Customs question at CDG

You will go through customs at FCO, but this just a matter of walking through the "Green Channel - Nothing To Declare" line.

You will not go through customs at CDG - that's the good news. But you will go through passport control in CDG, which can take time. If everything works, you can make your 1 hour connection. If there's any problem, you won't; in that case, the airline will put you on the next available flight to FCO. I'd definitely want more time (2-3 hours at least).

Barb,

One hour is a really short connection time, especially for CDG. I've done that when transiting through FRA on a flight to FCO and had no problems, but CDG could be a different story. Which terminals are you arriving at and departing from? If you're on a code share flight, the airline will ensure you get to your destination on a later flight, if you miss the flight that's booked.

As Harold mentioned, you'll go through E.U. Passport control at CDG, since it's your first point of entry into the Schengen area. Your Passport will be stamped and you can carry on to your connecting flight (but don't stop for coffee!). I'm not sure if you'll have to go through security again, but that's certainly possible. I had to go through security before boarding the connecting flight to FCO, but the agent was incredibly fast and efficient so the process didn't take long (fortunately there wasn't much of a queue, probably as I was one of the first to disembark from the previous flight).

My first trip abroad started with a layover at CDG, originally was perhaps 2 hours but my plane was delayed and arrived late and then the panic started: first there was a jam-packed shuttle to the other terminal and upon arriving in the upper hall where I had to go through security again I was met with utter mayhem--I have never seen such a writhing mass of people pushing and shoving and angling for position and to be honest it was so far back from security no one knew what they were angling for. And everyone was gabbling in foreign languages and it was so hot and overwhelming I thought I might just sit down and cry if not for fear of being trampled. I somehow got the attention of an employee and they magically got me to the right place and I'm still not sure how the plane was waiting for me as I tore through the terminal, boots in hand. If I ever, EVER, have to use CDG to connect again I will allow 3 hours.

I have had one flight from Seattle to CDG that left and therefore arrived one hour late. Another time, with a connection at CDG, the passport control line took 45 minutes, causing me and others to miss our connection, but the airline did recognize that issue and put us on the next available flights. There are probably several flight connections that could work between Paris Rome.

With fewer options to get you home to Cincinnati, the return connection is especially important. You would go through passport control in Rome (not Paris) in that direction, but changing terminals still takes time. Avoid CDG's around-the-airport navette/shuttle bus because it goes ALL the way around and takes you outside the secure area, so you have to go back through the security check line.

I agree with George in that on the return the passport control check will be at CDG. We had something like 1:25 or 1:30 to make our CDG connection from OSL back to the States. We just made our connection complicated by having to go through a remote satellite passport control and security rescreen building.

Bused from our arriving OSL flight to the remote satellite building. Passport control line. Then rescreening. Wait for new bus to the depoature terminal. Bus tour of their airport understory. Run to make our flight. Happy to depart CDG.

PS. A fellow just in front of us kept screeming at the French airport worker that he was going to miss his flight. Screeming didn't do anything to hasten the slow process.

Thanks to you all for this insight. I am now looking at flights that will take us out of FCO in Rome back to the states (probably EWR) where we'll go through customs there. I've read that even in the states it is a good idea to allow 2 to 3 hours for this process to make a connecting flight to CVG. We were spoiled in 2013 with a direct flight from CDG back to CVG and home. It didn't matter how long the process took.

"I've read that even in the states it is a good idea to allow 2 to 3 hours for this process to make a connecting flight to CVG."

Actually, in the US it's even more important to allow enough time. In the US, you go through immigration (passport control) and customs (goods control) at your first point of arrival into the US, regardless of your final destination. You first go through immigration, which can take 10 minutes or much longer, depending on how many other flights arrive at the same time and how many agents are on duty. You then MUST collect all your checked luggage (so unless you have only carry-on, you have to wait for it to appear), then go through customs. And customs is not a walk-through (there is no "nothing to declare" line), so it can take time, particularly if you're stopped for an inspection. Than you exit customs and bring your checked luggage to the recheck area (usually just outside the customs door), then go to the departures area of the terminal for your next flight. Since you've exited the secure area, you ALWAYS have to go through security again to get to the next flight.

I would be uncomfortable with less than 3 hours for this, even as a US citizen; if a non-citizen, I'd allow even longer. Sure it could take less, but that's taking a chance (particularly if your connection is the last flight of the day on that route).