Layover in Paris Ideas - March 2024

If you have 9 1/2 hours available, plan on being in Paris 2 hours after your CDG arrival, maybe earlier. If your follow on flight is to a Schengen country, depart Paris no later than 3 hours before scheduled departure. If your follow on flight is outside of the Schengen, plan on leaving Paris 4 hours before your scheduled departure.

You could plan on 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours in Paris. Do not underestimate the time it takes to travel into/back from Paris and the time you will spend in line at CDG.

What might work out the best is to hire a guide that can pick you up at the airport and drop you off. It may be a bit of a drive by tour, still it would be the best option in my opinion to maximize your time.

you would think something like Tours by Locals would offer such tours; I suspect the risks involved in a boatload of people missing a high stakes flight is what discourages it as I don't see anything like that on their site.

5 hours is optimistic. 2 hours coming in (less if you are lucky -- it was more like an hour for us this fall but it was the full 2 hours this spring). then an hour into Paris and then an hour back to the airport where you need to be there 2 hours ahead of a domestic flight to get back through security . If you are on one ticket and the luggage is checked through and you have boarding passes, then 2 hours might be okay for an international flight -- but it is not risk free. I'd not chance it myself but I am very conservative about time risks. So at most you have 3.5 hours in Paris and maybe only 2.5 factoring 3 hours coming and going.

You could take a taxi to the spot you most want to see. Or take a taxi to Trocadero to view the ET and then taxi to the center -- Notre Dame and stroll in that area and get a taxi back to the airport.

As others mentioned, our one experience with CDG is that it is HUGE and while it was a well oiled machine, everything took longer than we thought it would. Arrival was fast: It took about an hour or so upon arriving to get through everything and to our rental car but that was a 6 am arrival. Getting back into the airport for departure day however took over 2 hours from checking in, to boarder patrol, to taking the trams, to security and walking to the gate. That was with NO major glitches or interruptions. It is then another 30-45 minutes to get into the city by train (more if driving as traffic is crazy). So it is not to discourage it, but just to be aware and choose a small itinerary.

Another idea is for everyone to take the RER B into the city and get off at St. Michel/NOtre Dame and take the elevator or escalator to the surface and walk around the center of Paris. -- the central Islands and are lovely, the Hotel deVille is impressive -- you can get coffee and drink in the view and walk around a bit along the seine. The central islands have lovely parks and you can enjoy great views of Paris -- and then get back on the train and go back to the airport. It is IMHO the lowest risk/biggest payoff approach if you have limited time and want a. glimpse of Paris.

The only caveat is that you must be pickpocket proof -- I personally would use an under clothing money belt for passports and valuables on such an excursion. Tired people who don't understand what a skilled pickpocket can manage are at great risk -- but if you make sure nothing is available in pockets or carelessly held purses you are good. (waist packs, backpacks and such are a pickpockets dream)

It is not difficult to be pickpocket proof, but it is necessary especially when you are needing to catch a plane.

How much time you really have is dependent on where your outbound flight goes and whether it is a single ticket or multi ticket booking.

What are you doing with your (carry-on) luggage?

How many is a 'group' ?

Day of the week and arrival/departure time can affect travel time to/from the city.