8 hour layover at CDG on a Sunday
 

I have an 8 hour layover in Paris next Sunday morning. If my flight is on time it will be landing at CDG at 5:45am. I realize this is early and I'm not sure if anything will even be open. However, I had a 2 hour layover at CDG before and there was no place to sit and nothing to do. So I at least want to get some fresh air and stretch my legs. If anyone has any suggestions of things to do early on a Sunday morning I'd really appreciate it!

(I've already read all the posts about whether or not to leave the airport and I've already decided to take that chance! Now I'd just like to figure out what exactly I'm going to do when I leave!)

Thank you =)

I haven't been to Paris in some years. However, there used to be an Air France bus that went from the airport to the Opera building. This took about 30 minutes or so (if I remember correctly).

If you allow 30 minutes for the ride in, 30 minutes for the ride out and 2.5 hours leeway upon departure, that leaves you about 4 1/2 hours.

From the Opera you are right near many Paris sights. You can see up to the Arch, across to the d'Orssay and Livre, you are in Place de Concorde. I don't remember if stores are open in Paris on Sundays but if so you are within a couple of blocks of the major department stores.

If you been to Paris before this may not be an exciting way to see it. If you haven't, how else can you see so many sights (though not in detail) in so little time.

Excuse some of the typos.

About ten years ago I also had an 8 hour layover that must have been blessed by the travel gods (we were on our way to South Africa to donate stuff to AIDS orphanages). We met a Parisian on the plane who offered to drop us off near the Louvre in his taxi. Found a little bistro nearby to eat croque-monsieurs. There was no line to get in the Louvre - I was able to show my friend the Mona Lisa and La Victoire de Samothrace. Then we walked to the Eiffel Tower, rode to the top, then walked to L'Arc de Triomphe, where we caught a bus back to CDG. Phew. It was all spontaneous - I would never have planned to do all that. But sometimes spontaneous is the way to travel :)

The bus that goes to Opera Garnier is called Roissybus.

Air France coaches go to Arc de Triomphe (and other places). The stop is at 1 avenue Carnot. At 4 avenue Carnot is a cafe, L'Empereur, that opens early (8AM on weekends).

You can find details at www.easycdg.com

You might also want to have a look at www.parisbytrain.com

Once you land, it will probably be up to an hour before you're "at the curb" at CDG, then another hour until you're in Paris.

Sunday is a good day to leave the airport because there is much less traffic.

Still, you need to be back at CDG in plenty of time to get through passport control, security, and to your gate by boarding cut-off.

You will need to come back early and go through security. Are your bags checked? How much "real time" do you have?

Quickest and "best" would be the RER train from the airport. Tke it to St Michel, and when you walk up to daylight, there will be the Seine, Notre Dame, Left Bank,etc...Easy walk to a Seine cruise, Ile St Louis,etc..

Roissybus gets you to Opera on Right Bank. Only issue might be traffic there/back. Could walk to Rue de Rivoli, then on to Louvre, Tuileries, Place de la Concorder, Champs Elysee, Palais Royal,etc..

Air France bus (Les Cars Air france) has multiple stops. Could take it to Etoile, then walk down Champs,and do as above.

I've done all three. Part of the answer may be what do you want to see. Personally, RER is least risky IMHO.

You could do one way ticket in via RB or AF, walk around and finish your tour at the St Michel RER station.

My bags will be checked.

Thank you for the suggestions!