Catching 2nd flight in Paris CDG

If you are gambling that the flight to CDG from the USA will not be canceled and buying separate tickets give yourself 4 hours. You can also catch the train with a connection or two in Belgium or the Netherlands from that airport to Amsterdam

If it is one ticket then a 3 hour layover should be more than enough time as long as the first flight is not delayed. Either way the airline would put you on the next available flight.

Is this on one ticket? If so, you'll be put on the next available flight if you miss the first one. If this is 2 independent airline tickets, maybe it will work out.

That you for such a quick response. The flight to Amsterdam is a separate ticket. Would this mean passing immigration then going back through security? I am doing carry-on only.

The fact that you will have only carry-on luggage is helpful and increases your chances of making the second flight. I have flown on unprotected connections such as yours. I am risk averse and allow myself more time than 3 hours and 15 minutes but you could risk it. I actually usually allow at least 6 and tend to err on the side of 8, but that is overkill but then again, so far (knock wood), I have not missed any unprotected connections. I think the general rule is to allow at least 4 hours. In my case, I would need to buy a ticket from Newark to Paris or on the return home from Newark to San Francisco so I play it safer than may be necessary. When is the check-in cutoff for your flight to Amsterdam? Are you flying in coach? If in coach, where is your seat? Which terminal will you arrive to and from which will you depart? What is the on-time record of your incoming flight?

yeah you have to go through passport control and then security screening to gate.
Just check-in the night before the flight to Amsterdam print at home boarding pass if possible since you just have a carry on

Paris is your entry to Schengen and so even if it were one ticket, you would go through immigration in Paris, but since you are on two tickets, you cannot transfer airside but will have to go through the regular check in and security process. I'd not do it with less than 4 hours as I have had lots of late planes to Europe and lots of weird delays over the years. It is always a risk -- we had a plane turn back to Gander and then come in 5 hours late once, but 4 hours gives you a high chance of making it with minor delays and such.

Thank you all for the wonderful advice. I really appreciate it. I have not purchased my ticket yet because I was not sure if it would work for the 10:15 flight. Based on the advice I have received, I will choose a later flight to allow additional time. Thank you all again!!

I you haven’t purchased your ticket yet you should try an open jaw or multi city search. It may surprise you that a ticket to AMS that has a layover at CDG may not be more than your ticket to CDG with a separately purchased ticket to AMS. That way if you don’t make the second leg of your flight, your one ticketed airline will put you on the next flight.

It would be interesting to know what flight you are thinking of booking, Air Canada? The IcelandicAir flight is just about $100 more total, in to AMS and out of CDG— $1100 rather than $1000. It has one layover on a 12h flight.

We are connecting to a separate flight at CDG on 4/18/19. When I posted a question about this on this forum, the consensus was to allow four hours between flights. Our separate flight leaves almost five hours after the scheduled arrival of the first flight.

Paris is a horrible airport full of confusing nonsensical ways to delay you. At LEAST four hours for 2 tix. Seriously it’s been the worst airport I’ve dealt with in Europe thus far out of 9 different ones.

Hello Nancy,

Be aware that they are 3 terminals in Paris CDG. Terminals 1 and 3 are relativly close to each other and Terminal 2 is a bit further. They are all connected by airport train or shuttles, but still it can take 10 to 30 minutes just to transfer from one terminal to another (worst case scenario being the transfer between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2G).

V.