Trip to Rome
 

My family and I have a trip to Rome beginning on Tuesday. We fly from Greensboro to Atlanta. We have to check in on Air France for a flight to Rome where we have to check in with Alitalia. We are flying business class to Paris and to Rome. According to Delta, they can check our bags all the way through; although, these are not code share flights.

I was wondering what to expect once we get to Paris. Will we have to clear customs? Will we be able to obtain our tickets at the gate for Alitalia? Any tips on what we might do to expedite this process. We have about a 2 hour layover in Atlanta and in Paris.

I appreciate your thoughts. I will post this on the Air France board as well.

You will be able to get your boarding passes in Greensboro for all of your flights. You will have to go through Passport Control in Paris but you will not have to take your checked luggage through Customs. Generally, Customs does not bother with your hand luggage.

You will take your checked luggage through Customs in Rome. The color of the tag on your luggage will let Customs know that you did not start your flight in Paris (if you had, it would not be subject to a Customs check.)

When we went to Rome in Dec./Jan. (MSP-ATL-AMS-FCO) out passports were stamped in AMS but nobody said boo in Rome. We just took our suitcases & hit the road.

That is generally the case, assuming you walk through the Green line at Customs. Still, Customs can see from the tag on your suitcase that you started the flight in the US and can check it if it so desires.

This is because the Netherlands and Italy participate in the Schengen Treaty--which doesn't recognize borders between all participating countries with respect to immigration (and customs). At present, there are 15 countries. Note that these countries aren't necessarily the same as the EU countries.

In your case, flying between Amsterdam and Rome is considered "domestic" for purposes of immigration (also customs)--equivalent of flying from, say, San Francisco to Denver. The reason you didn't get "boo" in Rome is because you entered in the Netherlands. Your bags, as was earlier mentioned, did not get the green stripes and as such, you're still subject to customs, though there's hardly anyone there to interrogate you. Your luggage, didn't go through formalities in the Netherlands (since they were probably checked "through").

Yeah, it's weird, but far less stressful than entering into the US.

I'm well aware of all that.

France (where the OP writer is entering) is also a Schengen country.

When you get into a "nothing to declare" line in Europe, it's almost as though there is no propensity to find out otherwise. Basically, if nobody stops you, keep walking. The first Roman you're likely to strike up a conversation with is a crooked taxi driver (say "no thanks" and keep walking!).

Actually, immigration controls are regulated by the Schengen treaty, while customs controls are regulated by the EU treaty.

You therefore get green stripes on luggage tags when travelling from the UK (a non-Schengen - EU country) to France (a Schengen - EU country).

You would not get green stripes when travelling from Norway (a Schengen associated - non EU country) to Finland (a Schengen - EU country).