My wife and I are heading to Amboise for 2 nights next month and wanted to know the easiest way to get there. We are staying in Nazelle-Negron and the flight lands at 1:10pm. I see a train that leaves CDG at 2:21 and the next one leaves at 4:17. What are the chances we can make that 2:21pm train?? If not, we would have about 3 hours of wait time for the next one. I know I have to get my bags and go through customs and I'm looking to see if there are any other options for travelling there...?? Is the train the only way to get there or can I get a driver??

You can get a driver -my son has several times to Orleans so assume those shuttles serve Amboise too - but I'd just book the later train - www.oui.sncf - for lots of info on trains check www.seat61.com; general info trains - BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure I asked to be 100%. Thanks for the feedback.

I don't know the odds, but it's possible. I made it to the TGV station within an hour last July, and I had to pick up checked baggage, also. You don't have to go through customs, don't know why you think you would unless you are carrying somethign unusual with you.

70 minutes iffy if checked baggage and some planes park in middle of airport and have shuttle buses to terminals. Waiting at CDG is not all bad - lots of shops and restaurants and lounges, etc.

Shuttles of course have to be pre-booked.

Which day are you traveling? While the SNCF and the Air France strikes seem to be getting less impactive, they have yet to have cancelled intent to strike around your time frame. You have mentioned in other thread that you are traveling at the beginning of May. Whether you make it or not is a probabilistic event. You might make it or not. It is more productive to frame the question in terms of how important is the 3 hours to you. You might want to gain time at no cost like many other things in life, but this is not always possible. If an option to gain 3 hours is disposable, then book later train for better chance. If the 3 hours is very important and are willing to bet on your earlier train, that is an option if you are willing to pay the last minutes fare for the 16:17 train if you miss the earlier train. I have bet on earlier trains on many of my trips and made them most of the time, but I have always traveled with an understanding of the fallback options and upper limit of the remedial cost if I miss the connection. I also reduce additional collateral damage by not booking other things contingent on taking the earlier train.
There are many ways to get to Amoise by train other than the ones you mentioned. I think you looked at TGV from CDG via Le Mans and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. There are also IC trains from Paris Austerlitz as well as frequent TGVs from Paris Montparnasse. The 16:17 TGV from CDG is probably the easiest and the least travel time once you get on the train.

There are no direct trains CDG to Amboise I believe and the only way from airport to Amboise without going into Paris is via St-Pierre-des-Corps then switching to local trains to Amboise. With strikes rife maybe book a mini-van shuttle from CDG to Amboise - from Orelans to CDG my son paid about 75 euros - Amboise quite a bit farther.

If I wanted to do a car, what are some recommendations for that? Just trying to see if that would work out better.

Paris Shuttle - Recherches Offres

Here's one shuttle service serving CDG - Loire.

Yes car could be great but really with only two nights there - presumably including arrival day - in which case I would use one of the minibus tours that shuttle you between 2-3 castles in a day - renting car for just a day (driving arrival day not good idea and Amboise' own chateau is really neat) - instead take tours like ACCO-DISPO - France, Loire Valley, Tours, chateaux, castles, guide, Minivan, car, by ACCO-DISPO - France, Loire Valley, Tours, chateaux, castles, guide, Minivan, car, by ACCO-DISPO - which gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.