Air France Frequence Plus - Paris Arrival Questions

Mrs. Redtop and I are going to Paris next month. I've never been there, she hasn't in many years.

1) & 2) {Deleted, definitive answers found}
3) We may arrive separately, and she may have more luggage than she can really handle. What is the best way to handle too much luggage in CDG? She may have as much as 2 large suitcases, a carry-on, and a "personal item." We were planning for her to take the bus downtown, and for me to meet her at the bus stop for the 2-block walk to our hotel. Is it practical to get a porter to take the bags to the bus or the taxi stand and get them onto/into the bus/taxi?

Mrs. Redtop and I are going to Paris next month. I've never been there, she hasn't in many years.

1) She has a Canadian passport, I have a USA passport. Do we need any other kind of travel documents?
2) She is arriving from Romania. Will she have to go through customs? (I am arriving from the USA, I'm pretty sure I will.)
3) We may arrive separately, and she may have more luggage than she can really handle. What is the best way to handle too much luggage in CDG?

1) No.
2) Yes, because Romania is not part of the so-called Schengen area yet. (The Schengen area is 26 European countries that have agreed on doing without passport and customs control. The only EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area are Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Ireland and the UK. Apart from EU countries, there are also some non-EU countries that are part of the Schengen area, such as Norway and Switzerland.)
3) I would get one or two trollies, but I am not sure how much luggage she is going to have and where she wants to go with the luggage.

There are plentiful luggage carts at CDG and they can certainly handle the amount of luggage you describe. She will be able to push it to the taxi and the driver will help her load it in the trunk.

Which bus do you mean? The Roissybus is pretty much a city bus with a central space for luggage. I wouldn't recommend it for a lone person with that much luggage. The Air France bus is like a long-distance bus, with luggage storage under the seating cabin. The driver will help her load it into the area. In either case, she can use the luggage cart to get to the bus stop.

If she takes a taxi, be aware that there is a small charge for each bag after the first.

I had been planning on using the Roissy bus. At the moment I think she is down to two large suitcases.

We are staying at Park Hyatt Vendome. I think the Roissy bus stop is just a couple blocks from there. Do you recommend the Air France bus? Where would it leave her off? (I am planning on meeting her at the bus stop.)

I would recommend that you take the RER out to the airport and meet your lovely wife. Not only would she be delighted to see you and you her, but you would be able to assist her with her luggage back to the hotel by either the RER, bus or taxi. :)

We are staying at Park Hyatt Vendome. I think the Roissy bus stop is just a couple blocks from there. Do you recommend the Air France bus? Where would it leave her off? (I am planning on meeting her at the bus stop.)

The Roissybus is stopping about 500m from your hotel, so it's close but, for me still too far to walk with 2 large suitcases ! Just a personal comment : knowing the price of this hotel, she should definitely take a taxi and not bother. The price of this taxi will just be nothing compared to your hotel fare ;)
Enjoy your stay :)

The hotel is on Hyatt points. (It's way out of my tax bracket.) I was always planning on meeting her at the bus stop.

I'm trying to juggle a lot of issues as far as meeting her. She's kind of frugal, and she's the one who speaks French. However, I am scheduled to arrive 12 hours before her and was planning on doing one or two things in Paris during the day, before she arrives.

However, I might try to change my flight so that I arrive around the same time she does.

The hotel has suggested the Roissy bus.

The hotel is on Hyatt points. (It's way out of my tax bracket.) I was always planning on meeting her at the bus stop.

I'm trying to juggle a lot of issues as far as meeting her. She's kind of frugal, and she's the one who speaks French. However, I am scheduled to arrive 12 hours before her and was planning on doing one or two things in Paris during the day, before she arrives.

However, I might try to change my flight so that I arrive around the same time she does.

The hotel has suggested the Roissy bus.

I agree with what was said above. 500 meters is very long with 2 heavy suitcases, and the advice of the hotel is great if you travel light, but otherwise....I strongly advice she takes a taxi. In case you manage to arrive around the same time it's even more economical and practical to do that (count on about 45 euros, depending on the traffic.)

But...if that doesn't work out: why don't you meet her at the base of the Eifel tower or a cute little terrace in Saint Germain or something like that, much nicer than meeting at a bus stop? ;)

uh, why not just meet her at the airport?

uh, why not just meet her at the airport?

Yes, that's what I said. Apparently chivalry is dead, and in Paris no less; the most romantic of cities. So sad.

Yes, meet her at the airport, dressed in a blue and white horizontal striped "French" shirt, a red scarf, A chapeau, and fresh flowers (or Pain au Chocolate, depending!) in hand!

Good grief, make it something special !!

I understand that all relationships are different, so I'm mostly joking.

But seriously, in PARIS? "oh, just find your way to the hotel on your own with 400 pounds of luggage, while I enjoy the city on my own"

:)

I am always open to hearing different views than my own.

