Your favourite and worst airports

Violetta_2

Can I ask why Paris CDG is so bad, we are flying there next month, my husband & 4yr old daughter have never ever flown so is there anything we need to avoid/watch out for.
I passed through Schipol 20 something years ago & I thought it was brill back then (got a fab snoopy pencil case & pencils).
Maybe I've been lucky (not used loads of airports) but I don't think I could name a worst.

jammin_2

The title of this thread irritates me.

Mr_Lahey

Violetta wrote: »

Can I ask why Paris CDG is so bad, we are flying there next month, my husband & 4yr old daughter have never ever flown so is there anything we need to avoid/watch out for.
I passed through Schipol 20 something years ago & I thought it was brill back then (got a fab snoopy pencil case & pencils).
Maybe I've been lucky (not used loads of airports) but I don't think I could name a worst.

CDG whilst being a pretty modern airport is badly organised. It is renowned for being one of the worst airports on earth to transfer through.

Added to the fact it is full of French.

If it is your final destination i wouldn't worry.

Tojo_Ralph

Violetta wrote: »

Can I ask why Paris CDG is so bad, we are flying there next month, my husband & 4yr old daughter have never ever flown so is there anything we need to avoid/watch out for.

When people talk about CDG being "bad", they invariably refer to transfer through the airport, not simply flying from or to. CDG's problems relate to it's make do design, the poor terminal signage, transfers between terminals, the almost inevitable queues at security during transfers and last but not least, the attitude of staff, in particular security staff!

For whatever reason, CDG security staff will not only want to see your laptop out of your hand luggage and through the scanner, but your camera, Phone, Ipod, Blackberry, portable scanner, PSP, DS, battery charger, whatever takes their fancy they'll have your hand luggage decanted

Then there will be the security staff who choose to take cameras out of cases then flip the batteries out or who turn your blackberry face (screen) down in the tray for no particular reason.

Then when you have cleared security and have managed to repack your hand luggage, you take 3 paces and have an approx 25% chance of a random bag search and complete decant all over again.

Of course if you know CDG well enough, the security staff aside it's a breeze, but for the unsuspectng, it can be a nightmare.

http://www.easycdg.com/pages/indexpag.html

Violetta wrote: »

We are flying to CDG next month. Maybe I've been lucky but I don't think I could name a worst.

You will be able to name one if you wait 4 weeks.

Violetta wrote: »

I passed through Schiphol 20 something years ago & I thought it was brill.

Comparing Schiphol to CDG is akin to comparing Wagyu beef to corned beef, with CDG very much being the tinned one.

hethmar

I liked Venice, its so lovely to come out and see boats bobbing in the water

Im surprised people are saying they like Beijing airport, may be its changed a lot in the 12 years since I went there. All I remember about it is seeing what looked like a closed greenhouse in there thick with smoke and realising its where all the smokers had to go for a fag - lol.

Oh and yes, the policemen standing on boxes holding their guns, thats the other thing I remember

Violetta_2

Thank's for the advice Mr Lahey & Tojo Ralph that's very helpful, good to know what to expect.

hethmar

LOL, just thought Norwich "international" airport is brilliant. Its more like a coach station and you walk to the plane for take off. When we returned from Canary Islands there the conveyor had broken down and there was a guy with all the luggage on a trailer shouting out your name and passing you your bags. Brilliant if not particularly security conscious

jackieblack

GlennTheBaker wrote: »

Individual containers cannot be more than 100ml in volume and each person may carry a maximum of 10 items in their hand luggage - in a clear, re-sealable plastic bag.

I always have more than 10 items in my plastic bag and I've never had a problem - I thought that as long as you can do up/seal the bag you could have as many as you wanted?

Tojo_Ralph

jackieblack wrote: »

I always have more than 10 items in my plastic bag and I've never had a problem - I thought that as long as you can do up/seal the bag you could have as many as you wanted?

The rules refer to the plastic bag itself not holding more than a litre whilst measuring approx 20cm x 20cm and if you were to take one of the standard bags they issue at airports and fill it with water, you'll note you can only get approx 1.25 litres of fluid in it and still close it.

So in answer to your comment, you are correct, as long as individual containers hold no more than 100ml, you can have as many containers in the bag as the bag will hold.

jackieblack

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

The rules refer to the plastic bag itself not holding more than a litre whilst measuring approx 20cm x 20cm and if you were to take one of the standard bags they issue at airports and fill it with water, you'll note you can only get approx 1.25 litres of fluid in it and still close it.

So in answer to your comment, you are correct, as long as individual containers hold no more than 100ml, you can have as many containers in the bag as the bag will hold.

Thanks for this - most of my containers are under 100ml, so the total is much less than a litre.
Good to know I haven't been inadvertently breaking a rule I wasn't aware of!