Advice on connecting through Europe
 

Well I've narrowed it down to 2 choices on how to get from Atlanta to Corfu. I can fly on Air France or KLM (connecting through Paris or Amsterdam, respectively), then buy an Aegean Air ticket from Athens to Corfu. I am just worried that both airlines only have a 50min-1hour connection time, and once I arrive in Athens I will have either 3.5 or 5.5 hours to get my bags and then re-check them to Corfu. This would work fine, but if I miss the connection in Europe, or cannot make the flight to Corfu I am screwed. Anyone have any neg experiences with these airlines through these airports? Is what I am doing too risky? Based on cost and schedule, the KLM flight is somewhat better, but only gives me 3.5 hours to get through customs in Greece and re-check my bags.

Hi DFG,

I get nervous about connections less than 90 min if I have luggage.

((I))

AF(and I guess others too) seems to not give enough connection time. Even their flights connecting in CDG they give about 55 minutes or so. They don't figure that it takes about 20 minutes for some arriving planes to taxi to the gates. At least that's what happened to us recently.

Your concern isn't 3.5hr vs 5.5 at ATH. Both are more than adequate. You clear immigration in CDG/AMS, and not ATH. And depending on the rules, you may not even need to see your luggage until Corfu.

Your main concern is whether you have enough time in CDG or AMS. From the timetable, it seems like you're thinking about AF301 to CDG, with 50 minutes there; vs KL622 to AMS, with 60 minutes there.

The clear winner is definitely KL at AMS. 50 minutes will be problematic, as you mostly likely need to change "terminals" at CDG 2. AMS is all under one roof and you have an extra 10 minutes.

Even if you connect your flights within CDG terminal 2 it's not that great. The terminals are far apart and entails walking quickly and sometimes the escalators are out of order so you have to use stairs. I understand there's a shuttle but I never had a chance to take it. We only had half an hour to get from 2C to 2D so we decided to walk and run instead of wait for the shuttle.

Great advice, since I've never been to either airport it's good to know that AMS has all the KLM gates nearby. So is 1 hour do-able (within reason)?

The weird part is, I am not setting this 1 hour limit, the airline has created with schedule! I guess they must have faith in it??

Hi DFG,

>...I am not setting this 1 hour limit, the airline has created with schedule! I guess they must have faith in it??

The airline is much less concerned about whether you and your luggage make the connection than you are.

((I))

what Ira said!!!!

just because an airline offers a connection doesn't mean you will make it. ask any of the bazillion people who miss flights.

that said, amsterdam is definitely better than paris to attempt it.

For budget airlines from all over Europe to Corfu, check
http://www.whichbudget.com/en/cheapflights.php?to=CFU

If you find a straight flight from Atlanta to any of these airports, it might save you a lot of time and you'd have only 1 change!

But then again, you might have done this search already, since you mention yourself that you've "narrowed it down". If so, I'd vote for Amsterdam as well.

I could also book on Lufthansa through Frankfurt with a 2 hour layover. Would that be worth the extra $75 per ticket?

The mention of Luthansa is a good one. Great airline and the layover time sounds good.

You could also fly to Frankfurt with Lufthansa and take a straight flight to Corfu from there with

http://www.airberlin.com

We just flew S.F. to Athens, via Munich on Lufthansa. We had a 90 minute connection one way and an hour connection going home. We made both connections.

1 hour in AMS can be problematic. To go from an within Europe flight to a flight to the US, you need to go through passport control and the lines there can be formidable. We barely made our flight last time with a 70 minute connection time, and judging by the angry voices, there were people who missed theirs because they couldn't get through the passport control checkpoint.

As others have said 3.5 hours in Athens is not a problems AT ALL!