Driving from Amboise and returning rental car at CDG - how much time?

I'm going to throw out a WAG at leaving Amboise 8 hours before flight time. While Google maps and Viamichelin agree on the driving times, those are for ideal conditions with no construction, accidents, or other slowdowns. So I'd add an hour to that for safety. Then you'll want to fill the tank before you turn in the car and wait to get the paperwork ( including confirmation that there is no new damage to the car). Then you need to get to your terminal. Add an hour for all that. And you'll want to be walking thru the terminal doors 3 hours before your flight (if you're headed home). Ergo 8 hours.

Thank you for your reply! I had forgotten about things like filling up the gas tank, and had no idea about how much time to allow for getting from the car rental to the terminal or gate. I appreciate your help.

Something I forgot to say in the original post is that we're flying to Copenhagen, and from there flying to the US the next morning. Does flying within Europe reduce the airport time at all, or should we still get there 3 hours in advance? Thank you!

Have you looked at dropping the car at Tours/ St Pierre de Corps and then taking TGV straight to CDG?

Katheryne has a good idea, though there are only a few direct trains. Looks like there is one at 10 and another at 2 weekdays.

The trip takes 1:40, so the early train would get you there way early and the second would be cutting things awfully close.

Thanks, Katheryne and Adam, for your replies. Yes, dropping the car at St. Pierre des Corps station and then taking the train is what I would ideally like to do. However, I got the car rental a long time ago with the drop-off at CDG, and at this time it would cost significantly more to drop the car in Tours or St. Pierre des Corps, plus we would need to buy the train tickets for four people, making it quite expensive. I have spent too much time looking into all the different options for taking the train, to no avail. But it certainly does seem like it would be a lot less stressful!

For an intra-European flight be there two hours ahead.

Thank you, Bets! Sounds like we may be able to leave at around 10:30 or 11:00 and have enough time.

Your airline might send you an e-mail telling you to arrive more than 2 hours ahead of your flight. Lines at CDG have been crazy lately. Take a look at https://www.thelocal.fr/20170712/airlines-sound-alarm-over-chaotic-border-queues-at-paris-airports. I know that you are not flying on American but that airline has been telling passengers to arrive 4 hours before departure time.

Thank you, JHK, for the link to the article. Wow! It sounds like the airport lines are a complete mess, and makes me think we should go ahead and leave earlier rather than later. This is the kind of thing I would have had no idea about, so I really appreciate your help.

While Google maps and Viamichelin agree on the driving times, those are for ideal conditions with no construction, accidents, or other slowdowns.

And ideal conditions never exist driving on the outskirts of Paris. So do leave plenty of time.

Thanks for the tip, Robert. It sounds like we better be safe rather than sorry and make it mostly a travel day by leaving early.

We drove from Amboise via Chartres -- got tied up in mid-afternoon traffic going around Paris toward CDG -- and were quite happy that we were NOT rushing to make a plane, but were checking in to an airport hotel for a morning flight. Circled CDG twice to find the Enterprise return lot. So yes, plan for a full travel day and get there early, spend any extra time getting your last croissants at the airport coffee shops.

Thanks for your comments, Laura B. It's good to hear from someone who has done the same trip. I read of others missing the Enterprise rental return as well, and that's the company we're using, so we'll have to be on careful lookout for it.