We're meeting our 18 year-old nephew at CDG in Paris in January--we're flying from Atlanta and he's flying from Chicago. His flight arrives about 2 hours before ours. This is his first trip to Europe and I'm trying to think of things to tell him so he'll know what to expect--things about the overseas flight, going though customs, what to do if our flight doesn't arrive, etc. What important info would you tell your nephew to prepare him for the trip?
Posted by
San Diego, CA, United States
864 posts
Well first there's the whole wear a money belt lecture. I presume you have the name, phone number and address of the hotel you are staying in. Make sure he has that. Normally I don't advise this but make sure he has 100 Euros in his money belt (just in case). Also I'd make sure he has an ATM card with a 4 digit pin for emergency cash. Be sure both of you have each other's flight info. Upon landing he'll follow the herd, collect his baggage and then clear customs. He'll be able to see on the flight monitors the status of your flight. Make sure you both have cell phones that have been unlocked for international calls. In an emergency or in the case of a terminal screwup by one airline or the other at least you can text each other. I.e., "seeing your flight is 9 hours delayed I took a cab to the hotel, Bradley". Oh, and let the hotel know ahead of time it's a remote possibility he'll arrive ahead of you. His flight's delayed several hours you text him to go to the OFFICIAL cab line and taxi to the hotel after he text msgs you that he has arrived. (And yes a cab is expensive but worth it for a 18 yr old who's never been to Europe.) I mention the 9 hour flight delay because my husband's flight once had a medical emergency onboard, turned around, landed, had to be refueled, obtain a new flight crew etc. etc. etc. Being prepared with a plan ahead of time saved alot of headache. In reality it'll probably all go off without a hitch. Plan on meeting by a specific airline's ticket counter (outgoing flight counter). Some airports you can't actually get to the ticket counters without a ticket but then you just hang around the entrance queque.
Posted by
Pacific Northwest
347 posts
I'd say...."Hey we'll see you in Paris!". I'd also give him ETBD and/or RS Paris for Christmas. He is 18, after all, not 12. You are only going to be a couple of hours behind him. Just let him to know to make sure he has cash and the contact information for the hotel - and let the hotel know he may be there before you. Past that...I think you are under-estimating his abilities as an 18 year old. If he reads the books, he'll be fine.
Posted by
TX
515 posts
If it were my nephew, in addition to all the other advice: I would suggest he drink water rather than soft drinks on the plane... to stretch his legs alot... to smile when he hears the flight attendant say "Bienvenue a Paris!" Tell him the plane may not taxi to the terminal, and he may have to deplane in a plane parking lot and ride a bus to the terminal. Tell him that he may or may not have his passport stamped as he goes through customs. Tell him to keep his passport in a safe place, before and after going thru customs...and yes, to USE THAT MONEY BELT...and that CDG is rather chaotic, to enjoy every single minute, but keep his wits about him. And I, too, would strongly suggest that he reads the RS books aforementioned.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Tell him to do the one thing he can't do at home... get a drink!
OK, seriously...First of all, if he's used to flying out of O'Hare, I doubt CDG will seem that overwhelming.
Second... where were you planning to meet? I don't know if you've ever experienced CDG, but honestly, it's not the greatest meet-and-greet airport in the world. If you're really worried about him, just pick an RER station and have him wait there.
Third... tell him to relax and enjoy the new atmosphere... and get himself that drink...
Posted by
OP
Atlanta
3262 posts
Thanks all! Great suggestions! We printed a map of CDG and from what we can tell so far, it looks like both of our flights arrive at Terminal 2E. I plan to check the terminal info online to find a restaurant where he can wait or meet him in the Delta departure area on level 2.
Posted by
Toronto
12 posts
He's 18, not 5. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.
All the staff at the airport will speak English and can help him find his way around, I doubt he'll have any problem with that. Make sure he has a bit of cash in his money belt to get a bit of food or drink while he waits.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1449 posts
Sharon, its good of you to think of this ahead of time. Once you've traveled a few times you take a lot of things for granted; how to find and collect luggage, get to the hotel, check in, etc.
The previous posters have given you a lot of good tips. What I'd suggest in sum is helping him prepare so that he could fly to Paris and get to the hotel entirely on his own if it comes to that.
On one of my first int'l trips I was meeting a friend in Rome who was arriving about 2 hours ahead of me. Friend wasn't at baggage claim where we had planned on meeting, ok, he's getting a snack. 30 minutes later I dig out my cellphone and have a few messages. He had missed his flight and there I was; in Rome, knew name of hotel but not where it was nor was I listed on the reservation. And with the 9hr time difference calling back to CA was impractical. Things worked out ok but I found the value of preparation.