Based on the outpouring of good advice, I decided to change our itinerary (Bayeux to Gare St. Lazare to CDG on the morning of our flight.) I cut a day from our Paris stay in order to stay in Giverny the last day of our trip. We'll be driving from Giverny to CDG airport. Our flight does not leave until 2 p.m., so we'll probably get a 9:30 start just to be safe. Hotel says it's about an 1 1/2 hour drive. Husband is not thrilled about this, but it allows us to see Giverny and still puts us within a reasonable distance from airport. We'll be driving from Bayeux to Giverny on 4/28. In another thread I saw someone mention staying in Senlis due to proximity to CDG. Are there recommendations for staying in Senlis versus such a strenuous drive from Giverny? We could always see Giverny and end our evening in Senlis. I would appreciate any advice you may have.

That sounds like a good idea, and Senlis really is even closer and right near a major highway.

I really think a 9:30 start is too late if you do stay in Giverny. Don't you have to turn in a rental car and everything, in addition to the drive and then flight checkin? I would always err on the side of being early rather than missing my plane, why be so risky.

Yes, continue on from Giverny and spend the night in Senlis. It's a much nicer place to spend the night for one thing, and you're THAT much closer to CDG. You've eliminated some of the risk, please eliminate some more.

Sometimes everything works exactly according to Plan A, and sometimes it doesn't. If you stay in Senlis, what is your Plan B? You are assuming that you will get to CDG with the car at 10:00, toss them the keys on the way to get your boarding pass, and go your merry way.

Okay, fine. What if the car won't start? What if you hit a cow? What if some clown prangs into you? What about the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to? Are you willing to bet $_______ (fill in amount of airfare) that everything is going to work perfectly?

I'd either overnight within shuttle/taxi distance of CDG (<i>i.e.</i> somewhere along RER B) or dump the car the night before and take the early train from Bayeux. Staying in Senlis would be my third choice. And then only if there were <i>absolutely</i> no way I could make 1) or 2) work.

Thanks for your responses. I was an exchange student in Avignon in '93, and brought my husband on his first trip to France (and mine since my school days) in 2001. We had a great time, but flying by the seat of my pants, which worked when I was a student didn't work nearly as well as an adult. We drove from Fontainbleu to CDG the morning of our flight and it WAS hair raising! I don't want to repeat the experience, so I'm taking your advice very seriously. I really want to spend that last day in Giverny, however. I will spend the rest of my morning trying to figure out an alternative. What about taking the morning train from Vernon to Gare St. Lazare (arriving by 9:32 a.m.)?

We just returned from our trip to France last Friday, and everything went well - even the drive from Giverny to the CDG airport! We got some really good directions from James at La Mausardiere in Giverny. It was a back road route with little traffic, and we got there within an hour and a half. I'll post the directions if anyone is interested. We were traveling with an almost 3-yr old and a 3-month old as well as our in-laws. Everything went smoothly despite our hectic schedule (Provence, Paris, Normandy.) The in-laws were a bit difficult to travel with, but that was to be expected!