Stuck overnight at CDG

Lee,

In the same situation, I'd book a room at one of the airport hotels. If you have a generous budget, there's a Sheraton or Hilton right in Terminal 2. There are other more budget friendly hotels nearby. Given the late time of your arrival and time of your departing flight, I wouldn't bother going into Paris.

Hanging out in the airport (any airport) for almost 12 hours would not be my choice - no way, no how. I'd find the money in my budget somehow to get a hotel room near the airport for the night and get a good night's rest.

There are hotels at the airport.

I would not do this unless there was NO alternative, but here's the how to guide!

http://www.sleepinginairports.net/europe/paris.htm

Some airports, Munich is an example, have sleeping pods you can rent in just such occasions.

I would get a room at an airport hotel and have breakfast at the caviar bar at CDG before departing.

Try this Ibis that is at the airport. Many of us have stayed there.
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1404-ibis-paris-cdg-airport/index.shtml

We liked the Ibis too, in a situation similar to yours. Clean, affordable, very convenient.

Another vote for the IBIS

Stay at the Ibis at the airport. It is nice hotel and incredibly easy to get to form the airport.

Most of the hotels cluster around terminal 3 within a short walk of the CDGVAL shuttle train to the departure area . While the IBIS is fine ( I've used it several times ) The Pullman , Hilton , Novotel , and a few others are all right there , as well . While the IBIS is generally viewed as having the lower prices , check out the others before booking . Last November , I took the Hilton . The price then was comparable to the IBIS . It depends on the demand as determined by the computer programs . I always book directly with the hotels , never on a third party booking site .

Here is a list of hotels close to CDG. One at 37 dollars is not to bad. 1.5 mile walk though. If weather is nice, might be worth it.

http://www.hotels.com/search.do?resolved-location=CITY%3A504261%3AUNKNOWN%3AUNKNOWN&f-distance=5.0&f-lid=485293&destination-id=504261&q-destination=Paris,%20France&q-rooms=1&q-room-0-adults=2&q-room-0-children=0&sort-order=DISTANCE_FROM_LANDMARK

Wife and I have spent the night in the terminal. Bums walk though all night, so one of you will have to stand guard over your stuff. If you can get there early enough to get your boarding pass, go through security and stay in the waiting area to fly. It is safer. I have done that too. Buy some food and drink before everything closes to last through the night. Try to be close to a toilet. A blanket, "borrowed from flight there" comes in handy when it gets chilly at 3:00 AM. An air pillow is also a comfort. You can book a room close to CDG, go there, check in, leave your luggage and baggage. You then can go into Paris for the evening and return at 1:00AM? or later, sleep, get up, have a nice bath and leave for the airport around 6:00. You need to be at the airport at least 3.5 hours before your flight. 4 hours is not unreasonable at CDG. Security can be brutal. Notice that the hotel is close to the airport, not in Paris. You do NOT want to be in Paris at 5:00, trying to get to CDG. Traffic is terrible. The train works, but schelping luggage into and out of the train is a real pain.