kcspringer

I'm flying Delta out of Florence to CDG and then from CDG to Seattle in a few short months. Recently I was talking to someone about the trip and my itinerary and they raised a concern that the 1 hour and 10 minutes I have between arrival and departure is cutting it pretty close.

This is my first trip out of the U.S. and I have no idea what to expect -- I don't know how much (if any) security I have to go through at CDG while getting from one terminal to another, and looking at the CDG map didn't help me much except to reveal that Delta uses five different terminals there.

Both flights are on Delta so I called them today. She offered up no thoughts other than that I could call or check online 48 hours before my flight to see what gate I will be heading to.

If anyone here has experience flying Delta through CDG I would be grateful to learn whatever I can about distances, security, etc. Thanks much.

lincasanova

That is a very typical time between flights at CDG. If your plane arrives on time you should be fine.. but be sure you are always going the exact right direction! The last time I went through there I felt the signage had imporived.

If you miss your flight, since/if it is on one ticket, you will be put on the next avaiable flight like all the other passengers who in that case who also miss it.

Don't fret.

Fast connection, but when it works.. it's great. No time for dawdling, though.

Judy

I think you'll be fine. You should be able to transit between gates without having to go through security. Delta uses Terminal 2 which is fairly easy to move about.

stephCA

I know if you have a transit flight, you will go through another security. Your time allotment is really keeping it tight and thats considering there will be no time delays from Florence.

CDG is a vey busy airport and their security line can be a nightmare.

So either move your flight to get at least a layover time of 2 hrs and if not, just see what happen that day. It is what it is. You cant stress over it till it happens.

StCirq

I've had connections with as few as 45 minutes. Hair-raising, but I made them.

socialworker

Sorry to have a discouraging contribution, but I will add my experience here. We were on an Air France flight from Rome to CDG, changing to another Air France flight going CDG to Boston. Air France employees were herding us between flights, there being about 15 people who needed to make the connection. (I should add that the flight from Rome was delayed 45 minutes in taking off and therefore arrived late.) As we approached the gate for the second flight, we could see that the aircraft was still there. Unbelievably they did not allow all the waiting people to board. To this day I have no explanation for such incompetence and downright foolishness. The responsibility was entirely air France's. It was two of their own flights and they had to rebook all those people who were left standing at the gate looking at the plane. We were lucky because we went out later that day. Some passengers were not booked until the following day. The reason the story might be relevant to you is that it was an Air France Delta code share.

Holly_uncasdewar

Even if - or when - the flight is late leaving FLR, do not fret all the way to Paris! They will probably hold the plane (there’ll be others on the flight trying to make the same connection), and they will likely have a bus meet you on the tarmac as soon as the plane touches down, to transport you directly to your gates. At least that’s what they did for us on that flight this past March. And, amazingly, the luggage even made the connection.

Patty

Your flight from Florence (operated by Air France) will arrive in 2G and your flight to Seattle will depart from 2E.

https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/commo...ndance_cdg.htm

You'll go through passport control at 2G as you're leaving the Schengen area. You'll then board an airside bus to 2E (2G is located far from the other halls of terminal 2 and it's not possible to walk). The good thing is a 2G to 2E airside connection is currently the only connection within terminal 2 where you don't have to re-clear security. 2E has 3 parts - K gates, L gates and M gates so the bus makes multiple stops.

If you mistakenly exit 2G (instead of following the transfer signs to 2E), there is also a landside bus to 2E but I believe in this case you would need to go through passport control and security as well at 2E.

If you get off the bus at the wrong set of gates at 2E, there is a train that connects the 3 parts of 2E.

Holly_uncasdewar

I've never gone through passport control on my way OUT of anywhere in Europe. Where are you getting that from, Patty?

Patty

There is always passport control when exiting (as well as entering) the Schengen area. I don't know what else to say. The US is kind of unique in that we don't have passport control when exiting.

Ackislander

Every airline makes mistakes, but my experience with Air France is exactly the opposite to that of socialworker. They picked us up in a car at our [late] aircraft's remote parking spot and drove us and out luggage directly to our departing flight.

kcspringer

I appreciate all the replies and information. Looks like I'll just keep my fingers crossed! I understand Delta will get me home regardless, but the direct flight to Seattle is important to me as I still have a number of hours (and modes of transport) to get from Seattle to my home. If I were to get bumped from this direct flight it will create a domino effect which will not be a fun way to end my first European vacation. But that's life! Sometimes all you can do is let it go.

socialworker

When was your flight/experience Ack? Mine was back in '04.

I got to thinking only later yesterday after I posted, that perhaps there was a method in the AF seeming outrageous incompetence. Perhaps with deliberate overbooking, the flight that was sitting out on the runway was already full and they would have been up a creek with the late arriving passengers from Rome who still were holding tickets for that flight and so they just closed the doors of the jetway and "solved" the problem that way.

Ackislander

Mine was roughly the same time, but we were coming from Marseille so maybe they gave priority to an intra-France flight rather than a bunch of foreigners ;-)

nytraveler

I too don;t get this passport control out of the county - have never had this experience - except in Ireland - where it is US Immigration done in advance.

Granted you do need to show your passport to the gate agent before boarding the plane - but there was no separate passport control department leaving Schengen.

However, that is a very tight connection for CDG - and even if you make it your luggage might not.

Patty

Maybe you didn't notice. Often it's just before security so can seem like the same thing but there most definitely is passport control.

Patty

As a matter of fact I have exit stamps in my passport from my last 2 departures out of CDG in December and March.

Lady

If it tells you anything, we are now refusing to book any flight that changes planes at CDG--or fly Air France again. Poor signage, people run through like cattle, incompetent desk agents. Never again. Fortunately, while we don't live near a major airport, we have 4 international airports within a reasonable drive so we do have choices.