Paris airport, the worst I’ve ever flown through. It is helpful that the airport personal all wear little blue uniforms so you know who to go to to ask for help. But be advised, if you open your mouth spewing English words, they will immediately ignore you, turning around and engage with anyone else who they think is not American. I learned this the hard way and almost missed my flight because of it. Best to start out with a friendly “Pardon Mademoiselle” as Frenchy as you can say it, to get their attention. I don’t speak French at all. That is the only phrase I remember from 7th grade French class. Thankfully, that phrase saved me from missing my return flight home! Literally! I was the last one on the plane and they closed the doors behind me. NEVER fly through the Paris airport with less than 4 hours between flights.
Portable Professional: out of your 100's of trips, how many times have you tried to carry your passport with you? Maybe it's is just Europe but I can't imagine that flying in the States. My passport is my identification so I will do my best to test it out wherever I go.
Hey, not to mention, the first time I was there the idiot did not let me in without a PRINTED electronic ticket. I opened my laptop and shown, no he needs paper. Jerks.
Your video is a bit nonsense, sorry. If you know the rules on most airports, specially in Europe (which are generic), you face absolutely no problems: 1) there are cameras everywhere so if someone steals you, they are caught. 2) you can put every other items first (belt, liquids, jacket, handbag) and the electronics at last. In Europe most if not all airports have trays to put things on. So your electronics are put by YOU but the laptop has to go on a separate one (the scanner has to be able to scan perfectly). If you do this, NO ONE will put a finger on your stuff. On most airports I flew in Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, England, Belgium, Netherlands, etc) the works ALWAYS say the laptop has to go in a different one and how you should put your things on the trays. And they never touched my things, except from other people who mixed everything nevertheless and they took their laptop and put on a different tray. That was it. Theft? Never heard of it. Confusion? Yes. People that are a little bit “slow of mind” (or don’t understand English or the native language) that despite the workers say how it’s done, they do otherwise. That slows things a bit down. Even my children do the right way after seeing one time…
I have traveled a fair bit, and I have found that I would FAR rather be through Security (and even customs in some cases) and bored on the secure side, than to be rushed and uncertain if I will have enough time while stuck in the line to go through security. Time is NOT your friend in an airport.
I had one security agent tell me to hold onto my passport when going through the scanner so I did do that. Then on my next trip another one told me to put it in the bin, and acted like to do otherwise was just blasphemy! I wish they were consistent!
They never are. When leaving Atlanta a few weeks ago, the TSA agent hollered at me for removing my liquids' bag to place separately in the bin. "I didn't tell you to remove your liquids' bag, did I?!" Gees, you're dammed if you do, and dammed if you don't.
exactly! I've had the same experience with taking out large electronics...some agents yell at you to take them out, some yell at you to leave them in...and all of them say it like you should already know.
Not really related to CDG but my husband and I narrowly avoided missing our connecting flight LHR to AMS due to not allowing enough connection time. We had arrived at LHR on the red eye with 2 hours to make our connection to AMS. We never would have made it if not for an airport employee scanning the very, very long security line looking for wayward jet-lagged passengers. She took one look at our boarding passes and said "you will never make it" and she pulled us out of line and took us straight to the front. To this day I have NO idea where she came from but I will remember her always lol.
That was very prudent of that employee, doing something out of her routine to prevent both financial and time losses. Now looked up the LHR, it must be Heathrow. So pleasing to see the English doing the right thing at the right time.
A nice employee did this at Schipol Armsterdam. We were in line at customs and she was looking out for people who has the sooner connecting flight and let them through first. It was really nice of her helping those passengers not miss their flight.
Ugh. I avoid CDG and Air France whenever possible. It IS a nightmare! I had a pair of children’s scissors in my carry on, and the agent actually measured them to see if they were acceptable. She was terribly disappointed that they were tiny, blunt blades.
I've been twice through CDG - and *both* times my family and I managed to find ourselves in what looked like deserted service corridors... and both times JUST made our flights. Never again. On the other hand, TSA has taken away a nail clipper.... Yeah. Total idiocy.
@@oinoinschmilblick No it’s not. Paris had to deal with crazy terrorist attacks. You should be happy. 10 years ago and might have not been alive anymore. Be glad security is doing it’s work.
Paris Airport is horrible! I was there 20 years ago and nearly missed my connection flight from Germany to US. It is amazing to hear that the situation has not changed since. BTW: I've never used that airport again since and always use other routes...
Holding your passport while going through security is risky. At some point, you may, unconsciously, lay your passport somewhere to grab your carry-on items with both hands. A little distraction is all it takes to completely overlook the fact that one's passport is no longer in one's possession.
@@salguodrolyat2594 You are not allowed to walk through the metal detector with your passport in your pocket. But security MAY allow you to pass through the metal detector while holding your passport in one hand. As one's attention is to prevent another passenger from stealing your hand carried bags after going through x-ray, one can easily forget to put one's handheld passport in one's pocket.
If you are lucky, you will hear the airport announcement, "Will the passenger who left his passport at security please return to retrieve it?" Every time I fly, it seems I hear an announcement that someone left something important like that!
Paris Airport - worst airport experiences! Flying in on overnight from Toronto they have the Air Canada flights WAY out on the fringe and the buses are in constant traffic jams to get to the main terminal- where security lines are horrendous. It takes 3 hours to get through all that.
CDG was an absolute nightmare in April. I arrived almost three hours ahead of my flight and I was the last person to get on the plane...the security lines were beyond belief - and I was flying Business Class. I'd avoid this airport like the plague
Requirements for airport security vary by country. Stay with your items until they are in the machine. If you use a tray or bin, be sure to properly stack it when finished.
Exactly. Also they are not "dropped on a random table", like this lady said. The entire process is pretty well organized. That's not a Jason Bourne movie, it's a minimum to zero chance for your belongings to be stolen by other passengers right in front of the X-ray machine, on a police controlled pedestrian path. I don't know about the US, but in Europe you have an eye on your stuffs almost all the time.
Ive never travelled with a laptop or tablet but i put everything from my pockets into one of those sealable liquids bags and put it in my small back pack. It makes it easy to retrive things like loose change on the other side. Walking through with passport in hand always gets you pulled over for inspection in my experience- they want to see inside the passport so while more secure for you it doesnt save time. In Europe we generally dont have to remove shoes or belts unless asked so i dont. To be honest the only places ive ever experienced any difficulty is at US airports where lines are unfathomably long and staff generally rude. Unless its a real peak time getting through security in europe takes moments by comparison and nothing like the frustrating hassle over there. Sorry!
The key is to have a hand-bag or man-bag and put all your small items such as keys, coins, phone, wallet, watch, etc into this bag BEFORE you get to the scanner while waiting in the Q. Saves time and anxiety, at both ends of the scanner. This seems so obvious to me, but I see so many people not doing this and delaying the whole process, adding stress, etc. Unless you’re a totally newbie, you KNOW you have to screen your stuff. And wear slip on shoes… And take off your belt… Assume the worst in advance.
exactly everything she said in the video was so normal to me. I can't believe non newbies dont know about this. I was so shocked to hear people actually go to security without a bag or a small suitcase for hand luggage and placing their laptops and other valuables in the bins....
This is what do. I’m confused as to why this is not smart common knowledge? Now I’m stressing because I’m going through CDG soon and wonder if I have to take my phone and tablet out of my bag?
Great tips! I was always confused whether to hold onto my boarding pass and passport. Whenever I asked, they told me to put them in the bin (so I put them in my personal item). Maybe just carrying my passport would be okay, but not my boarding pass?... I go through the metal detector, so I wonder if that's different than the body scanner. 🌺Heidi
i have tsa precheck, i recently flew out of JFK a few months ago. the security guard watching the metal detector gave me a very hard time about my passport/boarding pass in my hand as i walk thru the metal detector . i did not set up the metal detector off. the guard told me that i had to back the bin area and put my passport in a bin and then walk back thru the detector again.
I went through CDG last October, and I have not had the problems many others have experienced. My nightmare airport has always been Heathrow. No matter how much we were screened at the original airport, we always have to go through security AGAIN at Heathrow. It's really quite stressful when you have short connections.
That happened to us in October 2022 at Heathrow. We were All carryon and our suitcases included portable batteries. Security removed them and didn’t tall us. Cost us $50 to replace them. Plus, they emptied our clear liquid carrying cases to screen them. They then dumped everything back in a bin and shoved it at us. Just horrible how passengers are treated.
This is very good advice. The trouble is that the rules keep changing and various security agents interpret them differently which makes it difficult. Another tip is if you are running late when you enter the security line tell the nearest security person immediately. You my get lucky and get put into the fast line. On a recent trip from Spain to Canada I had to transfer in Amsterdam. My flight from Barcelona was delayed almost an hour and I only had only 30 minutes between flights. Even though you've already been on a flight they make you go through security again which is a real pain. By the time I entered the security line I only had 15 minutes left and I knew I would miss the flight. I showed my boarding pass to the nearest security person and said "my flight is boarding now", the agent was nice enough to escort me to the front of the line and I made it just in time.
This is important advice! Letting staff know how tight our connections were really paid off at DEN. Not only did they speed up the screening, they arranged for a golf cart ride through some "no passengers allowed" shortcut corridors that got us through this enormous airport just barely on time!
