How long should it take to get through customs?

Do you go through security again for a connecting international flight?

Okay, so like, security again for an international connection? Ugh, sometimes, yeah, you def gotta.

It totally sucks, but if you have to change terminals, especially if it’s in a whole different building, expect it. I remember in 2023 in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, it was a nightmare.

Sometimes it can be avoidable, maybe you are lucky! Depends on the airport’s layout.

Here’s the deal:

• Terminal Changes = Re-security, almost always. Think about it.
• Seamless transfers are a godsend. Stay inside the secure area? You good.
• International connections are, like, riskier. More likely you will go through customs/immigration.

It also depends on where you’re coming from and going to. Some countries have, uh, reciprocal security agreements, and I don’t know the exact names of any specific arrangements. Also, it really depends on how long your layover is.

If it’s super short, like, less than an hour, they might have a special lane for connecting flights (my dad had this in 2024 in Frankfurt). So, yeah, it varies so much. Plan for the worst, hope for the best—especially with those long international layovers, especially when in a new country and you don’t speak the language.

Is 1 hour early enough at the airport?

One hour? Risky.

• Domestic flights: Two hours. Airlines demand it.
• Security: Lines are hell. Predict them badly.
• Check-in closes: Miss it, miss your flight. Cruel.
• Boarding: Starts early. Don’t dawdle. I missed my flight once, and I learned the hard way from it! Never will forget that time.

Airports are chaotic. Factor in travel to the airport, potential traffic delays, and parking. Some airports have off-site parking requiring shuttle rides, which add more time. Bigger airports equal longer walks to gates. Also, peak travel times (holidays, early mornings, late afternoons) increase congestion. TSA PreCheck or CLEAR can expedite security, but aren’t guarantees.

Is 90 minutes enough for an international layover?

Ninety minutes? Hah! That’s a recipe for a panic attack, not a vacation. Unless you’re a gazelle on roller skates, forget it.

Two hours is the bare minimum, even if it’s all one airline—think of it as the “I’m sprinting with my carry-on like Usain Bolt while simultaneously dodging toddlers” minimum.

Different airlines? Buddy, you’re playing airport roulette. That’s a whole other level of crazy. More like three hours, at least. Possibly four, if you’re unlucky enough to be in Heathrow. Seriously, Heathrow’s like a labyrinth designed by mischievous pixies.

Here’s the deal:

• Baggage claim: Think of it as a black hole for suitcases. They could be anywhere.
• Immigration: Picture a line longer than my patience after three hours on a delayed flight.
• Security: Prepare for a full-body scan that feels like an airport-issue striptease.
• Terminal changes: It’s like navigating a mall during Christmas Eve, only with more stressed-out people. Last time I did it in Denver I swear I saw a yeti.

My buddy Mike missed his flight to Bali last year because of a 90-minute layover. He’s still salty about it. He now only books layovers with time for a solid nap. True story. I kid you not. It happened. He missed his dream vacation, the idiot.

How much time do you need between connecting international flights?

Three hours? Really? That’s like saying you need three days to assemble an IKEA bookshelf. I mean, technically true, maybe, if you’re me, but still.

• Minimum connection time (MCT): Varies WILDLY by airport. Check directly. Airport websites are your best friend, unless your best friend is actually good at parallel parking. Then, airport websites are your second-best friend.

• Factors impacting connection time: Consider terminal changes (ugh!), customs & immigration (double ugh!), and how good you are at power-walking. My power-walking is legendary, mostly because I’m always late.

• “Safe” isn’t a time, it’s a feeling: Personally, I prefer the feeling of “not sprinting through an airport, sweating profusely.” Three hours might just buy you that. Or the ability to grab a overpriced airport pretzel.

• Three hours, a starting point, not a law: It’s the Goldilocks zone – not too short (missed flight!), not too long (existential airport dread!). Maybe? I honestly don’t know anymore. Airports are weird.

Additional stuff, because why not?

• Airline’s responsibility: Missed connection due to delay? The airline typically rebooks you. But “typically” is a dangerous word, isn’t it?

• Travel insurance: A parachute for travel disasters. A slightly overpriced parachute, granted.

• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: Speed pass for security lines! Like having cheat codes for real life. Kinda.

• Layover strategy: Plot your escape route. Locate the nearest coffee. Mentally prepare for the existential dread.

Is three hours enough? Depends. Am I being helpful? Maybe not. Am I hungry? Definitely. I think I need a pretzel.