These train stations store luggage: Gare du Nord, Austerlitz, Montparnasse and Lyon. Austerlitz and Gare du Nord appear to be the easiest by Metro from Odeon.

Are you SURE you can't leave your luggage in the apartment while it is being cleaned? Have you asked? If it's a definite no-go , the see response above.

If your plane lands at 7:30am you'll probably end up in central Paris around 9:30am. If you're like me, you won't have slept on the plane and will be tired.

I would start with a entire circuit on the Batobus - http://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm Your stop will be where Rue Bonaparte meets the river - you can buy tickets right at the dock.

Then a nice 2 hour lunch outdoors somewhere near the apartment (you'll have LOTS of options!).

That will take you up to 2:00pm.

Apartment owners/agencies know US flights arrive early morning and most allow you to drop luggage while the apartment is being cleaned (though I'm sure they don't want you knocking on the door while the previous renter is still there). I would ask if that's a possibility or ask their advice on what to do with your luggage. This should be a situation they've encountered before and hopefully they'll have a convenient option for you.

I will definitely ask the owners of the apartments first but it has been a challenge getting them to just reply an email and we leave in 2 weeks' time. Failing which I think my family and I will be having a very long brunch/lunch around the area. I cannot imagine lugging our luggage all over the place although they are just carry ons. The other complication is we are meeting my husband who will be coming in from London via the Eurostar. He is arriving around 10am so we will have to arrange for a place to rendevous. Thanks for the suggestions.

All the better reason to leave your baggage at Gare du Nord, the arrival point for the Eurostar and a major stop for the RER from CDG. One person can then go back and collect it and take a taxi to the apartment.

If he is arriving from London on Eurostar that will be at Gare du Nord. I would plan to meet him there with your luggage and you can decide then based on what you feel like, what time it is, the weather, etc. if you want to all check your luggage into "left luggage" and go out or you want to park yourselves with your luggage at a nearby cafe and take turns walking around nearby.

Don't play email games with the apartment owners (the French just aren't as hooked on emailing as we are ). Pick up the phone and call. Or Skype. Your question will be answered immediately that way.

I'll second that. A phone call close to my arrival date is a must for me.

Thank you all. Great suggestions. Btw, does anyone know if there is a sit down cafe at LeBon Marche?

Yes there are 2 places to dine at LeBon Marche. I recently had lunch at the resto on (I believe) the top floor altho there is another more-crowded venue on a lower floor with pre-wrapped selections.

My husband has a crazy idea to park ourselves at LeBon Marche for a few hours, snoop around and have lunch in one of their resto. Does it sound crazy?

A few HOURS? No, what you need on the day of arrival is to keep moving, even slowly, and sunlight/vitamin D. You don't want to be indoors - it heightens the jet lag.

Have you called the landlord about storing the luggage?

From an earlier post, did I see that there are 5 of you? I wouldn't want to drag luggage for 5 (even if it is all carry-on), into any restaurant or store. Since you're husband arrives Gare du Nord, why not go there from CDG (right on RER B), and leave your luggage. Your husband can add his when he arrives, and you can spend the late morning to early afternoon walking or having lunch in that general area (explore Canal St. Martin, see below). Then pick up your bags around 1 and head towards the apartment together.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/sep/20/paris-spare-hour-between-trains

If your husband arrives at Gare du Nord, I also think that makes the most sense to leave your luggage there and walk around that area. It makes no sense to drag luggage all over town with you all morning (going shopping at Bon Marche with luggage in tow?). There are cafes everywhere, no reason to go to Bon Marche to eat as it is expensive (and not outside, either). It would make more sense to go to some outdoor cafe and at least be outside and relax while you eat or something. YOu can easily have a small carryon next to you in the outdoor area of a cafe, if you don't leave stuff at Gare du Nord. There are tons of cafes in the area of your apt you could cool your jets at, instead of going all over town to dept stores.

Some places won't let you leave your luggage there before you checked in for various reasons, I've had that happen. They aren't responsible for it, for one thing, and if they allow that, it changes arrival arrangements, obviously, as somebody has to meet you and allow you in to do that before your planned arrival time. This is obviously not convenient in all cases. Agencies hire cleaners who have their own keys and aren't letting agents and aren't responsible to meet you and give you keys or whatever you want, and some of them may not be able to communicate with you that well (unless you speak fluent French, but sometimes they are not native French and that makes it more difficult due to accents, at least for me). They also may be told they are not allowed to let people in or to leave things there.

Land at 7:30 and you will be at Gare du Nord not much between hubby arrives - take luggage to apartment if possible or leave in Gare du Nord consigne or schlepp it all over to Austerlitz - if Gare du Nord luggage storage is full Austerlitz' never ever has been in my years of using it as a baggage depot - also can leave 72 hours I believe at Austerlitz but only 48 at Nord - if that makes a different - flat fee for the time frame - open locker and you start pay and time all over again.