Young traveler must wait at CDG - safe place to wait?

How old is this person?

Thirty minutes doesn't mean she'll be outside the security zone before you. Some planes taxi a long time and ways out. Some gates are linked to the terminal via shuttle bus. If she's in the back of the plane, it will take her longer to get off.

Next, are you even arriving at the same terminal? Terminal 2 is divided into numerous sub-terminals, each the size of a stand-alone terminal. So you may arrive in 2E and she in 2G for example. Each is huge, very separate and inside separate secure zones, each with its own large baggage arrival area inside the security zone. So unless you know you are arriving in the same subterminal and nothing changes at the last minute, you might be able to see her in the baggage area. I wouldn't count on it, though.

If she is too young to travel unaccompanied, then you'll need to make arrangements for an unaccompanied minor with the airline.

With all these variables, I's say to tell her to meet you in the lobby of the Sheraton, which is inside Terminal 2. She just needs to ask, follow signs and she'll make her way to the Sheraton. But remember that you might get there before her.

Your question about a passport scam is a bit confusing, so let me just reassure you that it will all work out.

Depending on how crowded it is when you arrive, she could spend that 30 minutes waiting in the line for passport control. If you're really concerned, and flying into the same terminal, I would think she could sit down and wait at the gate and you could all exit together (try really hard to carry on so you don't have to worry about baggage claim...). Thirty minutes isn't terribly long (of course, that's assuming both of your flights run on time!).

BTW, I don't have any experience with this. I'm speculating. I've flown into and out of CDG, and never felt unsafe, but I've never flown with children. I did fly into CDG as a college student, but with a group and our instructor met us outside by baggage claim. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Best of luck, and enjoy France!

She won't be able to wait by a gate. You have to walk down those endless glassed in corridors and can't reach other gates. There are so many terminals and so many gates that there's no guarantee they'd be in the same area. And there could be a last minute gate change.

Will you have working phones ?? Some way to get in touch at the airport? Otherwise I agree with setting up a specific meeting place. I was meeting my 19-year-old daughter at CDG in pre-phone days and ran around in a panic when she wasn't on the plane from London (all worked out fine -- but it was scary for about 45 minutes until BA could confirm she was on the next flight. )

Ah, Bets, you're right (of course). I block those awful glass corridors from memory as much as possible.

If it's only thirty minutes to wait, I'd suggest she just wait right at the gate she lands at and you go meet her there when you land and then go out to baggage claim together.

If it's only thirty minutes to wait, I'd suggest she just wait right at the gate she lands at and you go meet her there when you land and then go out to baggage claim together.

Thank you so much for your responses. She is 17 - not a child, but I still worry; she's never traveled abroad, or alone. I like the Sheraton idea, so will check to see which terminal she is arriving. We do have phones, so since it seems safe, I can call her and have her stay outside the door if not Terminal 2. Maybe I've been reading too much about safety issues in Italy (our first stop without our niece) - I was afraid someone would pose as a policeman and ask for her passport or to see her money. Maybe the books make it seem worse than it is ;-) thanks again!

Here's what she needs to know about arrival, assuming she is arriving on a nonstop flight from the US (if she is changing planes in Europe, let us know, as the procedures will be somewhat different in Paris):

1. Upon landing, the entire plane will proceed directly to immigration (Passport Control). There will be separate lines for EU Citizens and for Visitors; assuming she has a US Passport, she will want a Visitors line.
2. She will then go to Baggage Claim and collect all her checked bags (it will help her to know the flight number, so she can quickly find the correct carousel with her flight's bags).
3. Once she has collected all her checked bags (or if she has no checked bags), she will go through the line marked "Green Channel - Nothing To Declare."
4. She will now pass through frosted doors, and is now officially in France. There will be a huge scrum of people holding signs and trying to spot their loved ones coming out the doors - it can be a bit intimidating if she is not prepared. Once she is through these doors, NO ONE should be asking to see her passport, so she should put it away. She may be accosted by people trying to get her to take an unauthorized taxi - she should ignore them.

Again, the entire plane will be doing these four steps, and so all she needs to do is follow the crowds and signs.

Once through the frosted doors, she is free to go where she wants - except into secure areas of the airport. That's why you can't go to her gate and she can't go to yours (they're both behind security). To give good meeting place advice (other than the Sheraton), we need to know which terminals you and she are arriving at. If you're arriving in separate terminals, we can tell you how to get between them. And be careful of picking something that isn't unique. If you say "meet me at the Hertz rental counter" you'll be in trouble, as there's more than one.

http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/Home/
This is the official site for the sprawling CdG airport. It is overflowing with information, including many maps and instructions on how to move between the various areas and buildings. You and your relative can explore the possibilities and agree on a meeting place outside the security areas. It may help for each of you to print out the appropriate maps for the route to your meeting-place, although the direction signs are decent.

Thank you so much everyone for your replies. I appreciate knowing the steps that we will go through and I will check out the map of the airport. Thankfully, we are arriving in the same terminal (2), although it's probably huge. She will be arriving on Delta from the US and we will be arriving via Air Europa from Barcelona.

I feel so much better now that we can make a plan.... Again I can't thank you enough for the helpful info! Marcy

Marcy - the books make it seem MUCH worse than it is. Having been a 17-year-old solo traveler, I will venture a guess that the only "danger" you face is her deciding she wants to order a glass of wine at the Sheraton bar while she waits. :-)

Also, scams like the pickpocket scams and the "sign our petition please" scam are very hard to run in airports these days, if not impossible. The days of being accosted by Moonies and monks and other hustlers are long gone. CDG is very safe and secure. She will be fine!