xpi6tiva

I know the Charles de Gaulle airport is a common topic, and I have seached older posts to see if I can answer my own question, but wasn't able to find anything.

Next week, I am flying Air France through CDG onto Barcelona. I have 1hour 15min to make it from Terminal 2E to 2F. I have searched maps of the airport and it all looks so confusing, like a bunch of scribbles. And I know from what I have read that it's the worst airport to go through.

Can someone assist me with preplanning my run? I am extremely grateful!

Robespierre

Scribbles? What map are you looking at, anyway? Here's one that shows 2E and 2F are right next to one another:

<b>http://tinyurl.com/7nled</b>

The walkway between them is on the Arrivals level (numbered 0). You walk through <i>La galerie</i> to get there.

eri

You should be nervous! I can't understand why would anyone agree to such tight connection espcially to a destination like Barcelona! There is an AF flight CDG-BCN almost every hour.
You can plan and look at maps, but it won't make any difference. Our plane taxied for about 25 min until it stopped at such a far corner of the air field that it took 15 more min for a shuttle bus to bring us to the terminal. Then we had to wait for another bus to drive us to the connecting flight's terminal. We had 2 hours and it was tight. Don't agree to such tight connections. It is your money and you don't deserve such punishment. And even if you'll be lucky enough to make it, how will you be able to enjoy your trip when your luggage won't?

ira

Hi xp,

Inform the flight attendants on your flight to CDG of your short connection time and ask for assistance.

Your luggage should be booked through to Barcelona.

The worst thing that can happen is that you will reach Barcelona later than planned.

SeaUrchin

Having been through this nightmare I can only suggest that you do have your route in the airport at hand. We waited for their shuttles out on the tarmac and when we finally landed in a holding area we waited for another shuttle which was a big mistake, we should have taken off on our own.

The shuttles were late and no one was helping in any way so we missed the plane. In other words try not to rely on their shuttles. (I know others here can give you better advice)

lovevenice

CDG is arguably the most frustrating airport in the world. Relax just a bit because, even though the powers that be there will try to make you believe that your flight is the first time they've ever had to deal with a short connection, they will find a way to get you on your flight. I honestly believe that they get great joy in making Americans &quot;run for their life&quot; as we attempt to get from one terminal to the other in CDG. It may be their revenge for Lance Armstrong winning all those Tour de France races. In June, my wife, daughter and I were made to run from the center of the building to one end of the terminal where we finally were put on a bus which immediately retraced our path back to where we had started from!!!! But I'm not bitter - no, not me..... but I did make a promise to my wife, daughter and myself that day: I will NEVER book any flight that goes through CDG again. And I do mean to live up to it. Good luck. Your connection will work out but it won't be easy. BTW, we informed our flight attendants of our tight connection, but they were of no help what so ever.

Ann1

Sleep. I don't know CDG well, but I know many people who have gone through there. Everyone who missed the flight was put on the next flight. Just get to the desk right away to reschedule.

Maybe someone can give you hints. But just remember not to expect much and be happy if you make it.

SeaUrchin

Ira, I take it this has worked for you? One in a million!

Andrew

When worrying about time for your plane to reach the gate after you land, remember that your quoted arrival time is arrival AT THE GATE not the time your plane is supposed to land. If a flight is landing at CDG at a typically busy time and it normally takes 15 minutes to get to the gate, that 15 minutes should be built into the schedule.

Andrew

xpi6tiva

I really appreciate everyones thought. I booked this flight before I knew enough horrible things about CDG. I have made short connections at the Milano airport before so never thought that was an issue either. Ooops, was I stupid or what? I will try to relax and let whatever is meant to be be.

