Customs

What airport are you flying through? In our experience (many flights to western Europe), you only go through "customs" when exiting your final airport, and it is a non-event. Assuming you have nothing to declare, youjust walk through the exit. However, you may have to go through security at your intermediate airport. We fly through Heathrow, and we and our carry-on bags always go through security for re-screening between our flights. Other airport may be different.

You and your carry-on will definitely have to go through another security check before you reboard at your stopover point. There is no airport in western Europe that will let you board an aircraft without a security check. Like Lola says, you'll only have to go through customs at your final destination. Most countries let you bypass customs if you have nothing to declare, which you most likely won't.

Just to keep clarity and trying to use the correct works. There are two check points custom who worry about what you are bring into the country and immigration who worries about who you are. EVERYONE goes through immigration which involves a passport check and customs will vary but generally you walk through the door that says nothing to declare.

Teresa, if you want us to give you precise help, we need one more piece of information: where is the layover? But here's preliminary: Customs is where they ask if you're bringing anything into the country and may go through your bags. You will go through this in Rome regardless of whether you check or carry-on. (Technically, you'll go through it but it's probably just a walk through.) Immigration: This is where they check your passport. Whether or not you have to go through this before Rome depends on where your layover is. Security: Yes, you'll go through this before boarding your second flight.

I thought that if your stop is in an EU country and your destination is an EU country, you go through passport and customs when you first land, then continue. I think you alsways have to go through security before boarding

Just a note on flying out of Rome. If you fly a US carrier back home, you will go through an extra round of security in a separate terminal. Once you clear security here, you'll transported to a main terminal. It adds some additional time you should factor in.

You will go through immigration when you first land. The second flight is inter-EU and so any passport control will occur prior to that. Customs, as the others have pointed out, is almost non-existant - you just walk through the door marked "nothing to ." Heck, I've never even seen anyone stationed at the doors marked "." Security will depend on the type of layover you have and locations of gates etc... You may not have to go through security checkpoint again if you are released from immigration into the secure area of the airport.

One small correction to Chani and Douglas' posts. Passport Control has nothing to do with the EU. It has to do with Schengen. There are a few EU countries, such as the UK and Ireland, that are not part of Schengen, and their immigration is separate. Since her final destination is Italy, which is in Schengen, Teresa will go through immigration at her Schengen port of entry, not EU port of entry.

This past summer we flew from Dublin to Milano through Copenhagen. We went through passport control only in Copenhagen and we never claimed our luggage until we arrived in Milano Malpensa Airport. We did not go through passport control in Milano, only customs once we found our bags and were exiting. Passport control is to check and stamp your passport and customs is for your baggage. These are two separate procedures. Buon viaggio,

Good point FrankII - if she transfers in London, she'll go through passport control twice.

Not correct Douglas. If she transfers in London, she only goes through immigration/passport control once: Rome. If you arrive at a non-schengen airport, you only go through immigration if you're exiting the airport...not for transfers.

We have not bought the tickets yet so I don't know where the layover will be but my guess is Zurich. Unless we take a direct flight from Boston Logan to Rome. Maybe I posted this question too soon. Sorry.

I always get confused by the Schengen and EU rules - and I live here! We had an ongoing debate with many frequent travelers on the Flyertalk board recently. Places like Ireland, the UK and Switzerland always cause me to pause and think. It's so much easier just to fly from Rome to Copenhagen, or Paris to Barcelona! For example, as I understand it Switzerland now complies with the Schengen rules (as of May 2009). But then again, I've never connected there.... We did have the spouse of a school official at my wife's school in Rome that encountered problems in Zurich. Last December she had a death in the family back in the States. She got the first (and cheapest) ticket she could back to the States, connecting in Zurich. When she got off the plane to connect to the States... she went through Passport Control... in Zurich, not FCO because Italy to Switzerland was Schengen. There though, it was discovered that she had been in Italy for 14 months - and NEVER went through the Visa Process -OOPS! The end result... she had to pay a huge fine (E1, 000 or so) before she could leave Switzerland (which ended up being the NEXT day). Then, once back in the States, she was NOT allowed to return to Europe. Her husband was still under contract so he stayed through June in Rome.... and she stayed in the US. He obviously did not renew his contract as his wife was still trying to work out the visa issues. We had the same issue with a teacher who connected on Finn Air. All their flights to the States connect in Helsinki, so she went through passport control in Finland to get on her flight to the US and was DENIED access due to Schengen visa violations. Another huge fine.

For me, the UK and Switzerland are always the toughest "passport controls" in Western Europe. Germany used to be on my list, but the last three times I've flown to Berlin they did not even check my picture ID as I boarded??? That's rather scary when you think about it! All I can do is relate my own "transit" experience. Years ago, I flew from ATL to Toronto, connecting to Milan (MXP). As I checked in, I asked if my luggage would be transferred straight through to Milan. No problem I was told, as this was a codeshare flight and I would connect in Toronto and do my passport control, etc. in Milan – GREAT! I was informed that I would not see my luggage until I arrived in Milan – that turned out to be SO untrue in SO many ways! I checked again at the ATL Crowne Room and got the same "Don't worry about it" response as before. As we descended on our flight into Toronto, the flight attendants started handing out Customs Forms. I asked my FA, if I was just connecting did I need to complete the form. She said she did not know but still handed me a form??? Well, when we hit the ground I found out that YES, I had to go through Passport Control, get my luggage, recheck it to Milan, and then run for the plane.... Well, we didn't make it - So Delta in Atlanta and Delta in the air, were both wrong about the customs and passport controls... We ended up on a different plane and our luggage DID NOT arrive in Milan... so I did not see my luggage for FOUR MORE DAYS! That was like salt in the wound!

The issue in Toronto, as I was told later by Delta (and I'm not sure if I believe this) was that the Airport was building a rail line behind security to connect all terminals. Because we had to go to Terminal 3 from Terminal 1 by bus, I had to enter Canada. Because I was entering Canada, if only to catch a bus to the other terminal – and get on an international flight there - I had to go through Passport Control. The rail line is in place now, but I have not flown back through Toronto. Delta tells me it's no longer an issue, but they told me the same things years ago. Not sure who to believe! So despite the rules of the "road" – Schengen, EU, or otherwise - if the airport you are flying into does not have the facilities to prevent you from entering their country, you will go through passport control. That makes for an interesting trip! The current Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. You can travel freely – cross the border between these countries – as if you are going from State to State in the US! Pretty cool to drive from country to country! Norway has signed the Schengen agreement and we often drive over the bridge to Malmo with no problems. The UK and Ireland are NOT Schengen visa countries but every time – and I do mean every time – I go through London they run my current Schengen visa through their system. This is the only country I've ever had my visa verified. Verifying your passport is one thing, but to verify a Schengen visa when you are not part of the Schengen states, that's overkill! That's why the UK always ranks as the most secure country I visit – and I guess with all the issues going on, the Olympics coming – it's for good reason.

There are exceptions to the Schengen rules. In May 2008, Italy suspended the Schengen rules when they held the G8 conference. We flew in from France and had to go through a full passport control. We were told later this was done to "ensure the safety" of the visiting world leaders. So there are rules, but there are exceptions. Best bet is just to roll with it and tolerate the process!