just a quick question...any idea on how long it would take to get through customs and baggage pick up in CDG. We arrive at 6.10am from Australia.
I realise that all sorts of delays can occur but just a general idea as a guide, so i can book a shuttle. And yes, I know trains are great, but after 26 hours flying and arriving at 6.10am a shuttle seems to make sense! Thanks in advance for any tips! JT

It could be an hour or more to get through immigration.

No need to book a shuttle, if you can't face public transport just get a taxi. Shuttles in Paris are unreliable, can leave you stranded and then refuse to give you a refund if you pay in advance.

Usually about one hour to 90 minutes is what it takes to deplane, to pass through immigration, to wait for your luggage, and to exit customs.

However, if I did not want to wait around for transportation, I would use a taxi - always available just steps from the custom exit (shuttles will not be that close). In Paris shuttle reliability is questionable and they will cost 2-3 times what a comparable alternative will cost.

Parisian taxi from CDG to the city center - 45€ to 55€.

mjdh1957, Thanks for the info and the tips! cheers, JT

My plane landed at CDG this morning at 11:00 a.m., 35 minutes ahead of schedule. After landing, we drove around the airport for about ten minutes before the Air France pilot announced that our intended gate was still occupied and we were going to park somewhere quite remote from Terminal 2E and be transported to the terminal on buses. After parking, about ten minutes passed before the first bus came, and since we were in the back of the plane, we were on the last bus which arrived at the terminal sometime after noon. Very quick, five minutes or so, through immigration, then on to the baggage area where we waited nearly an hour for the bags to make it in from the remote parking area.

I was so happy I hadn't bought TGV tickets with a 2-hour connection at CDG as I had originally planned to do. We took the Air France bus in to Gare de Lyon and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Paris. We leave for Lyon tomorrow.

We booked the AF bus on their website and printed our tickets at home. They now have a 10% discount for doing so. We have had very mixed experience with shuttles, and were very happy with the AF bus experience. By the way, AF calls their buses "cars," so you will find information on their site for Air France Cars.

This is a crap shoot. CDG is a complete pit and is run about as well as the average Italian governmental department.

I've actually made a connection in Paris with a 55-minute window, and on another occasion also had to wait for almost an hour on a jetway boxed in with other arriving passengers as the airport effed around with a non-security logistics issue (folks hoping to catch their connections were thrilled). And at 6:10 am there may be a dearth of customs officers to stamp your passport and let you move on your way to claim your baggage with the 300 buddies who flew with you from Oz.

Give it 2 hours, hope for better, prepare for worse.

And on the way out, if you're going through CDG, arrive 3.5 hours early. Seriously.

I would take a cab. Shuttles don't always wait for you if your plane is late or if it takes time to get your bags. Last time at CDG it took 45 minutes for my bag to come down and the shuttle didn't wait. I recommended this shuttle service to a friend and the shuttle didn't wait for her either. Although my brother had great service with the same company. It's hit or miss with Paris shuttles.

After flying that distance I would take the easy way into town - a taxi.

I hope I'm not going to jinx myself, but I've arrived at CDG 3 times on a 6:10 am flight. The first time, the plane parked out on the tarmac and we had to take shuttle buses to the arrivals terminal. The last 2 times, though, we landed early, breezed through immigration, luggage arrived quickly, our car was waiting for us, and we made a quick 30 minute drive into Paris. As I recall, we were sitting in a cafe having breakfast by about 8:30 am. You just never know.