Intercontinental to European flight transfer time in Zurich airport: is 2 hours too short?

Intercontinental to European flight transfer time in Zurich airport: is 2 hours too short? - Cheerful female manager checking time on wristwatch standing with bags near bus station

I'll be flying from Asia to Europe via Zurich in the summer. I bought a ticket with Oman Air to Zurich.

Now I'm planning to buy a ticket from Zurich to my home country on a different company, Swiss airlines. If I buy this ticket I'll have exactly 2 hours to transfer from one flight to the other. I arrive in Zurich airport at 19h00 and depart at 21h00.

In Zurich airport, I'll have to pick up my luggage, go through customs and/or immigration, check in my luggage to my home country and catch the flight.

Is it doable? To me it seems quite risky. I've been monitoring the flight time arrival in Zurich and the biggest delay in the last 15 days was a 20-minute delay on arrival (I would then have 1h40 to change flights). Still this is not a guarantee there will be delays.

My other alternative is to stay one night in Zurich and catch the early morning flight.

I'm a citizen of a country belonging to the European Union and Schengen area and my passport is the electronic one - I can use the scan machines to speed up the process - small or no queue at all and like a 10 seconds check only.

I'm also not sure if the arrival and departure terminals are the same. I've flown from Asia (with Swiss) to my home country before on a 1-ticket journey and I had to change terminals taking the airport subway.



Best Answer

Zurich Airport is extremely efficient, so you'll be fine if the incoming flight is on time -- but that's a big if.

If you want to take the gamble, I would recommend you consider the profit-loss tradeoff here: How much would it cost to spend the night in Zurich? (Not cheap either.) What the cost would be of missing your flight? Do you have reasonably priced alternate transportation? Does being late mean mild inconvenience or losing your job?

Personally, I probably wouldn't risk it (I hate missing flights), but your mileage may vary.




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Intercontinental to European flight transfer time in Zurich airport: is 2 hours too short? - Airline Flight Schedules on Flat screen Televisions
Intercontinental to European flight transfer time in Zurich airport: is 2 hours too short? - Flight Schedule Screen Turned on
Intercontinental to European flight transfer time in Zurich airport: is 2 hours too short? - Man in airport waiting for boarding on plane



Is 2 hour layover enough in Zurich?

Normal "legal connection" time in ZRH is 45mins so 1 hour should be fine.

Is one hour enough for a connecting flight in Zurich?

Your layover should be at least 4.5 hours, which will give you a couple of hours to explore the city, plus allow for transportation time back to the airport, clearing airport security, collecting any stored bags, and being at your gate at least 30 to 45 minutes before departure.

How long does a connecting flight to Zurich take?

Minimum Connection Time: Z\xfcrich Airport transfer Below you can find the minimum time needed for connecting flights in Z\xfcrich Airport. Between domestic flights: 40 min. Between domestic and international flights: 40 min.

Do I have to go through customs for a connecting flight in Zurich?

Because you are entering the Schengen area in Zurich, you will go through passport control here. But you will not go through customs. As soon as you pass through passport controls in Zurich, you will be at the Skymetro.



PCR Test for Travel (Zurich Airport Switzerland)




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