International Layover Question
 

I'm flying from Boston to Naples, and I found a flight with a one hour layover in Paris. Is that enough time to make a connecting flight? I've never changed planes on an international flight....do you have to go through customs?

Thanks!

a 1 hr transfer at Roissy..you joke! The only time I would risk it would be if the 2nd flight was with the same carrier and it was a legal transgfer as defined by the carrier.

I have made changes at CDG in less than an hour on Air France and between two Air France flights. But.....I'd rather have two hours if possible. You do have to go through some type of immigration and possibly customs as it is your first stop in a Schengen country.

Things to consider: will the luggage be checked all the way through?
Are there later flights to the final destination.

Lots of people make connections through CDG in less than an hour but the airport has become "known" as confusion central and delay universe to many which is probably what prompted the reply above mine.

As a follow-on: if you are saving HUNDREDS of dollars vs. using flights with greater changing time I'd take a chance on making the connection.

I've made it in an hour at CDG, but it's quite risky. I had 45-minute connection booked at CDG between St. Maarten and Rome booked for this spring and just changed my flights to allow for two hours.

If you don't mind taking another flight if you miss your connection, then go for it. I agree that I would only risk it if your connection is on the same carrier.

I usually don't mind having a risky connection figuring I can just take a later flight if need be (of course, be sure to check whether or not this is a possibility). However, I'm meeting other people at FCO this trip and don't want to take the chance of later flights being full.

Good luck!

Hi ski,

The problem is not Customs, it's where your plane lands, wheher it is on time, passport control and security.

Our last trip, we had 90 min to make a connection. We made it only because our departure plane left 20 min late.

I would be prepared to miss that connection and have to go on the next flight out.

You must travel on a single ticket with your luggage checked through to Naples.

((I))

Your baggage will almost certainly be checked to your final detination.

In which case you go through immigration, but not Customs, at CDG (the European norm is that you go through Customs at your final destination, wherever it is. Even if you're going on to a Schengen destination). And it's not "some sort" of immigration.

For all the whining on this board about CDG, it's surprising how few people actually miss their connection. But it's a high risk (and the risk your bag doesn't make it is even higher), so make sure it's all on one carrier (so they'll book you on the next flight), that the next flight is painless (CDG-Naples isn't exactly high frequency) and that you can survive without your checked bags for 48 hours.

I've made three AF connecting flights at CDG with 60 - 75 minute transfer times. It is doable but alot of stress! I would only do this if it is AF transferring to AF. If it is and you decide to book, make sure you baggage is checked all the way through to your ultimate destinantion.

i finally missed the famous 45/50min connection at cdg.
had to wait 11 hours til next flight of THEIRS to valencia.
AF refused to put me on iberia or send me via madrid or barcelona.

needless to say i had a few words with the agent and tried to get his supervisor to rectify this insane decision.( to no avail).

so... i am not so happy about the AF connections THEY put on their tickets.
i have made them many a time, but once you have missed the connection just one time.. for same price i will go elsewhere..
but as mentioned before.. if you are saving big time.. tough decision.

You can read about my recent 65 minute scheduled connection at CDG (12/25) in this thread:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34730280

Skip to the "flight detail" and "CDG" section.

Are these two flights on one ticket? Are they on the same airline? Or are you purchasing them separately?

I mention this only to clarify, if it is two separate tickets the airline has no obligation to help you if you miss the 2nd flight.

I have taxied sometimes for over 20-25 minutes at CDG in Paris especially since the terminal fell two years ago and we park in different places "on the pad". Sometimes we joke that we are going up to Rouen to park as the traffic there is getting ridiculous.I would not even think about a 1 hour connection at CDG-life is way too short to have that type of stress!

dutyfree is right. Last July we did taxi upon arrival at CDG for about 20-25 minutes. It's allright if you don't have a connecting flight, but if you do, it's crazy.