[Anonymous]

[Tom Otley]

Good afternoon,

If any forum posters have experience of transferring flights at Charles de Gaulle airport, I’d be grateful if they could share them.

I’m going on a quick tour of the airport tomorrow but it’s a while since I went through the airport so any tips, snags, questions would be useful.

(And has anyone experience of using the SkyPriority system

http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/common/guidevoyageur/aeroport/skypriority.htm

or these services

http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/common/guidevoyageur/aeroport/service_personnalise_aeroport.htm

Many thanks, Tom

[IanFromHKG]

My last time was an early morning flight. The signage to the transfer buses was confusing, on the rare occasions we saw any at all, and even more confusing when we got to the transfer point since there was no sign to indicate it was the right place – the other signs just ran out. No information desk, and very few staff, none of whom seemed interested in helping us. The wait for the bus was lengthy (about half an hour, so with the time it took to find the departure point we were getting nervous about the connection). Altogether a pretty miserable experience (although when we finally got there the AF lounge served fabulous fresh croissants)

[Tom Otley]

Thank you for that – was that for an Asian flight and then through to Europe?

[StephenLondon]

I’ve done a few transfers thru CDG. It tends to be okay, although some of the signage is less than clear. Also, No 1 Acces isn’t always operating.

On a TG–BA connection (thus T1–T2), I was pleasantly surprised that Aeroports de Paris had a large fridge by the bus fate full of complimentary water. Nice touch at the moment you really needed it!

On my outbound, we had trouble getting thru transfer security since we weren’t able to print boarding passes at home for some reason. TG had no transfer desk at T2, so security was not keen to let us through. Once we showed a copy of our booking, They let us thru based on our inbound passes and booking, but it made the experience very stressful.

Lastly, I find many parts of a CDG to be a bit dirty, not well maintained, and noisy. It isn’t my most favourite place to fly from.

[esselle]

Cauchemar!!!!

Used to live in Paris, and know the airport well.

Arriving one day from UK, and with a TGV to catch, I decided to follow the signs, even though I knew exactly where the station was……..and got lost.

[canucklad]

Evening Tom

You mentioned you’re on a tour, please ask why they have a state of an airport but choose to run it as if all the passengers were characters from Alice in wonderland or if I’m being kind manage it like Bedrock international airport : )

And my top tip ,take food and drink because the airside facilities wouldn’t look out of place at your local secondary school .

Surely the Achilles heel in AF’s operation. CDG is the reason why I try and avoid AF now.

[Ab0dache]

Good evening Tom,

Yes all terminals at ORY or CDG have now a “Accès N°1” lane to get inside the terminals but also when you are connecting from/to a non Schengen destinations terminal to a Schengen one.
This “Accès N°1” areas are managed by Aéroports de Paris and can be easily seen.
When you are in a Air France terminal (2E/2F/2G) or a SkyTeam one (here mainly 2A/2C I believe), the Accès N°1 is indicated with the red SKY PRIORITY board all together.
It works very well when it is opened or there is one agent of Aéroports de Paris and when you have the appropriate boarding pass or an invitation from an airline (the size of a credit card with often a flash code that can be read by the small bar code tool that the agent of Aéroports de Paris standing and waiting for you will use to control you can use that lane).

If you need to be passport controlled, remember that you can use the PARAFE machines.
If a green arrow is show above the door, you can obviously use it. If there is red cross, then you cannot. Sometimes it looks like if they do not have enough policemen who one needs to be beside the PARAFE area, it is closed.
This can be used by all people with a passport from the European Economic Area.
PARAFE controls you with your fingers.
I strongly belive however that you must be registered first before to use it. You have different offices in every terminal airside of course. It is manned with a policeman who will register your fingers on a reader. It is free. Very quick to be done.
Inside terminal 2E (airside), the PARAFE office is at the departure level at the complete end of the terminal at the left when you have the road of the terminal on your back.

[Ab0dache]

Air France has a clear picture of CDG airport and its terminals in its Air France magazine.

