ticket. Alternatively, I would buy two separate tickets because I wanted to spend the night in the layover city.

I think it depends on your end destination too. Some airports have more flights to certain cities. Give us some more information.

I was thinking 2 single tickets/different airlines. There are some folks here willing to take that risk, but if your first flight is delayed, the unrelated airline for the second flight is very unlikely to rebook you, and then there's the cascading effect of trying to cancel / change the hotel reservation. Maybe have a closer look at flights and get back to us with more details? Good luck!

Time of year also matters. Peak summer travel is busy busy busy and winter travel has added weather impact possibilities. As Sandancisco said, if you post actual flight options, people can provide on-point advice. Based on your other recent posts, it may be that your best route is flying into one city and home from another (called "multicity" on Google flights, or "open jaw" on others).

I am extremely risk adverse when it comes to rail travel. If I can't get my entire journey on one ticket with a codeshare or not, I'd probably wait until the next day for the next piece of the journey. Planes can be delayed, really delayed, cancelled. Customs is another big variable.

Coming from NY, I would think you could get to most places in the world with an airport on one connected ticket. With a connected ticket the airline takes the whole risk of missing subsequent flights.

In terms of connecting time, it depends on the airport. I've done 50-60 minutes a number of times at Amsterdam Schipol. I'd want two hours at CDG, although again the airline has all the risk.

Just a question to add to the mix. If you're on one ticket and you miss your connection because of EES requirements, does the airline still have to get you to your final destination? I’m thinking no because it’s not their fault.

From what I have been hearing and reading if you miss your flight because of EES delays then it is up to you to sort things out. I have posted about EES on this forum on various threads and my experience of it has been quite positive with little or no delays, last weekend leaving Prague it was quicker than manual checks but I did hear from friends that they had delays of over an hour leaving the country, lots of variables again that cause the problems but mainly number of flights arriving or leaving within a short time of each other.

According to European legislation (Regulation 261/2004), missing a connecting flight with a single ticket due to a delay at the airport beyond your control is considered the same as a delay on the first flight.

To summarize, it doesn't matter whether the delay originates from the first flight or from border control.

As usual, there is, however, a nuance: if flight 1 was on time but the security check was excessively long, the airline will often invoke "extraordinary circumstances" because the management of queues at immigration or security is not the airline's responsibility, and European courts generally consider delays caused by authorities (customs, police, EES system) to be extraordinary circumstances.

In this case, the airline still has an obligation to provide assistance (meals, hotel if necessary), but you will likely not be entitled to fixed compensation.

Thank you UncleGus and Jolui. Hopefully, that information is helpful to gritz, also. I’m going to personally find out in a couple of weeks on an Edinburgh to Hamburg flight with a connection thru Amsterdam in 1 hour, 15 minutes. Sometimes you just have to take what’s offered versus what you would prefer. I’ll report back on how it went or didn’t. 😬

A "good rule of thumb" if you are literally intending to buy and travel on separate tickets on separate airlines is to ensure you have at least one overnight between each flight. And even that can't be guaranteed to work 100% of the time

It depends on how much extra Money yoymhave to buy a separate last-minute ticket if you miss the one you bought.

TY All (Uncle Gus/Trotter/Ms Jo/Sandancisco/CL/Jules/Margie/JoLui/Kim,
So many wonderful responses, ty again. I just went for a quick grocery shop and saw all of your messages. I am planning to fly out of Newark preferably or JFK heading to Krakow, overnight flight. I didn't see any direct flights from either airport but found a number 1 Stops to CDG and another couple of airports. There are a number of layover times and I found a 3-4 hour from CDG. Pricing seemed reasonable in the mid $300 range. So there looks to be options with that.

I haven't finalized my return departure yet. I want to visit Budapest and Prague as well. Not sure which order yet. I'm looking at 3 weeks for the total trip. So yes CL, open jaw. Jo Lui, ty for confirming the responsibility of covering the delays.

Its a holiday to be enjoyed, so one ticket and 2 hours minimum and 3 hours maximum. No stress less boredom. Reality may add or subtract 30 minutes.

I have been to Krakow many times and they now have the EES fully operational and I have heard various reports on queues for ,10 minutes to 2 hours ,I was last in Krakow in November last year and they were partially using EES, no problem getting into the country but leaving was another matter and took me over an hour to get through passport control, the situation probably would have been okay but there had been many cancelled flights the previous 2 days due to bad weather and I think i got caught up in aftermath of it all. I believe they have now opened up a new area for non Schengen flights that has relieved the problems and hopefully things will go soothly for you. Krakow is a great city and I have been traveling to Prague for over 30 years my favourite city in the world.

My rule is simple. 90 minutes for a transfer unless it is CDG. In which case I rebook.

HowlinMad, Chucky D, how true

TY Mr. E. I know you are the Budapest expert here and I will be reviewing as much as possible of what you have written in many posts.

Uncle Gus: TY again. If you have any tidbits on either Krakow and Prague, I would love to hear about them. We have time and we could msg. pvt. if that works for you. Hotel suggestions are always welcome.

and TY HowlinMad for responding. Just curious, what are you HowlinMad at? :)

A correction and explanation. First, correction in that I am an expert on nothing. I am an extended tourist in Eastern Europe. That doesnt qualify me for any title. Certainly not expert. 😄

Then the explanation which is in reference to the question. Since 1980 I have been coming to Europe. Since about 2000 its been 2 to 4 times a year. Since 2022 I've been living here and taking several flights a year around Europe and two back to the states. Thats the context for my answer to your question. 🤔

TY Mr. E. Understood. Appreciate your valuable input always.

Gritz, if you go to the Czech republic forum on this site you will see numerous posts and suggestion, not only from me but many other regular travelers and locals.Also Trip Advisor Prague and Czech republic forums where I have over 10,000 posts as well as many trip reports . I am more of an experst on the beer, pubs, breweries and micro brewries , I do a fair bit of walking in the country and use public transport extensively, won't claim to be an expert on it but know my way around.
Ask your questions on these forums and you will get lots of info.
Krakow is a great city as I have said, I have done the main historical stuff but am more interested in the WWII history and the treatment of the population including the Jewish history of that period (I am not Jewish or of any religion) .On my last 2 visits I have spent more time looking at the Communist history of the city and there is an area called Nowy Huta that was built as a seperate city to Krakow in the 1950's , now part of Krakow itself ( I was born in 1956) and i find that period of history and the changes that have happened in my lifetime facinating .There is a company called Walkative that do free tours of various historical periods of the city and are worth considering.
Again in the Krakow area I go walking and visit the pubs and microbreweries of the area, no expert but still learning and hope to be back in Krakow later this year.

Howlin Mad Murdock was a character on the A Team!