Need help with Itinerary...

Ok stay 3 days in Paris. Then take the train to Colmar.
Stay in Colmar for 3 nights using it as a base to take day trips to other towns in Alsace
for example https://www.alsace-wine-route.com/en/unmissable-towns-and-villages/

and then back to Paris.

From Paris each time why not just take day-trips to Disneyland as it only takes 45 minutes on the RER A to get there. So you are not checkin in an out of hotels too often.

What is the family make up?
Not being a fan of Disneyland, is the experience of staying there special? You can get a frequent RER A train from central Paris in about 1 hour depending on your location in Paris. Get a Navigo Decouverte pass and you can make as many trips as you want in the course of a week.

Yes, you travel with luggage and the key is: pack light. a 22 inch roller board and a small backpack per person.

Thank you for the replies.

Our sons goal is to work for Disney and visit every park! Have done land and world in U.S. quite often, so staying at the park in Paris is something he is looking forward to.

I guess my only reasonable option is take Colmar off the list if worst comes to worst, but I am hoping to find a way that is doable.

Thanks

a 22 inch roller board and a small backpack per person That would be large enough for 10-11 days? Thanks

Yes, a 22" roller is big enough for months of travel. Just do laundry. Look for quick drying underwear and socks on Amazon these save me a ton of room, you will only need 3 of each, wear one pack two. See RS packing list.

I would cut Disney to 2 days your son is a pro and doing the parks, so two days should suffice.

That will give you more time for a quaint village or another day trip outside Paris.

I found this blog on Disney Paris http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201207/3146/

Colmar is far but can be done

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Paris/Colmar

Enjoy!

Can't look it up now but will do tomorrow, but there are trains from Eastern France that go to Disneyland by-passing Paris by the south. I took one from Lorraine to Brittany.

With the 'given' to stay at Disney 1-2 nights, I would go directly to Colmar. I know you prefer not to take a 3 hr train ride after 8 hr flight, but putting it in the middle has you transferring so many times you that you lose valuable time. If you didn't sleep on the overnight flight, you can probably at least catnap on the train. And if you cannot sleep on the train you can at least walk around a bit.

As already noted, a 20-22" rolling bag and modest back pack is all one needs. I have done 4 week trip that way and on the next trip I packed less.

Being in Paris at the end simplifies the airport access for your trip home

We are doing a similar trip a week from today and our itinerary might work for you. Fly into CDG, Magical Express to Disney Paris (2 nights - we are Disney Vacation Club members), Disney Studios (smaller park) on "jet lag day", then Disneyland Park next day, train to Colmar (2 nights). After that, we are traveling to Amboise and Versailles before returning to Paris, but you could return by train from Colmar to Paris. Enjoy the planning and, of course, the trip!

Thank you all!i

Actually the Magical Express to DL and then to Colmar and back to Paris to finish up sounds like a plan! Thanks again everyone!

I think Jennifer hit on it. Go to Disneyland straight from the airport as they have a shuttle bus. Then you can go to Paris easily on the RER A, then to Colmar from Paris Gare de l'Est.

Another option would be to go from Disneyland to Colmar first. It might be easiest to take a taxi from Disneyland 2 miles to Montry Conde, where you take a train to Paris Gare de l'Est and then you just have to change platforms for the TGV to Colmar. After Colmar, return to Paris and enjoy yourselves and an easy transfer to CDG, by train or taxi.

To put it gently, people who frequent this board, and Disneyland Paris fans, are two groups with little overlap. To get more information about DLP (as it's known online), look at the DLP sections of the specialist Disney websites, like

Disboards: https://www.disboards.com/forums/disneyland-paris-trip-planning-community-board.77/
Allears: http://allears.net/tp/dlp/disneylandparis.htm
Mousesavers: https://www.mousesavers.com/other-disney-vacations/discounts-at-disneyland-resort-paris/

Thank you all. We decided as a family to make one straight run there. Only issue is plane wouls land 1:30 a.m. and TVG train from PAR to Colmar is 18:55.

Looking tin Colmar 2 days or so, wanted to ask if a short visit to Riquewihr is worth the time or just relax and enjoy Colmar?

Thanks

You had me going there with 1:30 am landing time, but must be a typo as your original post says 11:30 am.
You do not have to wait around CDG for 6 hours waiting for a train to Colmar. Take a taxi to Gare de l'Est (50 EUR fixed rate) and take the 14:55 direct TGV to Colmar.

Edit- Do not use Rail Europe to look up train routes. Use https://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/tgv. They run the trains. The direct TGV's to Colmar go from Gare de l'Est in Paris. Not sure where PAR is.

Sorry, PAR was my Paris station abbreviation.

This is the site I had been using to get that time for the train: https://www.trainline.eu/search/paris/colmar/2017-09-04-20:00

I guess I'm confused because isn't there only one line that goes from Paris to Colmar? Trying to understand why the schedule I pulled up,(just used a random date) wouldn't show that 14:55 direct train?

Thanks for that info though, nice to know we can get going sooner!

I got it. Assuming 3 of you, I see you are taking that 25 EUR pp price. Be aware you need to buy it now to get that price and must travel on that train. The "walk-up" price is 98 EUR pp, so it is a good deal. The 14:55 train is 36 EUR per person, but when you buy these nonrefundable tickets, if your airplane is late and/or you have a delay getting through immigration, you don't have much recourse. So taking the late train is a good idea.

Now you will have to get from the airport to Gare de l'Est and there are several ways to do that. I mentioned a taxi, it is 50 EUR fixed if you go through the taxi line. If you are looking to save money, there is a city bus No 350 costing 6 EUR pp that will get you to Gare de l'Est in 70 minutes, and it goes every 20 minutes between noon to 15:00 weekdays. More frequently at other times.

So assuming you get to Gare de l'Est by 14:00, you have 4 hours to kill before you need to think about getting on the train. You can go into the station and store your luggage there for a fee, then walk around the neighborhood. I suggest walking a couple of blocks east to the Canal St Martin and walk south along the canal. It is still used by tourist boats, so the street bridges swing open when a boat comes through and also a couple of locks that they have to pass through. There are also some classic cast iron pedestrian bridges. All very scenic with many restaurants, both French and Asian along the way. You can walk this all the way to the Place Bastille. The canal goes underground about half way and then the area above is a park. If you get tired and don't want to walk back, the No 5 Metro line parallels the lower part of the canal and it will take you back to Gare de l'Est in just a few minutes. The Metro lists directions by the end station, so you want direction Bobigny. Tickets are just 1.90 EUR, or you could buy a 10-pack of tickets for like 14.60 EUR and hang on to the rest for use when you return to Paris. Be back at the station by 18:00 so you have enough time to retrieve your luggage.

Keep in mind that Zurich airport is very close to Colmar. You could fly into Zurich and out of paris or the other way around.

Also, going to the French laundromat is a hoot. Definitely beats lugging extra clothes around.