Paris in 1 day?

Well Brant of course you can't see everything in a day, but you can certainly enjoy seeing 2-3 sites and enjoy them very much. For me its a no brainer, sitting in an airport for 7.5 hours ,, in transit on a very long journey, or take a break see a few sites, and continue on the next day.The train in from CDG takes about 35 minutes and costs about 11 euros ( i seem to recall). So, do you have a large suitcase that will be checked through? That would be ideal, just having a small carryon with a toothbrush.. so you can just hop train ,, a lot of luggage may be inconvenient.
Are there any sites you have always wanted to see in Paris?

Absolutely take the layover and see what you can. I suggest you take the Hop on /Hop off bus to get a good overview. You could then go see a couple of things that really interest you. I like the suggestion to just have a small bag with you. I would stay in a central location to maximize what little time you have. There is no reason to stay near the airport.

I agree with the others. Stay, you will not regret it. I found that if asked politely, the hotel may hold your bags. (If you need. Take one of Rick's hotel suggestions, they are always nice and friendly.) I like the bus idea. Also the river boat tours are nice. If you are an art lover see the Louvre and d'Orsay. If not hit major sights like Tour Eiffel and Arc de Triomphe (I would only go up one and I would chose the Arc, lines shorter. Just a time thing, no other reason.) Sit in a garden for lunch and have a pastry for breakfast. Even if you do something else there, it will be wonderful. Enjoy!

Stay! An agonizing, tooth-grinding 7.5 hour layover vs. a day in the most wonderful city on Earth? That is the definition of a "no brainer," IMHO. :D Paris isn't "do-able" in a day, but there is much to do. You can have a blast. I would suggest staying someplace close to major tourist attractions (particularly the ones you want to see!) in order to maximize your time in town. Wikipedia has a good entry on the arrondissements, and lets you click through to each one to find a description and list of major sites a tourist stuff. Paris is a city of "Great Sights to See and "Major Monuments," as well as a city that is great to just hang around in. So to maximize your experience, I would suggest seeing a couple or three major things (Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, a museum of your choice) in the morning. Then have a late lunch. Enjoy the ambiance and eat something you've never had before. Linger over a glass of wine. Then choose a neighborhood to explore (le Marais and Saint-Germain-des-Prés are two of my favorites) and just have a ramble! Maybe pick a couple of shops or a site that you want to just stroll past, as ways to anchor your walk (and not get too lost) but don't stress about "hitting" anything major. Pick up a souvenir. People watch. Then a cafe for a drink and another linger. Then dinner. And then I would blow my doors off and make it a late night, since hey - it's one day in Paris! So yes, I think you ought to go for it. Have a great time!

From one Phonecian to another, you must stay in Paris. I once spent 2 hours in CDG and nearly went bonkers. Stay in Paris, you will never regret your decision. Others have posted great ideas of how to spend the time so I won't duplicate ideas here. Enjoy.
Debbie

Brant,
we just returned from Paris yesterday... it was our first time and it is a GREAT city. Answers: where to stay. Since it's one night, stay near the Les Halles train station and you can take the train right from CDG airport to the station, get off and walk to the hotel/apartment EASILY, CHEAPLY (8 euros) AND QUICKLY (30 minutes). From there you can walk to everything! Walk from your place to the Eiffel tower and you'll see so much of the city without having to plan every detail out. Don't cram too much in... hours go by quickly as you walk and you don't want to wait in line for hours for one single thing (think of disney when you think of waiting to go up the eiffel tower). since your flight is later in the afternoon it'll be easy enough to take the train back.

Great, thank you all! This has been most helpful! The airfare is purchased, and I went with the layover. I also picked up Rick's Pocket Paris, which looks like it will be a great resource. Best to you all! Brant

Good choice Brant! Paris is my favorite place on earth. The RER/Metro from CDG goes directly to the Latin Quarter (5 th arrondissement), St. Michel stop - I would stay there rather than near Les Halles. Kira's suggestions are excellent!