Customs at CDG
 

Hello friends,
If I fly Mex - Atl - CDG and onward to BRU would I have to go through customs etc in CDG? It would be different airlines Delta to Brussels Airlines.
Thank you

Yep - but it would be passport control & customs. You may have to do it again when you depart CDG (not positive).

Stu Dudley

cybor, no help but so nice to see you here!

Normally you would not go through customs until arrival at BRU.
Is there something unique about entering schengen via CDG?

in general you hit Immigration/Passport Control (that's you) at first port of entry and Customs (that's the bags and things to declare) at the final destination. BUT since you most likely can't check your bags all the way through, you'll have to retrieve them at CDG.

And therefore, customs -- if any -- will take place at CDG. 99% of the time it is just a walk through for flights from the United States.

Very true . . . However . . . IF you are actually asking about Passport control, that is the real time hog at CDG

I don't even notice customs at CDG. Passport control can take a great amount of time, however. It just depends on ???

Stu Dudley

Most of the time - probably nearly every time -- when people ask that question they are really asking about immigration. For some reason a LOT of people think Immigration and Customs are the same thing.

gomiki, Hola, mi amiga. It's been a long time.
janisj,
Immigration - they check me out
Customs - they check my $hit out Did I get it right? :)
I think we'll be doing carry on for this trip. The first tickets are ticketed through Delta/Aeromex and the second ones will be from Brussel Airlines. Flight #1 arrives CDG at 6:10, flight on Brussel Air departs at 7:30 same day or the day after if it seems necessary. Not sure if it would be the same terminal or how that part works.
I've previously got connections on Ryan Air and/or some such but I can't remember the prodigal - I think it was immigration only. Seems to me that it was pretty easy and didn't take long. I'm really wondering if I can get to my Brussel Air flight on time or if I have to suck it up and overnight in Paris as that would be one less night at my final destination.

I believe Delta/Aeromexico arrives at Terminal 2E at CDG. Brussels Air departs from Terminal 1, which is a few kilometers away. I can't imagine you can make that transfer and get checked in in less than a couple of hours, probably more

Customs amounts to nothing unless you have something to declare. It's Immigration/Passport Control that takes time - and at CDG it will almost certainly take a VERY long time arriving at that time of day. I think you're definitely looking at flying to Brussels the following day.

Why not just take a train directly from CDG to Brussels? Nearly as quick as a flight & many a day, from T2 it appears on rome2rio.com.

Or take the train. Total travel time from CDG to Brussels is around 2 hrs.with 0 or 1 change with options once or twice every hour, and as short as 1hr 35min for the direct @ 8:08am train.


edit: typing same time as above poster about the train.

Exactly what I was thinking; take the train. It wouldn't occur to me to fly CDG-Brussels.

St Cirq, Thanks, Getting from Term 2 - Term 1 on time does indeed look like wishful thinking on my part.

Re: trains to BRU- BRU is merely a stopover from my flight originating at CDG. That flight leaves BRU at 8:25a. I could take later flights from CDG with other airlines but it will cost quite a bit more than over-nighting in Paris close to the airport. Alas, being in Paris without really being in Paris is something I'll likely suck it up and do. I'll try to not feel too badly about it as we'll hit Paris for 3 days on the way back from our trip.

flight from CDG @ 7:30a to catch another flight leaving BRU @ 8:25a???

you've lost me, but that's ok. sounds like you have a plan.

cybor, if you land in Paris at 6:10 am and plan to spend the night there before your flight to Brussels the next day, surely you have lots of time to enjoy Paris for a day and evening!

St Cirq, You're right and I'm probably just being lazy. Getting to CDG will be a series of marathon flights and many hell days before flying out (we're self employed and have to double up on everything). Having a rest before the next part of our trip may be warranted and smart as it's a bit on the physical side... Course, no one has ever said that I'm smart when it comes to Paris. It's likely that if it's not too cost prohibitive that we'll at least go into Paris for a long lunch or dinner. :)

I still don't understand the problem with taking a train to BRU. On one of our many trips to France, we flew to BRU and intentionally planned on a 5 hr "layover" there. We took the train from the airport to Gare Central, stashed our bags at the train station, and explored the fabulous Grand Place - one of the best we've seen in Europe. We had moules/frites on Grand Place, and then visited Galeries St Hubert. Then we got back on the train & took it to Paris.

You could do the same in reverse.

Stu Dudley

Nor do I but it seems the details of the entire itinerary are a secret. Silly us for playing along.

In any case, travel time by train from either CDG or Paris-Nord to Brussels is only 1h20. Then again, if Brussels is just a brief stop on the way to the mystery destination, it does take a certain amount of time to get to Zaventem from the city.

If you miss your connection at CDG, take the train to Brussels, sleep there (after a beer at the Grand Place) and be on time for your next flight.
Brussel Centraal to airport is 18 minutes by direct train.