Paris airport

yes that sounds about right; going through passport control and security can be time consuming at CDG

Check you airline's website to be sure it recommends just 3 hours at CDG. Those time recommendations change from time to time.

I have arrived at CDG 3 hours ahead of time and made my flight by 15 min and other times I have breezed through and sat for two hours waiting on my flight. In other words, it is hard to know how busy it will be. I always want to make sure I connect on my overseas flight so I always error on getting to the airport to early (never missed a flight yet). The hard part will be getting the children up early and keeping them happy while going through security and then waiting. Hope everything goes well and everyone arrives home on time, I love Paris and France!

From central Paris to the Airport can take 45 min to an hour depending on traffic. If your staying in a hotel they can probably arrange for a Taxi. I usually book on the G7 website the night before and have found the Taxi waiting outside the morning of. I would have the taxi there at 5:45am (yuck) just to be safe. Pack the night before, suitcases by the door,minimal showers in the morning and clothes laid out for a quick up and out. Plenty of nice places at the airport to grab coffee and breakfast. We always add an extra hour for duty free liquor shopping and treats for gifts back home, not sure what time all those shops open? I seriously would never book a flight that early, give me the flight in the early evening.

Hi....I have traveled through CDG in 2016 and 2017 and have told all my friends to allow 4 hours for pre flight check in. It was so stressful both times due to very long lines and if you get to your gate early just sleep in the airport.

Unless you are locked into your hotel reservation, you might want to consider staying the last night at one of the hotels at the airport. That’s what we do any time we have a pre-noon flight from a busy airport like cdg. Big time stress reducer.

I agree with the last post: for a 9:45 flight out of CDG, it would be ideal to stay in a hotel at CDG the night before. I understand that will not be possible if you are locked into your hotel reservations.

I agree 100% with Rosalyn! So much less stressful to just stay at CDG. The IBIS has good breakfast as well.

Thank you all for the insight into Paris travel. It is our first visit in Paris, but it is quick. We are doing a viking cruise, 2 nights in the swiss alps, and 2 nights in Paris. Our flights were changed and we scrambled to find the shortest layover on the way home, thus the 9:45am departure:(. We arrive in Paris on a 1:37 pm train on a Monday. We are dropping our luggage at the hotel and then going to the Louvre. The next day we are going up the Eiffel tower, taking an evening river cruise, and visiting a few churches - Notre Dame, St. Chappelle (will be closed unless we buy concert tickets) or Sacre Coure. We leave the next morning on Wednesday. I thought about leaving for the airport the night before, but it might make our visit seem even shorter if we have to check out of the hotel in the morning on Tuesday, leave our luggage until evening and then transfer to the airport hotel. Ugh. What to do??? It seem the Roissy bus is a decent way to transfer rather than a taxi for 5 people. Or a train ride/subway??

"It seem the Roissy bus is a decent way to transfer rather than a taxi for 5 people. Or a train ride/subway?? "

For five people, a taxi will actually be cheaper than 5 separate bus or subway fares. Plus, at that early hour, a taxi will be fast. Just book it the night before. I haven't done this myself, but everyone recommends G7 Taxis. They allow you to pre-book a large vehicle: https://www.g7.fr/en/discover-our-services/large-taxi-monospace

Conquering CDG. I just returned from Paris. I had a 10:00 a.m flight out on Delta. The website would check me in, confirm my check in, but would not let me print a boarding pass. Knowing CDG as I do, that made me a little apprehensive. I took a taxi at 5:00a.m. ( yes 5:OO a.m.) arranged by my hotel. I've never taken as taxi before as I am cheap and usually take the RER B train out. As a single, older, female, I really did not want to be traveling the streets and metro stations alone at that hour. Plus I'm not sure the RER B runs that early.

Anyway...the taxi took me to terminal 2E. No traffic at that hour. I followed the signs to my check in area. Too early for it to be staffed, but the auto kiosks worked just fine. I printed my boarding pass. As I had only carry on I did not have to wait for the baggage area to open. I followed the signs to Embarcation. Sign shows a plane taking off.
First hurdle: Passport control. No line at the auto control machine, so I gave it a try. It rejected my passport. No explanation. So I got in the regular line. It was minimal at that hour. I could see that it was cordoned off for a large crowd. After passing through, I was directed to my gate, M, by a nice attendant in orange. That required taking a shuttle, well marked, out to M. Where I cleared security. Again no line, but they were set up for huge crowds. After that I had time to kill, but better to spend it window shopping (very high end stores), walking about, or eating, in my opinion, than nervously waiting in some huge line at Passport control or Security. At the "M" gate, there was quite a bit of things for kids, play areas, videos.

This was my experience. I hope it helps.

When I fly back to SFO from CDG, the night before I stay at a 2 star hotel at the airport, ie, so far only at Companilie, a French chain. But the hotel adjacent to it, Golden Tulip offers a better deal, which is the hotel I'll be at next time flying out of CDG. I get to CDG 3.5 to 4.5 hrs prior.

Thank you all for the responses. I booked a hotel at CDG for the night before to reduce the travel stress. We will plan on being at the airport at least 4 hours ahead.

I have a 9:15 flight to SFO in June and will stay at an Ibis at the airport the night before. I don't think the metro & RER are running early enough to arrive by 6:15. I always get paranoid that a preordered taxi won't arrive and then I'll be in deep trouble. It happened once in Rome. Fortunately we were going to catch a train, not a flight so it worked out. I prefer to avoid stress whenever necessary.

Can you leave your bags at your original hotel so you can tour around for the day? After dinner you could pick your bags up and take the RER from St. Michel to the airport.