stimpy

I too had trouble with the United Travel thing. I had to try 3 times to get it to work, but it eventually did for my CDG-EWR flight. At check in at CDG they did see my docs in the system so I didn't have to show anything other than my passport. No issues with the French app or getting a test.

UA is using the AC lounge all the way at the end of the terminal. It's quite a hike from security, but not too far to the UA gate. They have booze even at 7:30am, served by a bartender.

KevinMD

My wife and I recently booked this trip for our anniversary in November. It's been a while since we had flown internationally and wanted input on things to look out for. This was booked with miles. We are likely upgrading to Economy plus for the flight to Paris. For the transit from CDG to NCE we are debating on TGV or AF. Pricing is about the same, but TGV is almost 6 hours, compared to 90 minutes. What can we expect from LH in terms of service compared to UA? I saw that LH is retiring the A340 soon. What would it likely be replaced with? Finally, our layover in DEN is 1 hr 40 minutes, where we would clear customs. We've flown out of DEN many times, including yesterday. We don't have GE but do have TSA pre.

Tulsa, OK, US (TUL) to Chicago, IL, US (ORD - O'Hare)
3:07 p.m. - 5:10 p.m. (2h 3m)
UA 5622 | Canadair Regional Jet
United Economy (XN)
1h 15m connection

Chicago, IL, US (ORD - O'Hare) to Paris, FR (CDG - Charles de Gaulle)
6:25 p.m. - 9:40 a.m. (8h 15m)
UA 987 | Boeing 767-300

Nice, FR (NCE) to Frankfurt, DE (FRA)
10:35 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. (1h 35m)
LH 1059 | Airbus A320
Connection:1 hours

[size=13px]Frankfurt, DE (FRA) to Denver, CO, US (DEN)[/size]
1:10 p.m. - 4:05 p.m. (10h 55m)
LH 446 | Airbus A340-300
Economy (X)
Connection:1 hours and 40 minutes

Denver, CO, US (DEN) to Tulsa, OK, US (TUL)
5:45 p.m. - 8:22 p.m. (1h 37m)
UA 5214 | Canadair Regional Jet

cfischer

Take the TGV. Much nicer trip and between getting over to AF, checking (and paying for) bags, going through security and all of that and then arriving at NCE ... don't think that's worth it. But you'll have to take the RER into town and then take the TGV to Nice; there doesn't appear to be anything non-stop to Nice from Roissy right now.

LH service in Eco will be much better than UA. 1h in FRA is a bit on the tight side, although A --> Z connections are generally o.k. unless there are arrival delays. I would not worry too much about 1h40 at DEN.
Don't think LH will retire the 343 that quickly; they are just bringing 346s back from storage due to demand.

Hornetcoach

I presume you are staying in Paris for one or more days, then traveling on to Nice. Since you are already in the city, take the TGV. It will be much less aggravating.

lhrsfo

A340s are much nicer for a couple in E than anything UA flies because of the twin seats by the window through the whole section, plus the food in LH will be significantly better than anything UA serves. However, if you pay for E+ seats on UA you will have more legroom than UA can offer. The TGV is much nicer than a plane and, if you are going city center to city center will likely be faster.

mpw81

Clearing customs in DEN is usually pretty painless. We did this exact same flight flying home from BCN last year. We do have GE, but we walked into an empty entry hall (we were one of the first 10 people off the plane and walk briskly). Actually, I can't remember the last time I walked into the entry hall and it wasn't completely (or nearly) empty.

When flying with others without GE, we just have them use the CBP Mobile Passport app, which has proven to be quick and convenient IMO.

Added bonus for you having pre-check is that DEN international arrivals will dump you right into the North security checkpoint you'll need to re-clear.

HNLbasedFlyer

I'm surprised people would consider LH E over UA E+, it isn't even a fair fight in my opinion - the extra legroom makes a huge difference especially on a long haul flight.

lancelot21

Flying versus TGV to Nice: It seems like we need to hear from the OP whether they're actually spending time in Paris. The post is titled "Advice on trip to Paris", so it's reasonable to assume they're going to Paris itself, not just transiting CDG.

If they were just transiting, not stopping in Paris, I'd probably lean towards flying. That said, I'd consider instead flying to FRA or MUC and then connecting to an LH flight to NCE. Unless there's a train from CDG itself, getting to Gare de Lyon (where I think the TGV to Nice departs from) is painful on the RER or by taxi...and would itself require a considerable buffer of time.

If staying in Paris, even for one night, then the TGV seems like the no-brainer. Way less stressful than getting back to CDG or Orly and checking in and flying.

Synapseturquoise

If not connecting directly to Nice and staying a couple of days in Paris, as others said, take the TGV. I've done this route and it is long but not too bad for a train ride. However, if you are going straight to Nice, I would say take the flight. If you are not traveling on the same ticket, just ensure to give yourself a lot of time between flights. CDG is not an easy airport to transit.

KevinMD

Thanks for some of the advice. We are staying in Paris for a few days, near the Arc, then traveling to Nice (hotel is in Cannes) for a few more.

boboqui

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-ro...e-by-train.htm

HNLbasedFlyer

No need to go all the way to Nice if you are staying in Cannes - the train stops in Cannes first.

The South of France is very drivable - grab a car and explore Juan-les-Pins, old town Nice, Monte Carlo - and much much more.

TravellingMan

Can someone with recent experience comment on the Lounge situation in CDG for UA flyers? Flying polaris with 1K status in the next few days.

ARR72

You will have access to the Maple Leaf Lounge at the very end of terminal 2a.

Flying Machine

Is the Star Alliance Lounge open?



Update: From the * Alliance site it looks like even AC is closed

https://www.staralliance.com/en/airp...irportCode=CDG