Stay at airport hotel for 9am flight back to the U.S. from CDG?

YES.

I did Paris solo last year, had an 11 am flight - was on the street searching for a taxi (long story) at 6 am when it was dark - if I had to do it over again, I would def have stayed at the airport.

You want to be there at least 3 hrs prior, so if you were in Paris, that means you're trying to catch a train or a taxi, etc., at 5 am, minimum.

We’ve only stayed at a CDG airport hotel once during a strike and didn’t want to rely on other methods of getting to the airport for our morning flight. If you are staying in a Paris hotel in the days prior to your flight morning, I’d just stay at the hotel and have them arrange an early taxi. On a Sunday morning there shouldn’t be much traffic so 3 hours plus the 45min taxi ride (hotel location dependent) will be an early start but you won’t have to change hotels for one night. Set your alarm, have your clothes laid out, your toiletry bag ready to slip into the top of your carryon bag and out the door you go.

We generally do not but many others do stay at the airport the night before departure. Nothing wrong with that especially if it gives you a little extra comfort. If we are staying away from the airport that will add an extra hour to travel, etc., to get there. Sunday morning in Paris the traffic will be light but a week day would give more weight to staying at the airport. If it was a noon flight , that is less time pressure so where you stay is less important.

Have stayed at CDG hotels many times the night before a morning flight the next day. Highly recommend this strategy for your 9 am departure. Even if you stay at an airport hotel (stay at one inside the airport, not a shuttle ride from outside), you will have to hop up early on departure day and get to the check-in counters and navigate the gauntlet that could take every bit of 3 hours from start to standing at your gate...

9 am flight--absolutely. This one is simple, clean, and their breakfast service starts at 4 am. It's located right next to Terminal 3. You take an internal shuttle to Terminal 2 to check in. I couldn't find the English website, sorry. Google has decided I'm in France, though I'm in the US at this moment.

https://all.accor.com/hotel/1404/index.fr.shtml

In 2019 we stayed at the Ibis Styles Paris Roissy CDG hotel in the village of Roissy. Picture a 16th century French village surrounded by modern hotels with airplanes flying overhead. There was a shuttle to the airport that was very convenient.

I generally don't stay at airport hotels the night before a flight either. However - I had a 10 am flight out of CDG once and was prepared to take the RER B back to the airport, but surprise! My AirBnB host alerted me late the night before my departure that there was a strike the next day. I still took the Metro/train but it involved a more complicated routing on trains that were packed due to the strike. I made it, but I could have done without the stress. For a flight that early I would definitely stay at the airport the night before so you know nothing like that will pop up to delay you.

I think what matters here is what are your plans for the day prior to leaving for home? An airport hotel will require you checking out in the am, storing your luggage, coming back later and then going out to the airport in the evening. Staying in Paris means no luggage worries and a place to rest or refresh mid-day. You can have a full day of sightseeing.

I have left Paris on early morning flights twice. I have had my hotel arrange for a taxi/driver and had a pick up at 5 am. Very little traffic at that time! It worked fine for me.

You simply need to choose which fits your needs best. Extra time in the city, or one less travel step on the day of return.

We usually stay at a hotel near the Luxembourg Garden when we are in Paris and just take the RER B to the airport from the Luxembourg stop. But when I was in Rome in June, I stayed at the hotel at the airport my last night because I had an early flight. I know I slept better not having to worry about traffic, etc. that last morning, and I was able to sleep an extra 90 minutes because I was at that hotel. So, I think you would be glad you were close to CDG.

Have a great time in France!

If you’re interested, I took a croissant pastry class with La Cuisine in Paris, and I really enjoyed the small class, and I have made them several times each year now. It’s fun to have a few activities where they are speaking English when you are a solo traveler.

We've had several early morning departures from Paris and have never had any issues getting a taxi. Hotels have arranged for pickups as early as 5 am and they were completely reliable. I'd rather not spend the extra time needed to checkout of the Paris hotel and checking into the airport hotel when it's not necessary.

I’m very very anti-airport hotel when you are staying in the main city. If you are in an outlying village or countryside then sometimes transit times are such that it’s necessary. But for the main city to its airport, there is always a way there early in the morning. A pre-booked cab might be easier than public transit, but the cost should reduce a bit when compared to moving to the airport hotel.

