Home

[Lucyloo]

Hi all. 1st trip to disney in march with husband and 4yr old son. Any opinions / advice regarding air france manchester to cdg? Not good flyers and my husband is 6ft 4" so what are the planes like? I know its a very quick flight but are there drinks and snacks included or should we buy some beforehand?  Will be landing at lunchtime then getting straight onto bus to disney so son will need some lunch. Any tips for airports? We have only flown a couple if times and not for years so getting a bit nervous. We'll probably miss the flight cos we're just sat there not knowing what to do!

[polar vixen]

No tips regarding air France but if you enjoy Disney and plan to go again is say try eurostar,  two hour journey and you get off at the gates to Disney,  couldn't be easier or simpler.

[sarahmumof4]

We're flying air France to Orly in dec to go to Dlp .
First time my kids have been on a plane hence trying it .
Drove last year and twice before that we've done Eurostar .

Will be following this thread for tips x

[Lucyloo]

Hi. Even though we're not keen in flying we decided against the eurostar due to journey time and cost. We live in the north of england and it wouldve knocked at least a day off our holiday x

[twentythingamabobs]

Hi, we fly Air France from Newcastle - we get a drink and pastries during the flight  The seats don't have loads of leg room but they aren't the worst I've ever flown with. CDG is massive! We land at 9:15ish and have to run like mad around the place to get to our train at 10:15. If the line at passport check isn't too long then its normally fine but at Christmas it was hectic.

[sewpollyesther]

We're planning to do Eurostar, travelling from Manchester and we're less than 10 minutes from the airport. We calculated that by the time you've added in early arrival for check in and transfer time it would probably only take about an extra hour to 90 mins on the train. The only problem is getting from Paddington to St Pancras, but it's only a 10 minute walk so we'll just not take too much baggage.

We don't mind flying but to be honest, I think having done Melbourne/Manchester with 1, 2 and then 3 kids quite a lot over the last few years (we were living there) we're just over the whole flying thing... At least on the train we can walk around and stuff.

If we get the train tickets the day they are released it should be significantly cheaper by train too...

But tips for flying, give yourself plenty of time, take books/toys for the flight, travel light if you can, take snacks/drink you know your child will eat even if food is provided. A drink through a straw or a sippy cup or a lollipop might help with sore ears on descent...

[upinthesky]

Air France are great and they use A319/A320 aircraft which are quite comfortable. Be careful though as AF code share with Flybe so check you're not on a smaller plane like a Dash-8 or Embraer. They are still ok but a bit tight on space.

Croissants and Coffee outbound, drink & snack inbound.

CDG is huge and takes some navigating but the signage is good.

Trains tend to be quite infrequent and therefore I would recommend VEA transport to Disney. The busses are right outside Terminal 2E and go quite regularly. You don't have to wait for a specific bus, you just jump on the next one so there's no time pressure to get through the airport if you get held up at border control.

Enjoy!!!

[Lucyloo]

Thanks upinthesky, yes we have the VEA bus tickets pre-booked also so that's one less thing to worry about.

[danogian]

sewpollyesther, Paddington to St Pancras is over 2.5 miles, so at least a 35 minute walk, probably closer to 1 hour if you've got kids in tow. I guess you could run it in 10 minutes if you a sub 4-minute miler, but pretty unlikely I'd say.

[stormflm595]

Hi all. 1st trip to disney in march with husband and 4yr old son. Any opinions / advice regarding air france manchester to cdg? Not good flyers and my husband is 6ft 4" so what are the planes like? I know its a very quick flight but are there drinks and snacks included or should we buy some beforehand?  Will be landing at lunchtime then getting straight onto bus to disney so son will need some lunch. Any tips for airports? We have only flown a couple if times and not for years so getting a bit nervous. We'll probably miss the flight cos we're just sat there not knowing what to do!

I fly Air France every time I go to Disney =) Though I fly from Birmingham, I would advise you to be in good time for check in, the desks close at least 30 minutes before the flight on short hauls and it's a lot better to be there too early than too late. we like to get there about 2 hours before our flight, maybe more so that we can have breakfast in our terminal, always at Frankie and Benny's. This gives us time to not have to rush our food and gives allowance in case the restaurant is busy. If you're getting straight on the bus at landing, perhaps eat at the airport in Manchester before so that you are filled up. From what I remember of CDG, there isn't many food places in the airport when you get off the plane and border control can take a while.

