Last year my family of 7 went to Italy for 10 days and we all had carryon luggage and a backpack. Loved not having to check anything. Have flown since the new restrictions and checked the bags, but really want to just do carryon this spring for our trip. We are flying into paris and out of brussels.
We are thinking of taking only things we can not leave without in the %26quot;ziplock baggies%26quot;, then shopping for shampoo, etc after we get settled in our apartment.
Are we just asking for a headache with having our luggage with us in the security lines? Anyone flown internationally lately that can help?
thanks!
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CDG seems to be just as strict as any other international airport. You can expect to have your luggage examined. On the whole the larger the carryon (e.g. rollaboard vs. backpack) the longer it will take to check it through security. Also there could be a second security check just before you board your plane. When we went through CDG flying with Air France last October there was a secondary random security check just before we boarded the shuttle bus to get to the aircraft.
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Flew out of CDG 2 weeks ago.
Actually, we found CDG to be much more strict and security minded than either SFO or Dulles. They %26#39;confiscated%26#39; the sealed %26#39;Nyquil%26#39; and Tylenol %26#39;Gelcaps%26#39; that the US had allowed in. I also %26#39;lost%26#39; a half used tub of %26#39;Body Butter%26#39; that I had forgotten to pack and just thrown in the carry-on at the last minute (that was expected).
That second security check is really a nightmare. As you approach your gate through narrow corridors (and in our case down a flight of stairs) you are brought to a halt by a seathing mass of people that have no idea what is going on and are confused as to why they cannot move forward. More people were arriving all the time and pushing forward but there was nowhere for us to go - it got quite claustraphobic. Slowly, the crowd inched forward down the stairs, and we could then see the second security check area and beyond that a small penned in area. It was into this %26#39;pen%26#39; that passengers were slowly trickling.
An attendant then came down the line and told a few people in front that if you had a %26#39;white%26#39; boarding pass you went to one side and if you had a blue/gray pass you went to the other - this sort of filtered down the line in several languages and we split in two. The blue/gray line went through faster - don%26#39;t ask me why. We eventually went through a complete second security check and into the %26#39;holding pen%26#39;. No facilities at all in there - just seats.
I don%26#39;t think travelling with just carry-on luggage will make it any worse - it%26#39;s pretty miserable as it is.
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The CDG situation is really inconsistent. I%26#39;ve flown some airlines where the personnel at CDG are rude and disorganized, and others that were great.
In November I flew American Airlines and was very impressed with the efficiency of their staff at CDG. When I went there to check in, there was an English speaking agent right at the entrance to the line. He checked my documents and even volunteered to move me to a row of seats that was empty so I could sleep on the flight home, since the plane was not full. There was another agent that helped with the liquid items and even took my liquid items out of the plastic ziploc I had them in and placed them into another bag. I noticed the ziplocs they are using at CDG are much smaller than the %26quot;regulation%26quot; bags in the USA. (I don%26#39;t know what%26#39;s up with that?) I also experienced the chaos at the second checkpoint... and was waved out of line for a search by an agent who spoke barely intelligible English and French that was not much better... It is hard when they do this because you cannot understand the directions you are being given and don%26#39;t want to appear uncooperative. Very frustrating.
If I were you, I%26#39;d just check your bags and be done with it. On my last trip in November, I carried on my small laptop and a few bare minimum toiletries and that was it, just because I wanted to avoid my luggage being gate checked (and potentially LOST) and also the security hassles. As for CDG, you have to be ready for ANYTHING there... it isnt predictable and one person could have an awful experience there one day, another may not the next.
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I had no problems with our US issue %26#39;Glad%26#39; quart size ziplocks.
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See what I mean, Jane? It is very inconsistent at CDG. I had the standard issue Glad ziplocs too, but they removed everything from them and replaced the bag with theirs. They did this with EVERYONE.
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Oh my - flying out of CDG (in November), I felt like the security guy owed me dinner. I have never been patted down so thoroughly in my life!!! And he went through EVERYTHING. Even opened my tube of lipstick and examined my feminine supplies.
If you dont mind the scrutiny, go for it ..... it wasnt the most horrible experience of my life, but it was a good 3 hours to get checked in!!
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