This will totally out my as a complete newbie, but listen up. The only other time I've flown internationally was to Costa Rica in 2005. Then I was traveling with my school so I had almost everything taken care of by the chaperons. Now I'm going solo to Spain. My route takes me from DLH to MSP to EWR to BCN. I'm worried about the EWR part; I have about an hour between expected EWR arrival and my BCN departure.

Do I go through customs or immigration at this time?

Will I run in to either on my way to the gate, or will I have to find them?

What's the process like?

Thank you.

Unlike many countries, the United States does NOT have exit immigration control. So, you will simply go from your flight arriving from MSP to your flight departing from EWR to BCN. That being said--what airline(s) are you flying? If you're on CO for the entire itinerary, your arriving flight and departing flight at EWR should be in the same terminal, but if you're flying into EWR on NW and out on CO you'll have two terminals to deal with.

Your return (assuming its the same routing), will be different. You'll have to collect your bags and clear customs in EWR, re-check your bags, go through security screening and then proceed on to MSP.

I hope this helps.

Flying DLH-MSP-EWR-BCN you don't have to do anything different in the US. There is no exit immigrations or customs to depart the US. The EWR-BCN flight will depart from a regular gate, just like any other flight.

Once you get to BCN, you will go through Immigrations and Customs upon arrival.

First, here is a map of the Newark airport that will help you:

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US.../maps/ewr.aspx

There is one item of concern: Who are you flying from Minneapolis to Newark?

Continental, Continental Express, or Northwest?

I presume you are on the Continental flight from Newark-Barcelona.

At the Newark Airport, Northwest operates from a different terminal. NW operated flights use B-1. If on NWA, you will need to exit the secure area, proceed to the AirTrain (see map), and take the AirTrain to concourse C where Continental operates.

Continental Express uses gates in both Terminal C and A. If you arrive in A, there is a shuttle bus that connects A with C, where the Continental flight to BCN will depart.

Once behind security in C, locate the gate for BCN, board when called, and off you go!

At DLH, hopefully NWA will print all of your boarding passes, including the Newark to Barcelona. If they do not, check in Minneapolis to save time in Newark.

Two last things:

(1) The Continental flight from EWR to BCN is on a narrow-body Boeing 757. Not a lot of room to get up and walk around, but at least it is an overnight flight.

(2) Have a backup plan if you misconnect. The Newark airport gets busy in the evening and sometimes arrivals get delayed. If you misconnect, I would ask them to re-route you via Amsterdam. There should be plenty of options to be re-routed so that you don't get stuck in Newark for the night.

Enjoy Barcelona! It is one of my favourite cities - if you have any questions about Barcelona, let me know.

I travel there on a regular basis and love the city! The one thing to watch-out for in Barcelona is pick-pockets and petty crime. I've never had a problem - but watch your belongings.

Thank you so much. It's Continental from MSP and back to MSP. NWA only for DLH - MSP.

I know there's another flight to BCN later that night.

As for flying back, shouldn't be an issue. I have 1h 45m between EWR and MSP on the way back.

Another question...do I have to come up to the desk at my gate and register or check in or anything, or can I just board the plane when they call like on a domestic flight? Also, does Spain have outgoing customs (for when I leave)?

EDIT: Flight from MSP to EWR is CO 2236. Not sure what Terminal it goes into. Hopefully C! (Apparently switching terminals is a lot more complicated than I thought!)

There will be passport control when you leave Spain for the USA.

No, once you have your ticket, you could board your plane just like a domestic flight. In Spain, you'll have your passport looked at (and maybe get asked a few questions) before you get to the gate area. It's really quick. Once you're at the gate there, you'll board the plane just like regular domestic flights. Enjoy your trip!

FYI- here's a bit of advice that is not CO or NW specific, but might save you a headache or two in the future. First, a one hour connection time before an international flight that you really would like to make is not generally enough. Second, try to make your connections in Europe, that way if you misconnect you're at least stuck in an interesting place like London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt (particlarly interesting if you've never been there just because it's not the US).

Good luck.

US outbound: There's no government check. To check in for your flight you will have to show your passport. If you were going to a visa-required country they would insist on finding a proper visa. My understanding is that Spain doesn't require a visa but since I've never been there I can't confirm. The airlines do this check because they don't want to get you there and have to haul you back because you weren't allowed in.

Spain inbound: Never been there but I would assume it's like everyplace else I've been. You will encounter a line of booths of some kind which you must pass between. You show your passport at the booth, you'll almost always get a stamp. (In over 50 international visits I have gotten through without stamps twice. Both times in Singapore and both times because something interfered.) There will in all probability be some piece of paperwork handed out on the plane that you fill out, this official will collect it.

You then reclaim your checked baggage and go through customs. In most places they don't look at those who indicate they have nothing to declare but they do have the right to look at anything they want.

Spain outbound: Never been there but I figure it's like most of the world. It will look very much like it did coming in.

