Connecting flight at CDG...almost afraid to ask...
 

Alright...here goes...after reading MANY postings about the horrible nature of making a connecting flight at CDG, I pose our situation to the Fodorite community:

My MIL booked our flights home from Europe. We will be flying Air France and taking off from Zurich and landing at CDG at 9:15 am (hopefully) at Terminal 2F. We are then expected to make our connecting flight at 10:15 am at Terminal 2E to fly back to IAD.

Is this even possible? Will we go through security again? I am assuming since we are on the same airline that our luggage will automatically be put through - is that a correct assumption?

Any advice (especially about the procedure after landing) would be appreciated...however, I suppose the worst thing that could happen is that DH and I spend another day in France...

We leave in 13 days - yay!!!!

Thank you in advance,
Eliza

Yes, bags will be transferred.

Since Switzerland is not part of the Schengen common travel area - at least not yet - you'll will not have to go through immigration. There should be an airside bus that takes you to 2E.

You most likely have to go through security, especially for a US-bound flight.

An hour should be okay. And for tight or late AF-AF transfer <b>to</b> long-hauls, they often have staff to greet you at your arrivals gate and bring you over.

Hi Mc,

If you are ticketd from Zurich to IAD on one ticket, your luggage should be checked through to Dulles.

As to whether it makes it, or you make it, or either of you make it is anyone's guess.

&gt;Will we go through security again?

It's been my experience that, even though they often tell you that you will go from one secure area to another, often you leave the secure area and have to go through security again.

Who knows? You might get lucky and have to spend a night in Paris. :)

((I))

I just did this a little over a week and a half ago, but I had more time than you-however, I got from Terminal 2F to 2E, through passport control, through security in the middle of the afternoon in about 25-30 minutes. You're coming in at a busy time of day, and it really depends on the security checkpoint, because they are pretty rigorous there, and there could be lines. I think you should be able to make it though-just.

Thank you all for such speedy responses (and positive ones at that!). We will be prepared to go through security and keep our fingers crossed to make the plane. :)

You will want to take the bus as rkkwan suggests, thus staying airside, and then you will not have to go through immigration/passport control. I could be mistaken, but I think the buses go clockwise, so that should work in your favor. Here's a map of the terminals:
http://www.nwa.com/travel/images/CDG2.gif

We just did this 2 weeks ago. Just be aware that the doors to the plane are CLOSED 30 minutes before a flight to US, and many missed their connecting flights because of this. The planes were still on the ground at the terminal, but they were not allowed to board. How do I know this? Because my grandson's passport was lost/stolen between terminal 2F and terminal 2E, and we had to spend an extra 3 nights in Paris.

A number of people came up to the AirFrance desk while we were there, and they were trying to board planes that were still on the ground, but they ended up spending the night! So I think one hour is cutting it awfully close. Just make sure you pack an overnight carry-on bag with a change of clothes and some toiletries just in case.

Noe847, thank you for the map...I will definitely take a look at that before our trip.

Hagan, I loved your trip report and do remember your grandson losing his passport - but I didn't remember it was between those terminals! We will definitely carry an extra set of clothes and some toiletries in case we end up with &quot;Day 11 of a 10 day trip.&quot; ;)

P.S. I did not realize they closed US flights 30 minutes beforehand...thank you for this important piece of information. Oh well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers? (My in-laws booked and paid for the flight.)

Me again...are the red dots the bus route on the link Noe847 provided?

I promise to stop stressing about this...

Here is a link to the bus map and some times:
http://tinyurl.com/2v2pwo

Unfortunately, it looks like the shuttle bus goes counterclockwise. My guess is that it is a 10+ min or so ride around from 2F to 2E (plus the waiting and loading time), but someone will probably know better than I.

We had a one hour connection in Jan 2006, and snow slowed our first flight by close to that amount of time. I think we went from 2F to 2C. We were told by our flight attendants that walking (running) through the middle would be quicker than around on the bus. (that does involve passport control, however) We did miss the connecting flight and spent a day in Paris. It's a good idea to have a change of clothing in your carry on!

No, that's not the bus route.

I can't find an online map, but it goes circular:

2B -&gt; 2F2 (non-Schengen part of 2F) -&gt; 2E -&gt; 2C -&gt; 2A, and then back to 2B.

What noe847 describing in the last post is the landside shuttle. I always tell people to avoid those when transferring between CDG2 terminal. Walk instead.

But we were talking about the airside shuttle, because the OP is going from non-Schengen to non-Schengen. It's a different story.

I WALKED from 2F to 2E-and it took me very little time.

Thanks, rkkwan. I'm sorry to have muddied the waters. I know that I've taken the airside shuttle and I thought it was clockwise, but confused myself and everyone else with the map of the landside shuttle.

Now that the CDGVAL 'mover' is active, will the 'navettes' continue to operate?

Please forgive me...but, I am correct in assuming that airside buses are found near the plane and landside buses are found once you are in the terminal?

Airside buses are outside immigration control. You are still officially &quot;outside&quot; France/Schengen. They depart near the gates and run on the tarmac.

Landside buses are those at the curb with the taxis, private cars, on the public roadways after you've gone through immigration/customs.

Thank you, rkkwan!!! :)

McAllister,
When we landed in Paris from Rome, we had to take those shuttle buses that meet you on the tarmac, and rode on that for at least 10 minutes or better. When we got off the bus, we went into a building and walked down a long connecting corridor that was one-way only - only for passengers who had just arrived. We went through double doors at the end of this hall and were in terminal 2F, and from there had to go &quot;under&quot; the roadway to Terminal 2E. From getting off the bus to arriving at security check point at 2E took at least 6-7 minutes or so.

So, IF your plane arrives early or on time, and IF you're one of the first passengers off the plane and onto the first shuttle bus, and then you move quickly from 2F to 2E, you might have 10 minutes to make it through security and onto your plane.
I know I was surprised that they wouldn't allow passengers to board if they'd arrived within 30 minutes of take-off, but I saw this hapeen to 3 or 4 families while we were at the AirFrance gate. One of the men was really livid about it, saying they still had 30 minutes before the plane was to leave, but AF didn't budge.
Just be prepared and enjoy an extra night in Paris!