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Customs in Paris (CDG) arriving from Turin

I am planning a Saturday morning flight from Turin to Paris. I assume this requires a trip through customs? My flight is not established as a connecting flight through Paris to Philadelphia but, I have three hours available by schedule. Will I see any issues getting through CDG airport in this time frame?
Thanks!

Posted by
784 posts

If you are simply changing planes with a three hour layover, you won't need to go through immigration (passport control) - you don't need to anyway between Italy and France. You will go through customs upon arrival in Philadelphia.

Posted by
19631 posts

If it is not an established connection, what about bags? Is it a code share with the flight to Philly (American/US Air I assume)? If so, you might be able to get them transferred automatically when you check in in Turin.

Posted by
11 posts

Thanks for the input Sam. My flights are completely independent flights. I will probably need to pick up my baggage and recheck them when I check-in for the flight home to PHL. Not sure I could get them transferred from Air France to Delta. This is why I was questioning the time frame. Had plenty of time but Delta bumped up my departure by three hours. The other option is to fly up the night before and stay an extra night in Paris. Rather spend the extra day in the Alps.

Posted by
16893 posts

Although you may have to transfer your own luggage because of the separate tickets, I would try my best to get them checked through. Delta and Air France are code-share partners. If you can find the Air France version of the Delta flight number (search the schedule on their web site), then that may also help. Once on a Greek island, I needed the agent to recognize that Delta had an interline agreement with Olympic, but she could not recognize the Delta flight until I gave her the KLM version of the flight number (through Amsterdam).

Posted by
19631 posts

Since Delta and Air France are partners, you might be able to get the bags checked to Philly from Turin.

Posted by
11294 posts

You need to find out if Air France will "interline" your checked bags with Delta when you have separate tickets. Since they are in the same alliance, they may, but these days, they also may not (once upon a time, all the airlines did this, but those days are over).

If they will interline your bags, you will surrender your checked luggage in Turin, it will be tagged PHL, and not see it again until Philadelphia. If not, it will be tagged CDG, and you will have to retrieve your bags in Paris and recheck them. However, there are no customs between Italy and France - it's like a domestic flight in the US in this respect; you just pick the bag off the belt, leave the baggage claim area, and go to check in for your next flight.

As for immigration, you will not go through passport control from Turin to Paris, but will going from Paris to Philadelphia. However, you will probably need to show your passport as your ID on your Turin to Paris flight.

Is three hours enough? How lucky do you feel? It should be enough, but if there's any disruption, it may not be. Googling shows that your flight from Turin arrives at 2G, which is a satellite terminal requiring you to be bussed to the main terminal complex (2A through 2F). You then have to make your way to 2E for your Delta departure. The good news is that you can take a bus directly between the terminals and not have to go through security again. The bad news is that 2E has several concourses (halls) - K, L, and M - and you have to make sure you are going to the correct one. Here are some directions from the Easy CDG website: http://easycdg.com/passenger-information/connecting-flight-connections-paris-cdg-airport/transit-terminal-2g/

Posted by
426 posts

I believe you will go through passport control in Paris, to get your stamp that you are leaving. We did have to line up for that and on the day we were there (New Year's Day), this took just under an hour - no idea whether that was unusual. We did not have to re-check our bags, nor did we have to ride a shuttle and the whole process from landing to reboarding took every minute of our hour and 20 minute layover. You will probably be fine, but I wouldn't stop for shopping or snacks until you can see your PHL boarding gate.

Posted by
10117 posts

You don't say when your trip is, but if you haven't left yet you should call Delta now and have these tickets combined into one itinerary. Since Delta changed your time, you have the right to ask for a later flight or other changes at no charge.

Posted by
7977 posts

Turin and Paris are both in Schengen -- this is a domestic flight and there will be no customs. Normally there is also no immigration -- I don't know if there is something recent because of the terrorism --

You have not left nearly enough time when tickets are separate. If your flight is late, you may well now make your flight. The rule of thumb is 3 hours at CDG. You need to give yourself more time or else be willing to buy a walk up one way ticket if you miscalculated. This works if everything goes perfectly, but things don't always go perfectly. CDG is an airport where they don't much care if you make your plane; if you are not in check in 3 hours ahead, you are just out of luck if it takes a long while to get through check in and security.

Posted by
2916 posts

While there is no customs/immigration on the Turin-Paris leg, you will have to go through immigration at CDG and get your passport stamped with an exit stamp. And I'm pretty sure you'll have to go through security at CDG again. If you can get your tickets combined, that would solve a lot of problems. Besides guaranteeing that your luggage will get transferred, it will mean the airlines will have responsibility for getting you back to Phil if there is a delay.

Posted by
9460 posts

During the current state of emergency in France (decreed after the November attacks and currently in force through February 26th; the government currently is undertaking measures that would extend it for another three months), there ARE border checks between countries that normally would NOT be checked under Schengen. So if your trip is anytime soon, yes, you will go through immigration upon arriving in France from Italy.

This is not the normal state of things, but it is, sadly, the current state of things.

Thus, the points you've received here about Italy and France both being in Schengen and there therefore being no immigration control between the two countries would normally be true but just aren't accurate now unfortunately.

Posted by
7977 posts

Even without the new passport controls 3 hours is a very risky booking. The price of missing a high stakes flight is pretty horrendous. You should be there the night before, but if not that, at least allow 5 or 6 hours to account for delayed departures or even cancelled flights and needs to rebook. There is no grace for error here.

Posted by
10117 posts

I don't know if the OP is still here or not, but I'll repeat that you need to call Delta and have them accommodate you. They changed your schedule, so you have the right to change flights for free. You should see about having these two itineraries combined to protect you in case the Turin flight is delayed--which does happen. Finally, with the new passport control arriving, plus passport control leaving, as well as security, three hours probably wouldn't be long enough.

Posted by
2916 posts

Kim (or anyone else who knows the answer), is the new passport control coming from a Schengen country essentially the same as passport control coming from a non-Schengen country, or is it somewhat less formal?

Posted by
11 posts

Thanks all for the input.
From everyone's comments, I believe I will take the safe route and fly from TRN to CDG the night before. Just an extra night around Paris, but the hotel cost by the airport was a wash from the hotel in Turin. I was looking forward to a day in Turin, but maybe another trip.
I agree, putting too much faith in the airlines & airports would be a risk adventure. BTW, I was relentless over the flight change. After I paid for non-stop flights from PHL to CDG, adding a stop on the return was justification for compensation. Took a transfer to a manager but ended w/ additional travel vouchers in my inbox. Not bad after Delta paid for the original PHL to CDG flights for overbooking our flight in ATL last October. I am learning that the extra set of clothes in the carry-on can be very handy when you have a little travel flexibility.
Thanks again,
DZ

Posted by
9460 posts

Robert and anyone else interested - unfortunately I don't know. I came last week via land (by car) from Turin back into France and the border check was very perfunctory**. And in one way, I would think it would be similar coming via air -- but then again, I don't see how an airport can turn on/off immigration controls when they've not been doing them . . .

If someone wants to buy me an air ticket somewhere out of here and back, I'll let you know!! ;p

**I wouldn't be surprised if folks fitting a certain profile receive more attention than we did, especially if they're coming over a land border via car or train from Belgium or Germany. But that is just my guess.