Paris -- need advice on airport transfer

[Leejnd4]

Hi,

 

I posted this in the Europe forum before I realized this new forum included Paris. So I'll try it again here.

 

We're flying into Funchal, Madeira for our Med cruise in May. We have to change planes in Paris, but here's the kicker -- we arrive in CDG on Delta, and depart from Orly on TAP Air Portugal, and are responsible for transporting ourselves and our luggage between airports. We have 3 hours, 10 min. to make this connection.

 

I've been stressing for weeks now about this connection. Delta (who sold this flight combo) insists that this is a manageable connection -- they specify the minimum connect time is 180 minutes, and we have 190. The problem is, our flight arrives in CDG at 5:00 pm, so by the time we collect our luggage and get through customs and find the shuttle, we'll be right in the heart of rush-hour, right?

 

We've been told to use the free Air France shuttle that runs every 12 minutes. There is also a private shuttle service we could use, but that would cost us 70 Eu. They would be waiting for us when we emerge, rather than us having to wait for the next free shuttle. But I'm really not pleased with the idea of shelling out another hundred bucks just to be able to make our connection. (I didn't realize how complicated this was until after I purchased the tickets.) Delta refuses to change our flights without charging us a bundle.

 

I called Air France, and they say that, using their free shuttle, the longest it will take to get to Orly is 2 hrs 15 min, including collecting luggage and going through customs, which would give us an hour to go through security and check-in at Orly. The private shuttle service also says that they can assure us that we'll make it to Orly with at least an hour to spare.

 

I would really appreciate any feedback I could get from all of you Paris experts. How long does it really take to collect your luggage and go through customs? How long does it really take to drive from CDG to Orly? Is rush hour traffic going to make this connection impossible, or is it really not that bad? How bad is Orly airport for checking in? Should we save our money and take the free shuttle, or cough up the bucks to insure we make our flight? I'm having such difficulty in making this decision. (Believe me, I can think of many things I'd MUCH rather use that money for!)

 

Thanks, everyone!

 

LeeAnne

[Globaliser]

How much luggage will you have? Can you lift it yourself, and carry it several tens of yards, and can you control it on an escalator?

 

If you can, then you might want to have a look at the RER train. CDG is at one end of one line, and most if not all trains from there serve Orly. You have to get off at Antony station and then transfer to a fast rail shuttle that serves both the Orly terminals. This might take an hour, but has the advantage of not being subject to road congestion.

 

The RER station at CDG is most easily accessed if you arrive at 2D or 2F - it's situated in between those two terminals and is walkable from either. Any other terminal realistically requires using the T2 shuttle bus if you have luggage.

[Ine]

I would take the private transfer to feel better. I sounds better, although more expensive. Sorry about the money.

 

Donot forget that trains can be full due rush-hour. Also you might have some language problems.

[cberge]

I have done this before and with no problems..you should have enough time.When you get off the plane follow the crowd through passport control,then get your luggage and proceed through customs..no problem there.The easiest way IMHO is the Air France bus with is #3 and it will take you right to Orly.Checking in at Orly is not all that bad either..there is always someone you can ask for help along the way.I believe the shuttle is only free for those tranferring form one AF flight to the other,and the cost to take the shuttle is 11€ pp for others.There is a place for your luggage under the bus.It generally take 50 to 60 minutes from CDG to Orly and that is counting in traffic.Here is a link to both airports that you can look to check out gates etc.

Paris airports (Orly, CDG airport), flight times (arrivals, departures).

[Leejnd4]

Thanks for the responses!

 

I thought about the train, which I figure is probably the fastest way since, as it's not impacted by traffic. But I'll be traveling with my mother who is a senior citizen and she does not want to try to haul her luggage around in train stations. We've actually done that before -- she's quite active and strong, so normally I wouldn't worry about it, but a few years ago on a trip to Italy we got confused in a train station and ended up going up and down escalators dragging our luggage, and it was NOT fun. I think she'd kill me if I suggested we might have to do that again! ;)

 

I thought the Air France shuttle was free, but if it's not, I may go ahead and spend the extra to do the private shuttle after all. It's actually 65 Eu for both of us (I just checked again). That's 32.50 each...so if it's only 21 Eu more than the AF shuttle, oh what the heck. I'll buy a little peace of mind!

 

Again, thanks very much for the info...it helped me make my decision. :)

 

LeeAnne