How long does it take to go through customs in Zurich?
From a transatlantic flight, it usually takes me 30-40 minutes max from plane landing to me exiting the customs area, including picking up luggage. From a European flight, more like 20 mins.
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Customs usually takes... 30 seconds or less. Assuming your United flight arrives on time, your problem will be boredom, not lack of time. 3 hours is more than enough time.
1 hour 50 minutes is ample time to go through passport control, take a short shuttle train ride from the central terminal to the E concourse and pass security in Zurich - IF your flight from Prague is not severely delayed.
Thanks to the airport's compact size and the famous Swiss efficiency, the minimum connection time between flights is just 40 minutes. However, to avoid having to rush through the airport or stress about missing your flight in case of delays, choose an itinerary with a layover of at least one hour.
Depending on your arrival gate, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to around 30 minutes to reach your connecting flight gate, plus additional time to get through passport control and security checks if traveling internationally.
From a transatlantic flight, it usually takes me 30-40 minutes max from plane landing to me exiting the customs area, including picking up luggage. From a European flight, more like 20 mins.
Zurich Airport is busy, but efficient and well-laid out. Swiss (Swiss International Airlines, formerly SwissAir) has the most daily flights in and out of the airport, but dozens of airlines serve Zurich Airport, including major U.S. carriers Delta, American, and United, as well as British Airways, KLM, and EasyJet.
What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.
What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.
The bad news is that the time it takes can vary wildly depending on which airport you travel through and when you land. Customs will take a lot longer if a bunch of flights all land at the same time, but, on average, it takes about 20 minutes or less to get through customs.
Duty-free regulations can be very strictly enforced. Visitors should be aware that there are now flying patrols of Frontier Guards who have the right to stop any car anywhere in Switzerland to see if there is undeclared merchanize in the car, and there are substantial penalities for undeclared items.
Zurich Airport (IATA: ZRH, ICAO: LSZH) is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zürich, Switzerland's largest city, and, with its surface transport links, much of the rest of the country.
For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection. For international flights on different airlines, the connection time will need to be even greater as you may have to change terminals between the two flights.
If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.
Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.
If you miss your connection booked with the same airline that your were on for your first flight, and the issue is due to a delayed take off or anything else that's in the hands of your airline, it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you on the next available flight.
If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight.
If you can't avoid connecting, don't book the shortest layover, because you'll be building in stress and the possibility of missing your flight. A 1-hour layover is not enough anymore. Thirty minutes, not a chance. In most cases, 3 hours is safe.
We generally recommend you get to the airport around 2 hours before departure (short-haul routes) or 3 hours before departure (long-haul routes). Note also the personalised information in your pre-flight e-mail and on your boarding pass.
As a guide, we recommend that you arrive at the airport two to three hours before departure. You can find the recommended arrival time for your flight when you select the desired flight: Go to Departures.