Allow 4 hours at Charles de Gaulle in France this Summer!

Sorry to hear about your experience. We had a similar experience a couple years ago at CDG. This was the third week of September. We allowed well over 3 hours before our flight. We spent the 3 hours in a massive (not moving) line. People were shoving each other and anger ensued. By the time we got through immigration, we still had to take the bus to the next terminal. Long story short, Delta held the plane for all who were delayed. The plane took off a half hour later. Needless to say we avoid CDG.

This sounds like my experience at CDG in 2011; first trip out of the US, had to make a transfer and just followed the crowd up an escalator into the biggest, noisiest, hottest, most confusing mayhem I have ever seen. No idea of where to go and no sense of a line for anything and somehow I had the presence of mind to grab an airport employee and say I had to be on another plane in 15 minutes. Voila! I was whisked to the security line and then had to run through the airport in my socks to make the plane. I don't mind CDG for departures and arrivals, but will never again attempt to connect through it.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

That sucks! We had no problems mid-June this year flying out Sunday 1pm, lots of spare time.

We had the same experience last September. Left for the airport by taxi 5.5 hours before our flight. Just getting to the airport was stop and go. Once there the lines to check our bags was huge and both immigration and security lines were long and very slow. We got to our gate after a bathroom break and water purchase about 20 minutes before boarding. Even with all that time I was nervous we wouldn't make it. While waiting in line to check our bags we witnessed two separate couples arrive and speak with airport personnel about making their flights each only had about an hour until their flight left. With one we heard the airport personnel ask why did they arrive at the airport so late. I'm sure they had many hours after they missed their flight to think about it.

My husband and I had the same experience in 2012. The long lines and the warm temperature. We had over three hours to process through. In fact, our flight time came and went while standing in line. When we nervously inquired about missing our flight, we were told don’t worry. When we finally reached our departure gate, we had to load onto buses that took us out to the plane. There were three more bus trips made before all passengers we onboard. I avoid CDG as much as possible.

Most of the people who ask me about CDG are using DL or their "points" to fly to/from CDG. to the U.S. What I tell them is that you can request going through AMS which is a great airport and only use CDG if they are returning to the U.S. and aren't concerned about when the will get home. My EU business partners avoid CDG if possible because of the fiasco that is normal at PPC and getting to the gate. CDG is not worth the extra stress you have to go through to use it.

Luckily, I have never had to connect at CDG. When I use CDG, it is only used as the destination from SFO or the return to SFO, always non-stop on both legs. If the price is right in Economy, I'll be glad to use CDG.

Wow....sounds like hell especially given the fact it was hot with no air conditioning provided.

End of June, 2018. I went through the process quite quickly. 1 hour from arrival to gate at CDG. I did have a morning flight and arrived 3 hours prior to my flight on Delta.

Security was a breeze when we finally got their.

That's because most people were still stuck at passport control. And this further confirms my decision to avoid CDG as a connecting point whenever possible. The last 2 years flying to France we've connected in Amsterdam and Munich, and both were fine. We did fly into CDG a few years ago, but that was on Icelandair, so we did passport control in Iceland and could walk right out of CDG upon arrival.

I used to get to CDG two hours before a flight because I thought I was a "pro" and could handle the crowds. After my experience in early June this year, I will now arrive three hours before my flight. Just getting in our taxi to Terminal 2E after exiting from the autoroute took half an hour--and the driver took some transit-only ramps to do it. Then it was chaotic at the airport going through endless checkpoints where someone scanned your boarding pass. Avoid CDG if possible; if not get there early.

Everyone knows that CDG is a 3 hour before flight airport. I think 4 hours is the exception rather than the rule and an expectation of 2 hours is unrealistic. I did not have any difficulties flying in and out of CDG in June. I think it is not accurate to assume that everyone always has problems just as it would be inaccurate to assume that everyone never has a problem.

I’ve been in and out of CDG over 20 times and have never had a problem, never needed more than 2 hrs to depart, if even that. Just sayin’...

I get to any international airport usually 3-4 hrs prior to departure anyway. CDG is the destination airport when I fly Air France or United to Paris, always have avoided connecting. Going through Immigration has never been as long as it has sometimes been at London Heathrow