CDG: which terminal for Europe Car rental car return?

What airline and from what terminal are you flying out of?

Airports are generally a lot easier with better signage than city center locations.

Thanks, Sam. Your response sounds very reassuring. We will actually stay overnight at CDG at the ibis hotel right at the airport (I think the terminal is next to is not 1 of the 3 where we can return the car). It sounds like it may not matter to which terminal we return the car as there is the train/shuttle from terminal to terminal. We thought we would try to drop off our bags at ibis and then return the car. Unless, of course were running late. Are all the terminals equally accessible when arriving at CDG, do you know?

I’m always nervous about renting/returning at non-airport locations for the same reason. But airports generally gave very good signage with lots of advance notice. You can use google earth to familiarize yourself with the roads leading to airport and the signage in advance.

I have never driven to CDG, but I just spent the last hour "driving" around CDG on Google Maps Streetview. By deciding to drop your luggage at the Ibis first, you have set yourself up for a grand tour de CDG. That said, it looks like Terminal 1 is your best drop-off location. From there it is a quick trip on the CDGVal transit back to the Ibis.

Give it a try. Added complication is that when the google photo van recorded this, it was at sunrise on a clear day, and the entry from the motorway is headed due east into the sun. That makes reading the signs trickier than normal. Anyway, assuming you are coming from Paris, stay to the left and follow signs to Terminal 1-3, Roissypole. When you get to Roissypole (a complex of hotels and office buildings) you'll see the Ibis, but you can't get there from here. The entrance is on the interior of the complex, so you will have circle the entire complex at least once to get to the one-way interior street that will get you to the Ibis entrance.

Afterward, follow signs to Terminal 1. You'll stay to the left, signs say "Voitures de location" and "Car Rental" underneath. It will be the upper ramp and you will see the Voitures de location about 3/4 of the way around the circular terminal building on the left.

FYI we had a lot of difficulty returning at Montparnasse, too. First, there are six parking structures. The car rental signs are miniscule. We drove in circles for quite a while, too.

However, we've had luck following the signs at CDG.
It's a lot easier. Just verify that all three returns are open during COVID-19. I believe some terminals are closed.

It is very easy to return a rental at CDG, all the signs pointing to drop-off locations are in both French and English.

It usually does not matter where you leave your car, people typically use the location closest to their departure gate. I believe that terminals 1 and 3 are still closed, use either of the terminal 2 drop-off locations (again follow the signs), then take the free, CDGVAL train shuttle from the center of terminal 2 to Roissypôle where the Ibis is. The train takes about 4-5 minutes to reach Roissypôle and operates continuously between 04h00 and 01h00. The Ibis is at the CDGVAL exit.

I had the same thing happen at Montparnasse in 2008. Even a gas bar attendant I asked shrugged as to the location of the Europcar drop off... it was right across the street!

More recently I returned a Sixt car to T2 at CDG. Just follow the signs. Hard to miss. You'll even pass a gas station if you've forgotten to top up the tank. If you want to be absolutely sure of things... do a dry run using Google Streetview.

If you are staying at the Ibis at T3 (where you cannot return a car) I'd suggest stopping and checking in, then continuing on to T2. You will need to take the free CDGVal shuttle train from T2 back to the Ibis and it's much more convenient with no luggage.

Yes, Terminal 1 is closed right now (per https://easycdg.com/) , so your options are Terminal 2 A,B or Terminal 2 E,F. You'll follow signs after the Ibis to Terminal 2, then that "Voitures de location" sign will get you to the Terminal 2 A,B rental return location.

Thank you everyone! I was guessing terminal 2 would be best. Glad to hear verification that it actually is the way it looks on the map, i.e. ACE on one side and BDF on the other. And yes, I will try to drop off bags at Ibis in advance of returning the car providing, of course that we are not late. You know, even with allowing extra time for things like finding gas stations, dinner, getting lost. Also very glad to hear there is a gas station at CDG. Also good to know that terminal 1 is closed right now. I know things may change by spring 2022 but I have found, for myself at least there is no such thing as planning too early. And I will indeed look at Google maps Street view. I've done that in the past which has saved me a great deal of grief. Thanks, Bets and parisamsterdam2007. I'm sorry you had trouble similar to mine at Montparnasse but I appreciate knowing because it wasn't just me being lame.

Terminal 3 is closed too, so you have no choice--you have to use the return lots at Terminal 2.