I see there's a recent thread on a similar topic but my questions are a little different, so I decided to start my own thread instead of piggybacking on the older one.

My family and I will be arriving CDG June 13 around 6am, two lots landing at Terminals 1 & 2 at more or less the same time, we need to take the TGV to Avignon. The first direct train from CDG to Avignon is at 13.58, the earlier ones all involve a change, at Lyon I believe. However, there are direct trains from Gare du Nord at 11.28 and 12.27, which I think we should be able to make easily. I'd go with the later departure, just be on the safer side.

Now to my question. Does it make sense to take a taxi to Gare du Nord in order to catch an earlier train, especially since we'll be arriving at different terminals and one of us will first need to pick up the others. How long would all of this take, about an hour in all, after clearing immigration and collecting our bags of course? Or should we just stick around at CDG and take the 13.58 train? How far is it to the the TGV station from the terminals at CDG, how does one get there? I believe there's very little seating space there, also not much cover from the sun. How would you while away your time if you had several hours from landing to train departure?

On a different note, for a random date 3 months from today the fare from CDG is E54 as against 35 from Gare du Nord! Any reason why?

Thanks in advance, look forward to your suggestions

I can't see much to be gained from going into Paris - a taxi will cost around 60€, you'll have to arrange to meet up at CDG (or take separate taxis), and you still have to sit around a train station.

There are no trains at all to Avignon from the Gare du Nord (from which trains travel north; hence the name). Trains going to Avignon leave from the Gare de Lyon.

Google for a map of CDG airport and find the TGV station in Terminal 2. Those coming into Terminal 1 will have to add time to get over to Terminal 2 (probably a half-hour or so). There are plenty of signs in Terminal 2 to direct you to the SNCF.

Not sure where you got the idea that there isn't much seating space at the TGV stop at Terminal 2. There's seating on the quais, seating in the center of the station area, and two caf้s, all of which are under cover. There is more seating at the Gare de Lyon, but also usually lots more passengers, so it's usually not any easier to get a seat.

Train fares vary from day to day and hour to hour.

There are four direct trains from CdG to Avignon SNCF, one departing earlier than you mentioned. The one-stop train is about a half hour longer and that time will be spent changing trains in Lyon, a comfortable margin. Note that the SNCF station is on the outskirts of Avignon with a shuttle to the old Centre station. I always use the SNCF's own website, https://en.oui.sncf/en/

If you decide to cross Paris to Gare de Lyon, the easiest method is Le Bus Direct from the airport to a stop in front of the train station. 17 euros, and it claims about an hour duration, but you are at the mercy of Paris traffic. The bus is #4, going on to Montparnasse. https://www.lebusdirect.com/en/

Taxi is a fixed 50 euros to Right Band destinations. Use the official queue, ignoring any cabbie touts.

Four people taking a taxi would be cheaper than four people taking the Bus Direct, and having taken the Bus Direct any number of times, I can say that it usually, in early morning traffic, takes at least 1 hour 15 minutes.

No rhyme or reason often on varying fares - all on supply and demand basis. And yes no Gare du Nord trains to Avignon - anyway for lots on discounted tickets check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

Discounted tickets non-changeable nor refundable from exact single train you book - leave plenty of time for planes to be late -I'd book the direct train from CDG to Lyon -plenty of restaurants and shops and seats too.

If I only had several hours, I'd just go and sit and read a book or get a cup of coffee, etc. That isn't that much time in terms of travel arrangements.

You walk to the TGV station at CDG, It's underground in-between T2E and T2F, I believe. There are signs all over, you just walk there. T2 has many concourses so hard to say how long it will take you but should be only about 10 minutes, I'd guess. T1 people have to take the tram to T2.

It can get crowded in the waiting area, that's true, I've been there when no problem and others when there weren't enough seats for people. You aren't outside in the sun but they designed it so there are big windows and the sun can come right in and hit you in some of those seating areas, which are the ones people avoid first if it's sunny. It is a bad design, I agree.

