Originally Posted by rodmanlama

Definitely avoid the checked bag (although it sounds like he already is) because CDG is a crapshoot in terms of bag delivery times. Probably the largest standard deviation of any airport I've ever flown into.

Also, from my experience flying through CDG, the markings for the CDGVAL are not that obvious on the level that you arrive on. Tell your son to head over to the elevator banks and descend to the level of the CDGVAL. I believe it is marked in the elevators next to the buttons. That's the only advice I can offer. Maybe somebody else here knows a better way to get to the CDGVAL than I do! I have just always found the signage lacking and have had several people follow me to it because they couldn't figure it out either.