Air France does not allow you to have an eBoarding pass sent to your phone. So if you don’t have access to a printer, allow extra time and plan on printing your pass out at the airport and also paying for your extra bags in person instead of in advance. Many things are still very old school in Paris. Arrrgh. This just cost me a $20 international call to find out, but hopefully, I’ve saved you some cash and you will know already.

Also, expect a lot of extra steps to go through at DeGaulle before you get to the gate.  I was grilled for several minutes on my stay in Paris by a guard.  The kiosk where I had to print my boarding pass does not take confirmation numbers, like in the states.  It needed my ticket number, which I did not have handy. Then I had to proceed to a counter to check my bags, but I couldn’t pay for the extra bag there. They issued me another ticket, and I had to go around the corner to pay, then they issued my boarding pass.  Then onward through security, where unlike in Detroit, they opened and examined my art supplies.  Then onto a tram.  And then they check your passport two more times before you board, and also pull random people out of line for the most thorough luggage inspection I’ve ever seen.  The guard actually looked in socks and opened compacts, etc., all in full view of everybody boarding the plane.  So if you’re carrying anything, umm, embarrassing, just be prepared to have it pulled out and examined.  All in all, by the time I got to my seat, I had my passport checked at least 7 times.

Good for the French for having such tight security, though.  I felt very safe.