Help a newbie understand flying overseas/Schiphol airport

I find that You Tube is often very helpful in getting an idea of what the airport is like and what transfers are like.
https://youtu.be/29weVp2pmAM

https://youtu.be/eDnhT0zo94Q

“ I'm reading about Schengen vs non Schengen, passport control, immigration and customs. Do we go through all three of those in Amsterdam? ”

Passport control and immigration are the exact same thing and it’s what you’ll go thru in Amsterdam. Customs is in Italy.
Your plane from the US will arrive in the non-Schengen part of the airport, your plane to Italy will depart from the Schengen part of the airport. These two parts are on either side of the same building and are separated by passport control. Once you’ve disembarked from your flight from the US, you’ll need to check the monitors to see which gate your flight to Italy will depart from. You will then simply follow the signs to that gate. On your way to that gate, you will inevitably bump into passport control/immigration. You simply can’t miss it. You go thru passport control and you’re in the Schengen zone of the airport and can continue to your gate.
Two hours is plenty of time for this, but make sure to go thru passport control/immigration first before you stop to eat or drink something or to shop. You’ll find plenty of food and drink outlets and plenty of shops on both sides of the airport.

If you reverse you trip on the way home I believe you will clear in
Detroit on your return as i dont believe Schiphol is one of the
airports that you clear at before flying yo the US.

You will go through passport control at AMS on the return trip, too, for your "Exit" Schengen/EU stamp. There is also a random security check immediately on exiting passport control. There are 1-2 people in navy jackets standing in the exit area who randomly send people through a security line to the right. Avoid eye contact! Most people don't know this exists unless they have been selected for the random check (uhhhh... that would be me).

Thank you everyone. Lots of good info that is reassuring!

I should have added that on our way home we are flying Florence to Paris to Detroit. If anyone has any tips for CDG, I'll take those too! I'm nervous about that too, but figure whatever, we will get home eventually. I'm more concerned that we make it to Italy without too much delay!

Laurie,

When making your connection, just concentrate on finding the gate that your connecting flight will be departing from. Everything else will just happen. The foot traffic will require you to make the proper steps.

The biggest mistake that I have seen people make is at their final destination if they have checked luggage. Prior to going through customs you need to pick up your bags from the appropriate carousel. If you walk through customs with your carry on only, you can't get back to your bags. Usually the staff will ask you if you have all of your bags, but I have seen people standing on the other side of customs panicking because they didn't know they were supposed to get their bags first.

This is an excellent website explaining everything you need to know at CDG:

https://easycdg.com/

You need to go thru passport control every time you enter or leave the Schengen zone.
On your way to Italy, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is where you enter the Schengen Zone, so you go thru passport control there. On your way back home, Paris CDG is where you exit the Schengen zone, so you go thru passport control there.
You basically do the exact same thing at both airports; look up the gate of your next flight, follow the signs to that gate and you’ll automatically bump into passport control.

It is really easy if you can read signs. Just find your gate on one of the screens and follow the signs. The airports are designed so that you must go through the correct areas. In other words, it will be impossible in Amsterdam to get to your next gate without passing through passport control/immigration.

You will be tired, you may feel disoriented due to your body telling you it feels like 2 am. Focus. Don’t eat until you get to your gate for the flight to Italy.

Dutch traveler's explanation is perfect

Renee - OP is transiting through Amsterdam, not Paris

"Renee - OP is transiting through Amsterdam, not Paris"

OP indicates she is transiting thru CDG on her way home so asked for information on that airport as well although, rightfully, is not as concerned about that transit.

I should have added that on our way home we are flying Florence to Paris to Detroit. If anyone has any tips for CDG, I'll take those too!

As Pam said, you should not be concerned about CDG. I will admit that I have had problems when going from the US (a non-Schengen country) to Germany (a Schengen country) at CDG. However, on the way back, you will be traveling from one Schengen country (Italy) to another (France). The steps are much easier, the signs are big and colorful and tell you exactly where to go. You should not have any problems.

Thanks everyone, I feel much reassured now! :-)

The nice thing is you can pretty much follow the person in front of you. Schipol is very nicely laid out. Signs are in two languages, one of them is English - so it's easy to find your way.

Last year, there were significant issues with security lines at Schipol. Lines were crazy, the Pilots' Union even volunteered to help. Unless those have been cleared up, you won't want to wander outside security during your layover.

If you're not sure what you need to do, ask. The Dutch are great at languages. If you speak to them in English (German, French, etc.), they'll respond in perfect English (German, French, etc.). If I could speak Icelandic, I test them on it.

Likely the only place you won't follow the person in front of you is when there is a sign directing people to two lines - one for EU citizens and the other for non-EU.

CDG isn't as easy as Schipol, but it's the same idea. I've taken a few wrong turns in CDG but always ended up where I was going. Biggest thing I find different in France is using credit cards in machines. American cards regularly get rejected. My theory is they time out before getting approved. Try a second, or third, time. They seem to work eventually.

It doesn't sound like you are going anywhere other than Schengen countries, or for more than three months. Schengen is simply a multinational agreement that, for one, allows US citizens to visit without a visa for up to three months in a six-month period. U.S. Citizens who want to travel for longer than three months need to plan some of their time in non-Schengen countries (U.K. for example).

There are hundreds of people doing the same thing at any given moment, and the airports are designed to make it easy for you to figure out where you need to go. And they are designed not to let you get by without being checked.

“ The nice thing is you can pretty much follow the person in front of you. ”

I’m sorry Travel Boss, but I don’t think this is very good advice. It could very well be that the person in front of the OP is visiting the Netherlands and not transferring to another flight. Following that person would mean they end up outside the secure area of the airport and have to go thru security in order to be allowed back in.

The OP should do what I and several other people have advised them to do; look up the gate their next flight will depart from and follow the signs to that gate. Don’t follow random strangers, follow the signs.