First Solo Trip.. is this sufficient transfer time at CDG Airport (Paris)?

I hate to be so harsh but you’d be lucky to make this transfer. Depending on the airline, CDG includes the following:

  • taking a bus from aircraft to the actual gate you arrive to
  • walking to the actual terminal from the gate
  • going through customs with a passport check
  • going through security to get into your connection gate (FYI they do scan your boarding pass to ensure you are departing from this gate)

I was just there a few months ago. I booked my connection separate and somehow from the passport check to get to the connection terminals all the way through to the departing gate, no one wanted to help me when I said I didn’t have a boarding pass for my next flight so they just waived me through customs, security, etc. I even asked if I should just exit and recheck in. Everyone just responded, “Just go!” And waived me through. Once I arrived to the departing gate there was no gate agent for the 6 or so terminals for at least 45 min. First person I saw that actually worked for the airport was a small Asian man. I said, “hello,” to which he kind of gave me a weird look and was starting to walk away. I was able to identify that he was Filipino and I do speak a bit of Tagalog so, hesitantly, I said how are you in Tagalog and he was quick to respond back. Immediately I start explaining everything and how I need my boarding pass. He immediately lifts up a broom and dustpan and says “I just clean.” I was about to cry! Then he just responds, “wait, don’t move!” And I see him run out of the room. 5 min later he comes back with another Asian girl and she said she could help. She tried to print my ticket but said their “system was down.” She ended up calling down to check in and said her friend would check in as me and bring me the ticket. Another woman comes up behind her while she was on the phone and this woman starts getting upset and yells at me telling me that I needed to exit the airport and check in again even though my flight was leaving in less than 20 min. Luckily the girl on the phone clearly had my back based on her body language towards this woman. Anyway, the girl was able to help me and made the flight.

Moral of the story, you may or may not find help. I feel as though if I had not spoken to the janitor with his native language, I probably wouldn’t have found help. I made it to the gate in a little less than an hour and only 5 people were waiting in line at customs before me with about a few hundred behind me in less than a few minutes. I was first to the security check, again at least 30 people behind me from the time I got to security until I cleared.

And yes, I was an idiot.

/r/solotravel Thread