Turn about time from US Flight at CDG to get to CDG TVG train station
 

Plan to land CDG about 8 am ish. Will be taking TVG train from CDG to Avignon. How much time will we need to effect the transfer?

Also... how does one handle the luggage aboard the train? Check it , or carry-on?

You carry (and watch) your luggage yourself on trains.

US Airways uses terminal 1, so you must take the CDGVal rail shuttle from terminal 1 to the TGV station in terminal 2. This takes less than 15 minutes.

Add at least two hours to that to make sure you will have collected your baggage and gone through immigration.

Add however many other hours you think that your flight could possibly be delayed for weather or other reasons for whatever time of year you are traveling.

I always allow 90 min to 2 hrs to be comfortable. And I suppose it would depend on the terminal you land, a bit (I always land in 2), but 2 hrs should be enough.

I've never heard of checking luggage on any train in Europe, but in any case, you don't on the TGV. I didn't know you could check luggage on any train, but I took Amtrak from NYC to Wash DC around Thanksgiving and think I noticed that they did have such an ability.

We always allow at least 2 hours as we usually but prem fare tickets which can't be changed. If early we've had overpriced coffee (but in a very comfy setting) in the Sheraton above the train station.

My husband and I made this connection in September. We landed in the same terminal that has the TGV station and had only carry on baggage and booked a train that gave us 2 hours from landing. We made the train comfortably but a late arrival or retrieving checked luggage/changing terminals could have been a problem.

Big suitcases will go in a rack at the end of your car. Small suitcases (carryons) can go overhead. On some equipment, medium sized suitcases will go behind your seat.

I assume you will have a reserved seat in a particular car. Try to find out where your car will stop in advance (many platforms show this) and be there. French trains operate very efficiently so you won't have a lot of time, and believe me, you do not want to pull the bags through multiple cars.

You may be a little paranoid about leaving your bag at the end of the car, but except in stations, it can't go anywhere. No matter how vigilant you want to be, the TGV is so smooth and so quiet that you will probably fall asleep between stations anyway!

Go with 2 hours to be safe but, in all likelihood, you will probably make it from plane to train in under an hour.

I don't think one hour is realistic at all. It's perfectly likely you would not even have your luggage yet at this point and I have had it take more than an hour to get through Immigration when several planes land at the same time - esp if one or more are from one of those countries filled with potential illegal immigrants. (Visitors from these countries may take 5 minutes or more each to get through Immigration versus about 30 second for travelers from the US).

Leave at least 2 hours and do check the on-time record of your incoming flight,

I was so scared to miss my train when I had to take a train from the TGV station at CDG during my last trip that I went carry on only. I was supposed to land at 8:30 in terminal 2A and my train left at 10:01 from terminal 2 also. Luckily our flight was early, passing through immigration was a breeze, I had no luggage to collect so I just walked straight to the TGV station. I remember it was quite a trek through the airport (even if it was in the same terminal!) but I had a good hour to wait. I'd rather be much earlier than having to run through the airport.

Anything can go wrong, from your departure to delays at the airport, I'd give myself lots of time (1.5 to 2 hours, as others have said).

I wouldn´t attempt to catch a train with any time less than 3 hours between scheduled landing and train departure. Can it be done in one hour? Absolutely but exactly what are your train tickets worth if you have a maintenance delay, unanticipated weather, or some other delay in reaching CDG.

There are a lot of posters here who have a lot more confidence in airlines schedules than I have.

My flight always lands around 7. I always take a train that leaves around 10, so for me, after more than 100 trips on the same plane/train essentially, I've learned that 3 hours is about right (and I rarely check luggage).

I will just add:
This is an ideal to time to take carry-on or smallish luggage! Trekking through the airport to the train, LIFTING and storing on train then again when you disembark! Plus if you are either walking or taking the Local transportaion to your hotel, there can be MANY stairs and rough sidewalks etc. I HIGHLY recommend smallish sturdy wheeled luggage. ;) Have fun!
Tina