My family traveled through CDG a few years back. We were actually held up by our carry on bags (plus one other issue at the end of this post). After going through security, we were told to step aside, two TSA agents asked to weigh our carry on luggage. They claimed that our bags were over the weight limit (by a little over 1 lb each). We'd never encountered anything like that with dozens of other flights. We were then asked a bunch of questions about our nation's president...once they understood that our thoughts were the same as theirs, our luggage problems magically went away. Then our problem was with LAX. Since my wife and I married and she took my last name, for every international flight back to LA, she has been pulled aside for a secondary check before our departure, at the boarding gate as we're boarding, and when we arrive at LAX. We even have TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. We read that her "new name" might be the same as someone on a global watchlist and that she should look into a getting a redress number.
Having missed a flight, and then a connection at CDG , and having to find a place to sleep overnight, I now avoid CDG at all costs. I found the signage scarce, and the staff unhelpful.
PaIris Airport - I avoid Charles de Gaulle Airport whenever possible. And you're right, always go through Security without delay, and I usually go all the way to my gate, so I know exactly where it is. Nothing like the surprise of finding out at the last minute that you have to catch a train or bus to get to your gate!
I've flown out of CDG....my advice to travelers: if you have the choice of any other airport, use it instead. CDG employees are rude, and the facilities are run down and tired. CDG is not a happy place, and not a good way to end an otherwise pleasurable trip.
As an autistic the CGD Paris Airport a meltdown trigger for me. The long crowded line, the jostling of some Europeans not understanding personal space. The rudeness of their staff, who are obviously bored repeating the same thing over and over again. I have vowed never to fly in or out of that airport again at the time. I was in tears before I got through. Now I fly with Disability Services, I have not tried the experience in Paris yet, hopefully it is a better experience the next time.
I’m melted down in CDG last Year when I missed my flight. I have to go again to the airport but I will never fly out again, The rudeness the chaos and the miles to get to your gate makes this the worst experience I’ve had in 55 years of traveling
Last year I used this airport I was asked several times if I carried any money. Eventually I had to give the security office my bag to search it. Was frustrated.
This video is a must-watch for anyone who's ever struggled with getting through airport security quickly and efficiently. Super useful tips and tricks for mastering the airport security check in Europe. These little-known hacks that could save you time and hassle at the airport! Great video, Megan!
The video is a little bit nonsense: 1) EACH airport has different rules as it depends on the scanners they use! 2) MOST airports in Europe demand that you take ALL electronic devices from the bag and take off the belt/jacket 3) most European airports do NOT demand that you take your shoes off 4) ALL demand that you take fluids from the bag and max 100 mL per bottle. Basic rules and if you take off / out previously before you get to the scanner, then you speed up everything. I basically leave everything in an accessible spot. These videos are nothing but just telling the obvious…
I despise cdg!!!😮 I recently had a scheduled connection ghere for a flight to Rennes, after I printed my boarding pass and bag tag at the air France kiosk, I was told I was in the wrong terminal and that there is more than 1 terminal serving air France. They then told me i'd need to go across the street, go up, ect.. By that time bag drop time was about to be finished, so I gave up, took an Uber to the train station and took the train to Rennes. With all that BS, I changed my return flight to connection through Lyon, one of the most seemless airports !
Europeans don’t get their knickers in a twist when flying. Just act calmly, try to be inconspicuous, keep your voice down, and be polite. Go through security first, then ask how far your gate is, then do your shopping etc. It doesn’t need a video, just a bit of common-sense.
This is my least favorite airport. If you have a complete terminal change you have to go back thru security. We Also as for liquids, they randomly throw away things like shea butter which doesn’t liquify. It’s a complete solid.
I have been through the Paris airport, and they made me put my passport in the bin. I always walk through with my ID and boarding pass. They wouldn't let me and my boarding passes were lost. Fortunately, I had a backup on my phone because I needed it to buy duty free items. I immediately asked the security people for them, but they were never found.
I arrived from Milan late due to fog and was greeted by AF staff and quickly delivered to the 747 waiting for me going to LA. I got stern looks and just wondered why they didn't put me on the next flight. So it was a very brief experience at CDG. This was 1997.
I've been through the Paris airport numerous times. I have been asked to put my passport in the bin rather than carrying it, but I don't think I've ever tried to hold it in my hand while going through Paris. Your last tip is critical. Get to your gate and get settled first, then you can see how much time you have to do other things. Your tip about SSSS is interesting. Once, we were traveling as a family, and my oldest son (18) had to do extra screening with someone from the US embassy. Once they realized he was traveling with a family, it was fine. We were never sure why that was, but suspected his age and the fact that we were traveling from a certain place.
I had a similar experience with SSSS, but we were an older couple and the one without the extra screening requirement was in a wheel chair at the time. We refused to be separated, so they got a supervisor to allow us to skip the extra screening. In our case, the area they wanted us to go to was not wheelchair accessible. Their policy was to waive the screening requirement for those in a wheelchair. However, the SSSS was on the boarding pass for the one who was NOT using the wheelchair, something they did not seem to have a policy for, so the security agents at the scene did not have authority to waive the requirement. We politely but firmly said we could not be separated, so they got permission to allow us both to skip it.
The Paris Charles De Gaulle airport in my opinion is the WORST airport, second only to Miami MIA airport. NO SIGNS, NO PEOPLE TO DIRECT YOU. I sometimes wonder if the French do it on purpose it is so horrible.
*Been to CDG Airport in Paris two times* !! *My friend (frequent traveler) helped me navigate this LARGE airport* !! *Had 2 friends fly thru CDG recently and they said it was difficult to navigate* !! #PortableProfessional
Paris airport I.e. CDG one of the worst airports I have flown through over 50 years of flying over 12 million miles with a lot of international. Bus rides from planes to terminals. Connections between terminals like a maze. It is pretty darn disorganized airport and confusing.
@@PortableProfessional I flew from London Heathrow donkeys years ago with Air France, stopover at CDG, they made travellers to checkout the baggages and re-check them back in, so I had to go through the security again, eventually I missed my connection flight and had to wait for another 10 hours for next flight out, but they did however give me a 10€ voucher to buy food, no accommodation. And to top it all, the ground staff weren't helpful, they didn't speak English even if they knew. Horrible airport. I swore to myself I would never travel to and from CDG airport again.
You speak way too fast and that makes you seem like nervous and insecure, just as if an AI bot was speaking (you look like one a bit too...). This is on the verge of being considered irritating. Your "advice" is also not really "top of the range", I'd say, just common sense, right? Leaving now and not hoping to ever get back here. Best of luck with your channel - you'll need it 🙂.
Paris features several airports You probably hit a secondary airport, during the eles of theTourist season. France gets around 89 Million per year. My experience in THE US ain't pleasant at STA Agentes are, genarally, rude and even agressive. I'm all in favor of Safety. The same safety-results could be accomplished without the cursing and other unpleasant comments .made against the entire line of people. Apparently to induce a full acceptance of their directions.
I travel with backpack, and at security I take out laptop and put inside everything else: passport+boarding, belt, phone, watch, coins, valet, keys, gum packs, and any other garbage in my pocket which will trigger alarm - all deep-deep inside my backpack, basically inside laptop pocket, and zip it all. All stays in one bag, not in dozen different trays. In 99% of cases security see objects inside without any problem, I just need to collect my PC in one hand, backpack in another and walk 5-6 meters away from crowd at security to start dressing back up in reverse order. If they ask me to open backpack, I do it having all items in my control. Good videos, well done!
Get an Everki backpack. They have a laptop pocket section that unzips and opens completely flat, so the dummies can scan it without you having to take it out.
LAX is the worst and most unfriendly global airport. Asking for directions from 3 different staff will send you in 3 different directions. No sky train, you have to take a bus shuttle between terminals unless you’re in for a very long walk. Most of the workers at LAX either do not speak coherent English or they have a very heavy foreign accent.
Thanks for your video! I am a French National, leaving overseas for the last 30 years and traveling internationally every months for work, I always try to avoid CDG !!! even for private travel! Security check is a total nightmare where arrogance is at the supreme level! Beside that I also avoid Air France because between the airline and the Airport you have a great chance to have one of them on strike!
I agree, and they don't give a hoot if you miss your flight. And many Arabs work there and are openly anti Jewish, so for me this created an even further delay.
Just went through CDG on Friday, as we were literally running to our connecting flight as first flight was 3 hours delayed. One of my bins got selected for second screening because in hind sight we had two jackets and a blanket in it. I think if they had been separated out this wouldn’t have happened. PARIS IS VERY PICKY about their security process. This held me up an extra 10-15 mins at the time our flight was scheduled to board. No matter how I tried to ask for help expediting me through this process the workers were emotion-less and disregarded my request. I sent my husband on ahead to the gate whilst I waited. Fortunately our second flight was delayed 30 minutes and we made our flight and our checked bags made the flight. I have previous experience with CDG where they lost my suitcase both direction on same trip. My advice is route through a different airport! I’m actually going to change my flight home as my connection time is 1 1/2 hours and I now know I have to take a bus connector and a train connector and get through security. I have other options. We survived but we learned from our experience.
I hate CDG. After I had to transfer there about 10 years ago, I found it an airport that is designed for the architect and not the traveller. There is little signage, and walking transfers between terminals cannot be made conveniently over land but underground with access by only 1 small, slow elevator at each side. No ramp or staircase. And the personnel were very reluctant to help. I’d hate to see it now after the pandemic. Since then, I avoid CDG like another plague. Give me Frankfurt or Schipol any day.