As for the actual flight, like upinthesky said, AF use their own aircraft's and Flybe, the info should be on your e tickets. I actually found Flybe to be a lot nicer than the AF carriers in appearance, though they are slightly smaller than an AF carrier. However, the flight is a very short one so comfort shouldn't really become a problem. From what I remember, if you fly in an AF carrier, then you get a complimentary snack and drink, I've had stuff like crackers and breadsticks and i tried my luck by asking for some vodka and tonic water and it turns out one small bottle of alcohol is free too!! I was very happy haha! On our Flybe flight last year, we had to pay for a snack. expect taxed foods, so small tubs of pringles may be £2 more than what you're used to paying for a large tub in a shop in the UK. I don't particularly have a preference for which carrier I like the most, every time the staff have been very friendly and the flights enjoyable. just be aware of expensive food and drink on board, in this respect an AF carrier is better, and this is why I've mentioned getting food before so that you don't need to pay extortionate rates if you're peckish and haven't eaten in a while. You can't take any food or drink through security so eat or drink anything you have before check in, but you can buy stuff after security at the shops in the terminal hall by the gates and you are allowed to bring those on the flight with you, though ofc always double check when buying.

Check your tickets but you should land in terminal 2E or 2F, this is the terminal that the VEA shuttle is located in so you won't get too lost! Follow the crowd of the aircraft, to border control, you then go into baggage reclaim where there will be a board with your flight number telling you which belt to go to and then go through customs once you have your luggage and you'll come out into the terminal. The door you want for VEA is door 8. If you walk out and just walk in a straight direction (this will not follow the sidewalk so be careful) for about 30 seconds and you'll come to the VEA bus stop. You can't miss it, there's a frosted window next to it which says Disneyland Paris VEA or something to that effect. if you do get a bit lost, ask. lots of people getting off your flight or another will be also using VEA and will either know the way or you can find it together. there is also an info desk in the terminal, which you definitely won't miss and you can ask on there. they have lots of people asking for help and will point you in the right disrection. do not panic if you see a bus pulling out. you are not on a certain time and can board any time of your choosing, the buses go back and forth from the resort to CDG.

Tips for flying for you:
- keep an eye on the departures list when you're through security. this will tell you what your gate is and when it is open, and will also tell you if there is a final boarding call.
- Wear clothing and shoes that is easy to take off for security, as you have to remove any coats and cardigans, belts and shoes. Keep jewelry to a minimum to avoid the metal detectors going off and delaying you.
- Look up regulations for what you're forbidden to put in your carry on to save time and money in case you have to get rid of some stuff.
- watch out for airport prices.
- make sure you change your money before you get to the airport. FX is notoriously expensive in airports.
- print two copies of your documents, including flight tickets, Disney booking confirmation, VEA tickets incase you misplace anything.
- do not print your VEA tickets on both sides. whilst this saves paper, the driver takes the ticket from you when you board...bye bye ticket to the airport. print each ticket on a separate piece of paper!

I hope this helps, i seem to have really waffled on haha. I know what being a nervous flyer is like, i still get nervous and i plan plan plan to the last minute and make sure i know everything. If you need any more advise, message me =)

[sewpollyesther]

ha, brain not turned on at the moment. Euston to St Pancras. Not Paddington... We used to live on a Paddington line.

[learning-the-ropes]

Hi all. 1st trip to disney in march with husband and 4yr old son. Any opinions / advice regarding air france manchester to cdg? Not good flyers and my husband is 6ft 4" so what are the planes like? I know its a very quick flight but are there drinks and snacks included or should we buy some beforehand?  Will be landing at lunchtime then getting straight onto bus to disney so son will need some lunch. Any tips for airports? We have only flown a couple if times and not for years so getting a bit nervous. We'll probably miss the flight cos we're just sat there not knowing what to do!

I fly Air France every time I go to Disney =) Though I fly from Birmingham, I would advise you to be in good time for check in, the desks close at least 30 minutes before the flight on short hauls and it's a lot better to be there too early than too late. we like to get there about 2 hours before our flight, maybe more so that we can have breakfast in our terminal, always at Frankie and Benny's. This gives us time to not have to rush our food and gives allowance in case the restaurant is busy. If you're getting straight on the bus at landing, perhaps eat at the airport in Manchester before so that you are filled up. From what I remember of CDG, there isn't many food places in the airport when you get off the plane and border control can take a while.

As for the actual flight, like upinthesky said, AF use their own aircraft's and Flybe, the info should be on your e tickets. I actually found Flybe to be a lot nicer than the AF carriers in appearance, though they are slightly smaller than an AF carrier. However, the flight is a very short one so comfort shouldn't really become a problem. From what I remember, if you fly in an AF carrier, then you get a complimentary snack and drink, I've had stuff like crackers and breadsticks and i tried my luck by asking for some vodka and tonic water and it turns out one small bottle of alcohol is free too!! I was very happy haha! On our Flybe flight last year, we had to pay for a snack. expect taxed foods, so small tubs of pringles may be £2 more than what you're used to paying for a large tub in a shop in the UK. I don't particularly have a preference for which carrier I like the most, every time the staff have been very friendly and the flights enjoyable. just be aware of expensive food and drink on board, in this respect an AF carrier is better, and this is why I've mentioned getting food before so that you don't need to pay extortionate rates if you're peckish and haven't eaten in a while. You can't take any food or drink through security so eat or drink anything you have before check in, but you can buy stuff after security at the shops in the terminal hall by the gates and you are allowed to bring those on the flight with you, though ofc always double check when buying.

