travel from Paris to Burgundy: train or drive?: updated

Those stations are really close together landmarks impossible to miss.
You could use Google maps street view before you go. Don't drive jet lagged in the city; it would seem that you would get lost doing that more than walking from Gare de Nord to Gare de l'Est.

Also The TGV leaves from Gare de Lyon for Dijon not Gare de Nord or Gare de l'Est.

This means that you could catch the TGV at the airport CDG to Dijon (this requires one change in Lyon).

Where did you search for train connections? Trains to Dijon depart from Gare de Lyon usually, which is not walking distance from Gare du Nord, and there are connections that take 2:30 from CDG.

Driving on the other hand will take longer, Google maps says 3:20 but they are known for underestimating driving times. So it will probably take at least 4 hours, especially if you follow their advice of driving via le Périphérique.

We left Paris by car and stopped in Northern Burgundy in Joigny near the small city of Auxerre. Several nice small towns nearby including Chablis. Then we drove to an overnight in Vezelay, very unique and interesting history including that of the pilgrims who started their trip to Santiago de Compostela Spain from the Basilica in Vezelay, followed by a longer stay in Beaune at Hotel Le Cep. We spent a day in Dijon too.

The trains for Dijon depart from Gare de Lyon (not Est).
The trains from Charles de Gaulle airport are RER Line B.You need to change at Gare du Nord (cross-platform change) to line D for Gare de Lyon (2nd stop).
The ticket costs €10.30, which is valid to any station in Paris.

it will take you some time to get to Gare de Lyon. Once you get on the train to Dijon, taht runs at 200 mph, a lot faster and more comfortable than driving.

Take the train. We lived in Burgundy for one summer. Driving right after landing is a mistake on many levels if you are flying in from North America. How many is we? Depending on the number that comprises we, a taxi for 50€ for up to four persons to Gare de Lyon is the way to go IMO for getting from CDG to the train to the Burgundy region. There is no way that the train takes the same amount of time as driving unless you are including in the time between when you land and the train's departure time. We have done the drive from CDG to the Burgundy region three times -- the first time was right after a flight from Newark and the driver fell asleep and we woke up to the car drifting off the road. The second time, there was a h*ll of an accident on the highway and we were delayed for hours. Third time it took about 45 minutes longer than Via Michelin said it would because of little delays along the way. The fourth time we made that trip -- we took the train.

JHK is right, bad idea to drive very far after an overnight flight. I suggest going straight from CDG to Gare de Lyon, either by taxi (50 euros for up to four people) or Le Bus Direct line 4 (18 euros per person). Then a fast train to Dijon. Spend the night there and then rent a car to explore Burgundy.

Beaune is a good base, with frequent trains from Dijon, but you may not want to add that extra train ride on your arrival day. While Dijon has sights worth seeing, Beaune is a better base for the rest of Burgundy because it's easier to drive in and out of.

Take the train. If you are going for wine and food Beaune is wonderful. I didn't want for a car while there . Biking through the vineyards and wine towns is really special. Don't underestimate jet lag coming from California.

Yes, Gare de Lyon isn't close to Gare de l'Est or Gare du Nord. If it were me. I'd take the RER B from CDG into town, then the metro to Gare de Lyon (which is in Southeastern Paris). I much prefer getting on a train through town to chancing surface traffic.

When I toured Burgundy, I trained to Auxerre from Gare de Bercy and rented a car from there so didn't approach it exactly the same as you. I've only used Gare de Lyon to get to Lyon. If you have time to waste once you are at Gare de Lyon, the Coulee Verte Rene Dumont (former elevated train track turned park) is a short walk from there and worth a look.