Which do you prefer...8 am or 2pm arrival to Paris from USA?

Need to book our flight...

would you rather take a flight leaving at 4:05 pm cst and arriving cdg Paris 8:45 am (the next day) OR a flight leaving at 9:55 pm cst and arriving cdg Paris at 2:25 pm?

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Get there at 8AM.

Either flight you choose will mean you probably won%26#39;t sleep much on the plane overnight going to Paris. But choosing the late arrival essentially cheats you out of an entire day in Paris.

Let%26#39;s face it, if I%26#39;m going to be tired, it might as well be while I%26#39;m walking along the Seine just after breakfast.

:-)

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Whenever we travel to Europe we try to arrive as early as possible. Most of the time it%26#39;s between 7:30 and 8a. I find it helps stave off jetlag (never had it - knock on wood) and it also gives you an extra full day in the city. If you arrive mid-afternoon, by the time you get to your apartment/hotel, settle in, etc. there%26#39;s not much time left to do much. We prefer to arrive early, settle into our apartment, and get moving.

We usually start to crash around midday so that%26#39;s our break/lunch/coffee time. We sit for a bit, people-watch, enjoy a meal or some coffee or Berthillon ice cream, and then begin again. Granted, we%26#39;re in bed by 9p or so the first night but it seems to help our bodies acclimate to the new time zone much easier and, as I%26#39;ve already said, it allows us a pretty full day upon arrival.

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I personally would pick the earliest one.

After customs and transportation to the city, you will be getting to your lodging around 10:00am.

There is so much to take in in Paris hours count.

Bonne chance!

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Looks like you have a layover somewhere with both of your flights. I would take the one that had the shorter layover, as long as it had ample time to make the connection.

All things being equal though, I%26#39;d go with the later arrival time. You leave the US when it%26#39;s nighttime so it%26#39;s easier to sleep on the plane, and you arrive in Paris, will be able to check into your room, unpack, take a shower, and go out and explore the neighborhood. Then you can have a nice dinner--go to bed on the early side and the next day be ready to go.

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Well said....arrive early, then hit the hotel (who you%26#39;ll have to arrange an early chech in with...) to drop bags, take a shower and then go eat. Worst case, they%26#39;ll let you store your luggage, go eat, then come back to get into a room....

Sean

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I have had quite a few flights cancelled and delayed by many hours lately, So I would vote on the flight that leaves at 4. If it is delayed, you will still have time in Paris to explore that first day. If it is cancelled, hopefully you can get to Paris on the flight that leaves at 9:55.

Plus I%26#39;d just rather get going at 4, as opposed to waiting and waiting, packing and unpacking, for the day to pass by to catch a 9:55 flight.

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No layovers... it%26#39;s a direct, nonstop flight from Houston to Paris! :)

I was leaning towards the arrival time 8:45am for the exact same reasons you all stated.

Thanks!

One decision down...

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Since I%26#39;m still recovering from jet lag from Paris on Sunday, I%26#39;ve got your answer. We left atlanta at 9:50 and got there about 10 am the next morning, which was great. That way I could stay up all day and really sleep when THEY slept.

Of course, it%26#39;s hardest coming back. I woke up at 2 am the first day, 4 am the next and this morning, I wasn%26#39;t awake until 5 am. Almost there.

But it was well worth it.

How do you put photos on this site, anyhow?

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%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;All things being equal though, I%26#39;d go with the later arrival time. You leave the US when it%26#39;s nighttime so it%26#39;s easier to sleep on the plane,%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

I have made this trip countless times and this is exactly why you want the later flight.

The key to minimizing jet lag and making a smooth as possible transition to a new time zone is to sleep as much as possible on the overnight (eastbound) flight. A later departure facilitates just that allowing you to approximate your normal sleep patterns while en route.

You%26#39;ll arrive feeling much better the next morning and hopefully not fall asleep late in the afternoon of your first day in Paris.

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I%26#39;d go for the later flight.

Going to Paris, I have only one direct flight (on my airline of choice), but going to London I have about 4-5 and I generally choose the latest one (about 11pm). I find it much easier to adjust to the time zone change if I leave late enough that I%26#39;m likely to sleep on the plane. And I find arriving later in the morning the next day easier than arriving at the crack of dawn (but the 11pm flight gets me to London at about 11am, not 2pm like yours)