CDG to TGV transition time

When I've experienced Roissy problems (which I swear could be its own category of problems), it's usually either at the start of a travel leg or when I have to get to another flight. Arriving with Paris as my final destination, I've rarely had much trouble, and I'd personally be willing to go for that 2 pm departure.

I would research what the next option and come up with a plan just in case, in order to not feel stressed about it. Chances are there is some other way to get where you're going, whether it's another departure from Roissy or one in the city. You don't mention where you're going, but that could potentially be useful to know too - some places will be easier (and cheaper) to reroute to than others.

I think the odds are with you. Of course, the flight could be delayed. There is no guarantee that it will not be delayed but these are odds I would take. Are you flying UA 990? It has a 73% on time rate but I have had very good luck with that flight — in fact I am booked on it for a flight in June. I have found that it usually arrives 30 minutes early even when we are late leaving SFO. The airlines pad their schedules so much that unless a flight is canceled or there is a problem with the equipment or some kind of major delay at the departing airport (closed taxiway for example), long-haul flights will arrive close enough to on time to allow you to plan to take a train 3.5 hours after scheduled arrival time. I fly from SFO to CDG once or twice and sometimes if I am lucky, 3 times per year and the only time I have been late arriving at CDG from SFO was in the summer of 2018 and that flight was canceled by Air France and I had to take a KLM flight with a connection through Amsterdam. If you are in business class or have access to the priority lane for passport control, you will make it even if you have to wait for your luggage.

You probably will be OK but passport control alone can consume 1 hour and often does.

I would allow 30 minutes from the customs exit to the TGV station at terminal 2 and Ouigo rules require your checking in no later than 30 minutes before scheduled train departure.

30min baggage wait, 30min customs wait, 25min travel time to TGV.

Is that what it actually says? After you disembark the order is:
1) Immigration (passport control). This can take 1 hour easily.
2) Pick up bags. The longer you took to go through immigration, the less time you have to wait for your bags. They may even be already there waiting for you.
3) Customs. This takes zero time, as you just walk through the "nothing to declare" door without stopping.

See https://en.oui.sncf/en/help-en/boarding-train for the Ouigo rules on arrival at the platforms,

Thank you for the responses. To answer earlier questions, we’re hoping to travel by ouigo from cdg to avignon.

And i believe our wait time between scheduled arrival and ouigo departure is 3,5 hours.

We are flying united 990.

I read about the 30 min pre departure check in requirement for ouigo, but i also read that you can check in on their mobile app. Is that true? Does anyone have experience with that?

Thank you!!

I think you might be confusing checking in with obtaining and presenting your ticket so you can board. There is no airplane style check-in process but you must show your ticket on the platform in order to board the train. It is requested and suggested that you be at the platform 30 minutes before departure but in any event you must be on the platform at least 5 minutes before departure time. You can either print your ticket or obtain it through the app.

I was referring to Tocard’s comment that Ouigo requires you to “check in” 30 minutes prior to departure. Is that true?

Or does Ouigo require you to present your ticket 30 minutes prior? I cant imagine thats the case bc usually these trains dont show up but 10 maybe 20 min before departure in my limited experience.

My post above answers your question. I don’t want to say Tocard’s statement is untrue because Check-in may mean something different to him or her than it does to me. When I read check-in, I think of the airport style process with ID and seat assignments, etc. As to Ouigo, to be more specific, Ouigo is a lower priced alternative that operates differently than other French trains. You must show the ticket to an employee at the access points in order to board the train. There is no check-in process as I think of that process. See the description under the heading Ouigo at https://faq.trainline.eu/article/580-check-in-boarding

The rule of thumb is 3 hours between ETA and train departure from CDG. Of course if things go seriously awry (we had a plane come in 5 hours late once) there is no guarantee. It is a risk you take when you book an onward trip the same day. Your 3.5 hours should be enough time unless something goes seriously wrong.

Ouigo requires you to “check in” 30 minutes prior to departure. Is that true?

You can read the rules. I haven't taken Ouigo in some time, but they were very strict when I used them. They went through everyone’s tickets/reservations to confirm identity and baggage size/amount. These checks cannot be done 5 minutes before departure. They want you to make your way from check-in to actual boarding such that you are on the train no latter than 5 minutes before departure - not show up for check in 5 minutes before departure.

Thank you all!

Looks like we should have enough time outside of something extreme happening.

I appreciate all of the insight!!