How long to get through customs?

[tylor84]

Hi, my friend and I are flying in to EZE at 2:00 PM on June 20th and need to arrange a time to meet our landlord in Palermo that same day. What time do think is reasonable to tell him to meet us, taking into account we have to go through customs, grab our bags and get a taxi to Palermo? I am a little afraid of being stuck on the sidewalks with all our baggage waiting for the landlord, but at the same time I don't want to keep him waiting. Thanks.

 

[jez]

- Will your plane arrive on time?
- Will there be a queue at customs?
- will your baggage come through quickly?
- will there be much traffic en-route to Palermo?

Your best bet would be to let the landlord know the approximate time of arrival, then call when you are through customs, or just before you get a taxi. Take some small u$s change, buy something in a shop to get some change for the phone.

(you will need to confirm you can spend u$s at the airport shops, or withdraw some AR$ on arrival)

 

[Liam3494]

You also have immigration to get through. Where are you flying from, and who with? They all make a difference. Last year I went back to Europe for a trip using Iberia when I returned to BA - It rook an hour plus to get thru immigration (lots of EU passport holders). This year I went home via the US, and arrived back in BA on a US Carrier, and as an EU passport holder, I was thru immigration in less than a minute, as all the US arrivees were being seperated and made to pay their "Welcome" tax.

So, as Jez says, there are a lot of variables to consider before an homest answer can be given. In general, you should leave an hour to get thru the airport, and if you have a car booked, maybe 30 minutes to palermo - If you have to wait for a taxi, ro organise one when you get here, maybe another hour.

Maybe the best thing to do is get a taxi to Palermo, go to a cafe/bar, relax, have a drink, call your landlord, and arrange to meet him/her now you are arrived in Palermo.

 

[arty]

figure 1-1.5 hours to get off the plane and through customs and another hour to get to b.a. via a taxi, better to figure more time than less time

 

[SaraSara]

Maybe the best thing to do is get a taxi to Palermo, go to a cafe/bar, relax, have a drink, call your landlord, and arrange to meet him/her now you are arrived in Palermo.

Excellent idea. Most cafes will let you use their phones for a local call.

Get a taxi from the booth a the arrival hall. and ignore offers of "bargain rides" -- pirate cabs working the airport often charge double for the trip, hold the luggage for ransom, or in some extrema cases take people to an isolated place and rob them of everything they have.

Best of luck,

Sara

 

[steveinbsas]

Maybe the best thing to do is get a taxi to Palermo, go to a cafe/bar, relax, have a drink, call your landlord, and arrange to meet him/her now you are arrived in Palermo.

I would not do this. It is way too obvious you are a foreigner and everything you have with you could be up for grabs, literally! It means being seen on the street with your bags, and sitting in a cafe where a small bag could "magically" disappear. Landlords (or their agents) will wait at the apartment for people who are bringing them money! Anyone who sees you sitting in a cafe with your luggage will also assume you are carrying money!

Get a taxi from the booth a the arrival hall. and ignore offers of "bargain rides" -- pirate cabs working the airport often charge double for the trip, hold the luggage for ransom, or in some extrema cases take people to an isolated place and rob them of everything they have.

SaraSara is right about "private" cabs, but I always go out of the airport, turn right and find a cab (radio taxi) that is dropping off departing passengers. I confirm the price before I get in the cab and write down the name of the driver and his ID number (on the card behind his seat) during the ride into town.

Please have the cab take you directly to the building where you are staying. If there is no portero on duty at the scheduled time of you arrival (most of them are there M-F all morning ) be sure the landlord or his agent is waiting!

 

[SaraSara]

I would not do this. It is way too obvious you are a foreigner and everything you have with you could be up for grabs, literally! It means being seen on the street with your bags, and sitting in a cafe where a small bag could "magically" disappear. Landlords (or their agents) will wait at the apartment for people who are bringing them money! Anyone who sees you sitting in a cafe with your luggage will also assume you are carrying money!

Good point - somehow I never thought about the risk of being seen with a ton of luggage. I live out in the suburbs, where there are many burglaries but not many sidewalk thieves. Posts like this are the very reason I joined this forum: to see BA through foreigner's eyes - quite enlightening for an Argentine.

 

[Johnno]

This was extremely useful for me too - I will be coming down in about 3 weeks from now - just for a two week stay this time - but permanently in January - its this sort of intel that really does make the difference - I have not lived/worked overseas for a long time so I am a bit rusty/complacent about things because here in Oz we don't have to worry about this stuff - time for me to get my brain switched on again to expat life lol

 

[tylor84]

Cool, thanks for the info. It's good to know about the taxis.

 

[Liam3494]

Steve - Good point, I hadn't thought of that, probably for the same reason as Sara, living in the sticks, those thoughts don't enter my head as a problem.