TRANSPORTATION FROM PARIS TO MONTPELLIERS
 

We will be arriving at the CDG at 8:30 a.m.after a 8-hr flight. We will be staying at Ste. Guileme le Desert that night so it is our hope that we can find a flight from CDG to Montpelliers soon after we arrive in Paris. Our plan will be to catch the rail on our way back to Paris 2 wks later. Does anyone have any suggestions of airlines that fly there, cost, how often they fly, etc? If we can't fly we will need to find a railway and book tickets so we would appreciate advice here as well. Thank you

Take the TGV from CDG to Montpellier. The train stops right in the middle of town, at the main train station, so it's essentially door-to-door.

If you wanted to fly you'd ideally have booked that flight when you booked your transatlantic leg, as that way your connection would be "protected" against a delay in the first leg of the trip.

Just realized that I mis-read your initial post, as I was thinking that you'd booked at Hotel Le Guilhem in Montpellier. Still, I'd go for the train unless transfer from the airport is particularly easy.

I've gone there once, also (assuming you mean Montpellier which is in southern France). I just took the TGV from CDG, it was pretty easy. There is only one railroad in France, the national one (SNCF). Air France flies there for sure, but I kind of think probably no other airline from Paris. That isn't a super big airport nor a major place people would fly. I got to Montpellier in plenty of time to check into my hotel, the train isn't that long (maybe 4 hours or so). For example, there is a TGV from CDG at 9:25 that gets there around 1:30 pm. I think the next one isn't until around 1 pm, but you get there at 5 pm. I probably took that one.

If you want prices, you can check Air France's website, but that's the kind of thing you should book just as final destination on your original ticket, as it doesn't cost hardly anything when you do that, at least not on Air France. Besides, when it is one ticket, the airline will be responsible for getting you there if there are delays in connections (and your baggage).

I just checked the Air France Web site. If you book far enough in advance, you can get a fare as low as $58 US (w/o taxes) for CDG-Montpellier. There is a flight that leaves at 11:25 and arrives in Montpellier at 12:50.

If you choose to take the train, even if you arrive on time, you don't have any real chance of catching the 09:25 TGV. You can stay at CDG and take the 12:58 TGV, arriving at 16:57. Or you can go into Paris and take the 11:20 TGV from Gare de Lyon, arriving at 14:42.

While I prefer trains over planes, in this case it would make sense to take the 11:25 flight.

It makes sense IF (1) the OP hasn't yet booked the transatlantic leg of the flight and can book all the way to Montpellier or (2) is willing to assume the financial risk of an unprotected connection. If you miss the scheduled flight to Montpellier, the airline can and very likely will charge you the last minute, walk-up price for the ticket.

If you have already booked your transatlantic flight you might still be able to contact AirFrance and have the itinerary changed without too much of a financial penalty at this point (assuming we're still some time away from your journey).

Let us know what you decided to do and how it turned out.