twoflower

This is looking a long way ahead, but if a plan is unrealistic I'd rather discard it now than waste time basing other stuff around it. We are looking at arriving at Paris CDG around 12:30pm (Emirates). How realistic is it to think we can connect with a TGV that leaves from Gare Montparnasse (bound for Nantes) at 2pm?

We've flown into Heathrow, Frankfurt & Schiphol before and been pleasantly surprised at how quickly we've got through Customs etc and out of the airport (about 15-20mins max every time). Can we count on the same processing speed at CDG? Or should I play it safe and book for a TGV departure from Nantes later, at 3pm? (We'd prefer the earlier one as it arrives in Nantes at a better time for us).

Grateful for any advice.

kerouac

Absolutely impossible, not because of the processing speed (quite fast at that time of day) but because of the distance to cover. You should look or a train to Nantes directly from the TGV station at the airport. You have have change in Massy or Tours, though.

bilboburgler

Kerouac is correct.

TimS

If your flight arrives on time, you can get to Gare Montparnasse in time to catch the 15:00 TGV to Nantes. Take the RER B from CDG to Denfert-Rochereau and either metro line 6 or metro line 4 from there to Montparnasse-Bienvenue. Or take Air France bus #4 directly from CDG to Gare Montparnasse (one stop at Gare de Lyon). The RER + metro will be both faster and cheaper.

Or take the RER B from CDG to Massy-Palaiseau and catch the 15:33 TGV to Nantes.

twoflower

Thanks eberyone. I'm surprised. I had it in my head (wrongly, it seems) that there was a direct rail service from CDG to Gare du Nord, from where we could travel fairly quickly by metro to Gare Montparnasse.

Back to the planning board....

greg

You are correct about the availability of train route. It is the math that does not add up.

According to http://www.ratp.fr/,
CDG to Gare du Nord is 36min
Then Gare du Nord to Montparnasse by Metro is 24min

Now do the math:
- CDG arrival to on RER train 30min (impossible, but needs number here)
- RER to Gare du Nord 36min
- change train in Gare du Nord say 0min (impossible again)
- Metro from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse 24min
- Metro to TGV 0min (impossible)

Total = 12:30 + 30min + 36min + 24min = 14:00

You already missed the 2pm train even with impossible 0min train change assumptions.

Changing train at Denfert-Rochereau or Chatelet-Les Halles (terrible place to change) to No 4 would be faster, but still takes 1 hr. And you are only at Montparnasse-Bienvenue which requires major walking to get to the Montparnasse TGV station.

Sarastro

If I were to take the RER to Montparnasse, I might disembark at Denfort-Rochereau and transition to the M6 direction CdG Etoile, cost 9.10€. You could also take the Air France Bus #4 to Montparnasse, cost 16.50€. Either way I should plan on 1 hour minimum to reach Montparnasse.

I would check on trains departing CDG. Without knowing your arrival date, there might be a 15h43 CDG departure which would give you plenty of time without worrying about arriving late and having to travel all the way to Montparnasse. This CDG departure will get you to Nantes about the same time as the Montparnasse departure.

twoflower

Yes, the 2pm from Gare Montparnasse is certainly too tight. The 3pm from Gare Montparnasse might be OK. There are also TGVs direct from CDG to Nantes, but less frequent: a 1:16pm departure (risky) or a 6:25pm departure (arriving Nantes at nearly 10pm).

We'll think on it...

janisj

even the 3 PM might be too tight a transfer. All you need is a 20 or 30 minute late arrival, or not having a gate to park and waiting on the tarmac for 30 minutes, having the ticket machines not working and needing to queue. All sorts of common glitches could have you arriving at Gare Montparnasse after 3PM.

ardithl

If you are looking way ahead -- past mid-December -- be aware of the major train schedule change that will happen on December 12. Currently, schedules are only available until mid-January, but the January schedule will give you some idea of the changes.