Air France and Extime Travel have introduced Paris Stopover packages, enabling connecting passengers to transform layovers into short breaks in Paris and surrounding areas.
Air France and Groupe ADP (Paris Airports) have officially launched the “Paris Stopover” programme, a structured travel initiative designed in partnership with Extime Travel to turn long layovers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport into multi-day holidays.
The programme targets the 50pc of Air France passengers who transit through the hub, providing a seamless option to explore the city rather than waiting inside the terminal.
Packages can be tailored for stays lasting from 1 to 4 nights on either the outbound or return leg of a journey. Accommodations are booked at carefully selected 4-star or 5-star hotels located in central Paris or near Disneyland Paris.
Every booking includes ground transport to handle logistics to and from the airport seamlessly. Initial packages include choices like the “Paris Must-See” (visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre), Seine River cruises, and Disney excursions. Cultural, gastronomic, and premium excursions are scheduled for future expansion.
The programme is open to all passengers across all travel classes, including Economy, Premium, Business, and La Première. To qualify, tickets must be booked via the Air France Official Website with the designated “Stopover” option, requiring a minimum connection time of 27 hours.
Travellers can choose and configure their tailored packages via the Extime Travel Stopover Platform up to 48 hours prior to flight departure. This rollout marks a primary milestone for the Connect France strategic partnership established between Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP to elevate CDG’s competitive status against other global hub models.
Market demand heavily backs the launch: a recent Pégase Chair study noted that 81pc of transit passengers desire to exit the airport to explore during connections, with interest peaking among Brazilian (92.3pc) and Indian (90pc) demographics, the latter benefiting from the change in French airport transit visa mandates.
Indian passport holders no longer need an Airport Transit Visa (ATV). A policy change permanently removed the requirement, allowing Indian citizens to transit through mainland French airports visa-free, provided they stay airside. Citizens of certain nations (e.g., Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the DRC) still require an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) even just to sit in the terminal, unless they hold a valid visa/residence permit from the US, Canada, EU, or Japan
