First Time International.. Help?

Question

I am leaving in a few weeks from Dallas to Germany, The flight goes Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to London, Then London to Germany. Does anyone have any tips on Customs, The Long flight (what to do), and any pointers on the airport of things to make sure and do?

Answer 1

Customs, do not bring anything you know you should not bring, (no drugs, not too many cigarettes, not too much alcohol,) and check the regulations if you are in doubt.
Take your medicines in your hand luggage and bring a presciption and a medical document explaning what they are and that you need them.
If they are liquids you can only bring a moderate amount in your carry-on, and you have to check the rest in your hold luggage. If so, be sure the bottles are labeled with your name, your doctors and the brand name as well as the lating name of the medicine, with a copy of the medical declaration packed with them.
That way you can just walk on through the green channel with your head high.

Put all your pointy and sharp objects (knife, shavers, nail clippers,) and all liquids you need in your checked luggage. And do not bring any lighters or matches. (Although I still do not understand why they are so nervous about those.)

Take a clean shirt, underwear and socks with you in your carry-on, (and deodorant, soap, toothpaste, all in a plastic zipperbag for security check) and a toothbrush, so you can clean up yourself inbetween flights or after you have slept onboard. And to make sure you have something if your check in luggage arrives later than you do.

In your carry on should also be a guidebook to read up on your destination, if you have not done that yet, and a good book that you can finish in the flight, (better make it a book you know you will want to read, it is not nice to notice at the start of a long flight that you hate the book you bought.)
There is normally an inflight movie, and I always got free headphones for them, but some people prefer to bring their own.
Bring your music player, (MP 3 or so) if you have one.
And if you are the kind of person doing crosswords or Sudoku, bring a book of those.
You will want to sleep on the long leg, but the shorter legs of the flight will still be long enough.

There will be food onboard (still free of charge on long distance flights,) but bring some cash or a creditcard for the things they sell in the onboard store.

If you are the kind of person going crazy in tax-free shops, make a list of the prices at home of the things you would like to buy, as the tax-free shops do not seem too cheap to me.

Check in early, so you have time for all securety checks, and do not have to rush.
During the stops underway you may have to stay in the plane (although I never seen one stop like that,) go to a lounge for just the passengers of your plane, or even have to go from one terminal or airport to an other.
If you have to travel from one airport to an other in London, check passport and visa requirements, as long as you stay in one airport you should be ok.