paulaschwartz

On Sunday June 15 I have an 11 hour layover at the Charles De Gaulle airport from 12 midnight to 11 am. Does anybody have any ideas about a hotel where I can stay & sleep for a few hours & then wake up at sunrise & walk around the area in time for me to make my 11 am flight back to Los Angeles? Is the Eiffel Tower area close enough to the airport to do this? Any other area close to the airport where I could wake up very early & walk around a little & get to the airport on time? Thanks. I would appreciate the name of any hotels or areas to choose a hotel.

jane1144

You'll have to be back at the airport a minimum of 3 hours before your flight...so by 8am. It could easily take you more than an hour to get back to the airport, depending on how you go. Will you have unchecked luggage? If so you will have to take some time to store it. This trip would be doable in the daytime, but difficult at night.

Ackislander

Don't sleep unless you have to work the day after your 11 AM flight. Stay up all night and see the city.

Arrive CDG at midnight, clear Immigration, get your bags, be in a taxi by 0100. Go to La Pied du Cochon in Les Halles, open 24x7. Eat, drink, hang out in an historic cafe.

Around 0330, have the staff get you a cab preferably with an English speaking driver. Tell the driver you want to see Paris, and you have €150 to spend. You want to Start with the Seine, both sides, and work your way out through the left Bank and the Right Bank until you are hitting your limit. Is it 0500? The sun will be up, people will be starting to work, the Metro will be opening up. Ask the driver to end up at a good cafe that opens early. Have a cup of coffee and a croissant. Get another cab back to the airport, arriving by 0830.

'€50 each way to and from CDG, €150 to see the city. Priceless memories. No more expensive than staying in a hotel.

Have I done this? No. My father did it in London as a young man, and it was with him the rest of his life and made his children insanely jealous. Even at twice the price, it would be Worth It.

I

flpab

I love Ackislander's plan!!

giro

i second the idea of La Pied du Cuchon especially if you like onion soup!
Find a cafe near the river at sunrise and spend some time walking along it before heading back. This could be an updated version of "Before Sunrise!" Enjoy

Mathieu

I also like Ackislanders plan!
What fun, and Paris is a good city to do this, especially in June. Plan for it and nap before you get to Paris. Fingers crossed that you don't hit a rainy night. The memories will be priceless and you'll have done something pretty unique. Best of all, you'll have a great sleep on the flight home... and a chance to dream of it all over again

StCirq

In case you want to google it for more information, it's Au Pied de Cochon. And yes, I'd probably do something wild and crazy like that!