I am considering flights that connect at CDG with a 5 hour layover (arrive at 9 am, leave at 4 pm). Is it worth trying to get out of the airport to do anything? Worst case scenario: I spend the time in the Red Carpet Club.
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Dear Secondrider:
CDG is a aways from Paris. I take the AirFrance bus to get into Paris. Depending on the time of day, it usually takes at least 45 minutes to get to L%26#39;Etoile. I don%26#39;t know if the RER would be faster, but would think it would take about the same amount of time. Cabs would not be any faster, though more stylish!
CDG is a nightmare of an airport. You would want to leave yourself plenty of time to get back into it and through security. If planes are landing at the same time, it is a zoo going throug passport control, so do not expect to whiz through.
Long story short, given the hassles of getting out of and back into CDG and the trip time into Paris, you might just squeeze in about an hour or so in the city. Your choice may depend on how quickly you get out of CDG and the amenities available in the Red Carpet Club. Hope the RCC facilities are better than the facilities available to other folk, because they%26#39;re fairly dismal.
Bonne chance!
BT
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Hi -
We%26#39;ve calculated this a few times, and I think the minimum layover to allow for a trip into the city would be 8 hours. You%26#39;d be risking missing your connecting flight otherwise. Sorry - do the Red Carpet Club this time.
Good luck.
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As one who has contemplated exactly what you are, I%26#39;d say it%26#39;s not enough time, for all the above reasons. Get a good book, and watch the birds on the roof outside the window at the Red Carpet Club, and doze. I haven%26#39;t been there in a couple of years, but when I was last there, it wasn%26#39;t bad, but not anything special either. Unfortunately, there isn%26#39;t much in Terminal 1 (shopping, eating etc.) either.
If you like walking, and haven%26#39;t been to CDG, you might tuck in taking the shuttle over to Terminal 2, and going on walkabout. I think its design is beautiful. Many more places to browze and dine are available, too. It takes a lot of knocks, but they%26#39;re all about trying to make it *through* the terminal to get to a gate -- not for just walking around and sampling its architecture etc. If you do this, an additional tip would be to stop outside when you get off the shuttle bus, and get your bearings. (But the shuttle back to Terminal 1 stops several places around Terminal 2, so you%26#39;re never far from a place to catch it.)
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Depends how keen you are to see Paris. I had the same situation in New York last October, and about the same amount of time. I had conflicting advice as to whether or not I would be able to get into NY and back in the time available and in the end, I decided to wing it and see how it went. My plane into NY was on time, I got through customs surprisingly quickly, my luggage was already checked through to Australia, it was a sunny day and I was feeling up to it - so I got on the train and went into the city. I%26#39;m really glad I did!
I calculated I%26#39;d have a few hours in New York - better than nothing and better than sitting in yet another airport lounge (bear in mind that I was on my way home to Australia from Zurich in one fell swoop - via the States - so any active break in the 47-hour flying routine was welcome). It was just great to see a glimpse of a city I%26#39;d never been to before, especially one as legendary as New York. I walked around the streets for a while and soaked up the atmosphere and, whilst it was all a bit of a whirl, I think it was worth it. I certainly want to go back to see more one day! And I certainly slept well on the plane afterwards...
So I think a trip into Paris, however brief and crazy-seeming, is worthwhile. You could walk around a bit, have lunch and head straight back to the airport afterwards. Play it by ear: if everything is going to plan, you get through the airport quickly, your luggage is already checked through - and you feel up to it - give it a go. If you hit Paris at 11am and leave at 1pm, you%26#39;ll have had a busy two hours, but they will have been fun!
halwimsey
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No, no and no. Do some shopping, find a nice spot for lunch, relax, freshen up, read any guide books for where you are headed next and enjoy the Red Carpet Club.
ebabe
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