Hi all,

We will be traveling from Florence to Paris at the end of our 5 weeks in France/Italy because our return flight leaves from CDG. We were planning to book Air France. There are 3 flights for us to take, meaning if the first one cancels, we have two more shots.

Given we MUST get to Paris to catch our United flight home, if flights aren't going due to strike or weather, is there another way to get to Paris? Last-minute train? Or should we go two days prior to our flight home to better guarantee we make it?

Thank you!

I assume you booked a round trip ticket to/from Paris. You will spend a day at least getting back to Paris, probably 2 to allow for the unexpected. Instead, see if there is a way to rebook the return flight from a convenient spot near Florence. The savings in costs and time may well compensate for any change fees.

with three flight options personally I’d be comfortable with flying the day before. IMO the chances of an entire days flights being cancelled due to weather is nil.

The question you need to ask yourselves is “what do we do if we miss the UA flight” and gauge your own risk tolerance.

Well, if it came to it, you could probably get a flight to Paris from Rome, Venice or Bologna.
Considering the wasted day and cost of returning to Paris, changing to a flight from nearer Florence might not be that much of a financial loss.

If change fees/fare difference is not prohibitive you might check with UA about returning from Milan. Otherwise, you can train but it is a long trip and may not be feasible if you encounter last minute flight cancellation. If you absolutely must get the CDG flight, go ahead and plan to return to Paris a day early, enjoy a leisurely last day there.

Of course you can take the train, you can take the train anywhere in Europe. But it's going to take about 12 hours given the distance, so I don't see how that could ever work for a last minute thing because you found out there was bad weather for a flight. Even if there were seats left last minute, which there might be.

You'd have to take the train from Florence to Turin and from there, a train to Lyon and then a TGV to CDG. Which probably means a transfer in Marne La Vallee. And that Train from Turin doesn't run every day to Lyon, at least not direct. It's in the evening anyway. It runs on Friday, for one. So otherwise, you'd have to transfer on that route also.

If you are concerned about weather, no other flight would work either. If you are concerned about strikes (whcih I haven't heard of lately, but maybe you have), then it would make more sense to fly another airline. Vueling flies that route, but they fly into ORY. Still, a lot quicker than the train, and a lot cheaper, no doubt. Easyjet flies from Pisa into ORY, also, nonstop.

I really don't know why you did this, fly back from CDG. It couldn't have cost that much more to fly home from Italy, and not take up a whole day in transit (and $$$). I agree you should change your flight if you are so concerned. I would anyway.

United flies nonstop to EWR from both Rome and Milan. I think Rome is actually closer to Florence by train by a bit but both are 1.5-2 hrs.

This may seem a crazy thing to try, but it once worked for us. Figuring I could make another trip in a few months, I changed a flight to nearly a year later and booked another flight for the trip I was currently planning. I have also booked RT from the US to Europe spaced months apart, with a RT from Europe to the US fitted in between the US to Europe RT.

Thanks for tips!

I called United again (for the 4th time) and BINGO! Airfare out of Florence has been lowered and I was able to move my return flight to depart from Florence for under $200 each! Two weeks ago it was almost $500 each.

Sooo excited!

Well done!

It pays to keep looking and trying!

Hurrah for you - persistence pays!

😊😊😊