7 AM flight CDG... What would you do?
 

I just booked a 7:15 AM flight out of CDG. Two options for the night before.

1. Go to CDG and stay at an airport hotel. Pros no worry over getting to airport, could sleep later. Cons... it's the AIRPORT! I travel a lot, no real excitement there LOL!

2. Stay in Paris and get a cab in the wee hours. I will probably stay at the Marriott Rive Guache using points so I would have bellmen etc to order cab. Pros get the evening before in Paris. Cons what time do I have to leave. Little sleep (but I can sleep on the plane what else is there to do?)

So since I am leaning towards two unless the respected folks on here convince me it's a REALLY stupid idea, what time would you leave for CDG. My flight is CDG to Dublin on AirFrance where I connect to Delta back to Atlanta.

I can't stand staying at the airport, either. I mean, it's Paris - you have to squeeze every last second out of it. Nothing much is even open at CDG at 5 am, which would normally be the time interval (or more) that I'd give myself to be there and checking in for a flight, so I'd call a cab for 5 am. Arriving there at 5:45 - 6:00 will almost certainly give you plenty of time to get on that plane. I've done this both ways: been there at 4:30 (absolutely dead airport) and getting there at 6 for a 7am flight (worked just fine).

Absolutely Option 2. StCirq is completely correct. The thought of spending my last night in Paris at some remote airport hotel would make me cry - no further input required ;)

Thanks. I will probably aim to leave the hotel at a little earlier the StCirq suggests but I figure traffic shouldn't be an issue.

There will be NO traffic. Call Taxi Bleu and get there at 6 am and you will be fine, I promise.

I stayed at the CDG Ibis once because it was an early flight at the end of a long trip and my traveling companion preferred that. One other time I stayed at a CDG HI Express because we arrived late evening and had to meet my niece who was arriving on an early morning flight the next day. Both experiences were, to be kind, charmless. Quite honestly, with the time it takes to get checked out, wait for the shuttle and transfer to the terminal you don't really get to sleep much later than if you stay in town.

We are also flying home early in the morning, and this will be a situation where sometimes compromise is key to a stable marriage :-) I am personally a "make the trip last to the very last second" kind of gal, so my first choice would be staying in town and getting up early - soaking in some last ounces of early morning atmosphere before heading home... My husband, however, is a more anxious traveller around that actual getting there and getting back logistics. So we are going to be staying at the airport the night before treking up there late in the evening. For our family, planning to be within striking distance of the airport 10 hours before we have to rather then 2 hours, will make my husband more relaxed, so that the last full day will be more enjoyable for all :-)

I'd stay in Paris and take a cab, which I have done when I needed the taxi for around 6 or so. The trip was easy, and I think that Marriott won't be that bad to get to the peripherique.

You aren't going to be soaking up any atmosphere in the morning in Paris at that time of night (it will be dark, anyway, and you won't be very perky), so I wouldn't use that as a reason.

In practice, because of the time of day, the trip won't be that bad, so there won't be that much difference in time you have to get up -- unless you stay in a hotel right in the airport, of course, then maybe it will give you an hour. I would make it based on other things -- like if this were the end of a long trip when I was pretty much out of steam and just wanted to go home, I'd likely just stay at the airport. If I were already in Paris, I wouldn't, of course, and that seems to be the situation here. You won't save any time given you'll have to check out one hotel and check in another, so that eats up the time advantage.

If you want to save a few euros, take a taxi from your hotel to Gare du Nord in time to catch the first RER B train to CDG. It leaves at 04:56 and arrives at CDG 2 TGV at 05:30.

Heck, you aren't going to get much sleep any way you try. Pack your bags and party all night. Save a hotel night's cost and sleep on the plane.

On the other hand, I enjoyed staying at the Sheraton in the airport. We checked in after dinner in Paris. Lovely hotel and is inside the airport. We still needed to go to another terminal and the hotel had a driver take us there at no charge. Here are some photos of the hotel. http://travelswithdiane.homestead.com/Paris6.html

It's a fairly quick trip by taxi from the Marriott RG to the airport--that time of day maybe 30-40 minutes but check with the hotel. If your 7:15 flight is to the states, I would get there by 5:15 or 5:30 at the latest.

Sorry--just read you are off to Dublin. I would arrive at CDG by 5:45 unless they require earlier.

Thanks for all the feedback. I am going with staying at the Marriot in Paris.

Party all night is not happening.

The Marriott is VERY close to the RER B line but since I am getting the hotel for free I think I can afford to "splurge" on the taxi LOL!

My 7:15 is only to DUB. I have three hours there to connect to Delta to Atlanta.


It's a frequent flyer ticket so I am watching, something better may open up!

Carol - if the CDG-DUB and your connecting flight out of DUB are on the same ticket, your check in at CDG will be treated as the first leg of an international itinerary, subject to the same check in times, so plan accordingly.

Like someone else said, even if you've got a 7:15 flight, odds are that there won't be much of anything open at CDG before 6:00 a.m. That was certainly our experience in 2004. We took a private shuttle (had five in our party), arriving at the airport before 5:30, and ended up just waiting with the other early birds until they opened the security lines at 6:00 a.m.

We took a taxi to CDG from the Denfert Rochereau RER station around 6:30am for 44 euro (2 of us). It was raining and there was no traffic holdup anywhere. Your trip should be similar or better.

It sounds like you've decided to take a taxi directly to CDG. However, if you reconsider, be aware that being close to the Denfert-Rochereau RER station won't do you any good so early in the morning. The 04:56 RER B train ORIGINATES at Gare du Nord.

Option 3..spend the night with someone else..after all, it IS Paris.

Get THEM to drive you to the airport.

Dukey, I'm telling your husbear! ;-)