My wife and I are arriving de Gaulle airport from different airlines/terminals. She arrives American, I arrive KLM. I've been told that American uses Terminal 1; KLM uses terminal 2. I've also been told that we will arrive at one customs hall - so essentially we'll end up in the same building. Obviously, I'm getting contradictory advice.

1) which is correct?
2) if we arrive in different buildings, how does she get from terminal 2 to terminal 1 in the easiest fashion? (doesn't have to be the cheapest)
Thanks,
doug

The two terminals are a significant distance apart - there is no common Customs hall or single buidling.

I can't vouch for which airlines arrive in which terminals, but to get to aérogare 2 from aérogare 1, your wife has several options:

1. A taxi
2. The free yellow shuttle buses that leave from the ground level (take elevators that are near gate 34 in terminal 1 down to the ground level, then walk outside)
3. The Air France shuttles (11.5 euros) that leave from outside Gate 34.

I have arrived at both T1 and T2 at CDG. I don't think I went through the same customs hall at all. Moreover, you cannot find a good place to wait at passport control or baggage claim.

Also, American Airlines uses hall T2A as its arrival hall. Klm uses T1.
This is the reverse of what you state in your original post. I suggest strongly that you check directly with the airline to verify my information.
But I checked the flight schedules myself before making my statement.

Because CDG is a very large and confusing place, I strongly suggest that you have your meeting time and place worked out in detail.

You will find that T1 and T2 are widely separated. Moreover, T2 is actually 5 separate buildings connected by corridors and tunnels.


I find T1, because it is multi layered and circular, to be the most confusing (*(&(& place imaginable. Trying to find someone there is not my idea of having a good time.

Therefore, I suggest that the T2a passenger be the one to stay put, and let the T1 passenger take the shuttle bus to the appropriate Hall of T2.

Let me emphasize that the conditions are such that you know absolutely as best you can which Hall of T2 the flight arrives.

I say this because the halls of T2 are separated, although connected. Hall T2F might as well be another airport.

IF you are meeting in Hall T2A, there are two logical places. At one end of the hall there is a first aid medical type of place. At the other end, where Hall A connects to Hall C, there are some cafes. You can usually sit for a long time in a French cafe as long as you buy something. Either place would get you out of the main traffic areas and make for increased visibility.

This url will show you a map of the place which might help.

http://www.adp.fr/webadp/a_cont01.nsf/$$Affich@ReadForm&cle=X5005A05A4.html

I must admit that of all the airports in the world to pick for a remote meeting, you picked the worst one I can think of. You would simplify your lives if you both were on the same flight.

I also think it might be just as easy to meet at your hotel. Finding a taxi at the landing terminal will be easier than finding each other at different terminals!

PS
Because T1 is multi layered, I never have found a place that I thought was a good meeting place: one where the person being met is easy to see and the place itself is very visible and easy to find.

I agree with Bob Brown. CDG is a terrible, confusing airport and meeting at the hotel might be the best option.

I'm with Bob and company completely. CDG is a terrible airport.

If you decide you really want to meet there, I'd consider meeting in front of the SNCF ticket office. The train station is between the main halls in Terminal 2 and very well known. Lots of signs on how to get there from Terminals 1, 2 or 9.

I just wanted to add that my impression of CDG 1 and 2 is not that of a country bumpkin. I routinely use Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport, and I find it to be crowded but straight forward when it comes to meeting people.

I have also flown in and out of Munich a few times. So I don't consider myself a neophyte.

I have landed or taken off from CDG quite a few times. I can find my way around, but sometimes I think I was lucky.

At any rate tell me when you will be arriving there and I will do my best to invoke the divine spirit to guide you to your objective safely and soundly.

Gee, I'm glad I didn't know it was so hard before I did this in April. I arrived in T2A (American) about a half hour before my friend arrived in T1 (Northwest). So I went to the ATM and took the shuttle to T1. When I got there, there were monitors posting the arrival gates of different flights, but I double-checked with information because it took a while for her flight to be posted. I stood outside the gate and voila!

That said, if the situation were reversed and the later arrival were in T2A, I would do as Bob suggests and settle on a cafe for the T1 person to wait in just because it's nicer to sit.

yes but sometimes flights from overseas don't land at a gate. They land out on the tarmac and a bus takes you to passport control. You ride up a long escalator, then you have to go and get your suitcase to get through customs.
When I went through there was not much to it, but after baggage claim, I had to find a way down to the transportation level. I don't think I could have told someone to meet me at a gate because we did not actually land at one.

is Paris your ultimate destination - or are you arriving at CDG and flying somewhere else?

If you are staying in Paris I would just go straight to the hotel. If the flights arrive near the same time you would get to the hotel within an hour or so of each other. And if the flights are separated by a fair bit of time the first one can check in, relax and maybe walk around the neighborhood for a while.

I hate CDG - especially T2 - and would get out of as soon as possible.

Bob, at T1 the arrival gates posted were arrival areas in the airport itself, where the passengers disgorge from customs. It bore no relationship to what we refer to as gates, where the airplanes arrive.

I have a similar situation except this will be the weekend before Christmas. Spouse flying out of Terminal 2 and I fly United out of Terminal 1. Will I know what level to find United on - how confusing will it be getting to the different terminals - what transportation from Paris would you recommend. Thanks

This airport is the most confusing excuse for an airport I have ever seen. The airline magazine diagram of this "thing" was a four page fold-out instead of one page. I had to run through that confusing mess like a bat out of hell two years ago and got really stressed. Nothing in that airport makes sense.

Phyllis, take a shuttle or cab and have the driver drop one at T2 and one at T1. He will drop you at the correct departure area for each airline and you will enter the building and start standing in line to check in exactly the same way you do in the US. There will be airline personnel who speak English to direct you. Have no fear.

My friend and I did just that in May and it worked fine. We went with Parishuttle. If you have questions, you could write the manager, Mark Harris: [email protected]

Good luck!

dktenor, the following info is from this site: http://www.worldairportguide.com/Airports/cdg/cdg.

TRANSFER BETWEEN TERMINALS
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are linked by free shuttle buses
INFORMATION AND HELP DESKS
Terminal 1 has information desks on the Departures level, at Exits 34 and 36, and on the Arrivals level at Exits 34 and 36. Terminal 2 has information desks at Halls A, B, C, D, F (levels 0 and 2). Terminal 3 has desks at Arrivals and Departures. The information desks also offer a special welcome service for disabled passengers.

K.I.S.S., agree to meet at the information desk at the arrivals area in terminal 1. You go to her as a gentleman should.

Thanks to everyone who replied ...
I had it reversed. Wife arrives American at T2A; I arrive KLM T1. Wife arrives about 10 minutes before me.

We are on a tour and I have pre-arranged ground transportation to the hotel upon my arrival. Wife had to arrange air on her own (don't ask) so she doesn't have transfers. BUT the tour operator said that they would transfer her to hotel - but she has to get to T1.

Obviously we can
1) Wife can get to hotel on her own and we meet there. She's never been to France (but is a good traveler) so may have some hassle.
2) I can say "screw the transfer" and meet wife in T2, then we go to Hotel together on our own.
3) Somehow get her from T2 to T1 and find me (and tour).

thanks again to all.

dktenor,

As you may suspect by now, CDG is indeed a very confusing airport

However, I think you should have no trouble meeting up with your wife.

All she needs to do is take shuttle bus line 1 from exit A10 to T1. Her shuttle bus will arrive at the very bottom (shopping) level of terminal 1. That's where you should wait for her - just get into an elevator in terminal 1 and go to the bottom level. There's a McDonald's on that level, so suggest you meet up in there.

Here's a map of the shuttle bus routes:
http://www.adp.fr/webadp/a_cont01.nsf/0/7D6D3B8F4EDA9373C1256B1F0059E5CB/$File/NavCDGj.gif?OpenElement


This is the official web site of CDG airport (click on the "welcome" link at the bottom left corner for english):
www.adp.fr

Do be aware however that it takes about 30-35 minutes to get from T2A to T1, so you might have to wait around for quite a while - don't know if your tour operator will be willing to do that.

Your wife could shorten her transfer time quite a bit by walking across to terminal 2D and taking the bus from there (exit D12) - all she needs to do is follow the signs for rental cars, take the escalator down, cross the counter area and go up the other side.

If you decide to meet your wife and "screw the transfer", it would make more sense for you to jump on the shuttle bus to meet her (it's only 1 stop on the shuttle bus for you). Just tell her to wait for you in the McDonald's (again ;-)) right by exit A10, where you will arrive on the shuttle bus from T1. Then you can simply take a taxi together to your hotel.

Hope this helps,
Andre