Flight connection times

You will go crazy trying to find a perfect flight. Go with the lowest price. I would not worry about layover times no matter what the airline will put you on the next flight to Nice. But considering the size of your group to me the 3 hour layover seems best. If not go to the bathroom before you land and wait til you get to your final destination to brush your teeth.

I'd go with either the 3:55 in Paris or 3:30 in Amsterdam but I am very risk averse. I assume you'll be flying from the US so you'll need to go thru Immigration. With your group size you'll also not be as nimble either.

I think you will wind up eating up most of your transfer time in either airport.

Amsterdam is pretty easy to transfer thru but I would not be comfortable with 1h15. I was actually worried last Fall with a 2h30 minute transfer time and I've been thru that airport a couple of times before! If your international leg is delayed at all you'll be toast. I do understand the airlines use a minimum connection time but everything would have to work perfectly. I would be a nervous wreck the whole first flight. There is an express lane thru Immigration for short connection times but I'd still not want to chance it for 1h15.

My minimum connection time thru the Immigration airport is 3 hours. I like 2 hours on domestic flights.

Three hours is my minimum connection time in Europe anymore. That allows for the flight being delayed, a slow disembarkation, finding the next gate, immigration and/or security, bathroom, maybe a snack (and with all due respect to Jazz, as bad as airport bathrooms can be, they are the Ritz compared to an airplane lav). Even with that, we’ve had some close ones, and the fact that the airline needs to get you there is not at all reassuring as the next flight might be the next day, or, there may not be any seats. And, if you’ve checked bags? (We do not) Oy!

Agree with above. And three hours isn't really that long by the time you actually get off the plane and get your bearings, figure out where you need to go next, (and go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, keep your party of 6 organized).

When I was shopping for our flights, I ended up looking for flights where the transfer was in the US (east coast), then direct to my final destination. There, I could layover with just under 2 hours, if necessary. Maybe that's not an option for you, but thought I'd mention it.

We'd have to hit the bathrooms, do a quick splash of water and brushing of teeth, and get through passport control.

Personally, I would choose the short connection in Amsterdam (because I hate waiting in airports); however, I would not stop en route. If brushing teeth and stopping in the bathroom is important, take a longer connection.

Regardless, I’d choose AMS over CDG if everything else were equal. I hate connecting through CDG so I now avoid it.

Ultimately this may come down to price and available seats when you book, but if this were my group, I'd change planes in Amsterdam. I like it better than CDG. Whichever airport is selected, I'd go for the longer connection time.

If you select (or are forced to select due to flight availability) the shorter connection time, have a group plan before you disembark to make the connection. Once you've cleared all the security stuff, head directly for the next gate. Do not stop to use the bathroom. Do not pause for snacks or coffee. Once you've all reached the next gate, then pause and breathe and look for the nearest bathrooms. That way if boarding begins early (or your original flight arrives late, or lines are moving slower than usual, etc.) you are closer to the boarding gate than if you're still halfway across the airport.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

I always factor an extra half hour for the "overnight flight fog" I usually have after an international flight - I never function as clearly after a sleepless long flight. I personally would pick Amsterdam and a 3:30 layover - plenty of time to re-group your group, transfer where you need to go, and get refreshed. There's a lovely little lounge area that has an outside patio so you can get fresh air (called the Airport Park, lounge level 1, near the entrance to terminal D gates). If you want to go faster with a shorter layover, I'd double check the availability of later flights to Nice on the day you arrive. If there are none, stick with the longer layover.

Thanks for your insights. I feel better about picking a longer option. I'd be too worried about getting all of us on a later flight if we missed the first connection.

Another option is connecting through JFK and then directly to Nice. That gives us 2:33 at JFK. Enough?

And on return, 2 hours would be OK at AMS, wouldn't it? See, there I'm not so worried if we miss. It would not cause me to miss my vacation, only my return!

Amsterdam is pretty easy to transfer thru but I would not be comfortable with 1h15.

I'll agree with that. We changed in Amsterdam both ways last year, and it was pretty quick, although I doubt we made it in under 1:15. And there were several people who missed their connections. So I'd choose the longer connection time in Amsterdam. What I wouldn't do is make your connection in the US. If there's a problem and you miss your connection, the "next available flight" might not be until the next day.

2:33 for a domestic to international connection is generally comfortable enough to give you time to get bored waiting at the gate for the next flight. Sounds like a good option.

I haven't departed thru AMS in a few years but you did have to go thru departure Immigration where they stamp you out of the Schengen zone.

I'm not sure what the security status is at the US departure gates in AMS now. They were doing a whole lot of reno last time I departed but for the Delta flights to the US you had another passport check/questions (did you pack your own luggage,where have you traveled, etc) + security at the gate. Someone who has departed in the last year or 2 will have a better idea if this is still the case.

I'd probably be OK with 2 hours, but no time for lollygagging.

Pam, that sounds like what we went through in Amsterdam last year. I think we went through 4 passport checks (counting immigration/passport control), and I do remember those questions.

Another option is connecting through JFK and then directly to Nice. That gives us 2:33 at JFK. Enough?

If you are flying from a US origin and connecting through JFK, then two and a half hours should be sufficient provided your first flight is on time and both the original flight and the connecting flight are on the same reservation.

And on return, 2 hours would be OK at AMS, wouldn't it? See, there I'm not so worried if we miss. It would not cause me to miss my vacation, only my return!

Again, it depends if your first flight is on time, but if you have more flexibility here than it should be as big of an issue provided - again - that both flights are on the same reservation.

Thanks for your insights. I feel better about picking a longer option.
I'd be too worried about getting all of us on a later flight if we
missed the first connection.

Smart move. Flights can be delayed and while connecting means that the airline would put you on its next available flight with available seats if you missed the connection due to late arrival, that could mean the next day. With 6 or 7 of you, who knows when you'd all arrive at the final destination.

Another option is connecting through JFK and then directly to Nice.
That gives us 2:33 at JFK. Enough?

JFK is my home int'l airport. 2 1/2 hours IS enough time only if you are NOT CHANGING TERMINALS. If you need to change terminals to make the int'l flight, JFK is not for you. You'd have to leave security, go landside, wait and take the Airtrain to a different terminal, and then wait on security lines all over again. There is definitely NOT ENOUGH TIME for that.

And on return, 2 hours would be OK at AMS, wouldn't it? See, there I'm
not so worried if we miss. It would not cause me to miss my vacation,
only my return!

AMS is my favorite airport for making connections. CDG is not. As with 2 hours, if your inbound is late, you will be put on the next available flight with seats. Again, that could be the next day.

We would either be coming from Detroit DTW or Indianapolis IND into JFK. Is there a way to find out what the likely terminal is?

Karen, I can’t answer your last question, but like Pam, I am also risk averse!
Amsterdam is much smaller and easier to navigate.
And I will always choose a bit of boredom over anxiety!

Most airlines have a 'flight status' gizmo that will show yesterday, today, tomorrow. The yesterday and today will show the gate the flight goes to. Usually a flight will go to the same terminal, especially if it is a daily flight; probably not the same gate.

Thank to all. Looks like a connection through JFK requires a terminal change, so 2.5 hours between flights is not enough. The other option has a 5+ hour connection at JFK. Since we're driving to either Indy or Detroit, that long doesn't appeal. Time to spring for that private jet.