Check your tickets but you should land in terminal 2E or 2F, this is the terminal that the VEA shuttle is located in so you won't get too lost! Follow the crowd of the aircraft, to border control, you then go into baggage reclaim where there will be a board with your flight number telling you which belt to go to and then go through customs once you have your luggage and you'll come out into the terminal. The door you want for VEA is door 8. If you walk out and just walk in a straight direction (this will not follow the sidewalk so be careful) for about 30 seconds and you'll come to the VEA bus stop. You can't miss it, there's a frosted window next to it which says Disneyland Paris VEA or something to that effect. if you do get a bit lost, ask. lots of people getting off your flight or another will be also using VEA and will either know the way or you can find it together. there is also an info desk in the terminal, which you definitely won't miss and you can ask on there. they have lots of people asking for help and will point you in the right disrection. do not panic if you see a bus pulling out. you are not on a certain time and can board any time of your choosing, the buses go back and forth from the resort to CDG.

Tips for flying for you:
- keep an eye on the departures list when you're through security. this will tell you what your gate is and when it is open, and will also tell you if there is a final boarding call.
- Wear clothing and shoes that is easy to take off for security, as you have to remove any coats and cardigans, belts and shoes. Keep jewelry to a minimum to avoid the metal detectors going off and delaying you.
- Look up regulations for what you're forbidden to put in your carry on to save time and money in case you have to get rid of some stuff.
- watch out for airport prices.
- make sure you change your money before you get to the airport. FX is notoriously expensive in airports.
- print two copies of your documents, including flight tickets, Disney booking confirmation, VEA tickets incase you misplace anything.
- do not print your VEA tickets on both sides. whilst this saves paper, the driver takes the ticket from you when you board...bye bye ticket to the airport. print each ticket on a separate piece of paper!

I hope this helps, i seem to have really waffled on haha. I know what being a nervous flyer is like, i still get nervous and i plan plan plan to the last minute and make sure i know everything. If you need any more advise, message me =)

Fantastic post, really useful for me but can I please ask is it okay to have snacks and soft drinks packed into the checked baggage. I'm hoping to cut down on spending while I'm there. Many thanks in advance. 😀

[stormflm595]

hi learning-the-ropes, welcome to the board!

I know for certain that snacks are allowed. we tend to take cereal with us just incase we don't have time to go to breakfast or we miss our slot. as for soft drinks, I am not sure and I would advise you to check on your airports website or to ring up their info desk and ask. I only say this as I'm not sure what size bottles you plan to take and I don't know for the sure the regulations. may I suggest buying a bottle of water there, and taking one of the new Robinsons Squashums or a couple depending how many of you there are? there are water fountains around the park which you can use for free and then you only need a couple of drops to give it some flavour it also means you save room in your luggage incase you spot anything you really can't resist!

[Lucyloo]

Funnily enough I got the 'Squashums' last week as they were on offer at Tesco.  Planned to take them anyway.  A colleague at work said to go to Boots after security and buy the £3 meal deals for us all.  Sounds good and I'll just keep everything in my bag until we're hungry.

[learning-the-ropes]

hi learning-the-ropes, welcome to the board!

I know for certain that snacks are allowed. we tend to take cereal with us just incase we don't have time to go to breakfast or we miss our slot. as for soft drinks, I am not sure and I would advise you to check on your airports website or to ring up their info desk and ask. I only say this as I'm not sure what size bottles you plan to take and I don't know for the sure the regulations. may I suggest buying a bottle of water there, and taking one of the new Robinsons Squashums or a couple depending how many of you there are? there are water fountains around the park which you can use for free and then you only need a couple of drops to give it some flavour it also means you save room in your luggage incase you spot anything you really can't resist!

Hi, many thanks for welcoming me and for replying. What a fantastic idea regarding the squashums, will defo do that. I'm flying air France from birmingham in July and air France but operated by Flybe on return. I was thinking of taking a couple of 500ml bottles of concentrate juice for use in the hotel, there's 4 of us for 5 nights but the squashums are a great idea so maybe just take those. If I buy some drinks say a 500ml bottle of water after security can I take that in my hand luggage?