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Short flight connection for return flight to USA: 85 minutes in CDG or 100 minutes in AMS?

I am planning a trip, flying from USA to Italy. On the return flight back to the USA, I can connect through either CDG (Air France, with a 1 hr 25 min connection) or AMS (KLM, with a 1 hr 40 min connection).

I read a bunch of posts here about short connections at each airport, and it seems both of these are possible - although tight, especially if there are lines at passport control or the flight is delayed. But I haven't read anything comparing the two of them against each other. I am inclined to book the KLM flight, as the things I've read suggest this is a slightly easier airport to navigate and it gives me an extra 15 minutes. Is that correct, for anyone who has experience with both? Which would you choose?

At CDG, I would come into 2F and depart 2E (using the gate assignments from today's flights)
At AMS, I would come into B and depart from E.

I could get a longer connection, but I would have to depart Italy at 6am and that will be miserable.

I am an experienced traveler and my home airport is huge, so I am very comfortable navigating big airports, fwiw.

Posted by
23091 posts

I can't speak for CDG, but AMS is pretty good. You can move up in the passport line if your connecting flight is imminant.

Posted by
1246 posts

While there is no way to predict exactly what the conditions will be on your date of travel,
on average, Amsterdam will be the better airport to connect in.

CDG is large and potentially confusing. AMS is not small, but less confusing.

As long as your flights are booked on the same ticket, KLM will make sure you get home.

Posted by
4 posts

OK thank you both. You confirmed my suspicions. I'll book through AMS. I appreciate the quick responses.

Posted by
98 posts

I had a similar dilemma and opted for AMS for my trip later this summer.

I was at CDG last year and it was tight for my connection there even though just under 2 hours (arriving from USA heading to Morocco).

You will be coming from within EU so I expect either connection to be easier/faster.

Posted by
9823 posts

We have used both airports for flights.

I would give the edge to AMS over CDG. At CDG you have farther to walk between the two terminals.