I despise cdg!!!😮 I recently had a scheduled connection ghere for a flight to Rennes, after I printed my boarding pass and bag tag at the air France kiosk, I was told I was in the wrong terminal and that there is more than 1 terminal serving air France. They then told me i'd need to go across the street, go up, ect.. By that time bag drop time was about to be finished, so I gave up, took an Uber to the train station and took the train to Rennes. With all that BS, I changed my return flight to connection through Lyon, one of the most seemless airports !
@@lizzyfolks9116 Schiphol? That's also a nightmare. Last September ('22) I arrived four hours in advance and I just barely made my flight. I haven't been through CDG in more than 10 years, but Schiphol has a serious staff shortage since COVID. When you arrive there in the busy periods there's very long lines. On the arriving side it took 90 minutes to get our luggage when we came back. One of the reasons I don't go there by train anymore, as it's too uncertain when you will get out and either you miss your train or you are waiting a long time for the one you booked.
I planned a whole trip to the Philippines with just hand luggage via Paris airport but Air France made me put my carry on in the hold. This meant that even though my next gate was just a few yards away at CDG I had to go through security and customs, collect my luggage and come back in. Which seeing as I only had a short connection involved a lot of running and sweating as the process was pretty slow.
My sister and I changed planes at CDG in Feb/March of this year from Calif. to Sofia, Bulgaria and it was a nightmare both times. Both times we had to take a shuttle from the terminal we flew into to the terminal we flew out of and it took an hour to find the shuttle and then a long ride to the next terminal. One time the shuttle drove a ways and then sat for 10 minutes. We went through security multiple times each time and showed our passports multiple times and walked for thousands of steps trying to find our gate with little help. We were already tired from traveling and then having to walk so much was exhausting. We had two hours coming back from Sofia in CDG and we didn't have time to eat and barely went to the bathroom; the whole two hours was taken up with finding the shuttle to the other terminal, going through security and immigration and walking, walking, walking. If CDG is your destination, it's probably not a big problem, it's changing planes there that is the hassle. I hope I don't have to do that again.
Retired airline VP... After witnessing the devolution of the "airport experience" from the 1960's up to today, I refuse to fly commercial! I disdain the experience so much I won't go, and I can travel for free! The lack of class, service, courtesy, massive crowds, madcap lines, and especially the mindless paranoia surrounding "security" (theater) is simply too much for me. Forget it. I simply stay close to home! If needed, please ask for a hand search, not go through the body scanner for potential health reasons.
Paris CDG is as well as Amsterdam are airports with a big misconception for transfer passengers. Both of them separate Schengen Area with non-Schengen Area. As a result, all transit passengers that leave or enter schengen have to go through a passport control. Sometimes there are queues for the passport control. And next to the passport control there is a compulsory security screening with another queue. Despite that, Air France and KLM make tickets with 1 hour layovers and they close boarding 30min before flight schedule. Even an average double-queuing takes 20 min alone. So in the very best case you are left with 10 minutes leaving the plane changing terminal and finding the boarding gate. In average case 0 minutes is left. Its a shame.
Actually it doesn't really matter what you will put in baskets first... The "random person" who is in charge of scanning will not even touch your basket or at least that never happened to me.
PARIS AIRPORT ON 5-10 Also, let me say that if you are over 70 ask for a wheelchair (even if you can walk) as the 'passenger assistant' knows all of the shortcuts & can get you to your gate faster most of the time. My daughters took me to Paris for my 80th b'day & didn't know how far the walk would be so we had a wheelchair in Denver, Detroit & Paris. Best decision ever & worth the tip. 🥰
I'm not 70 but have issues with extensive walking and standing. I think I'll request the mobility support as I remember the loooooong walk to my gate when I flew out of Paris years ago.
I am only in my mid 60’s but will be doing just that the next time we fly as I broke my hip about a year and a half ago and now have 3 lovely pins holding me together.
Paris airport CDG is always so chaotic and time consuming. The last time I flew out of there I stayed at the hotel attached to the airport and thankful I did l. Aside from the usual delays getting through their security, paris is notorious for strikes that could affect your transportation getting to the airport.
Paris airport was a nightmare for us as well 8 years ago. The terminal was chaotic and a large portion was evacuated due to some emergency and it went downhill from there.
Thank you for these tips. My first time at CDG this month. So glad I’m now aware of possible delays. I’ll try holding my passport but never been able to do this before. Hope the titanium plate in my wrist doesn’t set off alarms. Cheers from 🇦🇺
It probably will - I'd be sure to mention that as you place your items in the bins. Mom had "hip" and the bells always went off like a cracker😄 Wishing you good speed at *PARIS AIRPORT* ~ been through there several times with *zero* pleasure
BRING a doctors note on official letterhead of the doctor's clinic, that you have plate in your wrist. This helps security not scream "terrorist' and treat you like one. Not 100%, but it does help! I knew someone who had so much metal in her, she was practically a robotic woman. The doctors note helped her many times, but one times in the USA, she was extremely harassed and the idiot refused to believe the doctors note, thinking no one could have that much metal in them. She was 4'10", and considered a dwarf.
@@tpkyterooluebeck9224 I've been travelling for over 30 years with a hip replacement (about 5 pounds of stainless steel) and recently have had 3 plates added to the same leg due to an accident. I doubt that a doctor's note would help as those can be faked too easily. I am always honest with the staff and point out that I have these items implanted and they call for a 'pat down' or send me through the full body scanner. Never more than a few extra minutes delay. I take the same attitude with customs: "Be Aware and Declare! "
I don’t understand the SSSS extra screening comment. I have NEVER seen or experienced security asking to see a boarding pass! The ONLY times a boarding pass is requested to be sighted is passing through immigration and at the boarding gate. So how does “security” know you have SSSS on your boarding pass?
What I find disgusting is TSA making you put your shoes in a bin instead of just on the belt. People from all over the world walking on God knows what place their shoes in the bin and whatever disgusting residue is left behind for me to place my items in.
Paris Airport--was just wretched, 3 buses and 2.5 miles walking took a full 3 plus hours, will absolutely avoid in future, though I love AF, sorry to miss that great airline.
Try going from term 2e to 2f at CDG. If you know how to get there it might be 35-45 minutes. If not, nobody can tell you. You can't walk there or take the shuttle because the shuttle doesn't stop there but brings you out past airport security. You have to first go to passport control if you can find it. Then get on the correct bus. I think. We made it 5 minutes before the door closed.
Paris airport! I was in Paris last summer. CDG was chaos! Give yourself lots of time!!! I’m going back tomorrow. Praying that it’ll be better this time!!
Went in and out of CDG in March this year. Very long walks, confusing check-in, and we need the big body scanner since we have hip and knee replacements. Luckily we had plenty of time to spare but will never go through CDG again.
I was leaving France via CDG years ago, and found the security people to be excellent. The agent was apologetic about asking me to take my clogs them off--and offered me booties so my socks wouldn't get dirty! Now that i'm reading all the current experiences, I'll be prepared for a big change. Yikes.
We had a connecting flight from Rome to Paris then SFO 2 weeks ago and we almost missed our San Francisco flight where Paris had another Passport check even though we were checked at Rome already. To top it off there was only 2 customs agent and the line kept growing. We had to run to the next flight and it was the furthest away. Thank god we made it and they were still boarding.
Yes, did Paris last August. Once we landed, it seemed to take forever to get to the gate. I have had shorter bus trips. Love your videos. Great suggestions.
Paris Airport! Went through there last June, it was truly the busiest craziest airport experience I have ever had. My bin was pulled for an extra search because of all the cameras and electronics I had in my backpack, I had to unpack and repack everything. The scariest moment was when I went through screening and my bin with the backpack was nowhere to be seen! They finally waved me over and after unpacking everything they waved me on only to have to sit on a bench with people all around to get dressed and packed up and organized again.
We went to Canada and coming back to Malta was a nightmare. We landed in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, it was the worst!!!! we had 3 hours in between flights and we made it on time as it was about to close the plane door. we had to go through like 3 or 4 securities I think around 3 busses and the line for the final security it was like 1hour long!! Never Again!!! also no direction signs from bagadge claim to the Assistant Desk and where to go to the security line it was in the middle of a corridor and you had to go up the stairs. it was crazy I needed to pee, drink and I was about to pass out had to wait till the plane took off and the seatbelt sign went off. You wouldn't believe that a connecting flight had to go through all that hassle and nearly missing the flight.
Great tips as always. Yes, Paris Airport takes forever, although I’ve only missed two connections ever and they were both going through Heathrow. Love the “keeping your passport with you “ tip.
Paris Airport, I agree CDG departures are time consuming. We departed from CGD back in Sept 2019 during the "normal" travel era and even then it was by far the longest departure experience. I lost count of the number of lines for passport control checks as well as security. We had no connections and were just departing. Great suggestion re electronic order of inspection and passport security. This year we are again leaving Europe from CDG again so as always will leave lots of time for the "process". And we are carry on only. Keep those great tips coming!
Whoa, Dave, sorry to hear it was a pain for you too. Hopefully this next trip goes a little smoother! Enjoy the trip and great to have you here as always!
