First time to Paris, question for getting from London back to CDG

If it isn't possible for you to book multi-city flights (into Paris and out of London), you might consider heading to London directly after landing at CDG, doing your 5 nights there, and then getting the EuroStar back to Paris and finishing your trip there instead of the other way around. That way, you won't have to worry about last minute airport logistics or cutting your time in London short to get back to Paris and catch a flight. That first day is also usually a pretty jet-lagged fog (at least in my case), so spending it in transit isn't the worst thing!

I agree with Rachael. If you can't book a multi-city flight or open jaw, then take the EuroStar right after you land in CDG and see London first. After your stay in London, return to Paris on EuroStar and enjoy Paris, free of worries about getting back across the channel for your homeward flight.

Thanks for the advice, we just might to that!

I'm hoping we'll have enough time to catch our reserved seats on Eurostar at Gare du Nord to London. Fingers crossed lol
How much time would you give yourself once arriving at the train station?

You need an hour before departure (in both directions). The website will say 30-45 (45 I think at the moment) but it is the whole deal. Queue to check in, especially at Gare du Nord (upstairs in a different part of the station), then queue to go through security, then the security, then the French border agents, then the British Border Force then wait, then the queue to board, then off. Really - an hour is the minimum if you want less frazzle.

thank you so much for the advice, we are so excited to visit Paris and London and are looking forward our trip!

Is there a reason you can't fly into one city and home from the other? That would make the most sense.

If you're locked into roundtrip Paris flights, then the advice to go on to London at the start is good -- get the ground travel done on your arrival day and finish in the city you'll be flying home from. If for some reason you can't do that, and London has to be your second city, then I'd suggest a flight from Heathrow or Gatwick right into CDG late in the day before your flight home, even in the evening, and your last night at an airport hotel to assure making that flight the next day. There are several big chain hotels right in CDG, very convenient if charmless.

The round trip air was far less expensive from DTW to CDG . So that was basically the big push. In September, r/t from DTW to CDG is right around $560 with a short layover in ORD.

We have lots to consider, but everyone has given good points for the return trip.