I have heard some horror stories about Frankfurt airport. We are planning on flying Lufthansa out of SFO. Our connection is in Frankfurt and the layover is 1 hour 40 minutes. Then we fly Lufthansa into Rome. Is that enough of a layover since we are continuing on the same airline? Do we have to go through immigration in Frankfurt first before getting on our flight to Rome?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23340 posts
It is tight but should be if your flight is on time. Try for a seat closer to the door so that your delay getting off the plane is not extensive. You will go through immigrations. It is big airport with lots of walking but signage is good so just keep moving.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32220 posts
Melanie, I frequently connect through Frankfurt on trips to and from Europe, and I've found that it's usually a very efficient and easy process. A good example is my trip last year on a Calgary > Frankfurt > Rome flight (the last leg to Rome was via Lufthansa). My connection time in Frankfurt was one hour. I questioned the short connecting time both with my travel agent and the Flight Attendant, and was told that it was a "legal connection". The Flight Attendant stated that "Frankfurt is very efficient - you'll be fine but don't stop for coffee". As it turned out, he was absolutely correct as I was at the boarding gate for my next flight in 20-minutes. One factor that helped in my case was the fact that I was seated near the front of the aircraft, so on arrival in Frankfurt I was out the door and heading for the connecting flight very quickly. If I had been seated at the back of the plane and had to wait for all other passengers to disembark, I'm sure the situation would have been different. You will have to go through immigration / Passport control in Frankfurt, as that's your first entry to the E.U. so they have to stamp your Passport. It will be stamped again when you leave Europe. Happy travels!
Posted by
Fremont, Ca, USA
87 posts
Ciao Melanie, We've flown in and out of Frankfurt many times on United and Lufthansa. Admittedly, your time frame is 'just' within my comfort zone. I would like to suggest that you visit the Frankfurt website and become familiar with the location of your departure terminal- Frankfurt is HUGE! Once your gate is located, keep an eye out on the departure gate listings! They are often changed unannounced. This has lead to us racing with carry-on's in tow to far off gates with minutes to spare. Cordiali Saluti,
David