Landing in CDG at 9:55 on a Sunday morning. Is it likely that I can catch a train at Gare St lazare at 12:00? I assume the fastest way there would be by taxi. Thanks

Hi J,

>Landing in CDG at 9:55 on a Sunday morning.

You are ** scheduled ** to land at 09:55.

Assume that you will get off the plane at 10:15, get through passport control by 10:45, get your luggage and clear Customs by 11:15.

I think that, at best, you will arrive at St. Lazare in time to watch your train pull out.

I agree w/ ira. Landing at 0955 doesn't say what time you are actually in the terminal, have your luggage and clear immigration.


Realistically you would have less than 45 minutes to get to the station. Book a later train . . . .

I don't think any of the trains from Paris St Lazare has compulsory reservations. Therefore, any standard ticket will allow you to catch the next train or the one after, or any other train.
You don't say where you're going but I've caught trains to or from Caen or Rouen, and never had a problem getting a seat without having a reservation.

I agree with the others that you'll need to take a later train.

The fastest (as well as cheapest) way from CDG to Gare St-Lazare is to take the RER B to Gare du Nord, take the connecting walkway to the Magenta RER station, and take the RER E to Haussmann St-Lazare. It's a 45-minute ride (including transfer time) and costs 8.10 EUR.

You should be able to do it if you have no unexpected delays. CDG to Gare du Nord on the RER B is 30 minutes, connecting to the RER E and arriving at Saint Lazare is 10 minutes more, and finding your way out of the Saint Lazare-Haussmann RER station is about 10 minutes. So that's 50 minutes. And you shouldn't have to wait more than 10 minutes for the RER to leave CDG, so that fills the hour.

Actually, a taxi might make it in 45 minutes.

I'd suggest the RER to Chatelet then metro line 14 to St Lazare.
Is there any reason why you must catch a particular train from St Lazare?

Just trying to figure out which train to reserve. I prefer reserving a seat and realize that it is not entirely neccessary. We are heading to Bayeux. Thanks

If you miss the train, which is most likely, just board the next one with the ticket. The departure track numbers are posted about 20 minutes in advance and one can sometimes snoop on the likely platforms (to the right as one faces the tracks for Normandy departures) and see the train's destination on the door sign board before the track is announced.

Trains tend to be busier on Sunday afternoons and evenings as people go home after a weekend away or travel ready to start work on Monday.
Therefore, it would make more sense to reserve seats on a later train. If you're lucky and catch an earlier train, you should be able to get seats. Trains from Paris to Bayeux normally have the first-class carriages at the rear (the Paris end of the train). The empty seats in second class are usually in the front carriages furthest from the St Lazare station concourse.