@@PortableProfessional Well, what can you do. The lines are what they are however I am glad to not have to transfer flights through CDG and just depart. The price to pay for a great vacation😉
Paris airport- you are wrong, I was at the Paris airport a two weeks ago. They made me put my passport in a bin when going thru TSA checkpoint. It took an hour just to get thru, and I only had a 1-1/2 hour layover. It was a nightmare. Ran to my gate
The French are pathetic! They don't GAF about protecting their country from becoming part of the Euro Caliphate, so why would they GAF about providing convenience for their airline travelers. Imagine what a cluster f*** the Olympics will be!
Paris Airport. I must’ve had the SSSS stamped on mine, but didn’t know about it until I watched this, thank you! They practically pulled apart even items in my cosmetic pouch. It also turned out that I was on the “drill” flight, which I only found out after I had landed in Boston. It was a long time ago, the years of heightened security, following 9/11.
@@blessingjohnchelliah4317 Yes, I've got those love notes a couple of times too on my trips to the US. All my items are intact though, but a few people say they have items missing from their luggage at times.
Wrong......timeline 1:36....you say you can carry your passport through the body-scanner at every airport. Tried doing that last week at Indianapolis airport and the passport was rudely taken away from me by a TSA agent while I was entering the scanner with my arms above my head ( passport in hand).....which was handed over to yet ANOTHER TSA agent.....who finally gave it back to me as I exited the scanner. I was able to carry it with me at other airports. Not happy losing control of that critical document. To be clear...nothing else was in my pockets...nor was there any othe "offending piece" found, as I am a seasoned traveller and was careful not to do this......
You are right. It can vary depending on the airport, day or TSA personnel. More often than not I have been able to keep it in hand.. Safe travels and thanks for watching!
@@PortableProfessional .... just reporting recent findings and yes....almost universally I was able to hold a paper document like passport in my hands. My comment addressed your presentation that it is just about universally allowed. We will find "not-so" on occasion. Aside....more....I was even admonished for not having my feet TOTALLY on the painted yellow footprints on the floor..... basically big deal, I had my feet properly apart and hands up over my head, with my feet maybe 1 inch off the yellow footprint template... shouldn't make much ( if any) of a difference. Some TSA people simply have a Napoleonic complex.
All airports without exception are still trying to sort themselves out post covid. Toronto, Sydney, JFK, Frankfurt and especially Bangkok have all been terrible for me in the last year. Its only the smaller airports like Vienna and Zurich which are manageable (however Vienna still doesn't have any disabled toilets working!)
I always set off the alarm because of my titanium knee, so it doesn't matter what order I put my things in the bin. I do try to keep a weather eye on the bins while getting searched though.
You might most likely be asked to leave your passport and boarding pass on the tray during the security screening at the Frankfurt airport. Everyone was asked to walk through the scanner without their passport in possession. Pretty surprising!
Great tips - thanks! There's a trip I do often and always go through security as early as possible then I have time for lunch on the other side before my no-meal-service flight. If there is a delay through security then I still have time for a sandwich. I was at Frankfurt once and went through security early and then went to find a quiet corner for a phone call. Unfortunately, while looking for that quiet corner I had wandered back land-side and had to go through security a second time!
I am travelling a lot due the business all around the europe and don´t find useful any of this tips - never had any issues or feeling someone want to steel any of my staff and even I always go much faster thru scanners than my staff. Also never had any additional questions on my travels.
I flew out of Memphis recently. At the beginning of the security conveyor I was told “you can leave the laptop in your bag”, which I did. Of course, the bag was diverted for a hand search. However, as it happened the bag in front of mine for the hand search was found to contain a clip of ammunition 😲 and that seemed to occupy the TSA agents’ attention, so in the end I wasn’t delayed. But I was definitely wrongly advised at the beginning of the conveyor, by an agent.
We travelled through CDG, and yes there was a lot of construction and delays (due to Covid requirements). However I found the efficiency, cleanliness, and positive attitudes of airport staff, in every way superior to Toronto International and Montreal International Airports.
Paris airport was a pain!! I lost my connection once due to miscommunication with the person guiding travelers off the gate. She was pointing to the right to go out, but we were supposed to go left. This caused us to miss our connections to Barcelona. Not a customer-friendly airport.
I've been through both CDG and Orly many times. I can totally relate to needing extra time for security. Always leave more time than you think you will need!
Paris Airport - My wife our 16 month old and I arrive in Paris from the US, and then departed back to the US a few weeks later. Both the trip to and from Paris Airport was not as bad as I would expect, It was quite crowded and people did not leave much room for personal space ( just a France thing maybe), but the air port seemed to run smooth and fast given the traveler load. As I do fly in and out of Boston airport a lot I guess anything seems better compared to that.
Hello Megan, Thank you so much for the travel information! I do have a question. Can I put all of my small electronic gear i.e. charge cubes for cell phones, cell phone, lightning cables, portable chargers into a one gallon zip lock bag so I can keep it all together or should I leave that stuff in my personal carry backpack as I gothrough the TSA screening? Thanks in advance.
Paris Airport - I've been through CGD three times. Security there is definitely not in a hurry. People should layover for at very least 3 hours if they have to pass through that airport. My first time through resulted in me being 12 hour delayed arriving in Barcelona, from New York.
I do follow the order you mentioned, putting your valuables (and electronics) at the end. I flew through Houston (IAH) a month ago and they asked me to put my passport as well even though I only had my passport and the boarding passes in my hand. I was hoping to keep the passport with me as you suggest.
Why do the French (and I use the term loosely) at CDG feel the need to send people who are just stepping off a highly secure incoming flight through an additional security check right upon arrival, as they make their way from terminal 2E (international) to 2F (Shengen)? (It doesn't happen in reverse, thankfully, and strangely!) The delays and the amount of frustration it causes is unbelievable; the logic of it is not just zero, but negative. But I suspect it means someone's job security. Oh, and their highly gifted way of forcing hundreds of incoming passengers from multiple planes that arrive simultaneously to pass through just 2 highly relaxed border agents... What's enraging is that passengers don't get any of the sizeable airport "service" fees that are part of their ticket's price refunded in such cases, or in any cases at all. The authorities are always right. And you voluntarily pay for the hassle, the nonsense and the humiliation.
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Paris airport, the worst I’ve ever flown through. It is helpful that the airport personal all wear little blue uniforms so you know who to go to to ask for help. But be advised, if you open your mouth spewing English words, they will immediately ignore you, turning around and engage with anyone else who they think is not American. I learned this the hard way and almost missed my flight because of it. Best to start out with a friendly “Pardon Mademoiselle” as Frenchy as you can say it, to get their attention. I don’t speak French at all. That is the only phrase I remember from 7th grade French class. Thankfully, that phrase saved me from missing my return flight home! Literally! I was the last one on the plane and they closed the doors behind me. NEVER fly through the Paris airport with less than 4 hours between flights.
Portable Professional: out of your 100's of trips, how many times have you tried to carry your passport with you? Maybe it's is just Europe but I can't imagine that flying in the States. My passport is my identification so I will do my best to test it out wherever I go.
Hey, not to mention, the first time I was there the idiot did not let me in without a PRINTED electronic ticket. I opened my laptop and shown, no he needs paper. Jerks.
Stop with the stupid commercials!!!! Do you SERIOUSLY think that ANYONE would buy this just because of your stupid ad?!?!?
Your video is a bit nonsense, sorry. If you know the rules on most airports, specially in Europe (which are generic), you face absolutely no problems:
1) there are cameras everywhere so if someone steals you, they are caught.
2) you can put every other items first (belt, liquids, jacket, handbag) and the electronics at last. In Europe most if not all airports have trays to put things on. So your electronics are put by YOU but the laptop has to go on a separate one (the scanner has to be able to scan perfectly). If you do this, NO ONE will put a finger on your stuff.
On most airports I flew in Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, England, Belgium, Netherlands, etc) the works ALWAYS say the laptop has to go in a different one and how you should put your things on the trays. And they never touched my things, except from other people who mixed everything nevertheless and they took their laptop and put on a different tray. That was it. Theft? Never heard of it.
Confusion? Yes. People that are a little bit “slow of mind” (or don’t understand English or the native language) that despite the workers say how it’s done, they do otherwise. That slows things a bit down.
Even my children do the right way after seeing one time…
I have traveled a fair bit, and I have found that I would FAR rather be through Security (and even customs in some cases) and bored on the secure side, than to be rushed and uncertain if I will have enough time while stuck in the line to go through security. Time is NOT your friend in an airport.
Totally agree👍👍
“Paris Airport”
It’s better to be 2 hours early than 2 minutes late.
I love being in the secure side of an airport with nothing to do. It's my happy place. It's a good place for people watching.
Thanks for sharing
If only my husband thought the same way as you and I
I had one security agent tell me to hold onto my passport when going through the scanner so I did do that. Then on my next trip another one told me to put it in the bin, and acted like to do otherwise was just blasphemy! I wish they were consistent!
Totally agree, Rick, consistency would be lovely!
They never are. When leaving Atlanta a few weeks ago, the TSA agent hollered at me for removing my liquids' bag to place separately in the bin. "I didn't tell you to remove your liquids' bag, did I?!" Gees, you're dammed if you do, and dammed if you don't.
@@heleneg525 Yelling at the passengers seems to happen a lot at large American airports.
