>I can't remember the last time I (US citizen) filled out forms in ANY western European airport!<

I guess that I have a longer memory than you.

We, and everyone else in line, had to fill out a yellow form at passport control in CDG in 2005.

Maybe it was because the computer was down.

Maybe it was because we were coming from ATL.

Maybe it was because we landed 20 miles away and had to come in by shuttle bus.

Maybe it was because they had a lot of old forms they had to use up.

Maybe it was because the immigration officials had nothing else to do at the moment.
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Hi MJ,

>Ira, we didn't go through ANY passport controls. I know that sounds crazy,...<

It certainly is different.

I too have had to fill out forms when transferring in CDG. I suspect it was more about some silly french regulation of that moment.... most of the time, no forms. But CDG is the most unpredictable airport in the world....something is always new and different... and usually inconvenient

Ira, I know one thing for sure--we've always had to fill out a landing card to hand in at Heathrow when the UK was our final destination. I asked about this on the plane before landing (this trip) and they said, no, because we were flying on. Never offered one going to CDG or on to Venice, so never recorded (or turned over) our itinerary.

On the return (tomorrow) I expect to be given a claims form to turn in at customs in Philly.

Starting to sound like it's all a roll of the dice. So much for security. Oh, and, FYI, only in Philly did they ask us to show our baggie with liquids. Not LHR, CDG, Venice or FCO. And, in every case, we had little bottles of hand sanitizer in the front of the backpack, which we hadn't thought to place in the baggies. No one noticed or cared.