8 Hours Layover at CDG - July 2026

This is something you can decide on the day of when you see exactly how much time you will have.

You'll go thru Passport control when you get to CDG as you will be entering the Schengen zone.

I'd want to be back to CDG 2 hours before your flight which means leaving central Paris 3 hours before your departure time. You'll have to go thru security again.

The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame are a distance from each other. The Eiffel Tower is harder to get to if you take the RER B train in to town whereas Notre Dame will be a bit easier.

You'd need a timed entry for the Orsay Museum and to be honest with a family of 4 I'd not spend the money for the timed entry in case you have delays. None of the other things you list need timed entries unless you planned to go up in the ET.

What are your priorities? IF it's the Eiffel Tower VIEW, I'd take a cab in to the Eiffel Tower. IF you have them drop you at Trocadero it will be less expensive than if you cross the river to the actual ET. You can get the great view from Trocadero across to Eiffel Tower and then walk across the river. You could walk the length of the Champs de Mars then head left toward the Ecole Militaire Metro stop. There is a nice restaurant with a terrace on that corner but a sit down cafe will take 2 hours at least. You could continue down Avenue de la Motte-Picquet and stop at one of the bakeries along there for sandwiches to go. If you continue to the La Tour-Maubourg Metro stop there is a cab rank where you can pick up a cab back to the airport.

Fixed rate for the taxi to the Right Bank (Trocadero) is 56E. Return from the Right Bank would be 65E.

I don't think you have time for all the sights you have listed plus breakfast and lunch.

If you want to risk missing your flight to Sardinia go for it. That is a very ambitious list for a few hours even if you are in Paris. Two full days would work. 1+ hour to get through customs, 2+ hours early to the airport for departure, 2+ hours to go into Paris and back to the airport with no traffic is pretty much the day and that is if your arrival is on time. Best case would be a small French town near the airport with a taxi ride to and from for a meal and walk around.

What J said.

Fyi, Generally arrival time listed by the airline is when the wheels touch down, not when you get to the arrival gate and disembark. I would figure two hours to get through customs, etc. Another hour (or maybe less) to get into Paris. And two hours at CDG before departure to Sardinia, plus time to get to the airport, another hour, Now you have 2 hours left to see something in Paris (and that is if your plane arrives on time). 8 hours to cool your heels at CDG sounds like a real pain. Going to a nearby town seems like a better way to spend the time. Senlis or Chantilly would be charming options, about a half hour from CDG by car (taxi or Bolt/Uber?) I don't know the cost for that, but Paris would not be my choice within your hours.

Perhaps you could get in the official taxi line at CDG. Have them drive you past the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, maybe Arc de Triomphe and jump out with the meter running (if that's a thing in Paris) and grab a baguette, and head back to CDG. I'm not that kind of risk taker though.

We stayed in St Germain last spring and our taxi driver drove us past the Eiffel Tower on our way to our hotel. It was a very scenic drive once we were in the city. . Maybe it was the best way to go for him due to traffic, but it seemed a little out of the way. We enjoyed the view, which is why it could be a thing for you.

I think Judy has some sage advice though.

Thank you all for the input and comments. We will definitely play this day by ear to see when our flight actually arrives into CDG.

Also, the situation was a little different. But my family did have a 6 hour layover in Munich during the summer of 2024. We actually were able to explore the City Center of Munich for 2.5 hours with little issues getting back into the airport. I know this is apples to oranges, but we have left an international airport in the past during a longer layover.

Thanks again.

Hi. Take a look on YouTube. See: Paris Layover Itinerary - See Paris in 6 Hours or Less. This is Jay Swanson, who is a YouTuber I have been following for years re: Paris. He has some ideas for getting it done in 6. Please be aware that there is likely additional screening for EES if you are from the US and that is your first Schengen (sp?) country. So that will be additional time. Last time I was in Paris it took me about an hour to exit the airport due to passport control, you may need to add some additional time. Have fun!

I've flown into both places, and believe me, it is comparing apples to oranges. Charles de Gaulle, even on a good day, can be very hectic and busy and confusing. I was at CDG back in 2022 with a seven-and-a-half-hour layover and briefly thought about trying to get into Paris, but I decided it wasn't worth it. I'm not a risk taker when it comes to flights.

That said, if you do decide on this, I would seriously think about taking the train in. It would be faster than a taxi and cheaper. I think the poster above gave you a good idea about watching the YouTube video. So if you do want to do this, I would watch the video and think about taking the train in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88SXCySOom0

Ditto what Mardee said. I was at CDG in August and it took a full hour just to get through security and to my gate. You'll also need to find someplace to stash your carry on luggage, as I wouldn't want to haul that around with me (especially if you do go in to Paris). The suggestion to find a place closer to the airport is a good option, especially with jet lagged travelers and children. Here's a thread from 2024 with some ideas https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/what-to-do-with-an-8-hour-layover

FWIW, since you aren't going until July there's still a distinct possibility you'll have a flight time change that reduces (or increases) your layover time.

Good advice so far.

Fyi, Generally arrival time listed by the airline is when the wheels
touch down

Correction, that is when the wheels are scheduled to touch down. There is a lot that could change this schedule both in your favor and not.

I recommend the RER train from the airport. Take it to the Denfert-Rochereau station near Montparnasse. Stroll through this quintessential Parisian neighborhood (stop for a bite) as you make your way to the Montparnasse Tower where you can go up to the top for exceptional city views which rival the Eiffel Tower. From there, hop on the Metro 6 line at Montparnasse-Bienvenue station and get off at the Trocadero station. As others have said, the Trocadero gives you a great view of the Eiffel Tower from across the Seine and then you can choose to walk to the tower grounds or hop back on the same line at Trocadero and continue on to Champs-Elysees/Arc de Triomphe. Getting back to CDG from either is likely a short metro ride and then a connection to the RER train line. The great thing about the Paris Metro is that you are rarely more than a 10-15 minute walk from a station so it's incredibly easy to criss-cross the city in a short amount of time and it's also easy to correct any mistakes like getting off at the wrong station. Happy travels!

My overriding memories of every minute in CDG is just chaos and uncertainty. Like, just getting from place to place INSIDE the airport gives me PTSD. I get where you’re coming from, and it’s bad layover because it’s both too much time and not enough time. But my gut reaction is that it’s not all about time, it’s also about travel stress versus emotional returns of limited sightseeing. I don’t know if I could really enjoy myself in Paris and not be clock watching.

If you do decide to head into the city, I’d keep it real real simple and just walk around the Seine between Notre Dame and Hotel de Ville.

Just a note about visiting the Tour de Montparnasse…..it’s closing on March 31st for some huge renovations including adding more floors.
Every business within is also moving out.

Back to a layover in Paris…having been through CDG many times, I would not leave the airport area if I were you.
It’s a chaotic mess, and it would be summer with more people than ever traveling.
How much do you have saved up to buy another flight if something delayed you getting back to CDG?

Also, if you miss one part of a round trip ticket, your return may be cancelled as you would be deemed a no-show.
Lots of nice little towns to visit near CDG.
Or…..Book lounge access, have a rest before going on to Sardinia.
Just trying to help you have a good vacation!