I see the point of meeting her at the airport.

My plan was to go to the Louvre on my day of arrival, which she doesn't want to go to.

I'm also a wee bit concerned about misconnecting, as she does not have a cell phone at all and I might not be able to get mine to work in Paris.

How much will I even be able to help her with her bags? Considering that if I go back out to the airport, I will be outside the secure area and she will be inside? Do you claim your bags before or after going through customs?

If you meet your wife at the airport, she will claim the bags and pass through customs before exiting the secure area. Customs is generally invisible, unless she happens to arrive in the same area as a flight from Africa. The luggage carts are big and easy to handle, and can easily take two large suitcases. She will be able to get to the Roissybus stop with the cart, but will have to be able to lift the suitcases onto the bus and stow them. Unless the bus is crowded, stowing them shouldn't be a problem.

If you don't go out to the airport and she has no way of letting you know when she gets on the bus, will you hang out at the bus stop waiting for her?

If you do go out to the airport, and both take the Roissybus back, that's €30 already. Taxi fare to the hotel would be around €50-60 (depending on traffic, time of day, etc.).

It might be simpler to convince her to take a taxi and then you can meet her at the hotel. In my experience, under that plan, the earliest she would be at the hotel is 1.5 hours after landing.

How much will I even be able to help her with her bags?

Umm, let's see.

If you meet her at the airport you can immediately commandeer her luggage trolley as soon as she makes it into arrivals. You can then steer the luggage for her to your chosen mode of transport. You can then load it for her; and when you arrive at your destination, unload it for her.

If you don't meet her at the airport, then she has to do all that for herself.

Thanks for the advice so far. I won't go into all the ifs and whys and wherefores that I'd consider leaving her to be responsible for all this herself. It's not something I do lightly. She just left for Paris going through JFK, and what I do in Paris may depend how things go with her in JFK. She will be returning with a lot less than she left with, as most of what's in her bags now are presents for her family.

Another question - for me. How exactly do I get on the Roissy bus, and how do I pay the fare? Keep in mind that I'm arriving in Paris without a Euro in my pocket and speaking about three words of French. (I figured that one of the first things I'd do is hit an ATM.) I think the bus makes only one stop downtown, and once I get there I'm comfortable that I can get to the hotel and throw myself on the mercy of the English-speaking concierge.

Thanks for the advice so far. I won't go into all the ifs and whys and wherefores that I'd consider leaving her to be responsible for all this herself. It's not something I do lightly. She just left for Paris going through JFK, and what I do in Paris may depend how things go with her in JFK. She will be returning with a lot less than she left with, as most of what's in her bags now are presents for her family.

Another question - for me. How exactly do I get on the Roissy bus, and how do I pay the fare? Keep in mind that I'm arriving in Paris without a Euro in my pocket and speaking about three words of French. (I figured that one of the first things I'd do is hit an ATM.) I think the bus makes only one stop downtown, and once I get there I'm comfortable that I can get to the hotel and throw myself on the mercy of the English-speaking concierge.

You should indeed withdraw cash if you can although there are Roissybus ticket vending machine near the bus 'station' (between 2E and 2F) which supposedly accepts credit cards. As always with RATP vending machines, credit card acceptance is a bit hit and miss.

And yes, the Roissybus will only leave you at Opera (there is usually a technical stop at the depot on the edge of Paris but only to change drivers, not to let people off). No in between stop despite the bus literally passing 50 metres away from where my brother's lives and my dreaming that they will just add one stop almost anywhere so that I can walk there!

You can perfectly get about without speaking French, many people speak English (in fact, in Paris, some people have a tendency to abruptly avoid being spoken to as though they feared anyone just wanted to 'ask them for something' and I suspect that you might get more help as a foreigner than most French people would)

I've had a change in my plans.

I will be arriving CDG aronud 12:30PM, Mrs. Redtop arriving around 5:30. Both flying on DL BE award tickets.

If I want to wait for her, what's the best way/place? Is there a lounge that my BE ticket gets me access to that is open until 6PM or later?

What is the order in which you encounter passport control, bag claim, customs, and the lounges?

What I'd like (and hopefully there is a way) to get my bags and then wait in the lounge for her.

If it matters, I am arriving from LHR and she is arriving from OTP.

I've had a change in my plans.

I will be arriving CDG aronud 12:30PM, Mrs. Redtop arriving around 5:30. Both flying on DL BE award tickets.

If I want to wait for her, what's the best way/place? Is there a lounge that my BE ticket gets me access to that is open until 6PM or later?

What is the order in which you encounter passport control, bag claim, customs, and the lounges?

What I'd like (and hopefully there is a way) to get my bags and then wait in the lounge for her.

If it matters, I am arriving from LHR and she is arriving from OTP.
You sent me a PM and I replied with some info and suggestions