Since we have been coming to Europe, we have found that the best way to get between the Netherlands and France, or vice versa, is to take the Thalys train. 
Even though flight times between Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport average about an hour, the extra time required for security, airport transfers between the cities and the airports, and the added cost of transportation make train travel our preferred method of travel. There is also a restaurant car on Thalys trains if you happen to get hungry during the trip.
From the time we left Rotterdam Centraal Station, 2 hours and 40 minutes later we reached Paris Gare du Nord, which is conveniently situated in downtown Paris and allows for easy transfers to the metro, RER, and commuter train service. Since we had a connecting train leaving from Paris Saint-Lazare station, we took the RER E one stop. We find that the RER network is better equipped to deal with people with luggage since there are elevators at each station, unlike the metro system with its endless winding staircases that have become the bane of tourists with luggage.
While we waited for our connecting train at Paris Saint-Lazare station to Le Havre, we stopped for a drink at Starbucks. The train ride to Le Havre that day was marred by the lack of air conditioning in the train on an unseasonably hot day and by the extra hour of travel time due to weekend construction work on the rails. But after 3 hours of sitting in a hot, uncomfortable train, we made it to Le Havre, our home for the next 6 weeks.
