Athens to paris for flight home--customs?

[NoWhiners]

Hi All

 

We will be flying from Athens to Paris after our cruise in October. I have read about how long and hard it is to get thru the airport. We only have 1 hour between flights (from paris to salt lake City) and now i am wondering if we can make it.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? it seems to involve Schengen countries and if you need to go thru Customs.

 

Any help/insight would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

ML

[cruisemom42]

You should not have to go through any sort of customs or passport control in Paris CDG if you are starting in Athens and are en route to the US.

 

I just did this last November, same route (Athens to Paris to Atlanta). I had about an hour and 20 minutes and I barely made my flight. Good luck on yours!

[NoWhiners]

You should not have to go through any sort of customs or passport control in Paris CDG if you are starting in Athens and are en route to the US.

 

I just did this last November, same route (Athens to Paris to Atlanta). I had about an hour and 20 minutes and I barely made my flight. Good luck on yours!

 

Hi cruisemom42

 

Yep, that sounds like exactly the same flight! I am worried but this beats the alternatives. I am at least encouraged that you made, so I know it can be done!

 

I have read that there aren't many signs in the CDG airport to help you find your way--was that your experience?

 

Thanks

ML

[paul929207]

I don't remember having any trouble finding the way from gate to gate. The problem is it was far.

[cruisemom42]

Hi cruisemom42

 

Yep, that sounds like exactly the same flight! I am worried but this beats the alternatives. I am at least encouraged that you made, so I know it can be done!

 

I have read that there aren't many signs in the CDG airport to help you find your way--was that your experience?

 

Thanks

ML

 

CDG has actually gotten a lot better over the last 3-4 years regarding getting around and signage. It used to be pretty confusing, but now, if you know where you are headed, you can pretty much just follow the signs.

 

Whether you enter the airport directly from your plane or have to take a bus, you'll end up in an area that has a number of monitors with departing flights listed and also machines where you can scan your boarding pass (ask them in Athens when you check in to print it out for you, so you'll have it). These will tell you your gate. Then just follow the signs. You'll likely have to go through some sort of security screening again, but with any luck you will make it if you don't dawdle.

[NoWhiners]

CDG has actually gotten a lot better over the last 3-4 years regarding getting around and signage. It used to be pretty confusing, but now, if you know where you are headed, you can pretty much just follow the signs.

 

Whether you enter the airport directly from your plane or have to take a bus, you'll end up in an area that has a number of monitors with departing flights listed and also machines where you can scan your boarding pass (ask them in Athens when you check in to print it out for you, so you'll have it). These will tell you your gate. Then just follow the signs. You'll likely have to go through some sort of security screening again, but with any luck you will make it if you don't dawdle.

 

cruisemom42

 

Thanks for the notes about signs and monitors, and getting boarding passes in Athens. I am worried that AirFrance in Athens will tell us there is no way they can print our Delta boarding passes for flight out of CDG. I have had this happen before in Europe. We won't be carrying any luggage just backpacks and we aren't that old (just under 60) and can move fast when we have to!! Maybe if i print the terminal map out that would help?

 

thank you so much for your help. I am thinking we may try this. The direct flight from CDG to Salt lake City would get us very close to home (Albuquerque) for our last flight.

 

ML

[cruisemom42]

Delta and Air France are partners, so hopefully they can print out for you. They code share on a lot of flights -- if that is the case, they will certainly be able to do it.

 

I live in Atlanta, so fly Delta and AF all the time. It's rare when they won't be able to assist me with printing a boarding pass for the next flight along...

 

How long exactly do you have to get to your flight in CDG?

[jstroose1]

We transferred planes in Paris the last two years. There is no customs - however, there is security again (I don't understand this since we are getting off one plane and going through another). As I recall we had about an hour layover in Paris as well in each direction. We made it both times. For some reason when we were starting our trip and had to connect in Paris it was a longer walk to the new gates than the reverse.

 

I actually got a few minutes to do some duty free shopping in Paris airport on our way home.

[NoWhiners]

We transferred planes in Paris the last two years. There is no customs - however, there is security again (I don't understand this since we are getting off one plane and going through another). As I recall we had about an hour layover in Paris as well in each direction. We made it both times. For some reason when we were starting our trip and had to connect in Paris it was a longer walk to the new gates than the reverse.

 

I actually got a few minutes to do some duty free shopping in Paris airport on our way home.

 

Hi jstroose1

 

This is interesting--and somewhat unusual. How long did it take to clear through security again? (and I agree it makes no sense to do this to transiting passengers, but then a lot of security makes no sense!). And was it morning, afternoon, evening, etc?

 

Thanks for the info

ML

[jstroose1]

I don't remember exactly. It wasn't outrageous but on the way into France for some reason it took a little longer than on the way out. Both times were in the morning.

 

This winter though I switched planes in Istanbul on my way home from a trip and that security was intensive. It wasn't so much that the lines were long but there was somebody quizzing us near the gate and questioning why we were there. I guess it is because there has been trouble in Turkey.

 

I don't think you will have a problem with the transfer if the flight is on time.

 

good luck.

