Changing Planes in Paris (CDG)

[Cyber Kat]

I saw that other thread about changing planes, so I hope this is the place to ask this.

 

We're doing a Rhine river cruise in Aug of 2016. The flight over is non-stop, but our flight back from Zurich to Newark, NJ has us stopping in Paris to change planes. There's about an 1 and 1/2 between flights, but I've only changed planes in domestic airports, so I don't know if we have to do customs, immigration or security again. The flight is a Delta/Air France (Air France from Zurich to Paris and Delta from Paris to EWR. We are flying business/first and I'm assuming we will be able to check our bags through.

 

Is this cutting it too close? We have the Viking Air Plus and there is a direct flight to JFK - I'm not sure if I should try for that one. My husband thinks I'm nuts to worry - and he's usually the worrier! It is the flight going home, but still I'd hate to miss the connection

[Hydrokitty]

I saw that other thread about changing planes, so I hope this is the place to ask this.

 

We're doing a Rhine river cruise in Aug of 2016. The flight over is non-stop, but our flight back from Zurich to Newark, NJ has us stopping in Paris to change planes. There's about an 1 and 1/2 between flights, but I've only changed planes in domestic airports, so I don't know if we have to do customs, immigration or security again. The flight is a Delta/Air France (Air France from Zurich to Paris and Delta from Paris to EWR. We are flying business/first and I'm assuming we will be able to check our bags through.

 

Is this cutting it too close? We have the Viking Air Plus and there is a direct flight to JFK - I'm not sure if I should try for that one. My husband thinks I'm nuts to worry - and he's usually the worrier! It is the flight going home, but still I'd hate to miss the connection

 

Cyberkat if it were me, I would use the Viking plus and try for the direct flight to JFK..not because of the time factor but because it sounds like JFK is closer to you than Newark and going home if I can get a non-stop into JFK, I always opt for it just because I'm done traveling and I want to go home! (That doesn't mean that after I've done I few loads of laundry I'm not ready to go again!) :D

[Bailey Swedishfish]

I'd try and get a direct flight. I don't like CDG and 90 minutes might be cutting it close. You'll be arriving on a regional and have to get to international. Be ready to sprint.

[Hydrokitty]

I'd try and get a direct flight. I don't like CDG and 90 minutes might be cutting it close. You'll be arriving on a regional and have to get to international. Be ready to sprint.

 

good point...it's been a while since I've flown into CDG and all I remember is the airport was HUGE....

[rjscott]

Kat,

You will have to go thru passport control, which means security for you and your carry-on baggage. We did it on our southern France cruise, which had a connection to Marseille thru CDG. We had 90 minutes, which I thought was crazy, but we made it with no problem. However, it is a HUGE airport, with lots of walking even if you don't have to change terminals, so if you decide to stick with your flights, be prepared, as has already been said, "to sprint". ;)

 

Becki

[ContemporaryTraveler]

I flew from Budapest to Miami via CDG this last June. I flew Air France on both legs, but the process should be similar. I was able to walk from where my Air France flight landed to the customs line to enter the other terminal for my Miami flight, which was 2E. I might have lucked out because the walk really wasn't that long.

 

I did go through customs, which took a bit of time in the line for non-EU citizens. Due to this I might look at a longer layover instead of 90 minutes. One thing I didn't have to go through was security, which helped after the long customs line. The only problem I had at CDG was my flight to Miami was listed at 2 different terminals and no one was able to answer why it was listed in 2 different places at once.

[ContemporaryTraveler]

Kat,

You will have to go thru passport control, which means security for you and your carry-on baggage. We did it on our southern France cruise, which had a connection to Marseille thru CDG.

 

When I flew through CDG in June I only went through customs for a passport check. My carry-on bag never went through any security check-point.

[rjscott]

When I flew through CDG in June I only went through customs for a passport check. My carry-on bag never went through any security check-point.

 

Perhaps leaving the country it is different for those entering? That would surely speed it up. Thanks for the addt'l input.

 

Becki

[FlyerTalker]

I don't know where to start in correcting the misinformation already presented. But here goes:

 

1) You will be passing through outbound IMMIGRATION at CDG, not "customs".

 

2) A "direct" flight is not the same as a "non-stop" flight. So if told you have a direct flight option, it may still have stops. Be sure to know the terminology and exactly what is offered. FWIW, Southwest has a "direct" flight from BWI to OAK - that makes 7 stops along the way. But it is technically "direct" and can be sold as such.

 

3) The flight from Zurich is not a "regional" that comes into T2G, but rather will arrive at T2F in the "intra-Schengen" area. Your departure flight to the USA will depart from T2E ("extra-Schengen") and you will have immigration between the two gates.

