Where to stay on the way out - CDG

With an afternoon flight I'd stay in Paris and enjoy a nice dinner and evening stroll along the Seine and get a cab after a leisurely breakfast.

If you want to stay at the airport (which makes sense for an early morning flight but not an afternoon one) then stay AT the airport not NEAR the airport, so you can just hop on the CDG VAL to the terminal and not have to deal with the hassles of getting to the airport. It is easier from Paris than from towns near the airport.

Hi Lee. We began and finished a trip in Paris two years ago. Our last night we stayed in a little village called Roissy en France about 2 miles from the airport. We found a Bed and Breakfast (Roissy Apartments) on the internet that was in the village and perfectly located so a car was not necessary. A bus runs from the airport to that village and we could walk to the small downtown a few blocks away. We had the most delicious dinner at a bistro called Le Village Brewery with a garden that had dining in it and it was magical. We rode the bus from the airport to the village and then back the next morning. It was very easy. I hope this helps.

With a morning flight, we stayed the night before at CDG. Our hotel was Citizen M. Oriented to business travelers, very modern (iPad to control lights, drapes, audio/video etc) with a bar and bistro on site. Very friendly and very efficient. Worked great for us, as we could walk to airport trams and be in the international terminal within 30 minutes!

We leave ... in the afternoon

Does that mean 12:10 or 5:30? Both are 'in the afternoon', but depending when and what your destination is, would dictate different plans as to when you should be at the airport.

There is a Holiday Inn Express that is easy and doesn't require a car, but as everyone suggested, I wouldn't move to the airport the night before unless I had an earlier flight. A morning in Paris could still be really enjoyable.