Airport transfer in Europe

[Surfergirl]

We are looking at flights to Europe for next summer. We will have to transfer flights in Frankfurt on the way to Barcelona. If we are transferring in the same terminal, do we need to go through customs and immigration in Frankfurt or just once we arrive in Barcelona. I'm worried since the airlines allotted transfer time is less than an hour and a half.

 

[everafter1]

We were on the Med cruise this past May and booked our flights through DCL, and they had us change planes in Frankfurt. They gave us just about 2 hours between flights and we needed it.

At the time some of the airport was under construction, so we had to take all these round about ways to get to the other plane. Customs and security actually took the least amount of time through the process. I can't remember if we were supposed to be in the same terminal that we landed, but we were detoured quite a bit. That may be something to consider if the airport is still under construction and/or you're not familier with it.

Either way, the cruise was amazing and you'll have a great time

 

[Surfergirl]

Thanks for your reply. Our other flight option gives us 3 hours between flights which I may choose just for peace of mind.

 

[castawaycayfans]

We did the flight through Frankfurt and also had a 3 hour layover, that due to a flight delay leaving home disappeared. We landed at the time that our other flight was due to take off. The agents met us and several other people on our flight at the gate and gave us a nice ride underneath the Frankfurt airport. They took us to a customs area with agents waiting just for us and reloaded us back on our bus to go very quickly to the next gate to catch the flight to Barcelona. The plane was held for us and everyone else had already boarded. We got to Barcelona about 1 1/2 hour late, but thankfully we had decided to fly in a day early and no big deal. That was our experience. We were met in Malta on the second day of our cruise with people waiting on the dock whose flight from Philly was delayed to the point that they missed the ship in Barcelona. Build in extra time to allow for things like that. By the way, we had the most amazing time on our cruise!

 

[DopeyFan1966]

You will have to go through customs in Frankfurt. The good news is on your way back you won't have to go through customs in Frankfurt, just your first stop in the states (hopefully your only stop).

The reason some people missed their flights this past summer was because of all the backlog from the volcano. I think that if the construction is completed in Frankfurt you should be fine, but I would book the flight with at least a 2 hour layover in Frankfort.

Which date are you taking the cruise? We are on the May 28 cruise.

 

[Surfergirl]

We Are on the June 29th cruise. We will be flying in the day before from Canada .

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

You will need to go through customs at FRA as that's your point of entrance into the EU. You don't go through customs at BAR as within the EU there is a freedom to travel (both for persons and goods) within the EU and you've been screened within the EU at FRA already. So basically you do customs twice (US and FRA)

Back; twice customs. Once at BAR as a start and second check at FRA as part of flying outside of the EU (checks for USA-destined fligths tend to be heightened anyway).

You will need the transfer time. Forget the construction mentioned or any Islanding vulcano having PMS-troubles or not, FRA is a large airport that isn't always that....... quick. For instance, at FRA some flights still arrive and/or depart at gates that do not use a jetway. Read; add quite some time extra for using bustransportation from terminal to plane and vice versa. While the shorter flights run a bigger risk of this happening to them, the transatlantic aint "safe" from it either. Which flights this will affect is not know until very last minute, can be even a last second change.

Depending on the precise gates your assigned it can be a very long travel to get from one flight to the other, esp. since you're moving from "non EU-screened" to "EU screened" area.

Don't sweat it, that won't help you now. An hour and 40 minutes could be enough, it could be too short. You don't know for sure until you arrive at FRA. If you were to unfortunately miss your flight; the airline is responsible for getting you to Barcelona, assuming you booked a through-ticket and not booked 2 seperate tickets on your own. If you do miss the flight; it's easier to get onto another flight the same day to Barca as it would be to your destined airport in Canada. If that is any good news? But really; don't worry about it now, you're booked and that's it.

 

[everafter1]

Thanks for your reply. Our other flight option gives us 3 hours between flights which I may choose just for peace of mind.

That's probably what I would do, if you have the time. As someone else mentioned, there was no jetway when we got off the plane and we had to take a bus. I think we may have been all over that airport, but it worked out