Layover in Paris

First of all your flight will be late departing or arriving or getting to the gate. Happens more than not. Unless you're flying "up front" usually takes o/a 1/2 hour to deplane. Then you will have to clear security and customs if you want to leave the airport which I suspect could involve your luggage which is of course checked through (unless you are just taking carry on). Depending on how many flights are arriving at the same time this is an hour or so. Then there's clearing security again upon your return. So, now we're down to maybe 4 hours. Hour into/out of Paris. See where this is going. Can it be done....sure. Would I do it, probably not. I go to the local airline lounge and take a shower and snooze. If you are not a member it's usually o/a $50 for you and one other person.

Hummm. I guess we stay flexible. We have only carry-on, and if we have the full amount of lay over hours, we could put the bags in a locker, then only have customs for ourselves (two of us). Would like to see something of Paris.

Thanks all. Lots of experience speaking. Guess I'll have to think this one out with a plan before we get there and an alternate plan when we arrive and see how much time is available. What I'd really like is a windshield tour of the city!

8 Hours should be doable. Good to play it by ear, but you gotta be able to safely spend at least a couple of hours in Paris. Pick a couple of favorite sites ahead of time, so you know what you are aiming at. Also time of arrival and departure (rush hour traffic ) is also part of the puzzle. Possibly have at least 2-3 hours in addition to immigration and travel time (allowing 2-3 hours for checking back in through security Get into town the most efficient (and reliable way). I would probably aim at Notre dame and the islands. Tempted by the possibility of Ste Chapelle depending on how long the line is

If by "Is there a problem leaving the airport and returning?" you mean can it be done - then the answer is there is no problem. However, you need to allow for going through customs & immigration and traffic, and then arriving at CDG 3 hours before your flight (because check in and security lines can be a nightmare!). You'd be lucky to get 2 hours of good sightseeing in. If it's really that important, you pick one sight you really want to see and go to it. Then you turn around and go back to the airport.

My husband and I were in Paris the last week of September and first week of October last year. CDG was crowded and a mess (I can't imagine what it is like in the summer with tourists!). We were in economy so it did take us at least 1/2 hour to de-plane. But that was just the beginning, we were in a, slow to medium paced, line from stepping off the plane all the way to clearing customs. There were several plans de-boarding at the same time we were... so those flights were flowing (actually, I wish they were really flowing!) into the same lines we were. We only had carry-ons, can't imagine how long it would of taken us to get checked bags...that area looked like fans leaving a Big Ten football game! We arrived CDG at 7 am - we estimated we would be checking into our hotel at around 10 am - wrong, we arrived safely at our hotel (in the Marais ....near Notre Dame) at 12:30. Our return to CDG for our fight home was slightly easier, but we did catch our taxi to the airport 3 hours before our flight left - we waited about 45 minutes until we were in our seats on the plane. Give it some serious thought and be prepared!......Good Luck!