transportation

No car necessary - we have done this many times. Buy a Paris Navigo pass for zone 5. Navigo is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card, so you don't have to insert it in a machine. You just bring it close to the RFID reader. Some people even keep the card in their purse or wallet and touch the purse or wallet to the RFID point to enter. Navigos are of various kinds, most of them for pemanent residents of Paris. For short-term foreign visitors, the pass is available by the calendar week as the Navigo Découverte. You will need a photo of your face, size 25 x 30 mm (1 x 1.25 inches), neutral expression, no hat, to obtain your Navigo pass. Self-service photo booths are available in major SNCF train, RER and Métro stations, yielding six small ID photos for 4€. Better yet, have someone take your photo at home, print it, and bring it with you. You can buy your Navigo Découverte at most Métro ticket windows and some RER and Transilien ticket windows. You pay a one-time charge of 5€ for your Navigo Découverte card, including your Carte Nominative Transport and the transparent plastic frame that holds both cards together. The cards belong to you and can be recharged for transport repeatedly. If your Navigo is lost or stolen, you cannot relclaim its value. You must buy a new one. You then pay 19.15€ for a calendar week of unlimited travel in Paris Zones 1 and 2, which cover virtually all of central, historic Paris, including St-Denis to the north and Vincennes to the east (but La Défense is just over the line in Zone 3. Here's a zone map on the RATP website.) Passes for wider areas (more zones) cost up to 33.90€ (Zones 1 to 5).

Also - there is a TGV that runs from CDG to the Marne La Vallee station. It used to be tickets for it were cheaper when purchased at the SCNF station in the airport rather than in advance online - not sure if that is still true - perhaps someone else here will know. On the RER A one stop before Marne La Vallee is Val d'Europe - a huge shopping mall with a huge grocery store easy to get to from the RER station - we hauled groceries this way several times. What ever you do - DO NOT be tempted to eat a meal at Disney Village - there is not really a decent meal in the place - unless this has changed. There is a bus stop right in front of the Marriott - very convenient it will also go to Val d'Europe a w well as several surrounding villages. I would download & print out the routes & schedules before going. You can rent a car at the Marne La Vallee train station for a day or two if you want to take a day trip to see chateaux or perhaps Chartes Cathedral. The villas are really nice - you will enjoy your stay.