customs in Frankfurt

Look at a map. Frankfurt is not between Indiana and London. If you want to go to London, fly directly to London. Then you wouldn't have this problem.

On what airline are you arriving in Frankfurt? Are all flights on one ticket?

Does your ticket already have both your arrival in Frankfurt and your departure to London on it? If that is what the airlines are calling for, it's probably enough time.

Unless you are changing terminals, coming in, for instance, on a US airline, like NWA or USAir, and going out on Lufthansa, you probably will not change terminals and will not have to go through passport control, which doesn't take much time, anyway. If you have baggage checked through from the US to London, you won't have to worry about customs in Frankfurt. You will not see your luggage until London, where you will have to go through customs, if you do at all.

Of course, if you have ticketed these two flights separately, all bets are off.

I have changed planes in Frankfurt, on a Lufthansa flight from Munich to a Lufthansa flight to the US, and I did it in less than an hour.

OK, I just checked with the Frankfurt Airport official site. It looks like BA flights leave from Terminal 2. On what airline are you arriving. If Lufthansa, you will have to change terminals, and that will involve passport control, transit time, and at least one pass through security. Better allow a couple of hours. Again, is this all on one ticket, so you luggage will be checked through. If not, allow even more time.

In eleven trips to Europe, eight in this century, I have never had to go through a customs check. However, if they don't check it all the way to London, you will have to wait for your baggage, then go to check in and check it to London.

Thanks- know my geography- just not how bad customs was at Frankfurt. When you are flying on free tickets because of miles, you go where they allow- and they didn't allow open jaw tickets. Just need to know if I can make the BA flight 3 hours after I land as I prefer to take the flight into fly into London City instead of another London airport.

I think that in any case, as long as the flight is not delayed, 3 hours should be plenty of time. You still didn't say on what airline you are arriving in Frankfurt. Lufthansa and Star Alliance airlines use Terminal 1, most non-alliance US airlines use Terminal 2, so you might not have to change terminals at all. Every time I have arrived in Frankfurt, after passport control there have been customs lines for "something to declare" and for "nothing to declare". Having nothing to declare, I have just walked out of the customs area. And if your luggage is checked through to London, you shouldn't even have to worry about that.

So, give me a little help. On what airline are you arriving. I'm pretty familiar with FRA and with the website. I'll try to help you.

If you are just transiting through Frankfurt you won't have to go through customs or passport control.

Here's the airport's guide on transiting through:

Frankfurt Aiport Guide

Now, assuming your flight into Frankfurt is on time, three hours should be more than enough time.

Thanks all- appreciate the help!