 

4) There will be no need to "sprint", but you will need to not dawdle and do not stop for shopping or food until you are in the vicinity of your onward flight's gate.

 

5) You should download a map of CDG and study it before your trip. It will help you to understand the layout for your connect. Note that T2E has three separate concourses, labeled Hall K, Hall L and Hall M. There are different routes from T2F to T2E depending on the departure hall.

[Hoyaheel]

Yes to what Flyertalker has said. And if you're in business class, you'll be able to use Acces #1 lines at immigration which should be speedier.

[ContemporaryTraveler]

I don't know where to start in correcting the misinformation already presented. But here goes:

 

1) You will be passing through outbound IMMIGRATION at CDG, not "customs".

 

There's no reason to say my information was "misinformation." I believe it was easy to understand what I was talking about when using the phrase customs.

[QueenofEverything]

I don't know where to start in correcting the misinformation already presented. But here goes:

 

1) You will be passing through outbound IMMIGRATION at CDG, not "customs".

 

2) A "direct" flight is not the same as a "non-stop" flight. So if told you have a direct flight option, it may still have stops. Be sure to know the terminology and exactly what is offered. FWIW, Southwest has a "direct" flight from BWI to OAK - that makes 7 stops along the way. But it is technically "direct" and can be sold as such.

 

3) The flight from Zurich is not a "regional" that comes into T2G, but rather will arrive at T2F in the "intra-Schengen" area. Your departure flight to the USA will depart from T2E ("extra-Schengen") and you will have immigration between the two gates.

 

4) There will be no need to "sprint", but you will need to not dawdle and do not stop for shopping or food until you are in the vicinity of your onward flight's gate.

 

5) You should download a map of CDG and study it before your trip. It will help you to understand the layout for your connect. Note that T2E has three separate concourses, labeled Hall K, Hall L and Hall M. There are different routes from T2F to T2E depending on the departure hall.

 

Don't want to hijack this thread, but do you have similar knowledge about Schiphol? We are flying in from Budapest and changing to a non stop to Houston, both on KLM.

[FlyerTalker]

Schiphol is one very large terminal building with multiple concourses, labeled "Piers". There are two "sections", the intra-Schengen and extra-Schengen. Between the two is a physical barrier with immigration stations in both directions and also security screening when going into the Schengen area. If you get a map of Schiphol (available on their website), you can see a dotted line to the right of the D pier. That's the boundary.

 

Your flight from BUD will arrive in the intra area (to the right of the line) and your flight to the USA will depart from the extra area (to the left of the line). Most likely, your flight will depart from either E or F. You will follow the signs (and they are wonderful about signage at AMS) and pass through immigration. Then onward to your gate.

 

Be aware...you will have security screening at the gate. This will include a short interview as well as the usual x-ray and WTMD. They will confiscate liquids, so any duty-free needs to be in a STEB. Bottles of water should be finished - you can bring in the empty and use the water fountain in the gate area to refill.

 

Depending on when you are flying, if you have the time, there is a branch of the national Rijksmuseum in the area between E and F piers. Some great art including Dutch masters. However, there is some major reconstruction going on at AMS. The museum won''t reopen until sometime in spring/summer 2016. Same with a number of other facilities and shops.

 

The usual commentary...don't dawdle. Head towards your pier and then do any meals or shopping. Get any duty-free in the extra-Schengen area after passport control. Remember that you have security at the gate - give time for that process. Get a map of Schiphol from their website.

 

Finally, if you are in Business, you will get a nice KLM delft house towards your arrival at IAH. You can look them up online to get an idea of what they are.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited November 2, 2015 by FlyerTalker

[FlyerTalker]

There's no reason to say my information was "misinformation." I believe it was easy to understand what I was talking about when using the phrase customs.

The new normal....it's inaccurate but that doesn't matter.

 

The two processes are different and involve different actions by the traveler. I don't need my passport at customs....I don't need to present my luggage at immigration. And when traveling to the Schengen zone, they don't even have to occur at the same airport.

 

But then, what do I know.

[no fuss travel]

We just flew home from CDG airport. The immigration lines for leaving were efficient and quick. Did not take long to clear there. The security depends on which terminal you are leaving from. Even that did not take that long, but there is a fair amount of walking and the signage at the airport is not all that great. Once you are through passport control, the signage improves.

[Hydrokitty]

Schiphol is one very large terminal building with multiple concourses, labeled "Piers". There are two "sections", the intra-Schengen and extra-Schengen. Between the two is a physical barrier with immigration stations in both directions and also security screening when going into the Schengen area. If you get a map of Schiphol (available on their website), you can see a dotted line to the right of the D pier. That's the boundary.

