lamogood

I am flying from the U.S., briefly laying over in Amsterdam, then continuing to Italy. Am I correct in thinking that I'll pass through immigration control in the Amsterdam airport before boarding my flight to Italy, since Amsterdam is the first Schengen country I enter? Also, is it conceivable I might have to pass through security again during this Amsterdam layover? Thanks for any help.

AAFrequentFlyer

Immigration in AMS but unlike US, customs is done at the final destination so you won't see your checked bags until you get to Italy. You will go through security in AMS so don't buy any liquids at the US duty free shops as it will be confiscated at the AMS security.

Patty

That's correct. You'll go through passport control (immigration) at AMS. There's a central security check for Schengen departures which comes right after passport control. After the security check, you proceed to your departure gate.

If you have the same layover on the return (Italy-AMS-US), you'll go through passport control again at AMS (this time to exit Schengen) and the security check will be at your departure gate. If you're returning on a US carrier, there will also be a security interview (usually brief) conducted at the gate just prior to going through the xray/metal detector.

lamogood

Thanks for the great information. In the past, I've always been able to fly non-stop to Europe, but this time I have to layover (Dallas-Amsterdam AMS-Rome, all on KLM/NW). KLM won't give me a seat assignment on the second segment until I get to AMS. Can anyone give me a general idea of how I get my seat assignment. And, does this happen before or after immigration and security? Thanks again for any help.

AAFrequentFlyer

If you don't get seat assignment during your check in in US then proceed to "Flight Connections" once in AMS. You will go through immigration, then you will get to a room with the airline desks. There you can walk up to NWA/KLM desk and get a BP and a seat assignment for your flight to Rome.

btw, it's a common practice for intra European flights not to assign seats in economy unless you have status with the airline.

orca

I have a similar situation only I fly from California to Frankfurt to Zurich and THEN to my final destination- Rome. I go through customs in Frankfurt, correct? Where do I get my bags? I can't seem to find anything clear on this in my tons of travel books. Thanks.

xyz123

Actually as it stands today, 28/03/08, here is what happens...as Switzerland is not part of the Schengen agreement you will not pass through passport control at Frankfurt...rather you will remain in the transit lounge...there may or may not be a security check as you are not headed to a Schengen country...then upon arrival in Zurich, once again you will not go through passport control as you will be entering into a non Schengen country...and upon arrival in Italy from Zurich, then you will go through passport control at least based on the membership or non membership of Switzerland in both the eu and the Schengen agreement, that's the way I think it should work...

But interestingly enough, despite the fact it is not part of the eu, Switzerland will be joining the Schengen agreement in the near future...once that happens, you would go through passport control in Frankfurt, and then none in Switzerland and none in Rome as you would be remaining within Schengen countries....you won't go through customs in either case till you arrive in Rome (you final destinaton) and basically will have nothing to declare so chances are you will not see a customs inspector.

Security checks will probably be conducted at all intermediate stops...these seem to be the rage today and upon final departure back to the USA, the paranoid American government requires extra screening at the departure gate including random searches of hand luggage, pat downs, the whole works obviously not trusting their European supposed allies to do a thorough job (it's always interesting for me at Heathrow to go through this garbage..sometimes I get picked, sometimes not while at the adjacent gate for flights headed say to Canada, this idiocy is not deemed necessary.

Thank you Mike Chertoof and the rest of your TSA for all this nonsense.