As much as I'd like to pretend my trip will never end, I do have to face the fact that I will have a return flight to catch out of CDG to the U.S. on a May Wednesday morning at 9:55 a.m. Could someone please advise me on how I should plan to get to the airport from my hotel on Rue Monge--what time should I plan to leave, would a taxi be best or would the metro/RER be more reliable, etc. It's just me and my 13 year old daughter, and bags from a 6 day trip.

I can't tell you what's better for you, but I prefer taking a taxi. Cost is approximately 45 euro. Get to the airport at least 3 hours prior to your flight and request your hotel to reserve the taxi the day or night prior to your departure.

I am assuming from your post that you have decided to stay at Hotel Monge. For the price of a taxi I would recommend taking it back to CDG. I have tried to hail a cab from outside the hotel and it can be harrowing. Add to that the fact that you MUST get to the airport, and you won't have fun. Ask Julie at Hotel Monge well in advance to call and arrange it for you. It will cost you a little more as the meter starts when the cab leaves the depot but well worth it IMO.
Timing depends on your comfort level. Me? 1 hour for the trip + 2 hours ahead = leave at 7.
If it is Hotel Monge, email me and I will send you a bit about the area.
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"I have tried to hail a cab from outside the hotel and it can be harrowing."

This doesn't surpise me. We're talking about Paris not New York. I've always been under the impression it is impossible to "hail a cab" in Paris. They don't stop at all, and they aren't supposed to. You must either have the hotel call you one to pick you up, or go to the nearest taxi stand.

To avoid the added cost of the taxi coming from a distance to pick you up, is there a taxi stand near Hotel Monge? If it's too far to wheel your luggage there, you can go get a taxi, and have it come by the hotel and pick up your daughter waiting in the lobby along with the luggage.

I think hanl or someone said sometimes they could hail a cab in Paris, but I bet that was in a very congested, busy area-- not rue Monge. There is a taxi stand at place Monge, but you can't always count on taxis being lined up at taxi stands all the time in areas outside the very central one. Sometimes they are in the morning if they want to get airport fares, but I don't know about that one. There aren't always taxis at taxi stands.

I wouldn't go all the way there to try to find a taxi and then walk back to the hotel just to avoid having the hotel call one. A decent hotel knows whom to call who won't be coming from very far, so there won't be much on the meter.

I'd just take a taxi myself with two people -- that location isn't right on the RER line, so you could take the metro to Chatelet/Les Halles and transfer to the RER B -- but doing all that will extend the time necessary. Nothing I'd want to do at the crack of dawn to save 15 euro per person or so, but some people might. Of course there are the group shuttles.

Great words of advice, all. All sort of what I expected--just wanted some confirmation. I'll plan to have Julie make me a taxi reservation and leave at 7:00. Thanks so much! That's the last I want to even consider the end of my trip!

I stayed at Hotel Monge last year and Julie arranged for a shuttle to take us to the airport.

We will stay at a different hotel in the same area. What shuttle did you use Sharon? And has anyone ever called for a taxi themselves? I read one post where the hotel personnel wouldn't call a taxi and sent the people to a taxi stand.

I agree with arriving at CDG at least three hours early, so would recommend departing the hotel at 6:30AM in a taxi. You won't believe how busy CDG is early on a weekday morning.

May I tag along on this thread? I'd like to know if Sunday mornings are equally busy as weekdays.
We plan to take the RER from Denfert R. at either 6:48 or 7:03 for a 9:55 flight. We've used the RER before so I "know the ropes". But I don't know if that is sufficient time or not.

anyone see my question just above..?

I am also of the mind that it is a good idea to get to CDG 2 1/2 - 3 hours ahead of time. So if I were you, I'd plan to leave from Denfert Rochereau a bit earlier. For example, if you leave D-R at 06:18 you will arrive at CDG 2 at 06:59. The next train leaves at 06:33 and arrives at 07:14.

Oops! There is another train between the two I listed.

I've used Paris Airport Service for travel to and from CDG. On time with nice vehicles at reasonable rates.

http://www.parisairportservice.com/index.htm

Good luck!

Take a taxi! You never know when an escalator at the train station will be out of order...no fun lugging bags down stairs. And you really do need to arrive three hours before your flight. We arrived just over two hours before and had the folks on our flight not been finally taken to the front of the line (American was checking in three huge jets of people at once), we would have missed our flight.

I don't really want to take a taxi, it isn't going to be any faster, and we'll still have our Carte Oranges from that week's usage. We don't pack more than 1 bag + carryon, and have done stairs in the stations plenty of time.

Just trying to get a feel for whether -Sunday- is different at the checkin than weekday mornings. Might add that we're going to T-2A, not the dreaded T1.

Might have to gather strength to get out there for a train that is earlier than 6:48 (arrives 7:29).

...and thanks for your responses!