travel from cdg to gare st lazare

Although it’s called “Global Entry,” the US Customs and Border Protection Pass only helps expedite things when you’re at US airports. Unfortunately, the pass won’t help you clear French Customs and Immigration any quicker than other passengers. So, getting to the central Paris train station to depart for Caen could take 3 hours once you land at CDG. It could take longer if there’s a flight delay, a delay in collecting your checked luggage,( or a wildcat strike by baggage handlers as there was this past week at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport). I would not plan on catching a train any time earlier than 11:00. You might build a buffer of time and plan on having lunch in Paris before leisurely departing on a noontime train.

Even a 3 hour cushion is not enough in my estimate, but that could be debated. But disregarding that, if you just go to St Lazare as soon as you can, you can buy a ticket or the next train. They are about every hour from noon onward on a week day. There appears to be no 11 am trains, just 10 am and noon and afterward.

It's a 1 hour trip from CDG to Gare St. Lazare. You'll have to take a train and then switch over to the underground to finish the route. And count on at least an hour to get your bag and get thru customs. 11;:00 should be about right.

Or you could spend more on a taxi to Gare St-Lazare for whichever train you can get. It will cost 53 euros, probably be faster, and certainly be more convenient than the two commuter lines (RER) you'll need to ride otherwise. The link shows how and where to find taxis at CDG. I agree with the other posters, it doesn't seem likely that you'll make that 10:00 train, but you might get lucky and if not you're in Paris.

I land at 8:10 am at cdg and I'm booking a train to caen and picking up a car there. Do you think it would be easy to get a 10:00 am train?

Not only not easy, but not possible.

The rule of thumb is 4 hours between ETA and booking a non-refundable ticket for a train from Paris. With luck you could make it in 3 hours, but odds are very low at 2 hours. Immigration averages about an hour, but can be longer -- from leaving the plane till leaving customs with your bags. It is about an hour into town. Most of the time I would think you would not be able to make this train even taking a cab and having better than average luck with immigration.

As others have noted 'Global Entry' means nothing at all in Europe. If you are in business class immigration can be a lot quicker, but then we have also been in business class with priority baggage and seen the priority bags unloaded last at CDG presumably because the baggage handlers decided 'screw you' on that day.

How about a bus? Where would you get a bus to St. Lazare?

How about a bus? Where would you get a bus to St. Lazare?

From where?

There is no bus from either CDG or ORY to St Lazare. The closest would be the Roissybus to Opéra, from there you could walk to St Lazare in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Hi,

If you want to take a bus, of course, that can be done but you need do that from Gare du Nord. (I've done it)

Take the RER B to Gare du Nord, go outside to Rue de Saint Quentin, either at the bus stop just outside of Nord or a minute down the block in front of "Le Jumbo " restaurant. These two spots at Nord are stops for several buses.

Take bus # 26 to Gare St Lazare.

The Roissybus to Opéra is your best bet unless you have a ton of luggage, or a larger group—€12–13 Euro pp. And it is only a 7-minute walk to Gare-Saint-Lazare from the bus stop if your are even remotely healthy. The bus departs CDG right outside of arrivals every 10–12 minutes. As far as car rentals in Caen you are right—you def want to get to the desk before they close for lunch. If you can't make a good train, it is probably more enjoyable to be in a café in or around Gar-Saint-Lazare than in Caen (where there is little to recommend).