dentisto

I've traveled quite a bit in the USA but never in Europe. How much in advance of my our flight time do I need to arrive at CDG and LHR before flights?

travelgourmet

Where are the flights going? And with which carrier?

flanneruk

Whatever time your airline tells you, for your flight number, in your class, with your luggage and given whatever decision you've made about advance checkin.

There are many knowledgeable people on this forum. But only you know all these things - and you're every bit as capable of looking all that up on your airline's website as any of us.

pdx

I agree that it all depends on circumstances, but if you're a worrier (like me) then plan on two hours before your flight leaves. There's a half-hour for check-in, half-hour for boarding, and an hour to sit around feeling grateful you didn't miss your flight. I usually have to grab something to eat, too, so factor that in if you want.
That doesn't mean you leave your lodging 2 hours before your flight, that's two hours at the airport. You're going to have to figure what your transportation time is to the airport depending on how you get there, traffic, distance, etc.
Probably not significantly different than your travels in the U.S.
Have fun exploring the rest of the world!

nytraveler

Check with your carrier. And be aware that lines to drop luggage may be VERY low, as can security lines. (I have had hte former take more than 40 minutes when I was flying cattle car - and ecurty also take 30 to 40 minutes.)

For an international flight with checked luggge I would always get to the airport at least 2 hours before flight time. But do check - sometimes there are world conditions that require additional security - once flying home from Lisbon I got on line 2.5 hours in advance and barely made the (very late) flight - since there were rumors of safety issues and everyone on the flight had to go through 3 seurity checks - then pile on a bus and be driven out to a plane surrounded by soldiers with machine guns.

Christina

For an international flight, I aim for 3 hrs at both. YOu can easily spend more than a half hour at checkin at CDG, it depends on the airline and the crowds and time of day. Also, there is security, which is separate from checkin and can take a lot of time, also. I think pdx forgot about security in his/her estimates.

pdx

Go with Christina's advice, she flies a lot more than I do. GIve yourself 3 hours at the airport and have a nice meal and a glass of wine if your check-in/security goes quickly and you find yourself with 1-2 hours on your hands. You can check up on your email and look at the pictures of your wonderful trip. Hours at the airport ahead of your flight are waaay better than waiting around for the next flight with seats available. Especially international.

travelgourmet

Three hours is too long at either airport. The only question is whether to show up two hours ahead (flights to US) or one (flights within Europe).

yk

If you're flying TO the US from Heathrow, I'd allow for 2.5 hours. IME, the US-bound flights want you to get to the gate 45-60 minutes PRIOR to departure time, as you need to go through secondary screening & questioning. Heathrow is so big that it can easily take 10-15 minutes just to walk to your gate. With all that, it doesn't leave you much time to line up/check-in if you show up 2 hrs or less before your US-bound flight. Plus, I always like to do some duty-free shopping at Heathrow. They have a huge selection of products at a very good price.

dentisto

I have an Air France flight at 7:35AM from Heathrow to CDG. I also have a 10:00AM Alitalia flight from CDG to Naples, Italy on another day.

I realize the airlines have suggested advance arrival times but my US experience has been that some airlines suggest unnecessarily early arrival times (Spirit suggests 3 hours advance in Detroit which is way too much time, especially for an early flight) so I was interested in some practical insight from those with more experience traveling from LHR and CDG. Thank you for your replies. Much appreciated.

travelgourmet

I think one hour ahead should be sufficient for both trips.

<i>IME, the US-bound flights want you to get to the gate 45-60 minutes PRIOR to departure time, as you need to go through secondary screening & questioning.</i>

I would distinguish between what the airlines want and what they require. They want you to arrive early so that they can minimize their hassle. If they only require you to be there 30 minutes before, then I see no reason to arrive 60 minutes before simply to make their life easier. Also, there is no questioning if you are departing on a foreign carrier and I believe that the secondary security screening at LHR is random and not required for every passenger departing to the US.

fredandgingermad

If you have luggage to check then 2 hours if not then an hour and a half, just to allow time for security which at lhr always seems to be packed and also getting to the gate

G_Hopper

3 hours was barely enough time the last time I flew out of CDG. We had carry-ons but they made us check them (and one bag got lost). I'll avoid CDG at all costs in the future.

yk

The secondary screening I mentioned is another round of questioning and it applies to all pax boarding the flight (American Airlines). They ask Qs such as "has your luggage been w/you at all times at the airport" and "Did anyone approach you to carry something for them" etc. After the questioning, some pax (not all) are sent to have their hand luggage searched.

Sarastro

US airlines flying from CDG suggests you arrive at the airport 3 hours before departure. For example:

American Airlines - 180 minutes check in time
http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...rivalTimes.jsp

Continental Airlines - For most cities/regions outside the U.S., the approximate airport processing time is three hours.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...s/default.aspx


While there may be individual examples when 3 hours was not needed, all too often it is needed. For flights to/near North America, the TSA screens passenger lists, lists which they insist be submitted no later than one hour prior to scheduled departure time. Plus, all bags once collected must be screened, sorted, and loaded on-board. For most CDG departures, aircraft can hold up to 250 passengers which can represent hundreds of checked bags which must go through this process. One hour is really not a lot of time to properly accomplish each of the required steps.

Thus, a 3 hour check-in time actually means 2 hours to complete all formalities before the one hour cutoff. With security lines at CDG which can often reach a one hour wait, you´ll need to complete the check-in process well in advance to guarantee being at the gate within the normally required 45 minutes before an international departure. 200+ people cannot board an aircraft, stow their hand carried items and find their seats simultaneously. All of this has nothing to do with minimizing the hassle of the airline, it is to minimize the possibility of a delayed departure which can result in a delayed arrival, a real and tangible hassle for those trying to connect through to other flights when reaching the USA.

What the airlines want is exactly what they require and what is required has as much to do with TSA mandates as it does with the complexities of operating large aircraft in an increasingly demanding operational environment. It is simply naive to suggest otherwise.

travelgourmet

First off, why are people talking about departures to the US? The OP is flying LHR-CDG and CDG-NAP (which, BTW, is either a connection or a codeshare on Air France). The minimum check-in time for Air France at LHR is 30 minutes. The minimum check-in time for Alitalia at CDG is 40 minutes. If the flight to NAP is operated by Air France, then the minimum check-in time is 60 minutes. Arriving 3 hours ahead of time is insane.

<i>One hour is really not a lot of time to properly accomplish each of the required steps.</i>

If it were not enough time, then why don't the carriers have a minimum check-in time that is greater than 60 minutes? AA may recommend that you arrive 3 hours early, but they will accept baggage and check you in until 60 minutes before departure.

<i>What the airlines want is exactly what they require</i>

They are not the same. Read the page you linked to more carefully.

I guess everyone has their own tolerance for risk, but I find arriving 3 hours before a flight to be a ridiculous waste of my time and I don't do it, even for flights to the US. I certainly wouldn't do it for an intra-European flight.

fredandgingermad

I generally find 3 hours for international flights, 2 hours for European or with baggage to check in the US and 1 hour for domestic works well enough regardless of what country i happen to be in