Ok, I know this is a stupid question. But, I've never had a 20 hour layover. We're leaving Milan on Air France and have 20 hours in Paris. I was assuming we'd be picking up our luggage then transfer to our hotel and we're check our bags in for our flight home the next day. However, someone else is our group is convinced that because it's a connecting flight that we'll have have our carry-on bags. Soooo which is true? Thanks! Melissa

I think it depends on if your luggage is tagged for your layover in Paris or for your final destination.

If you ask for it to be checked through you will not see it at CDG. It won't be sent out to arrivals for you to pick up.

If you'd prefer to pick it up at CDG - then you must have it tagged for CDG. Then you would have to check it in when you go back out to the airport the next day.

Hmmmm interesting! I'm glad I asked this Q! So now my next question is....is it safer when we check in at Milan to have it tagged for CDG, then check it in the next day for our flight home? OR will our bags be OK if we have them tagged in Milan to our final destination? I'm envisioning our bags hanging out at CDG for 20 hours, possibly being rifled thru, etc and/or never seeing our bags again. What do others normally do with a long layover like this? It seems like our bags would be safer in our possession. Then again it'd be nice to not have to wait around for bags and get into Paris sooner. With my luck, we'd have it set up to NOT be picked up in CDG, but our bags would be circling in the luggage pickup area only to never be seen again. It seems like the perfect oppty to lose our bags. What have others done? thanks so much! Melissa

I personally would pick them up at CDG for the following reason.
1. CDG has a reputation for "loosing" luggage
2. Bearing in mind the European rules relating to liquids etc. you may want things that you cannot or have not packed in your carry on.
3. Generally the Europran carriers have a much stricter attitude to the size of carry on permitted and you may possibly find you will require more clothes etc than your carry on will hold.

I appreciate that it may be a hassle getting your bags at CDG and then checking them in again but this is my opinion.

I think I would want my bags for that long a layover but I also think you may be worrying needlessly about the theft possibilities.

I'm not saying it couldn;t happen but baggage spends a long time out of your presence and waiting in places on trips that don't have long layovers and can just as easily be lost of rifled through.

Hi MM,

If thieves want to get into your luggage, they do it in minutes.

The amount of time it spends sitting in an airport won't matter.

Your important question will be, "what will we need that can't go in carryon"?

I wouldn't worry about theft - as mentioned, it can just as easily happen w/ 2 hours between flights as w/ 20 hours

I'd decide mainly on how much luggage you are talking about. 1 medium sized bag each - not much hassle getting it in to Paris and back. But for a lot of luggage or very large bags - I'd check it through for sure.

As for the liquids issue - you can fit plenty enough into your 1 litre ziplok bag for your overnight stay (or for 2 weeks for that matter)

I've also read/heard that CDG and Air France in particular have a reputation for losing luggage. I'll run our options over with the others we're traveling with and we'll decide. As much of a pain as it'd be to get the bags and recheck them the next day, I think I'd feel better having them. Others made a point that "stuff" could be stolen in 2 hours or 20. This is true, but 20 just seems to be screaming......."Lose me, steal me!" haha One of my concerns is if we TELL them to hold our bags for the next flight the next morning that somehow they'll still end up circling the luggage pick up. It feels like a damned if we do, damned if we don't thing. haha Other than not having to pick up and lug bags to our hotel, are there ANY other advantages to having our bags held and checked in to our final destination? Thanks Melissa

<<It seems like our bags would be safer in our possession. Then again it'd be nice to not have to wait around for bags and get into Paris sooner.>>

I've never waited very long for my bags at CDG. The question is whether you'd be spending your twenty hour layover worrying about your luggage being lost or items beign stolen.

I don't think it would circle the caroussel for long.One year my final destination was Strasbourg with a short layover in CDG. When I arrived in Stras. I went to the restroom and then went to baggage pickup and there was no luggage at all. I inquired at an AF desk and was told that because I wasn't there to pick up my suitcase they moved it into a storage room. I showed my claim checks and got the suitcase. Same thing happened one time in my small regional airport. I guess it made a couple of turns and was taken off.

You could inquire about the procedure with your airline and ask for their recommendation.