 

Your flight from BUD will arrive in the intra area (to the right of the line) and your flight to the USA will depart from the extra area (to the left of the line). Most likely, your flight will depart from either E or F. You will follow the signs (and they are wonderful about signage at AMS) and pass through immigration. Then onward to your gate.

 

Be aware...you will have security screening at the gate. This will include a short interview as well as the usual x-ray and WTMD. They will confiscate liquids, so any duty-free needs to be in a STEB. Bottles of water should be finished - you can bring in the empty and use the water fountain in the gate area to refill.

 

Depending on when you are flying, if you have the time, there is a branch of the national Rijksmuseum in the area between E and F piers. Some great art including Dutch masters. However, there is some major reconstruction going on at AMS. The museum won''t reopen until sometime in spring/summer 2016. Same with a number of other facilities and shops.

 

The usual commentary...don't dawdle. Head towards your pier and then do any meals or shopping. Get any duty-free in the extra-Schengen area after passport control. Remember that you have security at the gate - give time for that process. Get a map of Schiphol from their website.

 

Finally, if you are in Business, you will get a nice KLM delft house towards your arrival at IAH. You can look them up online to get an idea of what they are.

 

Hope that helps.

 

One comment: If you're traveling business on KLM bring a couple of pieces of bubble wrap in your carry on. I didn't and had my gift in my carry on which was inadvertantly dropped by the person pushing my wheelchair and it broke.

I came through Schiphol in Sept. starting in Basel and I don't remember going through security at the gate....only a passport check..only security I went through was in Basel....but I was flying KLM from Basel to Amsterdam to NY.....that shouldn't make a difference, but perhaps it does.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[caviargal]

 

We're doing a Rhine river cruise in Aug of 2016. The flight over is non-stop, but our flight back from Zurich to Newark, NJ has us stopping in Paris to change planes. There's about an 1 and 1/2 between flights, but I've only changed planes in domestic airports, so I don't know if we have to do customs, immigration or security again. The flight is a Delta/Air France (Air France from Zurich to Paris and Delta from Paris to EWR. We are flying business/first and I'm assuming we will be able to check our bags through.

 

n

 

 

I would not accept such a short connection at CDG. This airport is IMO poorly signed, disorganized, very large and staff for the most part disinterested in providing any assistance.

 

We have been through CDG at least a dozen times and missed connections a handful of times. I allow 2.5 hours if I have no option but to fly via CDG.

 

You will have to clear immigration and then security again and there are often delays on arrival since there are an inadequate number of guests to accommodate arriving flights. In this case, you deplane onto the tarmac and are then bused to a terminal.

 

I, too, would pay extra to confirm the non stop. I hate that airport.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We just did this, so perhaps I can comment.

 

We had a two-hour layover, and that was gobs of time. We too were coming from outside the EU and Schengen (from Egypt). We went through passport control only, and security of course. As with many of these big European hubs, they have the "transit" areas segregated well, so you don't have to deal with customs & immigration.

 

Check to see what terminals your flights are in--we lucked out and we didn't have to change terminals. Even within one terminal, they have automated monorail shuttles between gate groups. But it was all very efficient and we were at the gate quite early. I can't vouch for changing terminals, but everything we experienced at CDG was surprisingly efficient.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Wendy The Wanderer

[caviargal]

Wendy, sounds like you were lucky indeed.

[QueenofEverything]

Schiphol is one very large terminal building with multiple concourses, labeled "Piers". There are two "sections", the intra-Schengen and extra-Schengen. Between the two is a physical barrier with immigration stations in both directions and also security screening when going into the Schengen area. If you get a map of Schiphol (available on their website), you can see a dotted line to the right of the D pier. That's the boundary.

 

Your flight from BUD will arrive in the intra area (to the right of the line) and your flight to the USA will depart from the extra area (to the left of the line). Most likely, your flight will depart from either E or F. You will follow the signs (and they are wonderful about signage at AMS) and pass through immigration. Then onward to your gate.

 

Be aware...you will have security screening at the gate. This will include a short interview as well as the usual x-ray and WTMD. They will confiscate liquids, so any duty-free needs to be in a STEB. Bottles of water should be finished - you can bring in the empty and use the water fountain in the gate area to refill.

 

Depending on when you are flying, if you have the time, there is a branch of the national Rijksmuseum in the area between E and F piers. Some great art including Dutch masters. However, there is some major reconstruction going on at AMS. The museum won''t reopen until sometime in spring/summer 2016. Same with a number of other facilities and shops.

 

The usual commentary...don't dawdle. Head towards your pier and then do any meals or shopping. Get any duty-free in the extra-Schengen area after passport control. Remember that you have security at the gate - give time for that process. Get a map of Schiphol from their website.

