I was researching some flights to FCO and found a good deal on a flight that changes at CDG. My concern is the amount of time for the connection. The flight on the way to Rome only has a 1 hour and 20 minutes layover at CDG. On the way back, it is even tighter with only 1 hour. If we are able to make these connections, what do you think about our chances of our luggage making it?

don't do it! CDG is a mess. I had a connection there and it involved going from one terminal to another to switch planes. however the plane lands, you then get on a shuttle bus to the gate. you then have to go from one gate to the next and then get back on a shuttle bus to the new plane. they were doing some construction at the time so maybe it has resolved? needless to say we got to the gate with 10 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off but told we weren't getting on the bus to the plane, as there wasn't enough time. the bus can take as long as 30 mins! so they ripped up our tickets and gave us new ones for the next day. no apologies, nothing.

I wouldn't do it.

Air travel is hectic enough without worrying about missing such a tight connection and your bags. Or, dealing with a missed flight or lost bags.

I might take the chance coming home for a darned good fare. But, probably not.

Your chances of missing those flights are better than catching them. And, all bets are off on the bags.

No no a thousand times no. Never accept a connect at CDG that allows less than THREE HOURS between planes.

We did this six years ago, with an hour and a half, but this was before I had read so many horrible things about CDG. I guess we got lucky because our flight arrived late and our gate was also changed, which we didn't know until we showed up at the wrong gate and it was empty.

I found a round trip in September for only $622 inclusive!

A gate change happened to us once as well. When we got to the gate, there was no one there - and no board anywhere in sight! We finally found an information desk and got the new gate number - a gate at the opposite end of the terminal. Fortunately, the flight was still boarding.

Unfortunately, we had reward flights out of CDG with a 4 1/2 hour layover....until AF changed the flight to a 1 1/2 hour layover. Of course they assure us it's no problem! Hopefully with the new terminal open this won't be a problem. Anyone know the best way to get booked on the next flight out? There's only 1 after ours until the next day. I cannot imagine making THAT phone call to my mother (who is watching our 3 little ones) to tell her it will be one more day. Any advice is much appreciated!

luvlimoncello,
1 hour is tight as you'll need to go through passport control and security (I'm assuming you're flying from/to the US). I'd look at what your options are if you misconnect and what impact that will have on your trip. What carrier(s) is this?

We have reward flights going through CDG both ways next month. I am already planning for my luggage to be lost (a friend just returned from a trip to France and said that AF lost her bag not once, but twice). That way, if the luggage arrives with us, it will simply be a "bonus." We will just have to make sure we maximize what we bring on the plane with us. Like AmyD I would welcome any advice/suggestions on how to proceed, however, if we cannot physically make our connection. This itinerary was not our choice; we weren't even flying through CDG on the way over when we first redeemed our frequent flyer miles, but we got an e-mail telling us the itinerary had been changed. (Our carrier is Delta.)

Barbara,
Did you already accept the itinerary change? Where are you flying from and to?

We have not called about the itinerary change, but it was actually something of an improvement over the original itinerary, apart from the very real risk of not having our bags with us when we get to Edinburgh. We are flying from Tallahasee FL, to Atlanta, to CDG, to Edinburgh. Since we originally got the e-mail I have thought perhaps I should call ahead of time and at least document my concern with the short layover at CDG.

You can ask for a fee free change to something like TLH-ATL-JFK-EDI on DL operated flights. Since this was a schedule change, they should be able to override award availability and waive the fee. However, I don't know that the schedule's isn't worse routing this way.

You could also try asking for a fee free change to a later CDG-EDI flight. AF usually has pretty good intra-Europe availability. But the next flight to EDI appears to be 4 hours later (assuming you're on the 7:20am). If that's the case, I'd probably chance the short connection knowing there are several later flights.

Patty-Yes, we are flying out of the US. The airline is Air France. For the same rate there is another flight option with a 4 hour layover. I get stingy with my time on the way over, and that leaves us arriving in Rome in the afternoon instead of the morning. I guess I should just say better safe than sorry! On the way back, the other option is a flight that leaves at 7AM versus 10:20AM. I really didn't want to deal with leaving that early, but that flight has another 4 hour layover. The 10:20 flight departs CDG at the same time as the 7AM flight. It appears if I miss the connecting flight on the 10:20 flight I will be stuck until the next day. I hope all of this scribble makes sense.

