I can't seem to find any direct connections by train from CDG to a stop in Normandy--preferably Caen, but Rouen or Le Havre would also be ok. Am I just not using sites correctly or must I go into Paris proper to connect to a town in Normandy? I know I can get to Rennes, but that would be too far for my plans. Help, please. Thanks.

As far as I know you have to go into Paris.

Thanks, StCirq, I was afraid of that. Looks like we may have to bite the bullet and drive from the airport.

If you'll be driving after a long flight, consider stopping for the rest of the day and the night in the town of Petit Andelys. It's on the bank of the river Seine, and we very much like the small hotel/restaurant La Chaîne d'Or, as have others who tried it after I wrote about it. The town is pleasant for walking, and there's a fine ruined castle in the hills above.

The drive from CDG takes about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, mostly on main (fast) roads.

Thanks, Underhill, I've seen you mention it before. It sounds lovely. DH is now thinking, however, that we'll extend our stay by 2 days and go into Paris to recover from our flight and then take the train from there. We have some time before actually booking, so I'll keep your idea in mind. Thanks.

You only "mostly" have to go into Paris, once in a while you can avoid it. This is one of those:

The 1:16PM TGV 5224 from the CDG TGV station goes to Le Mans (arr. 2:50PM) where you get off and take the regional express at 3:13PM to Caen (arr. 4:52PM)

You might like this one - it goes right through Paris and doesn't require the shuttling from an arrival to a departure station within Paris:

At 10:48 you take the RER B for Massy-Palaiseau (an outer suburb on the southwestern side of Paris), it arrives at 11:51, you walk across to the SNCF trains and board the 12:01 TGV 5471 for Le Mans (arr. 12:49). The next connection for Caen that I can see is not until 3:13 PM - maybe have a long lunch??? Or find a later connection through Massy?

If you come in later in the day, take a RER B to Massy-Palaiseau that gets there in time to make the 7:38PM departure from Massy for Rouen Rive Droite, TGV 05377, arr. 9:14PM.

And there is a way to get to Rouen (and Le Havre) without going into Paris: TGV 5423 leaving the CDG TGV station at 2:41 PM for Lille (arr. 4:02 PM) where at 5:05 PM a regional leaves for Rouen-Rive-Droite (arr. 7:41 PM), and if you need to get to Le Havre, take the 8:04 PM that arrives at 8:56 PM.

Or if you need to get to Caen from Rouen, take the 8:09 PM that arrives in Caen at 11:51 PM. But that one is weird because it goes back via Paris St. Lazare...

So keep looking for your specific date and time, never say never...

Wow, Delai Lama, I'm impressed. What site do you use to get all this info? Even if we wind up stopping in Paris as DH now wants to do, it would be useful to know how to figure these kinds of things out for future. Thanks.