meeting in Charles de gaulle
 

A friend is flying from Boston-Amsterdam and then on Air France to CDG

I am flying Phila to Frankfurt and then on Lufthansa to CDG

It seems that he will arrive at terminal 2 and I at terminal 1 - the operative word being seems!

We land within 10 minutes of each other and would like to meet so that we can share a taxi to our hotel. Can anyone recommend where we could meet and if, in fact, those terminals are the ones where we shall arrive??

Thank you!

Ask you airlines about the terminals - 1 and 2 are far removed but the new VAL People Mover - free - links the two terminals in just a few minutes. Where to meet i'll leave to others - but Terminal 2 is sprawling with many wings - terminal one is small and basically a big circle - easier perhaps to set a meeting place there and of course taxis would go from either terminal.

As terminal one i believe has only one exit from Customs the person arriving at terminal 2 could go to terminal 1 and then you rendez-vous just outside the only Customs exit in terminal 1 (think there is only one exit there where all passengers must pass thru).

Meet at the HERTZ Counter. The counter is in within the airport grounds transportation area anyway....

Hertz counter in either terminal i guess - good place IMO - i would assume in the sprawling terminal 2 there is only one Hertz counter, as they should be in terminal 1?

Were it me, I'd want to meet at a bar or someplace where if one of you experiences delays or gets lost, the other isn't stuck at a Hertz counter for a very long time.

Airport websites usually show where the restaurants are (just make sure you pick one OUTSIDE security).

I will also toss in that while I really can see it from your point of view about wanting to share a taxi, if you are going to the same hotel in Paris, it might actually end up being cheaper and more relaxing for both of you if you just meet at the hotel, and use public transportation to get there, separately. You could be just steps away from each other at CDG, and not realize it. Will you have cellphones?

www.easycdg.com will show you how the airport is set up.

Both of you are arriving on Schengen (i.e. domestic EU) flights, so there will be no customs and immigration.

As mentioned, the automatic free CDGVAL links the terminals in just a few minutes. I would recommend to meet at either the Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 CDGVAL station once you have figured out who is arriving first and at which terminal.

a nice place to meet is the Sheraton hotel in Terminal 2 which sits above the rail station....once you join up in the lobby you can walk downstairs to catch the RER train into central Paris

I would recommend to meet at either the Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 CDGVAL station once you have figured out who is arriving first and at which terminal.>

good tip - and of course when you land look at the overhead screens saying when planes are due or when they land

both land at same time - then wave to each other as you pass each other on the VAL people mover - no in that case decide before hand on one or the other terminal.

I would suggest that you also make plans in case one flight is cancelled or delayed for 8 hours, or whatever. In that case each just go on to the hotel. You can each easily check arrivals for one another upon arrival.

Last Dec. a friend was flying fro SF and I was flying from ATL. We were meeting at our apartment, but still wanted to know the arrival times. I was due in first. She had a nightmare. Her A/F was cancelled from SF, 8 hrs. later sent her to Munich on Lufthansa and then another delay getting to Paris. Ended up instead of arriving at 11:30 AM..that she arrived at the apt. at 11:00 PM!! Do make plans, just in case.

Joan

Even meeting when the flights are close together and in the SAME terminal can have "issues" (LONG story). Since you are arriving at different terminals - I'd personally forget about meeting up at CDG and go into Paris/meet at the hotel.

CDG is not the most user friendly place on Earth (understatement font off)