Shuttle from CDG to Republique?

Yes, I have used Paris Shuttle a couple of times myself and it has worked for me but it doesn't always work. Some people have had to call them a number of times before the van turned up and then you do have to sit while others are delivered to their hotel en route to yours. But since the OP did ask for the "best" way and did not define "best", it's always good to have alternatives.

Two shuttle services that are often mentioned are www.bee-shuttle.com and www.paris-airport-shuttle.com. However, I haven't used them so I have no opinion on which is better. The fare for a group your size is 17€/person.

There are minivan taxis at CDG. Unless traffic is terrible and you are stopped a lot with the meter running, a taxi might be cheaper than a shuttle for five people.

Paris Airport Shuttle is reputable. You can book in advance online and request an English speaking driver.

Do note that if your plane is arriving in the morning that it can easily take an hour to get into the city.

http://www.parishuttle.com/

Depending upon the amount of luggage you have there may be additional charges.

If the "best way" means least expensive, I offer you this:

At Terminal 2 you can get a RATP bus No. 351 which will take you into Paris & deposit you at Place de la Nation. There is a taxi rank almost exactly where you get off the bus. Since you are a party of five, you will need 2 taxis, but the ride to République is not too long so this shouldn't cost too much.

Bus 351 into Paris will cost you 3 tickets per person, which would total under 25 euros, plus your 2 taxis from Place de la Nation and I think your total for all would be about 50 euros. The bus takes about 50 minutes to get to Nation.

To add to the above, the bus runs about every 20 minutes. At Terminal 2A wait outside Door 3. At Terminal 2B wait outside Door 9. You will see signs indicating where the stop is. I figure with a party of 5 you can do this for one third of the price of shuttles or taxis from the airport.

The bus stops at all the terminals, BTW. If you google RATP Route 351 you see where the pick-up points are at the other terminals.

Thanks for all the tips. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place!

I was in Paris, staying near Republique, over the Christmas holidays and I used Paris shuttle with wonderful results. I booked them online before I left and the instructions that they gave me worked very well. I find that when I have been travelling through the night the last thing that I want to do is take buses/trains/metros. Paris shuttle has English speaking drivers that are friendly and they give you a tour while they drive. The rates are very reasonable. The vans are comfortable and hold 7 people. Their is website is easy to use and all the information is there and there are no hidden charges. I will definitely use them again. parishuttle.com

Thanks again....I'm leaning toward the shuttle, but will put it to a vote. It may depend on how seriously my travel companions take my advice to pack light! No matter how easy train & metro connections look, all it takes is one set of long stairs & shlepping rolling bags instead of backpacks to make the shuttle look like a bargain!

If you do decide to brave the RER & Metro, here's your route. Take the RER B from CDG to Gare du Nord. Transfer to Metro line 5 (direction Place d'Italie) and take it three stops to Republique. Fare: 8.20€.

Jean....maybe to make your point about packing lite, you SHOULD go the RER-Metro route....so they understand what you've been trying to tell them ;)