SNCF ticket buying strategy when arriving by plane to CDG - plane late and you miss the train?

A few years ago we flew into CDG with a SNCF train connection at CDG to continue to Reims. We arrived at 9:25 am and had a train departure time of 12:52 pm. There was an earlier train departure around 10:45 am but I was concerned that might be a little close so I chose the later time. As it turned out we arrived on time and there would have been no problem making the earlier connection. I felt a 3 1/2 buffer was enough so I chose the non-refundable tickets, but my connection was from the same terminal we landed at. I looked at the SNCF website and I am not sure if it changes depending on certain dates but it shows direct trains from CDG to Bayeux and was wondering why you had not chosen this route.

There are no direct trains from CDG to Bayeux.

@Superboiler, When are you traveling? Also, I think that you will make the 12:10. Unless you have major delays, the most likely of which in my experience at CDG is waiting for your luggage. Depending on the date non-refundable tickets are 15 euros and the most flexible option is roughly 42 euros so that to me definitely would exclude buying the the fully flexible ticket. No point when I could get two non-refundable tickets, one for the 12:10 and one for the later one and still spend less than the most flexible ticket. Will you have an e-ticket? I am guessing so but not sure.

I can't see any trains direct from CDG to Bayeux, but I have not searched every single day.

First, it is a 40 EUR ticket bought at the station. The cab fare you are planning will be more than that, but you did not say how many people were traveling together. The lowest Prems fare I see is 15 EUR. It will take an hour using the RER and/or Metro to get from CDG train station to Gare St Lazare. That means you really need to be on the RER train at 11:00. So then you have 2 1/4 hours from the the time you plane is PLANNED to land to get off the plane, get through passport control, get your luggage, make your way to the RER station. Again, you don't say which terminal you land at. If its United, then you come in at terminal 1 and need to take the internal shuttle train to get to the RER station, buy a ticket (10 EUR) and wait for the train (about every 7 to 10 minutes). Or you could take a taxi. On a good day, this should be no sweat.

So it comes down to the odds of this being a good day. The stakes are only the price of a 15 EUR Prems ticket. If it was me, I'd do it and shrug and say "C'est la Vie" if the dice were against me. The next train to Bayeux is 1 1/2 hours later and requires a connection, but is the same price and only takes a little longer. After that you have to wait until 17:00.

We arrive at CDG at terminal 2A at 8:45 on a Wednesday morning. There are two of us. I was leaning towards a taxi as just because I am not sure what kind of shape we will be in . The RER would be 20 euro total. I may just throw the dice and get the 12:10 ticket. The refundable part on these tickets only applies to taking an early train and not if you miss it...from what I see.

It's unlikely you would make an earlier train.

Maybe direct was an incorrect term on my part. Having looked again I see that when I chose the Direct Journey Only box it still shows the route with the two train changes. I didn't know the travel dates so I just chose a midweek in October to see if there were trains from CDG to Bayeux. I was curious as to why the OP was not traveling by train from CDG instead of Saint Lazare train station.

I am cheap ( on some things).. I would book the 12.10 train for the cheapest non refundable ticket .. but I would splurge on the taxi ( its a long flight.. you're tired and you have luggage). Taxi cost will be 50 euros .. exactly.

Unless your flight is like at least an hour late I think you will make train in plenty of time.. you only need like 15 minutes at train station to find train etc...20 if a nervous type like me.

I was curious as to the what strategy people use when buying train tickets for SNCF

If a walk-up ticket isn't too expensive and there are several trains per day then that's what we do. Get a ticket when we arrive at the airport. Have done it in Rome, Brussels, etc.

But my preference is to spend the nite in the arrival city. The way Iook at it, planes usually get you there the day they are supposed to but not necessarily on time. I think 1 out of the last 4 overseas flights I've been on arrived on time. And the last thing I want to do is be dashing thru airports and train stations while tired from the flight. If I was in your shoes I'd spend that 1st nite in Paris, taking the RER in and expecting to drop our bags and be out walking around by noon. The next morning I'd take the cheap advance-purchase ride to Bayeux.