US inbound: You fill out a customs card on the airplane. You get the line of booths as always. I have encountered various ways of handling it so I can't say if it's varied over time or by airport. My recent experience is the passport guy decides if you are going to get further inspection or not. You reclaim your baggage. If you have been selected for additional inspection you then get it. (Note: This is usually over agricultural issues, not that they think you're a smuggler. They can and will take prohibited foodstuffs but so long as you don't lie nor attempt to conceal things there is no penalty beyond the lost stuff. I have seen the woman in front of us get in trouble for "concealment" that I would have considered simply careful packing--she had stuffed stuff inside a shoe. Since she also had similar stuff not hidden I don't think she was actually trying to conceal anything. I do believe she knew the beef was not permitted, though.)

Note that in the US at least you always clear customs at your initial point of entry, you will have to recheck your baggage after this (your bags will already be tagged properly.) I would add an hour above and beyond normal connection times for customs.

So long as you don't look like a bad guy border controls in most of the world are no big deal. The only place that's ever done more than open a bag and glance in is the US and that's agricultural. Even when the guy opened our suitcase and found a big seed pod right on top it wasn't a problem. (We had packed that suitcase in the shade of a big tree and didn't notice the tree's contribution.)

Your looks certainly do matter, though. Many years we stood for 2 hours trying to get into England. The problem was we looked a bit shabby--we had just spent the last 5 months going overland across Africa and our cool-weather clothing had been stolen (the thieves got into the suitcase of things we weren't using, thus the selective nature of the theft), so all we had was our beat-up tropical attire. To compound it we had money-transfer problems, we had a total of $5 (We weren't worried--we had a credit card that would now work.) and it was my mother and I, we didn't know where my father was. (He had had to fly out earlier, then we discovered we couldn't continue with our plans as it was going to be a month before we would have another opportunity to get a plane, so we followed him a few days later instead of a few weeks as intended.) Not only that, but I was 17 and my mother was blind.

We finally got the guy to take the credit card over to the airline and see if they would accept it for tickets onward. When they had no problem with it his tune changed dramatically.

No Visa needed for Spain for US passport holders entering as tourists. Spain is also a Schengen member; once you're in Spain, you're free to travel to other Schengen nations without having to go through any immigration controls.

There is a landing card and a departure card for Spain. Keep the departure stub for when you leave. Whether they collect it or not is another issue.

I've always found the landing card somewhat unusual since Spain is a Schengen Member - Wikipedia link about: Schengen

Most Schengen member nations do not have a landing card. Immigration is quite simple at BCN. When I entered at BCN last (Nov 07) they did have to bus us from our aircraft to Immigrations. There is construction going on at BCN and not enough overseas arrival & departure gates.

For Customs, just proceed through the Green lane unless you have something to declare. Chances are, you'll walk right through.

FWIW, I usually enter Spain via AMS. Both are Schengen nations, so I go through Immigrations at AMS and arrive as an intra-Schengen flight -- but on my Nov 07 trip, I arrived on an intl flight and entered at BCN.

Spain, like other Schengen nations, does have outbound immigration. Because of gate issue at BCN, sometimes they put international flights at domestic / Schengen gates. Technically one should go through exit immigration and get a stamp in your passport.

If you (the OP) don't go through exit immigration and depart at a regular gate, be sure to get an entry stamp upon arrival at EWR. I've always seen CO use an intl gate at BCN, likely because of security procedures for the non-stop to EWR.

The setup at EWR is efficient for US Immigrations and Customs. Chances are the OP will arrive into C, but there is another immigration facility over in the B concourse that CO uses as an overflow for some flights.

If you enter at B, you can re-deposit your checked luggage there & just hop on the AirTrain and take it back to terminal C.

If the OP clears in EWR C, you'll just re-deposit checked luggage, clear TSA security and off to your next gate.

I hear there's a bus that goes from terminal A to C at EWR. Anybody know how often it runs?

Also....just making sure, all I do when I get to EWR (going to Barcelona, not back) is go to the terminal where that bus leaves, get off at C, run to my gate, and wait for the flight, right?

Another question:

They say to arrive at the airport early (like 2 hours) for international flights. Well, obviously I can't do that at Newark. Should I arrive early at Duluth?

Yes. The 2-hour check-in advice applies to the first flight taken on the international itinerary, even if it's a domestic connection to the int'l gateway. It's at this first check-in where they'll tag your checked bag to the final destination and more importantly where they'll scan your passport and check any other required travel documents (which it sounds like doesn't apply to you), so that's where they want the extra time if necessary.

Just a note - EWR's inbound customs is a tragic mess of disorganization.

Give yourself LOTS of time to change planes. I don't care if it normally runs like a well oiled machine - 3.5 hours and i barely had enough time to grab a bite and run to my plane.

I think you just hit a bad day. EWR's inbound customs and immigration is usually one of the quickest one's I've been through. 15-20 minutes to get through immigration, pick up my bag (if I'm carrying one) and to walk out the front door. I've never (in over 15 inbound international flights last year) had it take more than 30 minutes.

I've never had any excessive waits at EWR Immigrations and Customs.. It seems to run rather smoothly, both in the C concourse and the FIS facility over in B likewise. I've entered plenty of times from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia at EWR.

There is always the chance one could hit it on a bad day, but I wouldn't schedule an excessive wait time because it is possible. If one misses their connection - which can happen anywhere - just get re-scheduled for the next flight.