We have a one and a half hour layover in Frankfurt before traveling on to Rome. We are flying Lufthansa, but will have to change planes (another Lufthansa flight). My husband and I are both enrolled in Global Entry, but will this be enough time for us to go through customs and make it to our next plane in time? We will not have any checked baggage - just carry on.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
You will not go through customs (control of goods) until you get to Rome. Upon landing in Rome, unless you have goods to declare, you go through the "Green Channel - Nothing to Declare" line. Unless you are "randomly selected for additional screening" (rare but possible), you're done.
You will go through immigration (passport control) in Frankfurt. I've made several 90 minute transfers there, sometimes a bit tight, sometimes with plenty of time to spare. Just don't make my mistake; after passport control, don't take the escalator to baggage claim, as you then have to go back through security (I still made my flight). The escalator to the connecting gates is just next to the escalator to baggage claim; if you take the correct escalator right to your flight, you'll be fine, as you then don't have to go through security.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
Good to hear, I wasn't sure. We're making the same connection in February but have 3 hours, so we should be OK. I do hear that at the Frankfurt airport they have free coffee machines w/espresso, and at 7:25 AM after an overnight flight, it might come in handy!
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you, Harold! Your reply was extremely helpful.
Posted by
PA
2909 posts
Harold--for real? Did we miss this in our jet lag? We connected through Frankfurt to Florence last week, both Lufthansa, and we did not notice any options leaving passport. We walked around the outside of security, and thought we were on our way to the gates, when we were stopped and sent back in. What should we have been looking for?
Oddly this is the first this has come up on taking this flight from PHL for the 3rd time, as the prior two we were going on to London or Istanbul, thus no Schengen immigration. We were moved right along behind security. No checked bags on any of these.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Larry: I realize now I was a bit hasty in saying that all the connecting gates are down an escalator without having to go through security again. They have been for the connections I've made (onward to Berlin and Dresden), but looking at my trip itineraries, I see these are the only connections to flights I've made onward on arrival at FRA. I thought it was more, but my other Lufthansa flights had different parameters (nonstop into Munich, or changing to a Lufthansa bus from FRA to Strasbourg).
So, Julietolle, I'm not sure if you will have to go through security again.
Posted by
Connecticut
337 posts
In 2011 (5 years ago, mind you), we had a 90 minute layover in Frankfurt on the way to Athens, flying Lufthansa. We just barely made our connection. The crowds at customs/passport control were huge and disorganized. Hopefully you won't have that scenario, but waste no time. Go straight to your next gate. Your Global Entry status won't help you in Europe. It will only help when you return to the US.