Paris Airport Lines

How long is a piece of string? Depends on so many variables.

There is no answer to this. It took us about 15 minutes this spring and that was mostly just walking to the various lines and out -- no real holdup. My daughter during the same time period spent over an hour in the family line. Assume worst case scenario and arrive the full recommended time and bring a good book.

How are security lines connected to EES?

That's like fussing about Americans calling immigration 'customs' because it is common phrasing by Americans. Everyone knows what they mean.

Here they want to know about the lines to get to the plane -- emigration (EES) and security -- if one is stacked up the other tends to be as well although CDG is now pretty aggressively managing security to try to push people through quickly.

Which airline are you flying? That will determine which terminal you leave from and possibly what your situation will be on departure. However, I agree it's ever-changing.

Do you have status with an airline? I am just Silver Medallion with Delta but I qualify for the Sky Priority lane on departure from 2E. It's down a side corridor so slightly hard to find unless you are looking. My departure in early May had all the EES exit machines closed and I was sent thru e-gates for departure. There was literally no one in line ahead or behind me so was thru in the time it took me to walk from the entrance to the gates, 1 minute there, and I was on to security.

Is the order for going thru EES and security different at various airports? I thought you went thru security before EES? At least it was that way just recently in Berlin.

Definitely depends on the terminal, time of day, airline, etc. I was at CDG pre-EES process in August 2025 and there were zero lines at airline check in/ baggage check (Delta), a perfectly reasonable and efficient line at the security/exit immigration, and it still took 45 minutes from check in counter to the gate. They have helpful estimated times posted on boards near the check in counters (at least they did at 2E). On a good day I would still allow 3 hours ahead of your flight.

"Is the order for going thru EES and security different at various airports? I thought you went thru security before EES? At least it was that way just recently in Berlin."

It can be different within the same airport. There is not a standard as far as I can tell.

At CDG, Terminal 2E it is definitely Exit passport control and then security. In that terminal there are 3 different gate areas and you then go thru security for which ever gates your flight leaves from. For 2 areas, L and M you have to take the in-airport shuttle train to those terminals and then do security there. I just did this in May and was leaving from 2E - M gates so it is fresh that I had to shuttle to a different part of the terminal AFTER Exit Passport control.

When I transited thru CDG in 2022 I came in at 2E, walked to 2F and the order was security then passport control to enter the Schengen zone.

And yes, even though I went thru quickly this last time with EES at 2E, I would still allow 3 hours before my flight.

My departure in early May had all the EES exit machines closed and I was sent thru e-gates for departure. There was literally no one in line ahead or behind me so was thru in the time it took me to walk from the entrance to the gates, 1 minute there, and I was on to security.

Same for me in late May - except I wasn't even in the Sky Priority line !