CDG airport to train station

Debbie, It would help to know what time your flight arrives? Also, have you already purchased tickets for the 10:10 train to Normandy? I'd suggest using the RER if time is an issue, as it won't be affected by traffic. However, as it's not likely you'll have a "Chip & PIN" credit card, you'll have to wait in a queue (which could be enormous) to buy tickets. One possibility would be to take the RER "B" from CDG to Chatelet (direction Robinson Saint-Remy-lés-Chevreuse) and then transfer to Metro Line 14 (direction Saint-Lazare). Another option would be to take the RER "B" to Gare du Nord, walk to the Magenta station and then use the RER "E" to Hausmann-Saint Lazare. From there you'd have to walk to Gare Saint-Lazare. Of the two options, the first would be my choice. You might find it helpful to have a look at This Website. Happy travels!

Our flight arrives at 8:10 and we are planning to carry our luggage on. We've never been to Paris so are not familiar with any transportation system. Yes we have our tickets on the 10:10. Thanks

You're going to have to really hustle. Use Ken's second option since it will be faster. It's going to take right at an hour from the time the RER B pulls out of the airport. That leaves you exactly one hour (assuming your plane is on time and doesn't park on the tarmac) to get through immigration, find the rer station (pray the first train isn't full since you'll be arriving with the morning throngs), make the rer transfer, and find your platform at St Lazare. Who ever set this one up for you didn't do you any favors.

I am even more pessimistic than the other posts. The promised time of arrival is when the plane lands, not when it unloads at the gate, which at CdG can be substantially later. Even to take a taxi you may have to line up for awhile and it is a congested time of day for road transport. The link above to www.ParisbyTrain.com is valuable. I wish you luck, but hope your ticket to Normandy can be exchanged for a later departure.

I am checking now to see if I can exchange our tickets for a later time. I am stressing over trying to get there. Thanks for your very helpful advice.
Debbie

Hell, I'll come right out and say it since I've been mucking around that town since way before CDG and the RER were even thunk of: I couldn't do it wearing sneakers and a speedo with a fistfull of euros and leaving wailing women and children in my wake. You, on the other hand, don't have a prayer.

If you arrive at Terminal 2, take the RER B from the CDG 2 TGV station. If you arrive at Terminal 1, take the free CDGVAL driverless shuttle train to the CDG 1 RER station which is next to Terminal 3 and get on the RER B there. At Gare du Nord walk through the connecting tunnels to the Magenta RER station and take the RER E to Haussmann - Saint-Lazare as Ed suggests. For a zoomable map of the RER and Metro system, go here: http://tinyurl.com/6xmvms4. To avoid standing in line at CDG, buy your RER tickets (€9.25) from a ticket machine. The machines don't take US credit cards, but they accept euro coins. Unless you'll arrive with some euros in your money belt, get some euros from an airport ATM, put a 20-euro note in a change machine, and get coins that way. With your time crunch, it would be good to arrive with some euros in hand so you can skip stopping at an ATM. The last possible RER B train you could take leaves CDG 2 TGV at 09:03 and CDG 1 at 09:05. The RER E train you'll take from Gare du Nord to Haussmann - Saint-Lazare arrives at 09:47. It's a 7-minute walk from the RER station to Gare Saint-Lazare. Everything will have to go perfectly for you to catch the 10:10 train. Be prepared to wait for the 12:10 train.

No worries. Just found out I can cancel and rebook tickets. Thanks to all for getting us on the right track at the right time.

Whew! The thought of being seen in a speedo just to prove a point was making me a bit nervous.

Ed, There are many reasons why I would like to return to Paris. Seeing you in a speedo would have to rank near the top of the list!

So is the 12:10 realistic or do I need later than that.
And no I won't be in a speedo even though it might get me through he lines quicker.

Debbie, 12:10 will be fine. Now that you'll be taking a later train, you'll have time to buy the fixings for a picnic lunch to enjoy onboard. You should find plenty of shops in and around Gare Saint-Lazare.

The speedo would be fun. Even funner would be seeing Ed run. and holding the fistful of €uros. No pickpocketing issues there then... no moneybelt?

I love you, Ed.

Ed, you are too funny. Made my Friday. Linda

Debbie, You should be fine with the 12:10, as that will give you some leeway if your flight is late. Be sure to have a look at the paris by train website that I linked in my earlier reply, as that will give you a really good idea what to expect with the transportation. Having to deal with an unfamiliar situation in a jet lagged state after a long international flight is not always pleasant, but you'll probably find that you won't have too much trouble. One important thing to remember is that you'll have to be careful to board the correct RER for the destination you want. That won't be an issue at CDG, as all the trains will be heading into Paris. However, when you transfer to the RER "E", be sure to check the signs to make sure that the direction is "Hausmann Saint Lazare" (that's the last station on that route). Since you won't be able to use a credit card to purchase tickets, use the method that Tim suggested with Euro coins. I've found that the ticket machines are ALWAYS faster than waiting in the queue at the ticket office. Cheers!