2nd Trip to France - 1st Time Outside Paris

There is no direct train from CDG airport toward Normandy; you do have to go into Paris to St. Lazare station and can buy train tickets there. Although you should consider whether you will be fit to drive after a long flight, picking up a car at the airport and using it for the whole trip would also make sense and would probably be my first choice.

There are a few direct trains from CDG TGV station to St. Pierre des Corps, if you wanted to visit the Loire Valley first. However those train tickets are sold with reservations and any advance tickets would not be usable if you missed the scheduled train. It works in the reverse direction as well, but not arriving at the airport until noon.

The Loire Valley is not a day-trip option from Normandy. Trains from Rouen to Tours, for instance, take 4-5 hours, most departures go via Paris and you must change stations (not just trains) in Paris. A couple of times per day, there is a direct train from Caen to Tours (not on the same rail line as Rouen) that takes 3 hours.

How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.

Thank you, Laura. Do you think going in early April adds any complications to our trip? Also, is driving out of Paris from DeGaulle dicey (we will arrive on Friday or Saturday morning)? Finally, if we did rent car in Paris, is there somewhere we could return other than the airport (we will fly out early Sunday morning)? Hotel we LOVED in 2014 is in 12th Ar and I would like to maybe spend a night or 2 there before we head home (it is in a neighborhood and not sure I recall seeing parking). We only had 2-1/2 days in Paris last time and spent one of those at Versailles. We did get to the Louvre and Eiffel Tower and strolled the length of the Champs Elysees, but I didn't feel I "experienced" Paris if that makes any sense.

BTW - Mr. Steves' recommendation of the Paris Authentic 2CV tour was a highlight of our entire European trip! May do another one this trip if we can fit it in.

Being there in early April won't complicate anything. You have a greater chance of some rainy days that early in the spring, but you could have fine weather then and rain in May or June for that matter -- you can't build your whole plan around possible weather, just bring appropriate clothing.

It's not clear how long your total trip is, but if time allows you might want to give yourselves a night or two in Paris when you arrive, perhaps at the hotel you liked so much before. With only 1 1/2 days in the city on your earlier trip, there would be plenty more to see and do. Then you could make your way to Gare St-Lazare and get that train to Rouen. Then rent the car for Normandy and the Loire. As Laura says, the Loire isn't a realistic day trip from Normandy, and it really justifies a few days itself. So whether you try to see both Normandy and Loire depends partly on how much total time you have. My own preference is not to move around too fast, spend at least several days in one place or another to fully appreciate it, but you may prefer a faster pace.

Most on this board advise against driving from CDG to anyplace very far (like Normandy) on the day you arrive after an overnight flight. Unless you sleep well on planes (which is rare), your jet lag and fatigue will likely affect your driving. The airport is surrounded by expressways which aren't especially challenging to an American who's used to our metropolitan areas, but it might be "a bridge too far" for most of us after a long flight with little sleep. However, returning the car to CDG at the end of your trip would not be so difficult, and would enable you to spend your final night at an airport hotel (we liked the Ibis but there are others) to be sure of making your flight home.

So one plan might be: Land at CDG, take RER or taxi or Air France bus to Paris hotel, couple of days there, train to Rouen, car around Normandy and Loire, drive back to CDG for overnight and flight home.

Another might be: Land at CDG, rent car and drive to Rouen, rest of Normandy, Loire, back to dropoff near Paris (Orly?), a couple of days in Paris, RER/taxi/bus to CDG and home.

Hope all that is some help.

We recently traveled to France, and took the train from Paris (out of St. Lazarre) to Caen where we rented a car. We spent the night of our arrival at a Paris hotel near the train station so we could catch a morning train. We took the Roissy Bus from CDG to the Opera house (I believe) and it was easy to walk from there to the hotel. We found a car helpful in Normandy so we could see the various sites at our own pace, and even select which ones we visited and which ones we passed by. After a couple nights in Bayeux, we drove to Amboise and used that as our base to see several chateaux. I would recommend something similar, dropping the car in the Loire Valley and taking the train back to Paris. We too like public transit, but given the distances involved, we felt having a car for the sites outside Paris was better for us.

I would consider the following logistics ...
Arrive in to Paris CDG and train to Rouen
Hire a car in Rouen for Normandy touring
Return car in Rouen and train to Paris
Spend time in Paris
Train to Tours
Hire a car in Tours for Loire Valley touring
Return car in Tours and train to Paris for departure flight

Arrive CDG, then taxi to Gare Montparnasse, 30 minutes.

Gare Montparnasse>Tours, TGV train 1H15m. Be there 30 minutes before departure.

Tours, rent car.

Drive to Rouen, visit area, drop car.

Train Rouen>Paris St Lazare 1H15m taxi to apt.

How about this:

Rent car from cdg and drive to Honfluer, which is only 2 hours away and you can avoid the periphery. Split time in Normandy between Honfluer and the Caen area, then drive to Amboise area. Base there for the Loire portion if the trip, then drop the car in Tours. Tgv to Paris for final leg of trip.