ski_queen

We will be coming into Paris from the US and then continuing on to Italy -all on Air France. I've just read on another message board that we'll have to pick up our luggage (??) and clear security between those flights and 45 minutes is cutting it close. Any experience with a tight connection between those two terminals?

ira

Hi sq,

Only 45 min?

CallAir France and ask them how they are going to escort you from plane to plane.

It is possible that you will clear Immigration in Italy, not CDG.

Judy

If you are on Air France, you can certainly check your luggage through and not have to pick it up. We've done that going to Munich, Athens and Rome.
We've made tight connections at CDG, usually running between terminals...don't know why they book like that!
For peace of mind, go to the Air France web site and see when the next flight to your Italy destination is. If you miss one, they'll usually put you on the next one.

StuDudley

It has taken us 45 mins just to get throught immigration. If everything goes perfect, and your Paris flight lands early, you might make it. If everything goes normal, you won't. I allow 1 hr 45 mins at a minimum - usually I seek a 2 1/2 hr gap. Don't know why you have to retrieve your bags in Paris on an all Air France Flight. Check this with Air France when you call to inquire about a later flight. Also, I don't think you can clear immigration in Rome, since this is an all EC flight. The people flying from Paris to Rome only, shouldn't need to go through immigration.

However, do what Ira suggested about having AF meet your flight, escort you to the front of the immigration line, then on to your Rome flight.

Stu Dudley

MorganB

Making a connection from Terminal 2 at Paris-Charles-de Gaulle
When you get off the plane, follow the "Correspondance Transfer" signs up to the Transfer desk to check your departure terminal.

If your connection is at Terminal 2:
Check your departure terminal at the Transfer desk:
- For an international flight, departures are from Terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E or 2F: Take the Air France shuttle bus (within customs zone) situated close to the Transfer desk
- For a domestic flight or Schengen, departures are from Terminals 2D or 2F: Proceed to the public area and follow the "Correspondance Transfer" signs


If your connection is at Terminal 1:
- International flight:
Take the Aéroports de Paris shuttle bus (within customs zone) situated close to the Transfer desk
- Domestic flight or Schengen:
Follow the "Sortie - Exit" signs and proceed to police controls
Then take the Aéroports de Paris shuttle bus (line 1) to Terminal 1


If your connection is at Terminal 3:
Follow the "Sortie - Exit" signs and proceed to police controls, then collect your luggage
Next take the Aéroports de Paris shuttle bus (line 5) to Terminal 3

ski_queen

ok, i've just called AF and they said we won't be clearing customs in Paris...we will be doing so in Venice. Apparently our bags are being checked through and we are just "transiting"... now I'm off to find out what that means!

MorganB

Posted to soon. Whoops. That was from the Airports of Paris website. 45 minutes is enough time if all runs smoothly. You will not need to collect your luggage. Are the flights on the same record locator number? If so then it is an authorized Air France connection and Air France will be responsable for taking care of you in the event that you do miss the connection. If you are worried about it you coulld look at Air France's schedule and make sure they have a latter flight to your destination. That way you can feel more assured that you will simply be put on the next flight. Have a great trip!

ski_queen

Thanks MorganB! I just found that info myself on the CDG website. whew! All the flights are under the same record locator and I've got the info on later flights that day as well in case something goes awry.
thanks all for your advice!

MorganB

Glad to be of help

StuDudley

>>I've got the info on later flights that day as well in case something goes awry.<<

I did the same thing once - except all the later flights were sold out. We had to hang around CDG about 10 hours before a flight was available. We got to our destination (Nice) at about 10:00 at night. I would not want to arrive in Venice that late. If there is a flight that leaves just a couple of hours later, I would try to change the reservation ASAP.

Stu Dudley

Judy

This May I spent a week in Paris then met my husband at CDG to go to Athens. He was arriving at the departure gate 15 minutes after his arrival time. I, too, was worried about his 45 minute connection. It was not a problem.

I'm doing the same thing in October....meeting a daughter at CDG to go to Marseille. She has a short connection and we hope it works! Air France seems to schedule these connections that seem impossible but , most of the time, they work!