@@robertparsons313 Robert, and I even wonder how effective the screening is when the TSA agents bend the rules. Hmmm.
exactly! I've had the same experience with taking out large electronics...some agents yell at you to take them out, some yell at you to leave them in...and all of them say it like you should already know.
Not really related to CDG but my husband and I narrowly avoided missing our connecting flight LHR to AMS due to not allowing enough connection time. We had arrived at LHR on the red eye with 2 hours to make our connection to AMS. We never would have made it if not for an airport employee scanning the very, very long security line looking for wayward jet-lagged passengers. She took one look at our boarding passes and said "you will never make it" and she pulled us out of line and took us straight to the front. To this day I have NO idea where she came from but I will remember her always lol.
That was very prudent of that employee, doing something out of her routine to prevent both financial and time losses. Now looked up the LHR, it must be Heathrow. So pleasing to see the English doing the right thing at the right time.
Paris Airport. 1992❤
I had a shoet connection, British Air gave me a neon card that let me go to the front at Heathrow.😊
A nice employee did this at Schipol Armsterdam. We were in line at customs and she was looking out for people who has the sooner connecting flight and let them through first. It was really nice of her helping those passengers not miss their flight.
Why did you have to go through security again for a connecting flight? We never have.
Ugh. I avoid CDG and Air France whenever possible. It IS a nightmare! I had a pair of children’s scissors in my carry on, and the agent actually measured them to see if they were acceptable. She was terribly disappointed that they were tiny, blunt blades.
This is too funny, thank you for sharing!!
Sounds like someone was upset that she couldn’t flex her muscles and couldn’t go on a power trip
@@paulready8897 France does not play buddy. France was the number 1 victim of terrorism last decade.
I've been twice through CDG - and *both* times my family and I managed to find ourselves in what looked like deserted service corridors... and both times JUST made our flights. Never again.
On the other hand, TSA has taken away a nail clipper.... Yeah. Total idiocy.
@@oinoinschmilblick No it’s not. Paris had to deal with crazy terrorist attacks.
You should be happy.
10 years ago and might have not been alive anymore. Be glad security is doing it’s work.
Paris Airport is horrible! I was there 20 years ago and nearly missed my connection flight from Germany to US. It is amazing to hear that the situation has not changed since. BTW: I've never used that airport again since and always use other routes...
Holding your passport while going through security is risky. At some point, you may, unconsciously, lay your passport somewhere to grab your carry-on items with both hands. A little distraction is all it takes to completely overlook the fact that one's passport is no longer in one's possession.
Put it in your pocket to free your hands.
@@salguodrolyat2594 You are not allowed to walk through the metal detector with your passport in your pocket. But security MAY allow you to pass through the metal detector while holding your passport in one hand. As one's attention is to prevent another passenger from stealing your hand carried bags after going through x-ray, one can easily forget to put one's handheld passport in one's pocket.
If you are lucky, you will hear the airport announcement, "Will the passenger who left his passport at security please return to retrieve it?" Every time I fly, it seems I hear an announcement that someone left something important like that!
@@scvcebcSo they DON’T KNOW WHO THE PASSENGER WAS?!?!?!? They should announce “Mr. Harry Dick, please return to security to collect your passport “!!!
Metal detector wont know your passport is in your pocket
Is she a robot?
Paris Airport - worst airport experiences! Flying in on overnight from Toronto they have the Air Canada flights WAY out on the fringe and the buses are in constant traffic jams to get to the main terminal- where security lines are horrendous. It takes 3 hours to get through all that.
CDG was an absolute nightmare in April. I arrived almost three hours ahead of my flight and I was the last person to get on the plane...the security lines were beyond belief - and I was flying Business Class. I'd avoid this airport like the plague
And yet the airlines let us book with an hour or less connection time! Happy travels, Joel!
@@PortableProfessional Many thanks for this very useful video.
Funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK airport
Requirements for airport security vary by country. Stay with your items until they are in the machine. If you use a tray or bin, be sure to properly stack it when finished.
Exactly. Also they are not "dropped on a random table", like this lady said. The entire process is pretty well organized. That's not a Jason Bourne movie, it's a minimum to zero chance for your belongings to be stolen by other passengers right in front of the X-ray machine, on a police controlled pedestrian path. I don't know about the US, but in Europe you have an eye on your stuffs almost all the time.
Ive never travelled with a laptop or tablet but i put everything from my pockets into one of those sealable liquids bags and put it in my small back pack. It makes it easy to retrive things like loose change on the other side. Walking through with passport in hand always gets you pulled over for inspection in my experience- they want to see inside the passport so while more secure for you it doesnt save time. In Europe we generally dont have to remove shoes or belts unless asked so i dont. To be honest the only places ive ever experienced any difficulty is at US airports where lines are unfathomably long and staff generally rude. Unless its a real peak time getting through security in europe takes moments by comparison and nothing like the frustrating hassle over there. Sorry!
The key is to have a hand-bag or man-bag and put all your small items such as keys, coins, phone, wallet, watch, etc into this bag BEFORE you get to the scanner while waiting in the Q. Saves time and anxiety, at both ends of the scanner. This seems so obvious to me, but I see so many people not doing this and delaying the whole process, adding stress, etc. Unless you’re a totally newbie, you KNOW you have to screen your stuff.
And wear slip on shoes… And take off your belt… Assume the worst in advance.
Thank you...I hope tons of people read this. If people would prepare and follow your example, we would all be better off.
Done that, do that. Thanks just the same, mate.
exactly everything she said in the video was so normal to me. I can't believe non newbies dont know about this.
I was so shocked to hear people actually go to security without a bag or a small suitcase for hand luggage and placing their laptops and other valuables in the bins....
This is what do. I’m confused as to why this is not smart common knowledge? Now I’m stressing because I’m going through CDG soon and wonder if I have to take my phone and tablet out of my bag?
@@QueenFan-cj4jh No you leave it in your bag and put the bag on the tray
Great tips! I was always confused whether to hold onto my boarding pass and passport. Whenever I asked, they told me to put them in the bin (so I put them in my personal item). Maybe just carrying my passport would be okay, but not my boarding pass?... I go through the metal detector, so I wonder if that's different than the body scanner. 🌺Heidi
Thanks for sharing your experience! I personally walk through the scanner with my boarding pass tucked into my passport, both in hand!
i have tsa precheck, i recently flew out of JFK a few months ago. the security guard watching the metal detector gave me a very hard time about my passport/boarding pass in my hand as i walk thru the metal detector . i did not set up the metal detector off. the guard told me that i had to back the bin area and put my passport in a bin and then walk back thru the detector again.
I went through CDG last October, and I have not had the problems many others have experienced. My nightmare airport has always been Heathrow. No matter how much we were screened at the original airport, we always have to go through security AGAIN at Heathrow. It's really quite stressful when you have short connections.
That happened to us in October 2022 at Heathrow. We were All carryon and our suitcases included portable batteries. Security removed them and didn’t tall us. Cost us $50 to replace them. Plus, they emptied our clear liquid carrying cases to screen them. They then dumped everything back in a bin and shoved it at us. Just horrible how passengers are treated.
Heathrow seems to have more sensitive scanners. Had to take my birkenstocks off last time through.
Just the opposite for me.
This is very good advice. The trouble is that the rules keep changing and various security agents interpret them differently which makes it difficult. Another tip is if you are running late when you enter the security line tell the nearest security person immediately. You my get lucky and get put into the fast line. On a recent trip from Spain to Canada I had to transfer in Amsterdam. My flight from Barcelona was delayed almost an hour and I only had only 30 minutes between flights. Even though you've already been on a flight they make you go through security again which is a real pain. By the time I entered the security line I only had 15 minutes left and I knew I would miss the flight. I showed my boarding pass to the nearest security person and said "my flight is boarding now", the agent was nice enough to escort me to the front of the line and I made it just in time.
This is important advice! Letting staff know how tight our connections were really paid off at DEN. Not only did they speed up the screening, they arranged for a golf cart ride through some "no passengers allowed" shortcut corridors that got us through this enormous airport just barely on time!
But not all security are nice! Some will even tell you all are the same, n it';s not his or her problem
@@glennchua9043 Ture but if you don't ask you will definitely not get.
Paris CDG airport: always a ghastly experience.
@@robertthomson1587 Funny, I had ghastly experiences at New York JFK airport
My family traveled through CDG a few years back. We were actually held up by our carry on bags (plus one other issue at the end of this post). After going through security, we were told to step aside, two TSA agents asked to weigh our carry on luggage. They claimed that our bags were over the weight limit (by a little over 1 lb each). We'd never encountered anything like that with dozens of other flights. We were then asked a bunch of questions about our nation's president...once they understood that our thoughts were the same as theirs, our luggage problems magically went away. Then our problem was with LAX. Since my wife and I married and she took my last name, for every international flight back to LA, she has been pulled aside for a secondary check before our departure, at the boarding gate as we're boarding, and when we arrive at LAX. We even have TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. We read that her "new name" might be the same as someone on a global watchlist and that she should look into a getting a redress number.
Nice to know there are Trump supporters in France.
Having missed a flight, and then a connection at CDG , and having to find a place to sleep overnight, I now avoid CDG at all costs. I found the signage scarce, and the staff unhelpful.
