Flight Connection Questions

If I fly SwissAir from Paris to Zurich, will I have to go through immigration/customs in Zurich before catching my connecting flight?

Yes. But you will only go through immigration. Customs is where you exit at your final destination.
You would go through customs in Paris.

I know if I choose the Lufthansa flight connecting in Munich that I will not need to, correct?

Incorrect You will go through immigration in Munich on your way to your connecting flight to Paris
You would go through customs in Paris.

How about if I choose a connecting flight in London? Would I have to go through immigration/customs there?

No.

I think the OP is asking about the return flight, not the initial flight over. But the above answers for Zurich and Munich are correct as to immigration/passport control, although the flights are reversed.

Thanks so much for the info!

Kristen, you're not looking at two one-way flights -there and back- are you? What are the numbers you're seeing?

I agree it is a little confusing as to the plan. Are you coming home from Paris? Try to keep this simple. At the last stop in the Schengen zone -- either Zurich or Munich - you will go through exit immigration. Basically checking to see if you have overstayed your Schengen zone, 90 day visia. No customs. No difference between those two airports or even Paris if you were returning directly to the US. On arrival at the first US airport you will go through US immigration and US customs. Since London is outside of the Schengen zone you will go through exit immigration on the flight prior to London. In London you should stay behind in what is called a "transit zone" and just change gates with no checks since you technically have not entered Great Britain. You cannot avoid passing through exit immigration from the Schengen zone.

What is the concerning about going through immigration?

I don't have concerns with going through passport control except whether or not the layover is long enough. Otherwise, no worries. I just didn't fully understand the process, but I get it now :)

I did decide on the Lufthansa flights with a connection in Munich both going to Paris and returning home. The nonstop flights didn't work for going to Paris as they all leave earlier than when I'm able to get to the airport after work, and coming home, they were ridiculously expensive.

Again, thanks a bunch!

Kristen

...coming home, they were ridiculously expensive..... That part was also adding confusion. Were you pricing two, one-way tickets? Or pricing an open-jaw or multi-city tickets. Generally an open jaw ticket is not more expensive than a round trip ticket. We do nearly all of our trips with open jaw tickets and sometimes find them to be cheaper than RT tickets and if more expensive in the range of maybe an extra hundred dollars but ridiculously expensive.

I was just pricing roundtrip Chicago to Paris. The United nonstop coming home was $500 more expensive than making one stop on the way home. That $500 difference between the flights just seems crazy to me. I researched many carriers, and the Lufthansa flights, in the end, had flight times that worked for me and they had decent prices.

It's booked now. I've vowed not to track the prices anymore, haha!

Thank you, everyone, for all of your help! The Rick Steves forum members are always so helpful!

Kristen

Just remember this.......whatever airport you leave from Schengen to the USA is where you will go through exit immigration. This doesn't take long. All of western Europe except the UK and Ireland are in Schengen.

Examples: Munich--Paris--Chicago. (Paris for exit immigration)
Paris--Munich--Chicago (Munich for exit immigration.)

No customs on exiting.

The internal flights in Europe as stated above are like flying domestically in the U.S. No immigration.

Great job, Kristen!