Please sign in to post.

Paris Airport Time Question

Hi everyone!

We will be heading to Paris at the end of September and I have a question about timing in the airport. I have had a connecting flight through CDG before, but that has been my only experience there.

We land in CDG on Saturday at 655 AM. Is it possible to go through customs, get our bags, take them to baggage storage, go back through security to catch a flight to Munich at 9 AM?

My thoughts are telling me this is a no and that we would be cutting it too close, but wanted to ask those that have more experience!

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
440 posts

You dont go through customs you go straight to departure lounge and wont see your bags until you get to munich

Posted by
8889 posts

But the poster says they want to put their bags into baggage storage. Therefore they will have to pick up their bags (make sure when you check in they are labelled to CDG, and not to Munich).

Whether you pick up your bags or not you will have to go through immigration first, as Paris will be where you enter the Schengen Area. Depending on how busy they are, this could take up to 60 minutes, say 30-45 on average.
Then you would normally head direct to the gate for Munich (assuming this is one booking and you already have your second boarding card), but in your case you need to pick up your bag, then exit through customs (which takes zero time) and find the baggage storage.
After baggage storage (how long will this take?), then back through security for the Munich flight. Is there a minimum time you must be at the gate for your second flight?

I would say this is too short, Finding baggage storage (where is it?) and handing your bag in is an unknown, which could take 30-60 minutes.

If this is not one booking, but two, then you would also have to check in for your second flight, and you have no guarantees if your first flight is late or re-timed.

P.S., how long are you putting them in storage for? I guess you must be coming back through CDG to pick them up.

Posted by
23 posts

The flights are on separate tickets and were not booked together. Given we will just bringing bookbags on our flight from Paris to Munich we will be able to do the 24 hour online checkin and won't need to check any bags.

The bag storage is located in Terminal 2 TGC-RER station and it looks like we can book in advance so that shouldn't be too long.

Posted by
7981 posts

That is not enough time. Immigration can take a couple of hours on a bad day and is rarely in my experience less than an hour unless in first class where there is a shorter immigration line. Having to store bags and then get to the terminal and back through security for Munich is cutting it too fine. The normal recommendation is to be in check in for the ongoing flight 1.5 to 2 hours ahead for domestic flights. If your plane is late what then? Of the last 10 flights to Europe we have taken all but two have been half an hour to an hour late; one was half an hour early and one was actually 5 hours late. Three hours is optimistic but two hours runs a huge risk of missing the flight if everything does not go perfectly.

Posted by
13809 posts

I've not done this before, but here are my thoughts on timing. I don't think you've built in enough time for offloading, standing in line and getting to your different locations in the airport.

6:55 - This may be the time your plane pulls up to the gate. It might take 20 minutes to get the jetway set, door open and deplane even if you are seated in Business Class which offloads first. I'm guessing you are taking a flight from the US? It might be early if you have a nice tail wind from the jet stream but you can't count on that.

Immigration - My experience (not vast but enough) is that this can range from 45-90 minutes. An hour has been about an average time to get thru the line...once you are IN line. It's sometimes a 10 minute walk from the plane to where the lines start for Passport control. In general I count on 2 hours from when I step off the plane (not when it lands) to when I am standing at the taxi rank to go in to town. This counts a comfort stop as well.

Your departure flight for Munich - How long ahead does this airline close the door to boarding? In the US the small commuter jets I fly close about 10 minutes before boarding but the international flights close about 30 minutes ahead. This flight might start boarding 40 minutes before departure or more...not sure of the protocol.

No idea about timing to pick up your bags - mine have usually been waiting by the time I get thru Immigration. Security back thru to Airside - I'd say 30-60 minutes average from where you are standing in line plus you'll need walking time to and from bag storage.

When's the next flight after 9A? On one ticket you could count on the airline moving you to a different flight but since you've got 2 separate ticket, I say a minimum of 4 hours. I am very risk averse.

Posted by
23 posts

Thanks for the replies everyone!

You are all echoing my thoughts as well which is that it is not enough time. I hate wasting time in an airport, but I think I will just hold off and do the 12 o'clock flight out of Paris. I am thinking 5 hours should be enough time. There is another flight at 10am, but I am thinking even with 3 hours it could still possibly be close.

Posted by
13809 posts

I'd go with the noon flight even thought that amount of time might be long. You'll have time to not feel rushed, you can have a meal when you get back airside and you can do some walking to stretch out after the long flight.

Posted by
7981 posts

Re check in for ongoing flights. Budget airlines like Easyjet actually close check in 40 minutes before the flight.

Posted by
3985 posts

The flights are on separate tickets and were not booked together.

With 2 distinct itineraries, CDG is a stopover. It's not a connection.

I hate wasting time in an airport, but I think I will just hold off
and do the 12 o'clock flight out of Paris. I am thinking 5 hours
should be enough time. There is another flight at 10am, but I am
thinking even with 3 hours it could still possibly be close.

Smart. Yes, 3 hours is too close given the arriving flight into CDG could be late, you might not be the 1st off the plane, and the lines at immigration could be long. Unless you plan on declaring goods, customs is a walk through. Also, very smart not to check bags for 2 separately ticketed flights to your destination.