You have it also inside this pdf:

http://www.airfrance.fr/common/image/pdf/fr/cdg_terminal_2.pdf

[Ab0dache]

If you arrive with an AF flight from an airport of a non Schengen area, you are probably getting to terminal 2E.

You can see on the map that terminal 2E has 3 halls funnily called KLM. Hall K, L & M are linked airside by the LISA automatic metro. Getting in or out is near the hall K.

If you need to go to Terminal 2F (AF Schengen departures), Aéroports de Paris has now built a corridor between terminal 2E (around the K hall) and the 2F terminal (now the two 2F1 & 2F2 peninsulas are linked together: gates F21-F56, even hall L is directly linked with 2F).
It means in this case you are passport controlled (with PARAFE also & Accès N°1/SKY PRIORITY) inside this corridor.

[Ab0dache]

Terminal 2B is currently closed for refurbishment (that was & is going to be in a few years again mainly the easyjet terminal)

If you arrive at terminal 1 (I believe non Schengen areas), you can take a bus a airside shuttle (the olive color one) to get to Terminal 2A where you can change with another airside bus shuttle (the blue sky color one) to go to 2E, 2F or 2D. And vice-versa.
I am not sure but I believe here you are not passport controlled as I believe you stay airside. I trust also it does this bus is not acessible if you are coming from a Schengen area but I must say I am not sure.
If you choose to go landside, then the CDG VAL automatic metro is available to go its terminal 2 station where you then can walk to the terminal you want to go. The CDGVAL runs avery 5 minutes and it takes 10 minutes to do all the stations.
I do not think the bus shuttle runs all the day but I expect the timetable is shown on a board.

[Ab0dache]

Terminals 2A/2C are now in reality a same terminal.

If you arrive from a non schengen area airport origin (which is going to be the case in 2A/2C), you can use the blue sky colored shuttle bus to get to terminal 2D, 2F (terminal F and hall L of the 2E terminal with a corridor), terminal 2E hall M, and terminal 2E hall K). And you will be passport controlled for instance when willing to go to terminal 2F.

I am not sure if the bus shuttle is so that confortable if there is a lot of people transiting.

Maybe you rather like to go landside and walk from 2A/2C over the exchange room for the train stations and go-in again at 2F directly for instance.

Now if you want indeed to test the CDG connecting facilities, in this case that’s the shuttle bus.

I have the feeling it is quicker to walk but I have never done it myself.

It is not indicated in the AF map, but there is also a (free) shuttle bus landside at the departure levels driving you around all the terminals 2 (but not terminal 1 or 3 or 2G): bus stops are the railways station (TGV, RER B, Sheraton, some hotels bus shuttles), 2D, 2A, 2C, 2E and 2F.
It is maybe more comfortable than walking, and if you have lots of luggages.

[Tom Otley]

Thank you all – and Ab0dache I will report back ! I don;t think I’ll be able to tell you anything new, but perhaps there may be something…

[Ab0dache]

If you need to go to terminal 2G, where most of the regional (less to 100 seats aircrafts) flights operates to the schengen area, it is the green bus shuttle landside named N2 with bus tops at 2E, 2F and 2G.

If your aircraft to a non schengen area was parked at 2G, you will anyway be “privately” bused from terminal 2E hall K as you need to board there. It happens sometimes but you know that only when boarding.
The AF map shows also a bus red line to go from 2G to 2E hall M airside and the bus yellow line from 2F/2E hall M and 2E hall K where apparently you can change with the blue sky line if needed.

You can have exciting airside journeys apparently visiting CDG on the ground. I am not sure however if it is appreciated when you are stressed by your transit time.

Also if you are about to arrive after a La Première flight and depart later on a connecting flight, or to arrive from a “ordinary” flight and depart on a La Première one, then I read that an AF agent waits for you and just drive inside a car to the La Première lounge… Here it is the easiest journey on the CDG ground.

I hope this helps you Tom a little bit and others.

That will be interesting to read your experience later. Thanks very much to play it for us!

[Tom Otley]

Thank you – I once did the La Premiere (First) car transfer

http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/air-france/air-france-b777-300er-la-premiere

It was a little over the top, I thought, but I’m sure in time one could get used to it.

[Author]

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