Brian_in_Charlotte

I think it's criminal that AF issues tickets with such a short connection time.

If you do attempt this, be sure that you are given your boarding pass for your Paris-Venice flight. The agent at a small airport in the US failed to do this for a somewhat clueless friend of mine a couple years ago. He spent the night at CDG.

Brian_in_Charlotte

Meant to say, be sure to get your Paris-Venice boarding pass before you leave the US.

Barbara_in_CT

Air France regularly does the quick change in Paris on the way to Italy. I was on a flight in 2003 with that change. Air France had an agent meet our plane and escort us to our connection to Rome. It was up and down stairs, in and out of places but we ended up at our Rome flight and made the flight. Have comfortable shoes to walk in and carry-on luggage that isn't very heavy.

francophile03

Yes, be prepared to do speed walking, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a small carryon. It's more likely you will walk up and down stairs as the elevators and escalators could be out of service. The plane takes quite a while to get to the arrival gate and this cuts your connection time.

barbmc

We just flew into CDG from Chicago in July. We didn't have to make a connection but many people did...one group for sure was going to Germany (however I don't know if they continued on Air France). ALL of us had to board a BUS for a 15 minute ride to the terminal...ALL of us had to go through customs. There is no way 45 minutes would be enough especially changing terminals.

StuDudley

Would someone else please comment about going through immigration at CDG if you are continuing on to another EC destination outside of France. We fly to Paris & elsewhere in France quite often, and have always had to go through immigration at CDG. I'm pretty sure we went through immigration in London, when we landed there & then continued on to France. We've never landed at CDG and then continued on to another non-France airport.

So far, the only person who actually said they followed the France/outside France itinerary was barbmc, who said she did have to go through immigration at CGD.

I'm not sure I would trust an Air France agent telling me where I will go through immigration on a future flight - I've received some wrong advice from AF in the past.

Stu Dudley

rbnwdln

It is very possible that 45 minutes will not be enough. We went through there this summer with that layover and missed our flight. We were expected to stop along the way from one terminal to another and show our passports. Then back on a shuttle, run like mad to the gate and we are too late. THEN we are told that we cannot get on the next flight to Rome as they need 2 hours to transfer the luggage. So we waited the 2 hours and then one of our pieces of luggage never made it. On the way back through CDG an agent ran our butts up and down and through the airport shouting for us to hurry up but we did make that flight.

barbmc

To Stu: We did not have to make a connection as we were staying in Paris but those who were traveling on to other places HAD TO go ride a frustrating shuttle around CDG and go through immigration just like the rest of us. It was a young person who was a teacher or tour guide with 17 high school students...they were going to Germany. I don't know if she ever made her flight but I felt sorry for her...she only had 1 hour between landing and take off. And like I said 15-20 minutes of that was a frustrating shuttle around the airport.

When we came back from Nice...to CDG...To Chicago our luggage was checked through all the way so we didn't have to worry about that but it took about half hour to get through security/passport check for the Chicago flight...and of course more shuttle rides.

I would always try for at least 2 hours between flights at that airport. And if possible have your boarding pass before leaving the first place. If you have to get a boarding pass for a different airline...oh boy.

Saraho

Once we had a 55 minute connection at CDG on Air France and then continuing on to Venice. Our plane arrived at CDG on time, but the plane spent 30 minutes waiting in line for a gate, so we only had 25 minutes to get on the shuttle and then make the run to the departure gate for Venice. We got to the gate 20 minutes before departure. The plane was there, but we were told that the doors were already closed so we could not get on that flight.

We went to the Air France counter to switch to the next flight only to be told all the flights were sold out until 8 pm. So we had to wait at CDG for eight LONG hours, mostly spent sitting on a quiet out of the way bench, having major jet lag!

I called our hotel in Venice and told them we would be late, but please hold our hotel room. We arrived in Venice at 11pm and hurried to our hotel room only to be told that our room had been given away. They found us a room at another hotel and walked us to it. This was not a good beginning to our week in Venice!

Since then my husband has refused to change planes at CDG!