PARIS CDG AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  8 November 2009 by Marc Ventabre   (France)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Paris CDG is certainly not the worst airport in term of comfort and services but it is well below western standards you might expect for a major tourist destination like Paris. Two dark points - immigration control and the usually unpleasant staff working at the airport. Avoid the Terminal 1 (the oldest one) - interesting architecture but dreadful for the rest. The newest Terminal F is better but still below average compared to the high standards in Asia or Northern America. The only good thing about Paris CDG is when you leave the airport Paris is still a beautiful city. Such a shame that the entry of France look like such a mess.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  5 November 2009 by A Mishra   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Extremely disappointing airport, the waiting lounges do not have decent catering facilities for long haul passengers. There is a small cafe bar with a very limited choice and no decent hot food. I was travelling with family from Singapore to the UK via Paris, and was horrified at the lack of proper facilities at this central hub. This was especially relevant as the food on board the flight was rather sparse. Travelling from one terminal to another can be a nightmare, especially id you are short of time. Given that AF and KLM are the same company, CDG is no comparison with Schiphol. Even the smaller airports in the UK have far better facilities.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  26 October 2009 by R Wyatt   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Terminal 1 may have some new check in counters, but rest of the terminal remains a disgrace. Long, long queues for immigration and security, and cleanliness / condition of gate areas and toilets is terrible. Shopping facilities are also useless for everyday things, and szeems only targeted at luxury items. Terminal 2 might have improved, but this terminal 1 is simply below any acceptable standards.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  26 October 2009 by P Vogel   (USA)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Now the new international terminal is finished and open after the unfortunate collapse several years ago, CDG is significantly improved, at least for departing AF long haul flights. The new terminal 2E is spacious and efficient (check in was a breeze) with nice business and first class lounges (for AF passengers) and a duty free mall that is as good as Gallerie Lafayette, with Hermes, Maison du Chocolate, Rolex, Fouchan, Hugo Boss, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Fine wines and spirits, Prada, and many others. CDG is still an awkward airport, but the long haul arrival and departure experience is vastly improved, at least for Air France customers. Finally the temporary tents are gone, and you can actually board at a gate rather than taking a bus for several miles to get to the aircraft. Now if they can redo the older, crowded, and dirty terminals, then we might have a world class airport.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  22 October 2009 by Nick Biskinis   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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CDG appears to be getting even worse. I was flying out of Terminal 2E to LHR. I've always found 2E and 2F to be the 'good terminals' of CDG. It took nearly an hour to get through passport control, because out of the 16 booths, only 3 were functioning, and this was in the afternoon when many Air France flights are departing. After this came the slow security check again with most of the machinery out of action. It is disappointing that even the only decent terminals at CDG no longer are efficient at processing passengers. Time to privatise ADP or break up its monopoly and allow other operators to take over the running of the Terminals. Paris as an area is heavily investing in its transport (Metro and Rail), it is a pity that such an important city and hub is let down by its main airport.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  8 October 2009 by A Baxter   (USA)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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This is easily the worst run and the least customer-oriented airport I have flown through. On a recent trip to Europe we had an unavoidable connection through Paris. The layover was 2 hours - enough you'd think to comfortably transfer from one terminal to the other. Not so! It took every minute to get from the arriving airplane to 2F and ultimately to the gate at 2E. Simple steps like disembarking passengers and loading us onto buses that go to our onward terminal might be a better idea than shuttling us all to 2F where most of us don't need to go. Another inexplicable roadblock is reprocessing all onward passengers through another security check, despite never having left the secure area. To pile on to the frustration, passengers who have made it through security and are about to dash off to their next flight are randomly pulled from the line for yet another spot check. To add further insult to injury, they post airline personnel along the route to your gate, admonishing you to hurry! My advice to anyone traveling to Europe is to avoid flying through Paris if at all possible.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  1 October 2009 by A Kwok   (Singapore)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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A third world airport in a first world country. Absolutely dire. Was stranded at CDG due to the A380 flying back to Paris. The airport only has one gate that can handle the A380 with only 1 gangway. At the end of the gangway is a glass corridor. Imagine 444 passengers disembarking at the same time and getting stuck at a bottleneck in the glass corridor that acted like a greenhouse! It took 1 hour to disembark. There were no water fountains or vending machines for stranded passengers to quench their thirst from the gate to the baggage claim area. Delivery of the bags to the carousel took 1 hour for the first bags to appear. There were only two measly little lifts to transport 444 passengers from one floor to another to board their coaches bound for the hotel. It is blatant for all to see that this airport is not on the receiving end of any form of investment. Therefore I would like to know how is it possible that Airbus wants to use it as one of four designated maintenance ports in the world when it doesn't have the infrastructure to support a Boeing 747, let alone an A380?