Thanks all for your input.

I was hoping someone would tell me the tight layover times were ok, as those flights had more optimal departure and arrival times.

This is very distressing to read, since I too have reservations on Air France going in and out of CDG from DC/CDG to Venice & then returning from Florence to CDG/DC. When I spoke to the person at AF she assured me that since both flights were in the same terminal, an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half was plenty of time. It sounds like no one agrees with that....I had forgotten we have to go through customs, in Paris, is that the case if we are in the same terminal in Paris?

With the opening of S3 last summer and the recent reopening of the 2E main boarding area, the chances of getting a jetway (as opposed to a bus stand) on an AF long haul arrival have greatly improved. With a 1 hour 20 min connection, going from 2E (either S3 or main terminal) to 2F1 including passport control and security shouldn’t be a problem provided you get a jetway. The return 1 hour is tight (you basically have the reverse transit) but there's a possibility (but no guarantee) that a ground agent will assist you at CDG when you have a tight connection <b>to</b> an AF long haul. And if you miss the return connection, you might not be stuck until the next day either. They could route you through AMS or other airports if flights are available.

I'm generally much more optimistic about making short transfers at CDG today than if you'd asked me a year ago. I used to try to avoid CDG transits, but I recently actually changed a flight later this year <i>to</i> a CDG transit.

FWIW I was treated well by AF staff when traveling on an award ticket earlier this year when I encountered a flight cancellation.

Susan,
Technically CDG 2 <i>is</i> all one terminal but it's divided into 6 halls (A, B, C, D, E &amp; F). Posters including me often refer to the individual halls as &quot;terminals&quot; because they seem like different terminals.

You go through passport control (immigration) at your first point of entry into the Schengen zone. That would be CDG in your case since France and Italy are both in the Schengen zone. Your bags should be through checked to VCE where you will pick them up and go through customs. Customs is really a non-event. <i>All</i> transfers at CDG require going through security, so you'll be going through passport control (on arrival to enter Schengen and on departure to exit Schengen) and security both directions.

That said, see my post above regarding the improvements to terminal 2, particularly if you're flying AF. Basically, transfers between 2E &amp; 2F have greatly improved.

Also see this interactive site for AF-AF transfers at CDG http://correspondances-aeroports.air....fr/_index.php

luvlimoncello:

First, are you saying all your flights are with Air France? If you're not changing airlines, that helps. I can't help with the flight going over. But I think you could make a 1:20 connection. (My flights to Paris have always gotten in a little early.)

As for the return, I did that very connection in November. We were to leave Rome at 10:20am for my connection at CDG. We left Rome late, but they held the flight in Paris for us--about 30 minutes. Both flights were on the same airline.

That said, I booked with the attitude that it wouldn't be the end of the world if I got stuck in Paris that last night. Do not book tight connections if you will be totally devastated if something goes awry.

I also meant to say: Patty is spot on about the new terminal. It's much more efficient.

When we had a one hour connection at CDG coming back to the US 2 years ago our TA's agency arranged for a ground agent/assistant to shepherd us from our arrival at one end to our departing flight at the other.

The guy got us to the front of lines, knew exactly where to take us in the terminal, etc. Perhaps check the CDG site under services to see what's available? Certainly could save wear and tear. I'll see if I can find out more.

I've flown through CDG about a dozen times on AF.

Most of the times, tight connections.

I've only missed the connection once, because the flight out of Italy or Spain (forget which ) was held up.

So AF put people up at nearby hotels.

They also failed to get my checked bag once and they delivered it the next day at my home, 50 miles south of SFO.

The tight connections, especially taking buses to the annex on the CDG-SFO leg, have made for some hectic trips. Once or twice, they picked me up at the tarmac of the connecting flight, put me in vans and drove me directly to the gate.

But it seemed to be improving as of last May and July.

I will find out in about 4 weeks if it's gotten better since.

It's crazy but the non-stop between SFO and CDG is vastly preferable, even though there are tight connections at CDG, than stopping on the East Coast and having a 4-hour layover.