PaIris Airport - I avoid Charles de Gaulle Airport whenever possible. And you're right, always go through Security without delay, and I usually go all the way to my gate, so I know exactly where it is. Nothing like the surprise of finding out at the last minute that you have to catch a train or bus to get to your gate!
I've flown out of CDG....my advice to travelers: if you have the choice of any other airport, use it instead. CDG employees are rude, and the facilities are run down and tired. CDG is not a happy place, and not a good way to end an otherwise pleasurable trip.
All French are rude and arrogant to North Americans. Was there for 6 months on an assigned work🎉. Hated every day.
Paris airport.France is rude but Rome is THE rudest
@@ajs11201 Funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK airport
As an autistic the CGD Paris Airport a meltdown trigger for me. The long crowded line, the jostling of some Europeans not understanding personal space. The rudeness of their staff, who are obviously bored repeating the same thing over and over again. I have vowed never to fly in or out of that airport again at the time. I was in tears before I got through. Now I fly with Disability Services, I have not tried the experience in Paris yet, hopefully it is a better experience the next time.
I’m melted down in CDG last Year when I missed my flight. I have to go again to the airport but I will never fly out again, The rudeness the chaos and the miles to get to your gate makes this the worst experience I’ve had in 55 years of traveling
I am sorry you missed your flight out of there. I hope next time it is better. Though, I doubt it.
Even "neuro-typical" people can have a melt down going through some airports, the bureaucracy can try the patience of a saint!
You are not an autistic.
Last year I used this airport I was asked several times if I carried any money. Eventually I had to give the security office my bag to search it. Was frustrated.
This video is a must-watch for anyone who's ever struggled with getting through airport security quickly and efficiently. Super useful tips and tricks for mastering the airport security check in Europe. These little-known hacks that could save you time and hassle at the airport! Great video, Megan!
The video is a little bit nonsense:
1) EACH airport has different rules as it depends on the scanners they use!
2) MOST airports in Europe demand that you take ALL electronic devices from the bag and take off the belt/jacket
3) most European airports do NOT demand that you take your shoes off
4) ALL demand that you take fluids from the bag and max 100 mL per bottle.
Basic rules and if you take off / out previously before you get to the scanner, then you speed up everything. I basically leave everything in an accessible spot.
These videos are nothing but just telling the obvious…
I despise cdg!!!😮 I recently had a scheduled connection ghere for a flight to Rennes, after I printed my boarding pass and bag tag at the air France kiosk, I was told I was in the wrong terminal and that there is more than 1 terminal serving air France. They then told me i'd need to go across the street, go up, ect.. By that time bag drop time was about to be finished, so I gave up, took an Uber to the train station and took the train to Rennes. With all that BS, I changed my return flight to connection through Lyon, one of the most seemless airports !
Europeans don’t get their knickers in a twist when flying. Just act calmly, try to be inconspicuous, keep your voice down, and be polite. Go through security first, then ask how far your gate is, then do your shopping etc. It doesn’t need a video, just a bit of common-sense.
This is my least favorite airport. If you have a complete terminal change you have to go back thru security.
We Also as for liquids, they randomly throw away things like shea butter which doesn’t liquify. It’s a complete solid.
I have been through the Paris airport, and they made me put my passport in the bin. I always walk through with my ID and boarding pass. They wouldn't let me and my boarding passes were lost. Fortunately, I had a backup on my phone because I needed it to buy duty free items. I immediately asked the security people for them, but they were never found.
I arrived from Milan late due to fog and was greeted by AF staff and quickly delivered to the 747 waiting for me going to LA.
I got stern looks and just wondered why they didn't put me on the next flight. So it was a very brief experience at CDG. This was 1997.
I've been through the Paris airport numerous times. I have been asked to put my passport in the bin rather than carrying it, but I don't think I've ever tried to hold it in my hand while going through Paris. Your last tip is critical. Get to your gate and get settled first, then you can see how much time you have to do other things. Your tip about SSSS is interesting. Once, we were traveling as a family, and my oldest son (18) had to do extra screening with someone from the US embassy. Once they realized he was traveling with a family, it was fine. We were never sure why that was, but suspected his age and the fact that we were traveling from a certain place.
I had a similar experience with SSSS, but we were an older couple and the one without the extra screening requirement was in a wheel chair at the time. We refused to be separated, so they got a supervisor to allow us to skip the extra screening. In our case, the area they wanted us to go to was not wheelchair accessible. Their policy was to waive the screening requirement for those in a wheelchair. However, the SSSS was on the boarding pass for the one who was NOT using the wheelchair, something they did not seem to have a policy for, so the security agents at the scene did not have authority to waive the requirement. We politely but firmly said we could not be separated, so they got permission to allow us both to skip it.
The Paris Charles De Gaulle airport in my opinion is the WORST airport, second only to Miami MIA airport. NO SIGNS, NO PEOPLE TO DIRECT YOU. I sometimes wonder if the French do it on purpose it is so horrible.
*Been to CDG Airport in Paris two times* !! *My friend (frequent traveler) helped me navigate this LARGE airport* !! *Had 2 friends fly thru CDG recently and they said it was difficult to navigate* !! #PortableProfessional
Paris airport I.e. CDG one of the worst airports I have flown through over 50 years of flying over 12 million miles with a lot of international.
Bus rides from planes to terminals. Connections between terminals like a maze.
It is pretty darn disorganized airport and confusing.
CDG is without a shred of a doubt the worst airport in the world, period.
Haha Adam, so far it's been my worst too!
@@PortableProfessional I flew from London Heathrow donkeys years ago with Air France, stopover at CDG, they made travellers to checkout the baggages and re-check them back in, so I had to go through the security again, eventually I missed my connection flight and had to wait for another 10 hours for next flight out, but they did however give me a 10€ voucher to buy food, no accommodation. And to top it all, the ground staff weren't helpful, they didn't speak English even if they knew. Horrible airport. I swore to myself I would never travel to and from CDG airport again.
You speak way too fast and that makes you seem like nervous and insecure, just as if an AI bot was speaking (you look like one a bit too...). This is on the verge of being considered irritating. Your "advice" is also not really "top of the range", I'd say, just common sense, right?
Leaving now and not hoping to ever get back here. Best of luck with your channel - you'll need it 🙂.
Paris features several airports
You probably hit a secondary airport, during the eles of theTourist season.
France gets around 89 Million per year.
My experience in THE US ain't pleasant at
STA Agentes are, genarally, rude and even agressive.
I'm all in favor of Safety.
The same safety-results could be accomplished without the cursing and other unpleasant comments .made against the entire line of people.
Apparently to induce a full acceptance of their directions.
I travel with backpack, and at security I take out laptop and put inside everything else: passport+boarding, belt, phone, watch, coins, valet, keys, gum packs, and any other garbage in my pocket which will trigger alarm - all deep-deep inside my backpack, basically inside laptop pocket, and zip it all. All stays in one bag, not in dozen different trays. In 99% of cases security see objects inside without any problem, I just need to collect my PC in one hand, backpack in another and walk 5-6 meters away from crowd at security to start dressing back up in reverse order. If they ask me to open backpack, I do it having all items in my control.
Good videos, well done!
Going out of Canada…. Nail file was fine, but coming home from Mexico, the same nail file was taken away.
Get an Everki backpack. They have a laptop pocket section that unzips and opens completely flat, so the dummies can scan it without you having to take it out.
Great idea 👍
I've been through CDG at least 8 times and it still has the most unfriendly Airport staff I have experienced.
LAX is the worst and most unfriendly global airport.
Asking for directions from 3 different staff will send you in 3 different directions.
No sky train,
you have to take a bus shuttle between terminals unless you’re in for a very long walk.
Most of the workers at LAX either do not speak coherent English or they have a very heavy foreign accent.
@@joycesewald1788 Funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK airport
Thanks for your video! I am a French National, leaving overseas for the last 30 years and traveling internationally every months for work, I always try to avoid CDG !!! even for private travel! Security check is a total nightmare where arrogance is at the supreme level! Beside that I also avoid Air France because between the airline and the Airport you have a great chance to have one of them on strike!
I agree, and they don't give a hoot if you miss your flight. And many Arabs work there and are openly anti Jewish, so for me this created an even further delay.
@@moshekatz1626nonsense, they are very friendly to the Jews at CDG. Don't spread fake information Moshe
It's funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK even though there is no strike at this airport
@@adrien1320 I'm sure you have problems most places 🙄
@@HermannHimelheiken Not at Zurich airport or Tokyo airports where the staff are very professional and pleasant
Just went through CDG on Friday, as we were literally running to our connecting flight as first flight was 3 hours delayed. One of my bins got selected for second screening because in hind sight we had two jackets and a blanket in it. I think if they had been separated out this wouldn’t have happened. PARIS IS VERY PICKY about their security process. This held me up an extra 10-15 mins at the time our flight was scheduled to board. No matter how I tried to ask for help expediting me through this process the workers were emotion-less and disregarded my request. I sent my husband on ahead to the gate whilst I waited. Fortunately our second flight was delayed 30 minutes and we made our flight and our checked bags made the flight. I have previous experience with CDG where they lost my suitcase both direction on same trip. My advice is route through a different airport! I’m actually going to change my flight home as my connection time is 1 1/2 hours and I now know I have to take a bus connector and a train connector and get through security. I have other options. We survived but we learned from our experience.
