Did a search but could not find the thread on using Airfrance to get to Joburg through Paris. Any gun issues or anything I should be aware of. Will be travelling in early August with ultimate destination to Botswana.

Anyone have any history or guidance. Would appreciate any feedback either through this post or PM.

Thanks,

Larry

I flew through Paris to Joberg in '04. I had two separate tickets, which meant I had to collect my guns in Paris and re-check them.

I had no problem. Apparently there is no gun licensing issues at all there.

But, do not take my word for it. Maybe They just didn't know what to do with my case or maybe they have changed the rules.

If your tickets are issued properly, you will not have to collect your guns and there should be no problem transiting Paris with firearms.

BigBBear,
I traded in some Delta Skymiles for two business class round trip
tickets on Air France (Los Angeles-Paris-Joberg) for this August
as well. From what I have gathered so far
it doesn't seem that there
will be any problems. Hopefully by staying
on Air France all the way
& not leaving the airport in Paris this will
simplify things for us &
the guns. We will be overniting at the Afton
House in Joberg then off
to Zimbabwe for an 18 day DG hunt. Good luck
in Botswana!

I am also commuting to JoBurg through Paris on Air France this June(Delta ff miles). I have been assurred that having guns is not an issue in France. I am overnighting in the Hyatt in Charles DeGaulle Airport with my guns. If I have any issues I will update the AR forum.
Robert

Robert, please PM me when you get back so I make sure and do not miss. I plan on connecting direct and not overnighting but you you never know.

Thanks,

Larry

I don't know about the gun part but I just flew through Paris to and from Italy in September. Charles Degaul airport is the most convoluted, F*&&%ed up chicken parade of an airport I have ever been through. Plan for at least two hours just to change planes. They bus you back and forth all around the compound from one terminal to the next.

CDG has been my airport of departure and arrival with firearms in tow several times and with no problems whatsoever. I have never "transited" through CDG so cannot comment on any problems one might encounter. It is annoying to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. If you can arrange to arrive and depart from the same terminal then you should try to arrange that. It eliminates the bus from one to the other.

You can download terminal maps from this link:

http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/Dans...sTerminaux/plans.htm

RobertJr, I think the only consideration you should be aware of is related to calibers you are travelling with if you plan to go through customs with the rifles. If you've got a 30.06 Springfield or a .308 Winchester, for example, you might encounter a problem with customs not letting you take them out of the airport.

Here are my thoughts about Air France and DeGaulle airport:

I flew from Washington Dulles to Paris with my final destination being Bucharest, Romania.

I flew in business class on AF's 777. The seats were normal business class seats, but there were no air conditional nozzels above you. The flight was warm and not very relaxing.

When we got to DeGaulle, we had to connect to another AR flight. Now DeGaulle is a BIG airport, and you have to take little shuttle buses around. MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME FOR CONNECTIONS!!!!!

I've traveled all over the world MANY times and even I was confused at DeGaulle.

The real pain was coming back home. I landed at DeGaulle and took the bus to my connecting terminal. I had a 1.5 hour lay over.

After getting to my connecting terminal, we had to go through another set of x-rays and magnetometers.

There were five or six operating rows.

WORD TO THE WISE: If you find yourself in a similar situation, DO NOT PICK A LANE ON THE ENDS!!!!!! What happened to me TWICE (while waiting), was officials from AF brought VIP/short connecting time passengers to the front of the lanes on the ends! Needless to say I was delayed big time.

So, pick a lane to the center.

As typical with the French folk I met at the airport in Paris, most were snobbish and unaccomodating. Hell, even on the flight the stewardess was a cunnie to me. Here I pay $6000 for a flight. During the flight I fell asleep and when I awoke I found a customes declaration form next to me - in French.

I asked the stewardess if WHEN SHE HAD A FREE MOMENT if she could get me one in English. She told me she'll get on later.

So, at about 30 minute prior to landing, I asked again, so I can get through immigration/customs quickly, and she rolled her eyes and gave me a nasty look.

Witch.

Just my experience. I would fly AF again, as long as I have ample time for my connection in Paris and it isn't some stewardess' time of the month.

Last December, I flew from Tanzania back to the Netherlands--KLM would only hold my rifle for three days and I couldn't take it out of the airport, and since I wanted to spend a little time in Europe before coming back to the states--I flew on to Paris. As surprising as it sounds, it was perfectly legal for me to take my rifle from the airport (cased of course) to my hotel and returned to the airport a weekend later and checked it in just like in the states.

That just about duplicates my experience except two hours was not enough time and I missed my connecting flight . Then I had the joy of dealing with AF customer service agents (although I have to say she was really HOT ).

I've had pretty good luck flying Air France but I hate CDG. You need to allow three hours for connections unless you really like sprinting through airports.

You guys don't know what bad is.

The last time I flew through CDG, the baggage handlers were on strike . . .

Has anybody considered SwissAir from JFK to Johannesburg? There looks to be lots of flights that go through Zurich which may be an easier airport to get around in.