 

Finally, if you are in Business, you will get a nice KLM delft house towards your arrival at IAH. You can look them up online to get an idea of what they are.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Yes! This is very helpful, thank you!

[Cyber Kat]

I don't know where to start in correcting the misinformation already presented. But here goes:

 

1) You will be passing through outbound IMMIGRATION at CDG, not "customs".

 

2) A "direct" flight is not the same as a "non-stop" flight. So if told you have a direct flight option, it may still have stops. Be sure to know the terminology and exactly what is offered. FWIW, Southwest has a "direct" flight from BWI to OAK - that makes 7 stops along the way. But it is technically "direct" and can be sold as such.

 

3) The flight from Zurich is not a "regional" that comes into T2G, but rather will arrive at T2F in the "intra-Schengen" area. Your departure flight to the USA will depart from T2E ("extra-Schengen") and you will have immigration between the two gates.

 

4) There will be no need to "sprint", but you will need to not dawdle and do not stop for shopping or food until you are in the vicinity of your onward flight's gate.

 

5) You should download a map of CDG and study it before your trip. It will help you to understand the layout for your connect. Note that T2E has three separate concourses, labeled Hall K, Hall L and Hall M. There are different routes from T2F to T2E depending on the departure hall.

 

Thanks - this makes me feel better if we have to keep the flight with the plane change.

 

From your screen name - I'm assuming you have a lot of experience! My main worry is if the flight from Zurich to Paris is delayed, it will cut into that short interval and make it a nail-biter!

[Cyber Kat]

Cyberkat if it were me, I would use the Viking plus and try for the direct flight to JFK..not because of the time factor but because it sounds like JFK is closer to you than Newark and going home if I can get a non-stop into JFK, I always opt for it just because I'm done traveling and I want to go home! (That doesn't mean that after I've done I few loads of laundry I'm not ready to go again!) :D

 

Actually Newark is MUCH closer and more convenient. It's just a quick trip down the Turnpike - even with traffic. We normally fly out of EWR so we're used to it and familiar with the layout. I've been out of JFK a couple of times and I find it very chaotic. I can deal with it, but we prefer EWR.

[Hoyaheel]

From your screen name - I'm assuming you have a lot of experience!

 

Flyertalk is a very popular message board full of good information (and some crap:rolleyes:)

 

Lots of us follow both;)

[Cyber Kat]

I would not accept such a short connection at CDG. This airport is IMO poorly signed, disorganized, very large and staff for the most part disinterested in providing any assistance.

 

We have been through CDG at least a dozen times and missed connections a handful of times. I allow 2.5 hours if I have no option but to fly via CDG.

 

You will have to clear immigration and then security again and there are often delays on arrival since there are an inadequate number of guests to accommodate arriving flights. In this case, you deplane onto the tarmac and are then bused to a terminal.

 

I, too, would pay extra to confirm the non stop. I hate that airport.

 

This is what I've heard - and what makes me concerned about the limited time - not so much the plane change. Maybe if I spoke French ;)

[Cyber Kat]

I don't know where to start in correcting the misinformation already presented. But here goes:

 

1) You will be passing through outbound IMMIGRATION at CDG, not "customs".

 

This is what I was wondering. Immigration is usually a quick passport check, while customs can get crazy.

 

2) A "direct" flight is not the same as a "non-stop" flight. So if told you have a direct flight option, it may still have stops. Be sure to know the terminology and exactly what is offered. FWIW, Southwest has a "direct" flight from BWI to OAK - that makes 7 stops along the way. But it is technically "direct" and can be sold as such./quote]

 

This is what I was wondering. Immigration is usually a quick passport check, while customs can get crazy.

 

The Zurich to JFK that I was considering is non-stop and direct :) I wouldn't mind stopping as much as changing planes. It's making that connection that has me concerned.

 

3) The flight from Zurich is not a "regional" that comes into T2G, but rather will arrive at T2F in the "intra-Schengen" area. Your departure flight to the USA will depart from T2E ("extra-Schengen") and you will have immigration between the two gates./quote]

 

What about security - will we have to do that with this flight from Zurich to Paris and on to the Paris to EWR? I know that can take a bit of time. Our paperwork says it's a Delta flight operated by Air France - I don't know if that means making the switch will be any easier. It arrives at CDG at noon.

 

5) You should download a map of CDG and study it before your trip. It will help you to understand the layout for your connect. Note that T2E has three separate concourses, labeled Hall K, Hall L and Hall M. There are different routes from T2F to T2E depending on the departure hall.

 

I did this! I just wasn't sure which gates might apply to us.

 

Thanks everyone for all your help. I think I'm going to try to switch to the JFK flight, but if I can't at least I know what I'm up against!