Here’s why : airport hotels are boring. Your last night in Paris should be spent walking around floodlit streets and having a leisurely dinner in a nice setting. Moving to an airport hotel takes this away and ends your trip…in an airport. AND in my experience you save very little time. Unless the hotel is inside the airport, you need a shuttle. How often does it come and how long does it take with stops etc. Compare to a cab door-to-door in the early morning before traffic. I have not done it at CDG but in other cities the airport is something like 30-45 minutes out and the shuttle takes 15. So is saving 15-30 minutes of sleep really worth the hassle of moving? I’d rather be up at 3AM than miss my last evening in a lovely European city!
So a 9AM flight. Nervous Nellie plus CDG (busy and crazy). Arrive at 5AM. Work backwards from there, there should be minimal traffic at that time.

This is a hill I will die on, sorry!

If we have a morning flight, we always stay at the airport. We're always a bit nervous about missing a flight and we want the least stress possible.

I vote for the airport hotel. I have not had to stay at one near CDG, but did recently stay at an airport hotel at BER and thought it was WELL worth it for the lack of stress and ease of getting to the airport. My previous hotel in the city was nice enough to hold my luggage (and most will do that) so I was able to get in some sightseeing in the morning.

I retrieved my bags later that day, took the train to the airport, got checked in and was able to have a nice dinner with wine that evening without worrying about waking up before dawn and getting to the airport while half asleep. And the extra hour of sleep in the morning was very nice. :) If you want to walk the floodlit streets of Paris, go for it (I would!), but do it the previous night.

The night before flying back to SFO I stay in a CDG hotel. Around 7 PM or so I go back to my hotel at Gard du Nord to pick up my luggage (it's held there after I check out in the morning), take the RER to CDG, and check in the Campanile Hotel, a French 2 star chain, making it easily before its restaurant is closed.

I would rather not have to rely on the RER in the morning to CDG, much less the taxi and that expense. You'll see other Europeans doing exactly the same, getting to their hotels once the RER arrives at Roissy, then taking a bus to the hotel.

One time I didn't know any better and after awhile waiting at a bus stop along with other European tourists there decided to opt for a taxi to get to the hotel. I wasn't sure the stop was for the right bus. Totally unnecessary.

Shortly after I made it to the hotel, some of those waiting at the bus stop with me showed up at the Campanile too, we just looked at each other.....they were smart by having waited for the bus.

Book a hotel near CDG for your last night, then relax and don't worry about it anymore.

In 2019, we stayed at the Citizen M, an easy walk to CDG. It was close enough that we could walk there the night before and find a pharmacy. The Citizen M was perfectly fine, but it felt a bit like a college dorm that was trying too hard to be edgy. The Sheraton was a little closer to the terminal, and looked a lot less hip.

https://www.citizenm.com/hotels/europe/paris/paris-charles-de-gaulle-hotel

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/parsi-sheraton-paris-airport-hotel-and-conference-centre/overview/

We stayed at the Marriott near CDG our last night after arriving on the train from Beaune. They have a shuttle that will take you to the airport in the am. The room was very comfortable and the bar had a nice selection of light food we enjoyed for a late dinner. We got to the airport 3 hours before our flight, had Sky Priority check in and still waited in line for 2 hours. It was a zoo.

I stayed at the ibis Paris CDG. The airport train shuttle is literally a two minute walk from the hotel. Go out the front door, walk 20 feet, go inside and take the escalator to the shuttle which runs constantly, ever six minutes or something like that. I was at my check in desk for my flight within ten minutes of leaving the hotel. I concur with others. Have your Paris hotel hold your luggage. Have dinner in Paris and do a final stroll and then catch the train or take a taxi to the hotel. Relax, get a good night of sleep and sleep an extra hour knowing you are at the airport. This hotel was less expensive than hotels in Paris but I haven’t checked rates lately. It is basic but clean.

For a 9am flight? Absolutely especially at CDG. I would do that any day of the week — not just Sunday. In fact, I’m staying at an airport hotel at Frankfurt airport for an 11 AM flight to JFK on a Thursday in October.

Absolutely, stay at a hotel in CDG. There's always the unexpected, as it's been said. You don't want to risk delays due to transportation strikes, airport shuttle delays or airport traffic.
There's a Sheraton right in the airport. We always stay there and have never regretted it. Risk mitigation....

We have done both. Most recently in May we used credit card points to book the Sheraton at CDG. We also paid for that night at our Luxembourg Gardens area hotel and went to the airport in the evening. I don’t love the idea of being stressed about waking up in time for the 5 am ride (been there, done that) and it was no big deal to use the points. We also took some time when we got to the airport in the evening to get our bearings for the next morning. I would do it this way again for an early flight in a large city with a busy airport.