Fares differ based on demand, basically, and can be higher if it's a holiday or day around a holiday, something like that. I'm not following you on why you expect the same fare from CDG and Gare de Lyon, SNCF has models that set the fares based on demand, it's a different set of people at CDG than Lyon. there are several holidays in May, also.

There is also a short-stay hotel at CDG or was - by the hour.

There is a Sheraton next to the CDG TGV station. You could have a very nice early lunch there while waiting. We stayed there once & had dinner before our flight home the next morning. I like doing as little as possible on arrival day. This June we kinda have the same problem & we choose to take a taxi to the Montparnasse area on arrival day, stay the night near the Monsparnasse station, have dinner at a Michelin 1 star restaurant in the area, and then catch a mid-day TGV to Vannes then next morning.

Stu Dudley

Yeh just stay at one of several hotels by Gare de Lyon and next morning be fresh for an exciting train trip and with discounted tickets knowing you can make the train. Look around Paris first day.

The OP isn't going to have any problem making any of the trains s/he has mentioned. Whether to spend a night in Paris or not is another decision entirely. Me, I like to keep going on the day of my arrival, as it's pretty much a wasted day anyway.

It's also hardly "an exciting train trip." Especially if you're jetlagged and sleeping most of the way.

No not exciting is dozing off but for many Americans could be if they've never taken a high-speed train before and to me all French countryside is so sweet. But point granted just build in few hours extra time and go straight away to Avignon.

Thanks a lot for all the responses, couldn't get back yesterday as it was a busy day at work. My apologies for saying the TGV to Avignon left from Gare du Nord when I know very well its Gare de Lyon, but...!

As StCirq and PalenQ say I'd much rather head straight south on Day 1 and get to the villa we're renting about 20 minutes east of Avignon. We'll have a quiet evening at home, our landlady with leave the fixings of a simple dinner for us and we just plan on relaxing with a bottle of wine.

As to which station I see that it makes sense to just hang around at Roissy and take the train from there, even if its a little later than we'd like. We'll have books to read and I don't think it should be too hard to while away a couple of hours. It all depends when our flight gets in and how long it takes to clear immigration. My mum will be with us, she'll be 81 and we usually has wheelchair assistance when travelling internationally and this would normally fast track us through immigration. One reason I don't want to change trains at Lyon is beacause of my mother, she doesn't have any specific mobility issues but has slowed down with age and I'm not sure how she'll deal with the change. Does one have to go up or down or is it just the same platform? At Lyon, I mean.

I'll have more question for you all about our actual stay in Provence, coming up soon, thanks again!

You will likely have to change platforms in Lyon - it's not one of those tiny, rural stations.

But you can easily arrange for wheelchair assistance from SNCF. It's free, and they do a terrific job - meeting you at the train, waiting with you if necessary for your connection, getting you to the next train and safely boarded...

Many thanks for the suggestion StCirq, it didn’t even occur to me that I could request wheelchair assistance from SNCF. I have another 10+ days to book our tickets, we’re to travel on June 13. Will take a look at the train timings again and decide if we want to take an earlier train or play it safe with the 13.58 one.

I suppose I need to put in a request for the wheelchair at the time of booking isn’t it, just as I would with the airlines?

Thanks a lot 😊

Yes, you do have to request it in advance. Not sure if you have to do it at the exact time as booking, but it's probably easiest to do it then.

How do you figure you have 10 days to purchase your train tickets?? For June 13 travel, the first date you can "normally" book is March 13. Which is really March 12 at 6:05 PM USA East Coast time (12:05 AM March 13 in France).

Stu Dudley

All main train stations in France and really Europe have lifts in case you do have to go up and down or up and over.

Thanks a ton guys, will talk to my family and decide which train we want to take. And you’re right Stu, I have over two weeks before the tickets open up. Have set up an alert, will also keep checking 👍

when booking tickets ask for a place on upper deck of these often double-decker TGVs - much better viewing than sunken lower deck.

An elderly mother with mobility issues isn't exactly going to love hauling herself up and down the stairway to a seat on the upper deck of a TGV, Pal.