I hate CDG. After I had to transfer there about 10 years ago, I found it an airport that is designed for the architect and not the traveller. There is little signage, and walking transfers between terminals cannot be made conveniently over land but underground with access by only 1 small, slow elevator at each side. No ramp or staircase. And the personnel were very reluctant to help. I’d hate to see it now after the pandemic.
Since then, I avoid CDG like another plague. Give me Frankfurt or Schipol any day.
Thank you so much for this info. Will be arriving at CDG in 2 days then leaving 20 May. Will leave heaps of time just in case. Cheers from 🇦🇺
I despise cdg!!!😮 I recently had a scheduled connection ghere for a flight to Rennes, after I printed my boarding pass and bag tag at the air France kiosk, I was told I was in the wrong terminal and that there is more than 1 terminal serving air France. They then told me i'd need to go across the street, go up, ect.. By that time bag drop time was about to be finished, so I gave up, took an Uber to the train station and took the train to Rennes. With all that BS, I changed my return flight to connection through Lyon, one of the most seemless airports !
@@lizzyfolks9116 Schiphol? That's also a nightmare. Last September ('22) I arrived four hours in advance and I just barely made my flight. I haven't been through CDG in more than 10 years, but Schiphol has a serious staff shortage since COVID. When you arrive there in the busy periods there's very long lines. On the arriving side it took 90 minutes to get our luggage when we came back. One of the reasons I don't go there by train anymore, as it's too uncertain when you will get out and either you miss your train or you are waiting a long time for the one you booked.
@@koenven7012, I haven’t been there for 8 years, so I based my comment on that. I wonder how bad Frankfurt is as that was a zoo 10 years ago.
I planned a whole trip to the Philippines with just hand luggage via Paris airport but Air France made me put my carry on in the hold. This meant that even though my next gate was just a few yards away at CDG I had to go through security and customs, collect my luggage and come back in. Which seeing as I only had a short connection involved a lot of running and sweating as the process was pretty slow.
My sister and I changed planes at CDG in Feb/March of this year from Calif. to Sofia, Bulgaria and it was a nightmare both times. Both times we had to take a shuttle from the terminal we flew into to the terminal we flew out of and it took an hour to find the shuttle and then a long ride to the next terminal. One time the shuttle drove a ways and then sat for 10 minutes. We went through security multiple times each time and showed our passports multiple times and walked for thousands of steps trying to find our gate with little help. We were already tired from traveling and then having to walk so much was exhausting. We had two hours coming back from Sofia in CDG and we didn't have time to eat and barely went to the bathroom; the whole two hours was taken up with finding the shuttle to the other terminal, going through security and immigration and walking, walking, walking. If CDG is your destination, it's probably not a big problem, it's changing planes there that is the hassle. I hope I don't have to do that again.
HORRIFIC AIRPORT!!!! Avoid at any cost!
Funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK airport
Retired airline VP... After witnessing the devolution of the "airport experience" from the 1960's up to today, I refuse to fly commercial! I disdain the experience so much I won't go, and I can travel for free! The lack of class, service, courtesy, massive crowds, madcap lines, and especially the mindless paranoia surrounding "security" (theater) is simply too much for me. Forget it. I simply stay close to home! If needed, please ask for a hand search, not go through the body scanner for potential health reasons.
I recently flew from Newark to Ireland and one of the flight attendants was so obese he could hardly walk up-and-down the aisle.
CDG was a veritable nightmare!
Paris CDG is as well as Amsterdam are airports with a big misconception for transfer passengers. Both of them separate Schengen Area with non-Schengen Area. As a result, all transit passengers that leave or enter schengen have to go through a passport control. Sometimes there are queues for the passport control. And next to the passport control there is a compulsory security screening with another queue.
Despite that, Air France and KLM make tickets with 1 hour layovers and they close boarding 30min before flight schedule. Even an average double-queuing takes 20 min alone. So in the very best case you are left with 10 minutes leaving the plane changing terminal and finding the boarding gate. In average case 0 minutes is left. Its a shame.
Actually it doesn't really matter what you will put in baskets first... The "random person" who is in charge of scanning will not even touch your basket or at least that never happened to me.
The chip in the passport is more likely to set off the security gate than a tissue in your pocket!
PARIS AIRPORT ON 5-10 Also, let me say that if you are over 70 ask for a wheelchair (even if you can walk) as the 'passenger assistant' knows all of the shortcuts & can get you to your gate faster most of the time. My daughters took me to Paris for my 80th b'day & didn't know how far the walk would be so we had a wheelchair in Denver, Detroit & Paris. Best decision ever & worth the tip. 🥰
Good tip to know! Nice birthday present. Bet it was fun!
That's a good idea.
I'm not 70 but have issues with extensive walking and standing. I think I'll request the mobility support as I remember the loooooong walk to my gate when I flew out of Paris years ago.
I am only in my mid 60’s but will be doing just that the next time we fly as I broke my hip about a year and a half ago and now have 3 lovely pins holding me together.
Paris has the worst airport in Europe. Large and chaotic. Don't judge the rest of Europe with CDG.
Paris airport CDG is always so chaotic and time consuming. The last time I flew out of there I stayed at the hotel attached to the airport and thankful I did l. Aside from the usual delays getting through their security, paris is notorious for strikes that could affect your transportation getting to the airport.
Paris airport was a nightmare for us as well 8 years ago. The terminal was chaotic and a large portion was evacuated due to some emergency and it went downhill from there.
Yikes, sorry to hear that!!!
I still remember when air travel was much more relax, thanks to the Al Qaeda, visa and security become complicated.
CDG airport in Paris is always an absolute disaster.. need at least 2hr if you’re transferring through there.
Thank you for these tips. My first time at CDG this month. So glad I’m now aware of possible delays. I’ll try holding my passport but never been able to do this before. Hope the titanium plate in my wrist doesn’t set off alarms. Cheers from 🇦🇺
It probably will - I'd be sure to mention that as you place your items in the bins. Mom had "hip" and the bells always went off like a cracker😄 Wishing you good speed at *PARIS AIRPORT* ~ been through there several times with *zero* pleasure
BRING a doctors note on official letterhead of the doctor's clinic, that you have plate in your wrist. This helps security not scream "terrorist' and treat you like one. Not 100%, but it does help! I knew someone who had so much metal in her, she was practically a robotic woman. The doctors note helped her many times, but one times in the USA, she was extremely harassed and the idiot refused to believe the doctors note, thinking no one could have that much metal in them. She was 4'10", and considered a dwarf.
@@tpkyterooluebeck9224 I've been travelling for over 30 years with a hip replacement (about 5 pounds of stainless steel) and recently have had 3 plates added to the same leg due to an accident. I doubt that a doctor's note would help as those can be faked too easily. I am always honest with the staff and point out that I have these items implanted and they call for a 'pat down' or send me through the full body scanner. Never more than a few extra minutes delay. I take the same attitude with customs: "Be Aware and Declare! "
@@thepenelopejonesno, also walk slowly through the metal detectors since they measure magnetic flux,
I don’t understand the SSSS extra screening comment. I have NEVER seen or experienced security asking to see a boarding pass! The ONLY times a boarding pass is requested to be sighted is passing through immigration and at the boarding gate. So how does “security” know you have SSSS on your boarding pass?
What I find disgusting is TSA making you put your shoes in a bin instead of just on the belt. People from all over the world walking on God knows what place their shoes in the bin and whatever disgusting residue is left behind for me to place my items in.
Paris Airport--was just wretched, 3 buses and 2.5 miles walking took a full 3 plus hours, will absolutely avoid in future, though I love AF, sorry to miss that great airline.
Try going from term 2e to 2f at CDG. If you know how to get there it might be 35-45 minutes. If not, nobody can tell you. You can't walk there or take the shuttle because the shuttle doesn't stop there but brings you out past airport security. You have to first go to passport control if you can find it. Then get on the correct bus. I think. We made it 5 minutes before the door closed.
Paris airport! I was in Paris last summer. CDG was chaos! Give yourself lots of time!!! I’m going back tomorrow. Praying that it’ll be better this time!!
I have never been in an airport that is so chaotic. They are also very rude.
Funny, I had the same experience but at New York JFK airport
Went in and out of CDG in March this year. Very long walks, confusing check-in, and we need the big body scanner since we have hip and knee replacements. Luckily we had plenty of time to spare but will never go through CDG again.
Me too!
I was leaving France via CDG years ago, and found the security people to be excellent. The agent was apologetic about asking me to take my clogs them off--and offered me booties so my socks wouldn't get dirty! Now that i'm reading all the current experiences, I'll be prepared for a big change. Yikes.
We had a connecting flight from Rome to Paris then SFO 2 weeks ago and we almost missed our San Francisco flight where Paris had another Passport check even though we were checked at Rome already. To top it off there was only 2 customs agent and the line kept growing. We had to run to the next flight and it was the furthest away. Thank god we made it and they were still boarding.
I went through DeGaulle airport in 2019, VERY bad experience.
Yes, did Paris last August. Once we landed, it seemed to take forever to get to the gate. I have had shorter bus trips.
Love your videos. Great suggestions.
CDG is a difficult airport. Bad communication between the terminals. Leaving the EU or Schengen adds more complication with those passport machines.
