Island45

Three of us renting car in Lille France driving to Bayeux staying for four nights then returning car to CDG for a flight to Berlin from there. My question is how difficult will it be to drive into CDG? We are not opposed to dropping the car in a further out city and training in. How is the traffic getting to CDG? We have no experience driving in Paris. Have driven in Italy but not Rome. Are any signs in English at all? Will a GPS from car rental agency be sufficient? Thanks in advance....Are we crazy for thinking we can drive into CDG?

BeachGirl247

I'm reading on the same area and I believe there is a car rental agency in Caen. You might check to see if you can arrange for that to be your drop off and then take a train to CDG airport. MUCH easier. We've only driving out of CDG and that was quite the exercise and took many tries. I would hate to be arriving for a departure flight and having issues find the appropriate drop off and gate area.

Good luck.

kerouac

The airport signs are bilingual: <i>voitures de location/rental cars</i>.

There are places to drop off cars in both terminal 1 and terminal 2.

Whathello

Thousands of people do it each day.
Even I have done it.

Christina

Airports aren't actually IN the city, at least not many, they are usually on the outskirts, especially big ones. CDG is about 15 miles from Paris. You won't be driving in Paris if you are driving from Bayeux to CDG.

nytraveler

Driving to CDG you would NOT go through Paris - you would take a highway around Paris.

And returning a rental cat at CDG is not really very complicated - just be sure you have a detailed map and understand exactly where to return it.

rouelan

Will be easy, even easier with GPS.
Motorway all way long.
A13 till Paris
Approaching Paris follow signs "Lille aéroport Charles de Gaulle" That direct you to the périphérique (orbital), then exit "lille aéroport.." That send You on A1, till exit for airport.

Just beware on the périphérique. You must give way to cars entering. So, dont stay on the right lane. Mid day would be the best to avoid traffic jams but périph is busy all Day long

rouelan

Add : Train not so convenient as from Normandy they arrive at saint Lazare, need to take métro to Chatelet or Gare du Nord to catch RER

dwdvagamundo

CDG is an easy drive.

tomboy

Well, I didn't find it so easy my first time driving to CDG.

1. Get a fairly detailed map, or GPS, that will get you NEAR CDG.

2. Print a map of CDG airport so that you can mark on it EXACTLY where to return the car.

3. Print a page of driving/parking icons, ideally those used by the CDG airport authority, so you what the signage looks like for the auto return place (it's surprisingly close, on the left side of road, to the terminal itself...maybe 150 feet). The auto return icon looks very similar, particularly at 30mph, to a parking lot icon.

4. Ideally, google-image a video of a car returning a rental to CDG.

Island45

Thank you for all your advice....after doing a bit of research we have found that taking the train will be our best bet....still going to rent car for part of trip just going to drop it before Paris...