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  28 September 2009 by Kristian Wederhus   (Norway)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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I found staff quite helpful and pleasant. The queuing times were not much longer than usual, and facilities all there, although not standing remarkably out. The airport was well connected to the train system, but seeing as how constantly crowded the trains were this doesn't really count either way in my review. Seeing as Paris is quite a large city with quite a lot of people living there, visiting etc. the train capacity ought to be improved.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  26 September 2009 by Paul Gurney   (US)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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The improvements during the past year in ease of connections between 2E and 2F as well as passport control are helping finally bring at least part of this airport into a quality facility. It took less than 10 minutes from deplaning in 2E to reach our gate in 2F. No more long walks through empty hallways in 2F are greatly appreciated.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  22 September 2009 by B Kovacs   (Hungary)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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assing through CDG Terminal 2D 12 times in the last half year. They still cannot really handle the notion of "Schengen zone": before entering to the check-in area, sometimes the passport is controlled, sometimes only the ticket, sometimes I was only asked about my destination - and sometimes nothing at all. Speed of checking in was usually OK, excepting the last time, when a couple with heavy luggage and an other group of people with disabilities has "surprised" the personnel and blocked the check-in process for about 45 minutes. Several AF flights are using the same desks, so if you arrive late, can end up in a long queue. Passing through security is fast, thus you should not be pressed to do so, because there are only a few facilities and also not too much place to sit on airside. Ticket controlled at the gates, passport is again sometimes controlled in the tunnel, sometimes not. When arriving, luggage is on the belt in about 20 minutes. The very same zone is used for check-in and baggage reclaim.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  18 September 2009 by Nick Fortuna   (Australia)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Is Paris CDG is different for the sake of it? Or is it because the ADP cannot plan airports properly? Flew in/out of Terminal 2D. After being bussed from the aircraft, and negotiating some stairs, we ended up in the check-in area, through which you have to pass to collect your luggage. Check-in is cramped enough without the added masses of arriving Schengen flights. Luggage came out quickly enough. Finding the train station was easy enough, but why on earth install ticketing machines that do not accept bank notes? Finding EUR8.50 in coin isn't that easy. Using credit cards requires you to enter a pin code. Flying out was relatively pain-free (for Paris), with easy access from the TGV train. Not many trolleys available on the concourse though. In their wisdom, the French check the passport/etix before entering the check-in area. Signage once inside is also unclear - had to ask staff to locate the OS counters. Check-in area is cramped and stuffy. Security was courteous, but the waiting area by the gates is woefully inadequate.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  18 September 2009 by J Yule   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Avoid transit thru terminal 2 if you have less than 1.5hrs or less between flights. I struggled to make my flight in 1hr due to waiting for bus to transfer me between terminals & huge queue at security. Security staff don't care if you are about to miss your flight. Didn't see my luggage again for 3 days! However terminal is clean and found enough places to sit once thru security.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  9 September 2009 by H Laporte   (Belgium)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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I have been through CDG many times in the past few years and I can't say I have been impressed. Terminal 2 is light and modern, but lacks restaurants, bars and other shops once you have passed security. Staff is neither friendly nor rude. But then comes the most unbelievable of all - on four flights out of Paris, I had to take a shuttle bus to a parking spot on an apron quite far from the terminal three times - twice on a B777 and once an A330. And these three flights were on the Air France! A national carrier, at its main hub and I must endure a 15-minute bus ride to my plane? I have never been to terminal 1 so can't talk about it. Terminal 3 is more like a low-cost, small, smelly and far from the rest of the airport. I have been through many major airports and I can say that among European hubs, CDG is far behind AMS, FRA, LHR and BRU.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  2 September 2009 by A Errington   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Quite the most unpleasant airport. We spent fifteen minutes walking from the train station, with hand luggage. Hideous overpriced shops and awful bar selling sandwiches and baguettes . The signs told us that there were more bars and shops so we traipsed along, but there were none. The check in was ok, but I can't remember anything else so ugly or unwelcoming, Paris do something about it!

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  22 July 2009 by S Symon   (USA)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Charles de Gaulle is a dump. The terminal buildings are scattered all over the place and there are few places to find something to eat. When I was boarding my flight to Turin, I noticed there wasn't even a plane waiting for us at the jetway. For some stupid reason, we were bused from Terminal 2D to Terminal 2E (which for some reason are not next to one another) and seemed to drive in circles for about 10 minutes until the driver finally figured out where the plane was. We then had to climb circular stairs to the jetway to board our flight! We then flew from CDG to Aberdeen about two weeks later. Once again, we were bussed halfway across the airport to a small, dainty building with Air France's smaller planes parked all over the place. In other words, if you want passenger-friendly terminals and to be able to see your plane from the terminal building, avoid CDG. It is the most unorganized airport in the world. People complain about Heathrow and Heathrow's queues. Wait until you fly from CDG! Security was inefficient, and check-in was even worse. We waited 30 minutes to check-in during which the line quadrupled in size. Air France is a good airline, but CDG is a terrible airport. Furthermore, the Air France flights are split amongst at least four different concourses amongst other airlines. I know BA's flights have been all over the place at Heathrow, but most of them now operate from the same Terminal.

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  16 July 2009 by Adrian Kendrick   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Quite the most appalling airport in Europe, totally without any thought for passengers. I have given them two chances just lately on flights from Hannover (HAJ) to Birmingham (BHX) and that is the last. Flight from Hannover to CDG no problem but arrive at terminal G then walk for mile down concrete passage and have to take bus to terminal 2, go through endless security and baggage check then wait in lounge, now down to bus and back to terminal G for flight to Birmingham. Why transport people from one terminal to another when the first terminal is the one they will depart from?

PARIS CDG AIRPORT review :  14 July 2009 by Simon Dobson   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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An absolute disgrace to the French nation! I travel through CDG terminal 2E every other week. Arriving at 2E there are usually only 2 Police checking passports and I have had to wait anything up to a half hour at 10pm to clear passport control. The last straw was coming back on 12th July, the busiest week-end of the year for travelling in France. I had checked in my bag with Air France and went straight to passport control. There was only one person on duty checking passports at the peak of the afternoon. I waited a half hour in line and pleaded with an ADP person controlling the queue that I was going to miss my flight, he rudely refused to help. I then had the same experience trying to clear security, another badly organised bunch. The staff are rude, unhelpful and they don't care if you miss your flight. I finally got to the gate to find it had closed. I had to wait another 24 hours to get on the next flight. Fortunately I have somewhere to stay in Paris. I feel for Air France because they have to deal with the shambolic Aeroport de Paris (ADP) who run this airport. Someone really needs to do something about this National disgrace as it must give foreign visitors a dire impression of France and it's organisational abilities.