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Just back from brief trip to Paris - CDG report - arrivals and departures.

I just spent 7 wonderful days in Paris and thought I would share a few experiences on arrival and departure. via CDG.

I flew in on a Friday morning about 9:30 am and was greeted at passport control by a massive single line for US, Canadian passport holders. The line was amazing, snaking back and forth in a relatively small space. Fortunately, everyone was tird but in a good mood. It took about an hour to get through to the line of five passport scanners we were supposed to use. It was sort of funny as just as I was about to approach one of the five passport scanners, they all stopped working. :) Officials ran around and then finally told us to follow them and we walked in a single line over to Terminal 2 where two nice officers looked at our passports and welcomed us to France. ........My husband joined me in Paris two days later, flying in from Chicago, about the same time, and the machines were working and he got through his line in about fifteen minutes.

We both were being met by taxis arranged by our hotel and both of us took about an hour to get into Paris. My ride was probably due to workday traffic. He came in on a Sunday but it was the day of the marathon so that created some of his delays.

We flew back to the US together on a Friday on a 9:15 am flight from CDG. Having made this trip a number of times before, we get a ride out to the Novotel Hotel at the airport the afternoon before our morning flight. It is a quick walk from the Novotel to Terminal 3 and the CDGVAL free shuttle to the other terminals. We fly out of Terminal 1 usually and it is about 15 minutes total from Novotel to Terminal 1.

We have been told to allow plenty of time at CDG before your flight - two to three hours - so we did. Early on a Sunday morning, we were through passport control and security in less than an hour.

In between these trips to and from CDG, we had a wonderful time. Will write shortly about my Louvre experience. :)

Posted by
666 posts

You are the second person to mention staying at a Novotel at CDG. I’m going to have to check that hotel out next time we flight in or out of Paris. Thanks!

Posted by
6377 posts

Again, I am about the only poster on this Forum not going to Paris this year. Allow me my self- pity......( Is there an emoji I can reference.?)

Posted by
15595 posts

Judy! Glad you are back home! And wow, you got this posted fast.

Yikes to the arrival experience. How funny that the airport guy took a line of you to Terminal 2, lol. Was your pick up still able to find you?

To me this is why there is never a right answer to people who ask how long Immigration will take!

Yes, I want to know about your Louvre experience. You know it’s a favorite.

Posted by
2870 posts

Went to immigration at terminal two earlier this month. It probably took 15 minutes. I had checked luggage because I was doing a combination work trip and pleasure and I had to use my carry-on space for some work stuff. I beat my luggage to baggage claim.

Posted by
3185 posts

Thank you for the report, Judy! I'm flying home from CDG in August and have been fretting about how much time to allow at the airport. I'll be at Disneyland with my niece (ugh!) and we're flying on a weekday departing at 4 p.m. and will have to check at least one bag. I'll have to think on it some more :)

Posted by
2383 posts

Thank you for taking the time to post this. We’ll be there the end of May and every little piece of info helps. We have tickets for the Louvre, so I’m looking forward to that report as well.

Posted by
4211 posts

Judy -- Thanks for the reports. When I landed at CDG a couple of years ago, we also had about a one-hour wait at immigration, too. Thanks for the tip on the Novotel near the airport. Sounds very convenient!

Pat -- I also will not travel to Paris this year -- or even pass through the Paris airport.

Posted by
15470 posts

I am glad your key word is "wonderful" in reference to the days spent in Paris. Good that everything went smoothly at CDG Border Control.

I have never encountered an sort of negative experience, glitch or whatever by the staff at Border Control in CDG upon arrival from SFO. Wait time was to me immaterial since I was never doing a lay-over, Paris being the final destination, I've waited anywhere from 15 mins. to close to one hour.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience — it’s always helpful to hear real-time insights about CDG and navigating Paris!
That passport control story on arrival sounds like quite the welcome, but I’m glad everyone stayed in good spirits (and that your husband had an easier time!).

Great tip about staying at the Novotel near the airport before an early flight — sounds super convenient.
Looking forward to your Louvre write-up next! 😊

Posted by
10790 posts

I will just add that I flew out of CDG on Friday April 18, and arrived back on Wednesday April 23, and the ***e-gates were not working for US / Canadian travelersstrong text* either time.