Thank you again.

wliwl

CDG must be full of people with missed connections. It seems to me that it would not help much to &quot;inform the flight attendants.&quot; The plane we were on had MANY very nervous passengers who were missing connections. I know, because we got to sit (well, stand actually) together on a stupid shuttle bus just trying to get from the plane to the terminal for over an hour. I don't know what was wrong that day (if anything), it's just that there were MANY buses in front of us and they unloaded one at a time and really slowly. Plus, it took awhile to drive across the tarmac, waiting for taxiing planes and misc trucks. I felt bad for some of the people ont he bus.Not only was everyone hot, tired, and nervous, but some were holding babies and their luggage!

Michel_Paris

Hi,

Here is a nice pictorial set of terminal maps that I recently found. Very nice pictorials. 2E and 2F are very close.


http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/f...naux/plans.htm

rbnwdln

You are NOT put on the next flight if you miss the first. We were told that it would take 2 hours to transfer luggage so were not able to get on the next flight. We missed out flight after running our buns across tarmac, onto busses, up steps, down steps, stopped to show our passports to God-knows-who and then watched our plane take off without us. We were made to wait 2 hours and then our luggage didn't make it anyway!

travelbunny

..If you can't sleep I suggest that you flex and extend your wrist as this will help you wave to others on your flight as it takes off. In all seriousness, this is a very disorganized airport and I have missed flights. The good news if you are flyiong the same air line- AF for example or AF and a partner airline they will get you on the next available flight..the operative word is available. NEVER book a quick connection through Roissy when it is 2 unrelated airlines. I did this once when I was meeting a friend in Paris and he had purchased tickets in Paris for the 2 of us for a vacation..just don't ask!

flanneruk

Don't let it deprive you of a single wink.

First of all, these Americans going into conniptions about CDG have clearly never tried being European and transferring at Toronto to a US-bound flight - where Europeans have to retrieve their bags, fill in unbelievably impertinent landing cards for both the US and Canada (&quot;have you been on a farm?&quot, go through two sets of even more impertinent Immigration officials (&quot;you can't possibly be coming to Canada for just 30 minutes&quot, two sets of interrogative Customs officials AND change terminals. Oh, and go through the shoe-doffing ritual with US security. All before the last flight for Seattle. And little of which corresponds to what Air Canada told you was going to happen.

By comparison, CDG2 is a doddle.

And you have a choice. You can preplan meticulously, elbow your way to the front of the plane, rush through everything while trying to set a new sprint record and have your first heart attack at CDG. And still watch your Barcelona-bound plane take off without you.

Or you can sleep soundly for the next week, get off the plane in your own time and, once you've found for certain your Barcelona flight's left, tell the transfer desk you want to be put onto a flight that gives you time to pop into town and have a decent lunch.

Paris still retains some claims to being the world's food capital. CDG airport is a bit lower down that totem pole than Tashkent. Spend the next week anticipating the lunch you're going to have, and your life will be a great deal more serene.

xpi6tiva

Thank you so much Flanneruk for your wonderful and especially calming post!

ira

Good attitude XP,

Hi SeaUrchin
&gt;Ira, I take it this has worked for you? One in a million!&lt;

No, but I thought I would try to help XP calm down.

Better than telling him/her how foolish it was to book the flight.

StCirq

For what it's worth, flanneruk, We Americans have to answer the same questions when we arrive home. There are sound reasons for asking whether someone's been on a farm, too. I believe it was your home base that had that little episode of hoof and mouth a couple of years ago - we'd rather not &quot;catch&quot; it.

Connections through CDG are often nightmarish, but don't lose sleep over it. Most of the time there are AF personnel to show you the way and hurry you along so you'll catch your flight. You might want to get in shape over the next few days, though

Judy

I'm obviously in the minority here, in that I've had many close connections at CDG and somehow made them all! We have frequently had to run to do so.
I'm so afraid to post this, though, as I have one tomorrow and, somehow, I think if I actually post this, I won't make my connection tomorrow.
Basically, xpi6tiva, it's just luck...nothing you should lose sleep over. I have read that some people did get moved along more quickly by speaking to the flight crew...sure can't hurt!

radiofanatic

what's a &quot;doddle&quot;?