I'm contemplating an Air France ticket flying from JAX to JFK to CDG then JNB this summer. The reason not to fly Delta 200 is that there is a 16 hour layover in Paris (this route JAX/JFK/CDG/JNB) and Sandy and I hope to ride the train into town for the day. I've been often, but it's her first trip there.

The last time I flew through JFK, one had to recover his guns with the Port Police and recheck them with the carrier. Is that still required? AirFrance tells me that I'll not have to worry about the firearm in CDG (or any other luggage) and I can just pass through customs and take the train near Terminal 3... the luggage and gun case will be on the CDG to JNB flight, no problem.

So, two questions:
1. Is the train to Paris an easy event (and where is the best place to get off and sightsee, some?
2. Does the Delta to Air France connection at JFK require rechecking the gun case (and any luggage)?

BTW, Air France offers a return to the U.S. on DL201 to ATL so you don't have to go through France again and save 20 hours on the return... and I like that!

I don't know about the train but the bus drops you at the opera house. From there it's an easy walk to the Eiffel Tower and the louvre, in opposite directions however.

Not sure about the transfer in JFK but getting from CDG to Paris is pretty straightforward. The link at the end of the post provides some information.

Plenty to do in Paris, I'd suggest getting a guidebook and working out what you want to see with the time you have. There is an interesting hunting museum in Paris that I visited last time I was there that might interest you. You can google "Paris hunting museum" for the links.

The Joberg flight leaves around 11pm and you probably arrive late morning. Sounds like a great way to break up the flight.

Link to Train Information:

http://parisbytrain.com/paris-...-2-train-photo-tour/

If you want to tour the city and you have 16 hours there's a double decker tour bus company that you can get on, close to CDG and tour the entire city. I believe that it runs from early morning until just after dark. It's called "L' Open Bus Tour." It stops at all of the famous landmarks and you can get off and back on the next one that stops there. (Hop on, Hop off bus tour) You can get off and on as many times as you like. It's one price for that and they even have headsets in around 7 different languages that are part of it and that will tell you in detail all about the sites that they are taking you to and that you are seeing. It goes to all of the famous sites including all of the ones that you've mentioned and many more. Best way to tour Paris in my estimation. We stayed at the Paris Sheraton in CDG and I can't recall if we got the information on the bus tour from them or from somewhere in the airport itself. You can find it on the Internet, or a travel agent can, I'm sure, connect you with the bus tour.

I went ahead and got the tickets. Amazingly, Premier Economy on AF was cheaper than Delta by about $300 total for the two of us. I also went ahead and got a day room at the airport in Paris for only $125.00. Can't hurt to have it if the wife is tired or wants to get pretty for the CDG to JNB flight.

As an aside, I've been monitoring flights from JNB to Vic Falls. The only practical flight if you are carrying firearms is now South African Airlines since BA (Kalulu) has stopped gun toting. After we booked, a friend tried and found all the seats in economy were sold for August 19th and he had to buy a Business Class for a couple of hundred dollars more. Best to book early, I think!

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
I went ahead and got the tickets. Amazingly, Premier Economy on AF was cheaper than Delta by about $300 total for the two of us. I also went ahead and got a day room at the airport in Paris for only $125.00. Can't hurt to have it if the wife is tired or wants to get pretty for the CDG to JNB flight.

As an aside, I've been monitoring flights from JNB to Vic Falls. The only practical flight if you are carrying firearms is now South African Airlines since BA (Kalulu) has stopped gun toting. After we booked, a friend tried and found all the seats in economy were sold for August 19th and he had to buy a Business Class for a couple of hundred dollars more. Best to book early, I think!

Airfrance Premier Economy is damn good. One day I will stop being a cheap miser and upgrade to it. I got upgraded in Atlanta - was throughly impressed.

MIke

Yes, just got back from Burkina Faso on Air France, with the upgrade, which was only $250 as I recall. We were in the first seats after the bulkhead separating us from First Class. Very nice.

Renting a car is pretty straightforward there as well. You haven't lived until you drive around the Arc de Triomphe - or tried to parallel park in Paris.

Come on, live a little...

nobody in their right mind would willingly drive into Paris and try to navigate that damn travel circle around the Arc de Triomphe. took me about 5 trips around to get over to the exit for the Champe Ellyse(sp???). the only drivers in Europe worse than the French are the Italians.... take the Metro and exit at the Arc station.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Renting a car is pretty straightforward there as well. You haven't lived until you drive around the Arc de Triomphe - or tried to parallel park in Paris.

Come on, live a little...

Or just park on the sidewalk. When in Paris...

Of course the L' Open Bus Tour takes you right to the Arc de Triomphe without any of that hassle! A number of ceremonies go on there at various times and they have a small museum/shop in what is referred to as the attic and a view from the top at the terrasse.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:

AirFrance tells me that I'll not have to worry about the firearm in CDG (or any other luggage) and I can just pass through customs and take the train near Terminal 3... the luggage and gun case will be on the CDG to JNB flight, no problem.

I don't think it's quite that simple. At least 2 weeks before the flight you have to notify Air France that you'll be flying with firearms, the cartridge they're chambered for, etc. In addition, you have to tell them you'll be traveling with ammunition (you would think they would know that). In addition, there is a form you have to fill out and submit on EACH leg of the flight.

