How much time to leave for connections

A connection that looks fine on a booking site can be tight in real life. The time printed between two flights or trains doesn't include walking between gates, passport control, a late arrival or finding a different station. Here is how to judge whether a connection is realistic.

Single ticket or separate tickets?

This is the most important question.

• On a single ticket (one booking for the whole journey), the airline or rail operator sets a minimum connection time, and if a late first leg makes you miss the next, they are generally responsible for getting you to your destination.
• On separate tickets (a "self-transfer"), each journey is independent. If you miss the second because the first was late, the second company usually owes you nothing, and you may need a new ticket.

So separate tickets need much bigger buffers.

Flights: what takes time

When connecting between flights, allow for:

• Getting off the plane, which can take 20 minutes from a back row or a remote stand with buses.
• Walking or taking a train between terminals. Large airports can take 20–30 minutes terminal to terminal.
• Passport control and security. International-to-domestic connections often mean passport control and a fresh security check.
• Baggage. On some routes you must collect and recheck bags — for example, on arrival in the United States from abroad, you clear immigration and customs at your first airport, then recheck your bags for a domestic flight.

The airline's minimum connection time is the shortest legal connection, not a comfortable one.

Rough buffers that work

These are starting points; adjust for the specific airport, time of day and how you travel.

• Domestic flight connections on one ticket: at least an hour at a large airport.
• International connections on one ticket: at least 90 minutes, more if you change terminals or pass immigration.
• Self-transfer between flights: three hours or more, and more again if you must collect and recheck bags.
• Train to train on one ticket: follow the operator's planning, but be cautious of very short changes at large stations.
• Train to train on separate tickets, or changing stations: at least 45–60 minutes; more for international trains with check-in.
• Flight to train or train to flight: allow for delays on the first leg plus check-in or security on the second. Two to three hours is common.

Check the details

• Same airport or station? Some cities have several airports or main stations far apart.
• Which terminal? Look it up for both flights.
• Time of day. Early-morning and evening peaks mean longer queues.
• Time zones. When a connection crosses a border with a time difference, make sure you're comparing times in the same zone.
• Season. Holiday weekends and summer peaks slow everything down.

Protect yourself

• Prefer single tickets for tight or important connections.
• On separate tickets, consider booking a flexible second leg, or travel insurance that covers missed connections.
• Keep the first leg's operator app on your phone for real-time updates.
• If the first leg is late, tell staff early; they can sometimes help you through queues.

The night before

Recheck times, terminals and platforms. Schedules change after booking, and a connection that was fine when you booked can quietly become impossible.

Elio Travels checks your itinerary for connections that are too tight, transport that's missing between places and items that overlap, and can work out when you need to leave to make the next one.