international travel newbie!

The airline will pass out the appropriate forms not too long before you land. Having a pen handy is a good idea. Once on the ground you will be herded in the right direction. They don't really want to lose track of anyone and they are used to foreigners of all kinds. Passport check and questions about the reason for your stay, how long, and sometimes where you intend to stay come next. Then you pass through baggage check. Then you are free. It can take as little as a half hour after landing or as long as two hours or more if customs goes on strike. Most likely 30 to 40 minutes maximum. If you checked bags (I don't recommend that) you will have to wait for your bags before going through baggage check. If your husband arrives just a little after you, you should come up close to even.

You won't get those forms until re-entering the USA. Here's a great resource for all things Rome/Italy: RonInRome.com! I've used this particular post titled "Where To Meet At FCO"; it's fantastically helpful! http://www.roninrome.com/%20transportation/where-to-meet-at-fco As far as how long it will take...probably a whole lot less time if you don't need to collect checked luggage! Otherwise, it's really hard to say - you need to go through Passport Control, and then you're on your way. The closer to the front of this line you can get, the better. RonInRome can give you an idea of how things 'work' around FCO ;-)

Thanks for the replies. I will check out the Ron in Rome site.

Landing in Rome, you will go through passport control (immigration) but not customs. You won't have anything to declare. And the amount of time it takes to get through the process is not so much determined by "if customs goes on strike", but by how many other planes are landing at the same time.

I usually estimate an hour from the time the plane lands to the time I'm out. Of course on any given day it could be quicker or take more time, but that's my rule of thumb.