Paris - Paris Nord train station to CDG

Depends on what you mean by "best." The cheapest and fastest method is to take the RER, which runs direct every 15 minutes. Some are even limited stops. This costs about €10 per person, and you have to haul your luggage up and down (I forget if there are escalators down, or merely up). The easiest method is a taxi; reports here say this is about €50. This is for up to 3 people, so if you're in a group, have children, or have heavier bags, this is the way to go. Do you have Rick Steves Paris? He has answers to this and all sorts of other logistical questions.

Thank you for the info. Yes I do have Rick Steves Paris 2013 book but the options are a bit confusing to me. Please allow me another question. As I will be staying 4 nights at CDG airport, and will be traveling into Paris daily, is there an "RER card" or some type of multiple trip option over a 4 day period that would be cheaper than paying the $13 every time? If so, could it also be used on the Metro? Thanks again.

Pat, Unless you have a very specific reason for staying at CDG, I highly encourage you to stay in Paris. IMO, it would be a waste of both time and money to go back and forth every day. If you stay at the airport, you can buy a zone 1-5 Paris Visite pass that would cover all your rides all day long each day. The 3-day pass costs €47.25. The 5-day pass costs €57.75.

I whole-heartedly agree with Tim. You should stay in Paris and not at the airport unless you are doing some business out there. It's like staying in a suburb of San Antonio with worse traffic.

I totally understand but staying at other than CDG is not an option. Is anyone familiar with the Carte Paris Visite card or the Passe Navigo Decouverte card? Both these seem like good deals for multiple trips to/from CDG.

Don't think you can use the Navigo card for airport commute,, do you really have to stay there??
Anyways, suggest you check out this website its a great website for clarifying the whole metro/RER thing,passes, rates, zones etc. parisbytrain.com

Thanks Pat. Website is great. If I'm reading correctly, the pass does work for CDG. It says: Navigo Week pass price, valid only from Monday at 00:00 to Sunday 23:59:59 (as of January, 2013) •19,80€ for Paris only (Zone 1+2)
•34,40€ for Paris out to Airports CDG/ORY (up to Zone 5)

Your reading is correct, but you need to add the one time processing fee, which off the top of my head, is 5 Euro. Also bring a passport type photo about 1" by 1.25". Most people just scan their passport photo and then adjust the printer scale until it prints out in those dimensions. I just took a digital photo of myself against a white background and adjusted the printer scale in the same manner. That will save time and money buying the pass at CDG TGV station, as well as get a knowing smile from the ticket agent. Otherwise you have to use the 5 Euro photo booth. Next time you come to Paris bring your photo ID pass, and if you time it right, keeping in mind the Monday to Sunday validity, you just get it recharged. I believe if next time you bring for staying in Paris proper, you could recharge it for just zone 1&2 amount and get a one way RER ticket into Paris if you were leaving on a train (or coming into town on a train from another city). A little research on the RATP site and maybe you can recharge it on-line and not even need to stop at the ticket window.
The full zone pass is also good if you want to zip out to Versailles.

Pat, You asked about the Carte Paris Visite card. That's the pass I described in my previous post. If your stay in Paris falls on the right days of the week, a zone 1-5 passe Navigo Semaine loaded on a Navigo Decouverte card would be your best option. It is good Monday-Sunday, not any 7-day period. But it would be a good choice for as few as 4 or 5 days if those days fall between Monday and Sunday. You'll pay €34.40 plus €5.00 for the re-chargeable card which is good for up to 10 years.

Outstanding! Thanks so much for the additional info. We will arrive on Mon & leave on Fri so a Navigo Decouverte is perfect. One last question- is that card also good on metro & bus.
Merci!

The card is good on the Metro, RER, buses, trams and SNCF regional trains within zones 1-5. It's also good on the Montmartre funiculaire that goes up the hill to the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur.