Losing something in Paris, whether at Charles de Gaulle Airport, in a hotel, a taxi, or a small café, can quickly turn a perfect trip into a stressful situation. But the good news is that France has a fairly organized system for lost and found, and with the right steps, you can recover your belongings, even if you’ve already left the country.
This guide walks you through exactly what to do depending on where you lost your item, how to contact the Charles de Gaulle Airport Lost and Found, and how a local concierge or errand assistant can make the process easier and faster.
Why losing something in Paris doesn’t have to be a disaster
Paris welcomes millions of travelers each year, and as a result, lost items are extremely common, phones, passports, wallets, bags, cameras, jewelry, and souvenirs are turned in daily.
But here’s the catch: Parisian institutions (especially airports) do not always make it simple for international visitors to recover their belongings. Long waits, French-only forms, and in-person requirements can make the process slow and frustrating.
That’s exactly why having someone in Paris physically follow up for you is often the best way to get your item back quickly.
1. How to recover lost items at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
How the lost & found works at CDG
Charles de Gaulle Airport receives thousands of lost items every year. Items found in the terminals are usually sent to the official CDG Lost & Found office. However:
- The website is often unclear
- Forms are sometimes only in French
- It can take days or weeks to receive a response
- Many items must be picked up in person, especially passports, IDs, and valuable electronics
That’s why many travelers struggle to get their items back once they’ve left France.
Steps to recover your item in CDG
- Identify exactly where you lost it
Terminal, security checkpoint, boarding gate, shuttle, duty free shop, etc. - Submit a detailed lost item report
Include brand, color, serial number (if possible), last known location, and flight details. - Follow up (often necessary)
CDG receives hundreds of reports daily. A follow-up call in French increases your chances dramatically. - Pick up the item
Some items can be mailed internationally, but most must be collected in person.
How we help
If you’re abroad and need assistance, a local Paris errand service can:
- Contact the Charles de Gaulle airport lost and found on your behalf
- Speak directly with the agents in French
- Physically retrieve the item
- Ship it safely to your home, anywhere in the world
This saves you time, stress, and international phone charges.
2. Lost something at Orly Airport?
Orly has a separate lost and found service. The process is similar to CDG but often less organized, and response times vary.
We can:
- Submit the report
- Visit the lost and found in person
- Handle the item retrieval
- Ship or deliver it to you
3. How to recover lost items in Paris hotels or Airbnb
Hotels in Paris usually manage lost items well. If you forgot: charger, passport, clothes, jewelry, wallet or bank cards.
Most hotels store them in a dedicated lost and found room.
But many hotels do not ship internationally, and some require ID verification in person to release certain items.
A Paris-based assistant can:
- Contact the hotel
- Pick up the item
- Forward it to your home address
4. Lost something in a Paris café, restaurant, or shop?
This is extremely common, especially with charging cables, jackets, bags, phones, wallet or bank cards.
However: Most small businesses in Paris do not have a formal lost and found system, and items are often kept behind the counter or in a back room.
If you think you left something in a café:
- Call them (many don’t answer or don’t speak English).
- Ask them to check.
- Ask them to hold the item.
We can go there in person, retrieve it, and ship it to you.
5. Losing something in a taxi, uber, or public transport
Taxi (G7 or others)
If you have a receipt, recovery is easier. Without it, it becomes much more complicated.
Uber
Uber drivers can be contacted via the app, but responses vary.
Metro, Bus, or RER (RATP)
Items found on public transport are sent to a central depot, but it may take 48–72 hours before they appear in the system.
If each attempt fails, a local assistant can physically visit the depot for you.
Trains & Stations (SNCF)
If you lost something on a TGV, TER, Intercités, or in a major station like Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon, or Montparnasse, it will be handled by the SNCF Lost & Found service.
Processing can take time, and many forms are in French.
We can help by: Filing the report, contacting the station, picking up the item once found and shipping it to you worldwide
6. Public Spaces (Police Prefecture)
If you lost an item in a public space in Paris — such as a park, street, museum, or public square — it may be transferred to the Paris Police Prefecture Lost Property Office.
You can file an online declaration, and the system will notify you by email if your item is found.
The Police Prefecture Lost & Found is open: Mon–Wed: 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, Thu: until 12:00 PM, Fri: until 4:30 PM
A retrieval fee of €11 applies, and the Police Prefecture offers pickup or home delivery depending on the item.
If you’re abroad or unable to visit, we can:
- Submit the declaration
- Follow up with the Prefecture
- Retrieve the item in person
- Ship it directly to you
7. Losing your passport in Paris: What to do
Losing a passport is serious, especially at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Passports are never shipped internationally, they must be collected in person by you or by someone officially representing you with an authorization letter.
A local concierge service in Paris can:
- Retrieve the passport
- Work with your embassy
- Bring it to you or prepare it for emergency travel documentation
8. How a local paris errand service can help (even if you’re abroad)
If you’ve already returned home or live outside France, recovering your item alone is nearly impossible.
Our assistance includes:
- Calling the business, hotel, or airport for you (in French)
- Visiting the location in person
- Collecting the lost item
- Checking the item’s condition
- Safely shipping it worldwide
- Handling all the paperwork
Your belongings reach you faster, without stress.
Recovering lost items in Paris is easier with local help
Whether your item is sitting in the Charles de Gaulle Airport Lost and Found, a Parisian café, a hotel room, or a taxi seat, you don’t have to handle the recovery alone.
A trusted local assistant in Paris can take care of everything:
- Making the calls
- Visiting the location
- Retrieving the item
- Shipping it back to you
So you can move on with your trip, or your life, without the stress.
Lost something in Paris? Let our local concierge service recover your item quickly and safely whether it’s at an airport, hotel, café, or anywhere in the city. Contact us now and get your belongings back without the stress.