We will be in Normandy this fall and flying home on a Saturday at 1:30 from CDG. Can anyone suggest the best way back to CDG and possibly a small town to sleep Friday not so far from the airport? It would be nice to spend our last evening in France with a great meal rather than at the airport! If that seems too tight can you suggest an inexpensive hotel option in CDG? Thanks.
I would just stay in Paris the night before. With an early afternoon departure, you don't need to be at CDG til 10:30. Taxis from central Paris to the airport are a fixed fare and should take less than an hour. Bonus:no rush hour traffic to worry about.
Look at Giverny.
I don't like to turn a car in just before a flight -- I want a receipt that it is filled and undamaged and quick service is not a French thing and especially not a French rental car thing. I could bore you with a couple of horror stories dealing with this. I would have dinner in a nice town on the way -- Senlis perhaps which would be a great place to spent an afternoon and evening -- then drive to CDG and turn the car in and spend the night at an airport hotel. We use the Novotel because it is fairly cheap and has a good breakfast, is quiet and right on the CDGval to get to the terminal in the morning.
Or spend the last night in Paris and take a cab to the airport or the train in the morning.
There are several hotels right at CdG, pick the one that suits you. I get points so I stay at the Hilton.