henrytob

my wife & niece asks....
what time should we leave for CDG for a
10:AM AIR FRANCE flight to atlanta
i am here in atlanta myself
it was a graduation present for the niece
specifics:
leaving on this friday the 8th
leaving from ambassador hotel on blvd haussmann near opera by taxi both have
E tickets
IS 7.00AM TIME ENOUGHT??
thanks for suggestions

Underhill

No, leaving at 7:00 a.m. is not early enough. The trip will take between half an hour and 45 minutes (or possibly longer, depending on traffic), and these days you need to be at the airport a good 3 hours before departure time.

Dave_in_Paris

It depends to a certain extent on how badly they need to make the flight that day. Air France is overbooking, and new EU rules provide for pretty generous compensation if you are bumped from a long-distance flight. Otherwise, I think 6:15 to 6:30 should remove all risk.

Guenmai

I'm always at the airport at least three hours in advance unless I have detaxe papers to get stamped and then I add another 45 minutes to that.The detaxe office opens at around 6.00AM in case you end up with papers needing to get stamped.You will be leaving very early in the morning for the airport,so traffic should be fine, but I would still allow 45 minutes. I agree with Dave in Paris. Happy Travels!

Christina

I do not ever cut things that close, but I know I am cautious about such things as when I want to go home, I don't want anxiety or delays. As with any international airport, you never can tell for sure if it will be an easy or hard day. I leave from central Paris one hour before I want to be in the terminal's doors. I would not plan on arriving for an international AF flight at CDG only 2 hours before departure time as every one of those I've taken the last couple of years as been virtually SRO and the lines are long to check in.

If it were me, I would leave at 6 am. I don't mind wasting a little extra time in the airport once checked in, but don't believe in making myself a nervous wreck to get 30 minutes more of sleep. Actually, I don't think there's any international flight I would do that for, in the US or elsewhere (plan to arrive only 2 hrs before departure time).

hopingtotravel

If you're only flying Air France Paris to Amsterdam to catch your overseas flight, is it still considered an international flight? Still show up 3 hours ahead?

Christina

no, I don't worry about arriving as far ahead for flights within Europe. First of all, they don't even post the gate real far ahead and they don't board the plane that far ahead, either. Also, of course, the planes are a lot smaller, so it doesn't take them as long to screen, etc.

Again, I am overly cautious about these things as I don't like pushing it, so I try to get at the airport 2 hrs ahead for those. If I only had carryon bags (and knew they were really carryon and allowed), that would make it even less problematic. In reality, getting there 90 minutes ahead would probably be okay.

NOw I'll admit I don't know about the flying to Amsterdam to get an international flight, as I never do that kind of thing and am referring to flights within Europe as a destination. Air France doesn't fly from Amsterdam to US, do they? So if you are changing carriers, I don't know about the bags issue.

sorry, I don't know the issues in that.

Patty

hopingtotravel,
The official cut off time for AF intra-European flight check-in is 30 minutes. While I wouldn't cut it that close, you don't need to show up 3 hours in advance. What day/time is your flight? For an early morning Saturday flight I arrived about 90 minutes early (at 6:00am) and the actual check-in/security took 15 minutes at that hour.

Depending on the carrier you're connecting to for your international flight, you may have to pick up your boarding pass at one of the transfer desks at AMS if it wasn't issued at CDG. Either way your bags should be checked through. If you have 2 separate tickets, just show the check-in agent at CDG your other ticket with your final destination.

hopingtotravel

Ah, thanks. I guess that makes sense. I'm sure not showing up 3 hours early for my beginning leg on Alaska Air (which is domestic).
The Amsterdam/Seattle flight is KLM.

Patty

Since Air France-KLM are one now after the merger, you'll most likely receive all of your boarding passes at CDG check-in (I did).

LarryJ

I always stay in the 7th arr. and I can get from the hotel to the ticket counter in one hour to 1 1/4 hours. I go by metro to Gare Nord and then RER B3 from there to CDG terminal 1.

Larry J

pumpkin

hoping to travel, it sounds like you are taking the same route I am taking. We leave Seattle for Amsterdam then Paris and we have 9 am flight leaving Paris for Amsterdam for the return. I, too was curious as to how long to be there in advance for that first leg. I would think 2 hours would do it just fine. They have always been so organized at CDG in the way they process the passengers.

hopingtotravel

Yes, Pumpkin, I remember commenting on your flight on another thread. Unfortunately, we're flying in a couple weeks. Soon after that KLM/NW flight from Seattle will have brand new Airbus planes instead of the old DC-10s.