Paris CDG Layover

I'm sorry to say that I'd stay put. You need to be there 3 hours before your departure time, and assuming your arrival time into CDG is on time, there's probably still passport control...another long line. (I don't know if this is entering Europe or leaving it...I hit both...) There's luggage to store (probably). You'd need to take the train in, to avoid traffic. You'd have to stand in line for train tickets (most likely...another story there). I suggest roaming, eating/drinking/shopping, and people-watching at CDG. There's a current thread on this very topic...can't find it anywhere right now (grrrrrrr)...I DID find two other threads - one 7-hour layover had many regulars here saying "Noooo!", while another one had some people saying "Yes...but only for one or two things that you look at". You could zip in to see something located ON the RER B line, stroll a few minutes, then hop back on the RER train. Too stressful for me. Plus, I don't know if you're traveling alone, or with 7 family members. I still say, "Sorry".

It's an hour in and an hour back. Add an hour to clear the airport. Add two to be there before departure. You've got two hours left over. Take the RER B to St Michele-Notre Dame and walk back across the river to wander the islands and see the cathedral. If you have a bit of time left over (probably not), walk the river or the Latin Quarter as far as the Sorbonne. Go back to the same station and haul tail. Try to go anywhere else, Arc, Tower, Invalides, etc, and you're going to have to make line changes and have no time except to stick your head above ground. And you still might miss the flight. Not knowing where that rer/metro station is every second it's out of sight is going to kill the deal. If you've got to stash some of your junk at the airport and can't get that done (both ends) in a couple of shakes (and you're working both flights out of the same terminal), you're also screwed.

If you are on a layover, I assume your luggage is already checked on your continuing flight and you have your boarding passes for the continuing flight. In these circumstances, I would do it. One hour to St Michel-Notre Dame RER. You would have at least 3 hours in the neighborhood before heading back. You just need to get through security & passport check to your gate. It'll be 18 Euro & change for each person round trip, so a private driver makes sense if you have 4 people.

The nearby village of Roissy is a typically French, sleepy place except for the constant hum of jets overhead. You could take a cab for a few euros and stroll for an hour, visiting the tiny church, sipping an expresso in the village square, poking around any shops that happen to be open. A string of hotels stands between the village and airport terminals, if you want to take a meal away from the terminal. Not great, but exercise is worthwhile on these long jet trips.

Thanks to all for responding. My wife and I have been to Paris multiple days three times so we've seen all of the top sights. I was just wondering if its even worth it to go into Paris for two or three hours to soak up the ambience.