Paris Airport! Went through there last June, it was truly the busiest craziest airport experience I have ever had. My bin was pulled for an extra search because of all the cameras and electronics I had in my backpack, I had to unpack and repack everything. The scariest moment was when I went through screening and my bin with the backpack was nowhere to be seen! They finally waved me over and after unpacking everything they waved me on only to have to sit on a bench with people all around to get dressed and packed up and organized again.
good info, but hard to understand her voice. Had to replay a few parts
We went to Canada and coming back to Malta was a nightmare. We landed in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, it was the worst!!!! we had 3 hours in between flights and we made it on time as it was about to close the plane door. we had to go through like 3 or 4 securities I think around 3 busses and the line for the final security it was like 1hour long!! Never Again!!! also no direction signs from bagadge claim to the Assistant Desk and where to go to the security line it was in the middle of a corridor and you had to go up the stairs. it was crazy I needed to pee, drink and I was about to pass out had to wait till the plane took off and the seatbelt sign went off. You wouldn't believe that a connecting flight had to go through all that hassle and nearly missing the flight.
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Great tips as always. Yes, Paris Airport takes forever, although I’ve only missed two connections ever and they were both going through Heathrow. Love the “keeping your passport with you “ tip.
Yes, Paris Airport connections are perilous! Bon voyage!
Paris Airport, I agree CDG departures are time consuming. We departed from CGD back in Sept 2019 during the "normal" travel era and even then it was by far the longest departure experience. I lost count of the number of lines for passport control checks as well as security. We had no connections and were just departing. Great suggestion re electronic order of inspection and passport security.
This year we are again leaving Europe from CDG again so as always will leave lots of time for the "process". And we are carry on only. Keep those great tips coming!
Whoa, Dave, sorry to hear it was a pain for you too. Hopefully this next trip goes a little smoother! Enjoy the trip and great to have you here as always!
@@PortableProfessional Well, what can you do. The lines are what they are however I am glad to not have to transfer flights through CDG and just depart. The price to pay for a great vacation😉
@Dave Saunders stop taking things personally and do what you have to do
@@kimberly11091 If I took things personally I would avoid CDG. Que sera sera
Wait until you fly through Dubai.
Paris airport- you are wrong, I was at the Paris airport a two weeks ago. They made me put my passport in a bin when going thru TSA checkpoint. It took an hour just to get thru, and I only had a 1-1/2 hour layover. It was a nightmare. Ran to my gate
I always considered it common sense to go through security ASAP
I have vowed to never go through CDG again. Three hours early and almost missed my flight. 😰
Went through CDG twice, and it was two too many. Our last time was the last straw of our frustration and we vowed never again.
The French are pathetic! They don't GAF about protecting their country from becoming part of the Euro Caliphate, so why would they GAF about providing convenience for their airline travelers. Imagine what a cluster f*** the Olympics will be!
CDG one of the worst airports in any modern city in the world.
Paris Airport. I must’ve had the SSSS stamped on mine, but didn’t know about it until I watched this, thank you! They practically pulled apart even items in my cosmetic pouch. It also turned out that I was on the “drill” flight, which I only found out after I had landed in Boston. It was a long time ago, the years of heightened security, following 9/11.
Even checkd bags are opened on a random basis. Bur they leave a note on your bag telling you it was opened up and searched.
@@blessingjohnchelliah4317 Yes, I've got those love notes a couple of times too on my trips to the US. All my items are intact though, but a few people say they have items missing from their luggage at times.
Place your passport in your bag or purse. Don't carry it.
Wrong......timeline 1:36....you say you can carry your passport through the body-scanner at every airport. Tried doing that last week at Indianapolis airport and the passport was rudely taken away from me by a TSA agent while I was entering the scanner with my arms above my head ( passport in hand).....which was handed over to yet ANOTHER TSA agent.....who finally gave it back to me as I exited the scanner. I was able to carry it with me at other airports. Not happy losing control of that critical document. To be clear...nothing else was in my pockets...nor was there any othe "offending piece" found, as I am a seasoned traveller and was careful not to do this......
You are right. It can vary depending on the airport, day or TSA personnel. More often than not I have been able to keep it in hand.. Safe travels and thanks for watching!
@@PortableProfessional .... just reporting recent findings and yes....almost universally I was able to hold a paper document like passport in my hands. My comment addressed your presentation that it is just about universally allowed. We will find "not-so" on occasion. Aside....more....I was even admonished for not having my feet TOTALLY on the painted yellow footprints on the floor..... basically big deal, I had my feet properly apart and hands up over my head, with my feet maybe 1 inch off the yellow footprint template... shouldn't make much ( if any) of a difference. Some TSA people simply have a Napoleonic complex.
All airports without exception are still trying to sort themselves out post covid. Toronto, Sydney, JFK, Frankfurt and especially Bangkok have all been terrible for me in the last year. Its only the smaller airports like Vienna and Zurich which are manageable (however Vienna still doesn't have any disabled toilets working!)
Paris airport always takes ages to transfer to another flight, avoided it for years to use it.
I always set off the alarm because of my titanium knee, so it doesn't matter what order I put my things in the bin. I do try to keep a weather eye on the bins while getting searched though.
You might most likely be asked to leave your passport and boarding pass on the tray during the security screening at the Frankfurt airport. Everyone was asked to walk through the scanner without their passport in possession. Pretty surprising!
I have been told to put my passport in the tray at numerous European airports.
Tissue wasn’t the issue
Great tips - thanks!
There's a trip I do often and always go through security as early as possible then I have time for lunch on the other side before my no-meal-service flight. If there is a delay through security then I still have time for a sandwich.
I was at Frankfurt once and went through security early and then went to find a quiet corner for a phone call. Unfortunately, while looking for that quiet corner I had wandered back land-side and had to go through security a second time!
Ooops! That’s no fun! Glad you liked the video!
Thanks Megan, I'll be sure to keep my laptop, passport, and wallet closest to me when i go through the scanner.
Paris Airport is one I would prefer to avoid.
I am travelling a lot due the business all around the europe and don´t find useful any of this tips - never had any issues or feeling someone want to steel any of my staff and even I always go much faster thru scanners than my staff. Also never had any additional questions on my travels.
My favorite thing about CDG is guessing whether they will be on strike 😂
I will assume you have experienced some interesting trips through CDG!
I flew out of Memphis recently. At the beginning of the security conveyor I was told “you can leave the laptop in your bag”, which I did. Of course, the bag was diverted for a hand search. However, as it happened the bag in front of mine for the hand search was found to contain a clip of ammunition 😲 and that seemed to occupy the TSA agents’ attention, so in the end I wasn’t delayed. But I was definitely wrongly advised at the beginning of the conveyor, by an agent.
We travelled through CDG, and yes there was a lot of construction and delays (due to Covid requirements). However I found the efficiency, cleanliness, and positive attitudes of airport staff, in every way superior to Toronto International and Montreal International Airports.
Paris airport was a pain!! I lost my connection once due to miscommunication with the person guiding travelers off the gate. She was pointing to the right to go out, but we were supposed to go left. This caused us to miss our connections to Barcelona. Not a customer-friendly airport.
As concise and well-thought out. Thank you, Megan!
Excellent info. Especially about the passport. And again confirming that the SS is not your friend 😊.
I've been through both CDG and Orly many times. I can totally relate to needing extra time for security. Always leave more time than you think you will need!
Paris Airport - My wife our 16 month old and I arrive in Paris from the US, and then departed back to the US a few weeks later. Both the trip to and from Paris Airport was not as bad as I would expect, It was quite crowded and people did not leave much room for personal space ( just a France thing maybe), but the air port seemed to run smooth and fast given the traveler load. As I do fly in and out of Boston airport a lot I guess anything seems better compared to that.
Hello Megan, Thank you so much for the travel information! I do have a question. Can I put all of my small electronic gear i.e. charge cubes for cell phones, cell phone, lightning cables, portable chargers into a one gallon zip lock bag so I can keep it all together or should I leave that stuff in my personal carry backpack as I gothrough the TSA screening? Thanks in advance.
Paris Airport - I've been through CGD three times. Security there is definitely not in a hurry. People should layover for at very least 3 hours if they have to pass through that airport. My first time through resulted in me being 12 hour delayed arriving in Barcelona, from New York.
Totally agree! Some airports just require more time!
I do follow the order you mentioned, putting your valuables (and electronics) at the end. I flew through Houston (IAH) a month ago and they asked me to put my passport as well even though I only had my passport and the boarding passes in my hand. I was hoping to keep the passport with me as you suggest.
Why do the French (and I use the term loosely) at CDG feel the need to send people who are just stepping off a highly secure incoming flight through an additional security check right upon arrival, as they make their way from terminal 2E (international) to 2F (Shengen)? (It doesn't happen in reverse, thankfully, and strangely!) The delays and the amount of frustration it causes is unbelievable; the logic of it is not just zero, but negative. But I suspect it means someone's job security. Oh, and their highly gifted way of forcing hundreds of incoming passengers from multiple planes that arrive simultaneously to pass through just 2 highly relaxed border agents... What's enraging is that passengers don't get any of the sizeable airport "service" fees that are part of their ticket's price refunded in such cases, or in any cases at all. The authorities are always right. And you voluntarily pay for the hassle, the nonsense and the humiliation.
Ive been through airport security hundreds of times myself too, this woman is just a paranoid American