They are serious about their forms. On the flight from Johannesburg back to Paris, Air France personel at the ticket counter did not have me fill out and submit the form; they said I was good to go. This caused great angst prior to the flight from Paris back to Washington Dulles and delayed the flight by about an hour. If I were doing it again, and now that I know better, I would make sure they filled out the form.

Air France would, though, be high on my list of airlines to use in the future. I have never been treated better on any airline I've flown with and that is quite a few.

By the way, Air France, for the first time of my travels with guns, weighed my ammunition and inspected the way it was packed.

Grum.....:

Upon your recommendation, I further made inquiry with Air France and was sent a copy of their regulations. Furthermore, the agent took my firearms/ammo info and put it in my records.

After your help, I feel a lot better.

Thanks!

I'll second the advice that you not only fill out and submit the Air France firearm and ammunition declaration several weeks before travel, but also get some confirmation that BOTH of the declarations have received approval from Paris several days before flying. I once had the unfortunate experience (flying out of Dulles on Air France) that the firearm approval had been made, but not the ammunition approval and had to leave the ammo with a friend who had brought me to the airport.

When ForrestB last came through Paris on our way to Burkina in 2013 the ammo approval from Houston to Paris was good, but for the leg from Paris to Ouagadougou the ammo approval hadn't been issued. I straightened it out in Paris but it was one of those "just before boarding" moments of stress we all want to avoid. The problem of course is that many of the personnel don't realise that both have to be approved and show up on the screen at check-in, thinking that approving the firearm is all they have to do.

The point is that they are two separate declarations and two separate approvals. Make sure you've got both and don't let the staff say that only one is required, they would be wrong.

IMO anyone from the USA really NEEDS to go visit some of the cemeteries and pay respects to our troops that didn't make it home.

That, and not knowing what the Louve was are two of my greatest regrets of making the trip to Paris from Germany, up the Rhein by tour boat to Calais, Dover, London, Southampton and back to France. I was on a train/walking tour and ran out of things to go see. Not having studied where I'd be ahead of time. The Arc was closed uptop for repairs when I was there. Still impressive to walk around the legs looking at all the things on them.

I didn't make that mistake a few months later on a visit to Berlin. Wonderful city to spend a couple weeks in. This was all before the wall was down though. Imagine it's a whole lot different these days.

A one or two day layover visit is no where near long enough to visit Paris and the area. Just too much history there abouts, much of it involved US.

Wish you & wife a great trip, anyone else doing it too.
George

I once flew into Paris and had the day off before an evening flight to Joberg also. Took the train from the airport and exited at Cathedral Notre Dame. Got a ticket on the Big Red Bus directly in front of Notre Dame and toured the city seeing all the sights one must see in Paris. You can get off and on whenever you please and thus spend as much time as you want touring any site. Bus runs on a dependable schedule so you can count on getting back to Notre Dame to catch the train back to the airport in time for your departure.

Very efficient and inexpensive way to see the city and the sights.

AF is a breeze with guns, no issues. Just fill out their silly 1 page "form" (they can't sleep at night without it... even after getting off work around 3:15pm...)

Paris, enjoy tons to do! If you and your wife want dinner recommendations or reservations PM me, be happy to sort out.

quote:

Originally posted by Orvar:
AF is a breeze with guns, no issues. Just fill out their silly 1 page "form" (they can't sleep at night without it... even after getting off work around 3:15pm...)

Paris, enjoy tons to do! If you and your wife want dinner recommendations or reservations PM me, be happy to sort out.

There is a McD's right on Champs Elysees.

Sacrilege !

after my recent experience with Aw F--k, the only way i would fly AF was if they were the ONLY airline that flew where i needed to go. 4 weeks later and no luggage.....

You still don't have it back?

when i passed through CDG 9 days ago, the AF customer service rep admitted that the chance of luggage recovery at that point was zero. their policy is that if luggage is unclaimed at a destination after 5 days, it is automatically sent back to CDG. since it wasn't there, i was told to press on with a claim. the sad part is that the whole fiasco was totally avoidable had the baggage checkin desk done their job properly or the cabin crew done their job properly. stupidity/incompetence/laziness x2 equals bad outcome. "no problem. monsieur, it has been taken care of". absolute pure unadulterated BULLSHIT!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
when i passed through CDG 9 days ago, the AF customer service rep admitted that the chance of luggage recovery at that point was zero. their policy is that if luggage is unclaimed at a destination after 5 days, it is automatically sent back to CDG. since it wasn't there, i was told to press on with a claim. the sad part is that the whole fiasco was totally avoidable had the baggage checkin desk done their job properly or the cabin crew done their job properly. stupidity/incompetence/laziness x2 equals bad outcome. "no problem. monsieur, it has been taken care of". absolute pure unadulterated BULLSHIT!

Ibet you never get it back... Someone is using and enjoying your stuff now ...AF might give you about $300

i have no doubt that some black dude at the Bangui airport grabbed both bags after the second unclaimed turn on the baggage carousal.. when he opened them and saw the gold mine he had stolen i am sure he was a happy chappy. when we landed and saw the heavy UN peacekeeper presence and sprawling refugee camps around the airport, it was pretty obvious that this place was a mess and Aw F--ked dropped the ball.