Steve007NY

Arriving from TLV at 11:45 AM on Sunday, January 23; flight to JFK leaves at 19:10. Will have to check our luggage through and only have something like a backpack. Flying Air France in J.

I can speak passable French and have been to Paris a number of times although none recently. My brother has never been before and is unlikely to get there again so his only chance to even fleetingly viewing the sites will be on this layover. These were relatively low mileage award tickets, so not much of a chance of changing them. Haven't been through CDG security in a while. Is it feasible for us to grab the metro into town and perhaps do I stop at Notre Dame, a quick run to the Eiffel Tower and make our departing flight? We've done a similar "quit and dirty" with my father-in-law and my niece in the past but have no idea how security lines, etc. have changed over the past six or so years.

i know my brother would be happy simply to have a couple pictures of himself in front of famous sites. Is this feasible these days?

Mountain Trader

Yes, very doable. The Metro doesn't go to CDG but the RER line B does and will take you to St Michel, just across the river from Notre Dame. The RER also avoids ground traffic congestion, which on Sunday shouldn't be bad but on that road to CDG, you never know.

Assuming you want to be back at the airport 2 hours before your flight (others will say less), you have a little over 5 hours. The RER takes about 40-45 minutes one way. Allowing for a wait for the train, you should have about three hours in the city.

You should plan out your route in the airport and elsewhere, and decide how much to tackle at what speed in town.

Steve007NY

Baggage will be checked through. How long will it likely take to clear customs leaving CDG with only backpacks (BTW 60ish US citizens if it matters) and more important, time from RER to gate/ club at 2e (I presume)? Will have sky priority/ J tix and BPs for CDG-JFK leg already. I have knee replacement which isn't an issue if they use body scans but wends me to wanting if they don't. This second timing will determine how much I can squeeze in while in Paris. (E.g. View Tour from afar and stop at L'Etoile, etc.).
Of course, how trashed we'll be after leaving for TLV, returning rental and/ clearing Israeli security/customs for 7:45 AM flight will also play a role��
Thanks.

Mountain Trader

It's all going your way. The RER Station in Terminal 2 (which is where you will likely come in and leave from) is near the Sheraton Hotel (in the Terminal) and quite near where you will exit customs (assuming your AF flight lands at T2). You'll need to buy your RER tickets and I suggest you get one for each direction to save time later.

Customs depends on the crowd and I have not gone through CDG T2 at 11;45am. The airlines I fly in J provide a priority card when you leave the plane which lets you get into a priority line at passport check. With that in hand, you'll be into the landside terminal very quickly.

The RER is very close to 2E so you'll be fine there too.

Here's a link to a good website with useful info:

http://parisbytrain.com/charles-de-g...aris-by-train/

The RER can be confusing for first timers (or for old timers, speaking as one). It's easy going from CDG to the city-you just get on. However, going back from, say, St.Michel to CDG can be confusing. You want the RER B (another RER line also stops at St. Michel). Make sure you are on the track for the RER B going to CDG (also called Roissy), and make sure that the train arriving goes to CDG (some do not). When you are on the platform where the train will pick you up, look for the screens that outline all the stops the next train will make. Once on the train, stay on until the end.

I can't offer help on the knee replacement. My guess is that they will wand you and let you through, but then again, they may get out the guillotine.

Goldorak

First, you are talking about immigration, not customs (it's 2 different things). Custom clearance is nowhere as formal in Europe as it is in the US. Unless you are stopped for questions and eventual bag check, you won't even notice you have passed customs. To come back to your question for immigration, impossible to know as it depends on many things. But, using the SkyPriority lane, it's usually quick (max 10-15 min, often less). Then it will take you about 15-20 min slow walk to the train station which is in the middle of the terminal 2 complex, below the Sheraton hotel. On your way back, it will take you the same time to reach the immigration control point in 2E, and then to reach your lounge, it depends if your flight to JFK leaves from concourse K or L (M is closed at that time), but count 10 (for K) to 20 min (for L), security clearance included.

All AF flights are to/from T2.

No such things with AF @CDG. You just have to show your BP mentioning "Sky Priority" at the entrance of the SkyP lane.