Originally Posted by Mountain Trader

The overnight stay changes the whole picture. I would almost never stay at a CDG hotel unless I were flying out early the next day. There's nothing out there, the hotels and food are not cheap, and you spend time and money going back and forth instead of seeing and enjoying Paris. A real waste on all counts.

I would go into Paris with your luggage. If the RER is not your thing, take an AF bus or the Roissybus, get a hotel near your chosen stop, stash you luggage, shop, eat, have a great Saturday and Saturday night and Sunday in Paris.

Have the hotel order a timed cab for you to get to Gare du Nord for your train. Gare du Nord is not a bad security risk, just don't talk to strangers and keep an eye on your belongings.

Originally Posted by PWMFlyer19

I would also say to stay near Gare du Nord. There is a Mercure right there outside the train station which should be as cheap as an airport hotel depending on dates.

http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-2761...rd/index.shtml

Take the express RER directly from CDG to Gare du Nord, or even better, if this is causing you so much stress, just take a taxi for 60 euros or prebook a shared taxi/van that should be more like 35 euros.

http://www.paris-shuttle.com/uk/tarifs.asp

Cheers.

Originally Posted by MarLim

IMO, Gare du Nord and Bruxelles Midi are identical in terms of security, I had never ever a problem in either of them, however, you may see scary people in both places. Same for the RER from CDG to Gare du Nord, I would not object taking it with baggage, especially on a Sunday, however I would not take it during weekday rushhour, not because of security aspects, but it will just be too crowded to feel comfortable with luggage.

You said, you will stay at a CDG hotel, in this case I'd take the TGV from CDG to Bruxelles and change trains there. There are (far) less trains than from Gare du Nord, but if you have a certain amount of flexibility, you certainly find a schedule suiting your needs. This way, you spare yourself transporting your luggage from CDG to Gare du Nord. Bruxelles Midi is quite easy to change trains and has rolling stairs to access the train platforms.

Originally Posted by Koby

Also keep in mind that you don't have to take a Thalys from Brussel to Antwerpen. There are lots of local trains doing this route. Look for "IC" trains to get the fastest (only a few minutes slower than Thalys). If you buy the ticket in Paris, they should be able to include the part on the local train.