WindJet: Catania to Paris

The carrier: WindJet

About

Italian budget airline WindJet flies from ten airports in Italy, three in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Rostov), and a smattering of other destinations in Romania, Spain, France and Greece. Forlì and Catania are WindJet's primary bases.

A relatively small budget airline, WindJet is a good way to get to and from Italy.

Upside

Forli, the base airport, is good for getting to and from Emilia-Romagna and Sicily.

Downside

Limited route map not good for expansive trip planning. Frequent delays.

Baggage

* Carry-on: One item, up to 7 kg.
* Checked: Up to 20 kg for international flights; 15 kg for national flights. There is a fee of € 7 per piece of checked baggage. Each kilo over is charged at the rate of €8.

* Please visit Windjet’s website for more information on its baggage policy.

Check-in and Ticketing

Check-in at the airport opens 2 hours prior to the flight and closes 40 minutes before departure.  Web check-in is also available. 

Tip

Not recommended if you have connecting flights or are on a tight schedule.

Departure: Catania, Italy - Fontanarossa (CTA)

Catania-Fontanarossa Airport or "Aeroporto di Catania-Fontanarossa" is the busiest airport in Sicily. Location: Catania-Fontanarossa Airport is located 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Catania, the second largest city on the Italian island of Sicily. Transport: - Bus: A shuttle bus service provides transport into Catania city center and the Central Train Station, while scheduled bus services to other parts of the island are also available direct from the airport. - Taxi: Travelers can take a taxi from the terminal building into the city or beyond, with popular locations including nearby Syracuse, Palermo, and Marsala. Service: This airport offers a shopping center and newsstand as well as restaurants and bars. Also, there is a flight information office, currency exchange, nursery, and bus ticket office. more...

Arrival: Paris, France - Charles De Gaulle (CDG)

Charles de Gaulle International Airport or "Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle," also known as "Roissy Airport" or simply "Roissy," is one of the world's principal aviation centers, as well as France's main international airport. It is named after General Charles de Gaulle who led the Free French Forces and was the founder of the French Fifth Republic. This is the most heavily-trafficked airport in France and one of the biggest in Europe.

In addition to being served by an extraordinary number of conventional carrier airlines, CDG is also utilized by plenty of low-cost carriers. Vueling, easyJet, and flybe all serve CDG with multiple routes.

Location: Charles de Gaulle International Airport is located 23 kilometers (14 miles) northeast of Paris.

Transport:

- Rail: To Charles de Gaulle, you must take the Metro to the RER line B, direction Roissy/Charles de Gaulle. Sometimes it is not easy to recognize which RER trains go to the airport and which turn off towards another destination. If unsure, ask somebody at the station which train is correct.

- Bus: Air France runs two buses from Charles de Gaulle into Paris. Both lines depart from terminals 1 & 2 and their routes exclude terminal 3, which primarily serves for charters and low-cost carriers like EasyJet. Line 2 stops at Porte Maillot and Arc de Triomphe and runs every 20 minutes from 5:50 a.m. until 11 p.m.

A one-way journey costs €15 or €7.50 for children, and a round-trip ticket costs €20. Line 4 runs every 30 minutes between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. and stops at Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse. It costs €16.50 for a one-way adult journey, or €8 for a child. A round-trip ticket costs €22. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes.

The Roissybus stops at Place de l'Opéra adjacent to the American Express office. It departs from all three terminals. The trip takes around 45 minutes and service is from 6 a.m. through 11 p.m. (Keep in mind that the connecting RATP service ends at 10:30 p.m.) The bus costs €8.60 for a one-way journey. We like this Web site for information on Charles de Gaulle.

- Taxi: Several taxi companies provide service to and from the Charles de Gaulle International Airport. A taxi from the airport to the city center should take around 45 minutes. This will be pricey, so we recommend taking public transportation.

Services: The Charles de Gaulle International Airport offers many stores and duty-free shops as well as cafes, bars and restaurants for travelers in need of a break. ATMs and currency exchanges are also available for convenience. Visitors can take advantage of various Internet portals throughout the airport or access the airport’s Wi-Fi connection. Play areas and arcade games are available for children. Other facilities include places of worship, banks and post offices.