[marazul]

Hi jstroose1

 

This is interesting--and somewhat unusual. How long did it take to clear through security again? (and I agree it makes no sense to do this to transiting passengers, but then a lot of security makes no sense!). And was it morning, afternoon, evening, etc?

 

Thanks for the info

ML

 

The reason is that to go from one terminal to another sometimes you have to go out of the secure area to the public concourses and then back in to the secure area of the second terminal. CDG is huge. There are some remote terminals too. Do print out the terminal map so you get an idea where to go. There are also info desks throughout the terminals and you can ask for directions.

 

We have also flown Delta/AF to and from Athens. Get your boarding passes in Athens and ask if they can get you better seats - emergency row, bulkhead, etc. Sometimes it works.

[texancruzer]

Been through there twice (once on purpose and once when we missed a connection and had to re-route)

 

The first time I remember asking for directions.....were told our gate was a 5 minute walk and a pointed finger thataway ........ dh and I joke about that now saying " they must walk really really really fast in Paris " since it took us a lot longer than that. Seemed all the traffic was coming at us...... there was no going on one side and coming on the other side........ we had to twist and turn and go up and down - sheesh

 

Good luck making a 1 hr connection. :D

[NoWhiners]

Hi All

 

Just posting on all the threads I started on this topic that we decided to go the safe route and have rebooked doing an ATH-CDG-ATL-ABQ routing. 4 hours now in CDG, flying AF from ATH to CDG, then also to ATL. gets us home 4 hours later arrival home but I think it will be less stressful. I suppose if there are huge airports, it is inevitable you have to pass back thru security. maybe we have enough time to not have to walk so fast!!

 

Thanks for all your help and sharing your experience. Everything is now set for the trip except cabs for our time in Athens and final cruise payment!!

 

thank you again for all your help

ML

[Alex71]

Last time we flew Air France and connected in CDG, Schengen flights were in a different terminal than international flight. We had to walk through a long tunnel to get to the international terminal from where we caught the flight to the US. We had to go through security at that termianl and also show our passports as we exited the Schengen area.

 

We had 45 minutes in CDG and were the last people who boarded the trans atlantic flight.

[marazul]

Hi All

 

Just posting on all the threads I started on this topic that we decided to go the safe route and have rebooked doing an ATH-CDG-ATL-ABQ routing. 4 hours now in CDG, flying AF from ATH to CDG, then also to ATL. gets us home 4 hours later arrival home but I think it will be less stressful. I suppose if there are huge airports, it is inevitable you have to pass back thru security. maybe we have enough time to not have to walk so fast!!

ML

 

The new international terminal at CDG has some fabulous, luxury shops in it. Fun to look in. Good food too. You now have plenty of time to get there. It is quite a hike from the ATH flight to that one.

[NoWhiners]

The new international terminal at CDG has some fabulous, luxury shops in it. Fun to look in. Good food too. You now have plenty of time to get there. It is quite a hike from the ATH flight to that one.

 

Hi marazul

 

I haven't seen any info on this new terminal. All the images I have seen are the (old?) 2E, F, G or whatever. Is there a place where the new international terminal is shown? CDG page still shows the "old" ones?

 

Thx

ML

[marazul]

Can't remember the number. It was at one of the old terminals and then took a tram quite a distance to the new gates. We were there last September. We were on a Delta/AF flight to Atlanta.

[cruisemom42]

I've flown twice from ATH to CDG then from CDG to ATL in the last year. Both were Delta/AF code share flights. The gate we arrived at from Athens wasn't all that far in the CDG scheme of things (e.g., in a large airport). I think it was 2E and I had to get to 2F (or vice versa).

 

I think the nice shops mentioned by the OP are in 2E, see link below. This is where the majority of international connections to/from US seem to be routed. I don't think I've ever arrived/departed from Terminal 1. Ever. (Over many years of visiting Europe).

 

 

http://en.pambianconews.com/prada-and-miu-miu-land-in-charles-de-gaulle/

[marazul]

cruisemom,

that's it - 2E. We did have to walk quite a distance to our CDG -ATH flights on AF. On our return flights last September, they were moving partitions around and doing other work as part of the never ending construction. Hopefully, what we saw was the beginning of the end of construction at CDG.

[NoWhiners]

I've flown twice from ATH to CDG then from CDG to ATL in the last year. Both were Delta/AF code share flights. The gate we arrived at from Athens wasn't all that far in the CDG scheme of things (e.g., in a large airport). I think it was 2E and I had to get to 2F (or vice versa).

 

I think the nice shops mentioned by the OP are in 2E, see link below. This is where the majority of international connections to/from US seem to be routed. I don't think I've ever arrived/departed from Terminal 1. Ever. (Over many years of visiting Europe).

 

 

http://en.pambianconews.com/prada-and-miu-miu-land-in-charles-de-gaulle/

 

That would be great--2E to 2F or vice versa. as you say, in the big scheme of things. We will have enough time to 'smell the roses" now, so to speak. thanks for the link.

 

cruisemom,

that's it - 2E. We did have to walk quite a distance to our CDG -ATH flights on AF. On our return flights last September, they were moving partitions around and doing other work as part of the never ending construction. Hopefully, what we saw was the beginning of the end of construction at CDG.

 

Let's hope you are right--at least by october!

 

ML