Please sign in to post.

Customs in Rome or Palermo?

We will be taking the RS tour of Sicily, leaving from the U.S. Most flights seem to stop in Rome and then travel on to Palermo. In which airport do we go through customs? If it is Rome, I want to make sure we have a long enough layover time there. Thank you!

Posted by
7731 posts

Flying on one ticket you go through Passport Control Immigration in Rome where they stamp your passport on your way to your connecting flight and then customs once you arrive in Palermo.

Posted by
829 posts

We had a three hour layover in Rome. Our flight was 30 minutes late from the US. It was a long walk between terminals. We had no line at passport control. I was glad to have the extra time when our plane was late.

Posted by
32173 posts

If Rome is your first stop after leaving the U.S., you will go through Passport control in Rome, where you'll receive a Schengen stamp in your Passport. You likely won't have to deal with Customs as you'll have nothing to declare. Your Rome - Palermo flight is an internal flight so there will be less "formalities". When you arrive in Palermo, just collect your luggage and head out the door to the transportation stops. Are you planning to take the bus into town?

Posted by
11056 posts

Changing planes in Rome from international to a domestic flight last fall, we were directed to a small passport control, immigration desk for transferring passengers. There was only one person ahead of us so it was quick and easy.
Nice airport and going from one terminal to another was easy by foot. Going through customs in another country usually consists of walking through the door labeled “Nothing to declare”, a non issue unless you are a business exporting goods there.
I think you wrote customs when you meant passport control, immigration.

Posted by
8889 posts

Customs is the check on goods, i.e. the contents of your luggage. This will take place when you collect your bags, if this is one ticket, your bags will be checked through to Palermo, and customs will be there.
However you do not need to worrying about customs, it is a random stop only, 95%+ do not get stopped.

What I think you are worried about is immigration (passport control), which is the check on people, whether you are allowed in and for how long. This will take place when you land fro the first time in the Schengen Area. If you are flying direct from the US to Rome, it will happen when you land in Rome.