Connection time in FRA...advice please
 

Hi, I'm arriving in FRA on Christmas Day at 7:20 a.m. from USA and am planning on booking a flight to CDG the same day. Can anyone give me some advice on what would be the earliest/safest time you recommend that I could depart from FRA, considering I have to pick up bags and go through customs/immigration, and may have to change terminals. I am flying NW coming into FRA and may consider booking LH from FRA to CDG (although I'm not tied to any airline).

Thanks

You do not need to pick up yor bags and go through customs. You only go through immigration in Frankfurt. One hour is OK for a connection at FRA, one and a half is plenty.

But I will have 2 separate tickets. One ticket USA-FRA (purchased already on NW) and another FRA-CDG (which I have yet to purchase, perhps on LH).

Are you sure that I won't need to clear customs and pick-up my bags in FRA first? I figure that I would have to clear customs and pick-up bags and then re-enter for my FRA-CDG trip.

I think that you should ask this question in the Germany section of the World forum . I'm pretty sure you'll get your answer there.

You should be able to get bags tagged through (on showing the onward ticket at check in).

You will clear immigration at FRA, but should not need to do customs.

For additional discussion, let me move this to our Travel->Germany forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz

You certainly need to "do" customs -> with your hand-luggage.

20 Meters behind immigration, you simply go through a green channel, smile and you are through. No need to fill out any stupid forms or declaration. Friendly, efficient and fast. In CDG you should not expect anything either. Flights from Frankfurt are intra-Schengen-intra-EU domestic flights and I have never seen any customs officials for a Frankfurt flight.

Why not use AF from FRA-CDG? As a Skyteam member, interlining your bags should be easier. If your bag comes into Paris without the green borders on the bag tag, it might get checked in CDG at Customs but I've never been checked. I've waited a long time claiming bags in FRA. For some reason the bags always seem to take at least a 1/2 hour to show up on the carosel.

I am actually member of *A, but got a wicked fare to FRA on NW, so my preference would be to go LH. AF fares are higher at the moment.

Thanks for everyone's input.