1. Arriving by Eurostar. When your Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, simply walk forwards off the end of the platform onto the main concourse and turn
left, following the sign in the foreground for 'Metro & RER'. You go down the steps into the metro.
2. Follow the signs. You find your way on the metro with a line number and a
'diréction'. For example, from the Gare du Nord to the Gare
d'Austerlitz, you'd follow the signs for metro line M5 'diréction
Place d'Italie'.
See the recommended metro routes further down this page.
3.
Buy a metro ticket using these machines. they have a touch screen
& an English language facility.
4.
The metro runs every 2-3 minutes and calls at all
stations. Metro line M5 links the Gare du Nord with
the Gare d'Austerlitz, metro line M4 links it with the Gare Montparnasse.
Metro
& RER map.
5. The RER (express metro) runs
every 5-10 minutes on
its own tracks from its own platforms, and consists of suburban trains running in tunnels under
Paris. They are usually double-deck as shown here, and have far fewer stops than the
ordinary metro, so they're faster. RER lines are identified with a
letter, A B C or D, plus a 'direction'. RER line D links the Gare du
Nord with the Gare de Lyon in just 2 stops. Metro
& RER map
Taking a taxi...
Taxis: Alternatively, you can take a taxi. This is
the taxi rank at Paris Gare du Nord, where there's often a long queue
(as you can see here!).
Beware the expensive private hire cars which also tout for business.
Crossing Paris by regular taxi costs 17-19 euros, but is painless.
Pre-book a taxi: Or you can
pre-book a taxi, such as this G7 Taxi, see the taxi
information.
Eurostar arrives at the
Gare du Nord in Paris, 10 minutes' walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro
or taxi ride
from the other Paris stations. Train journeys from London to Switzerland, Italy
& Spain usually involve crossing
Paris by metro between stations. It's easy enough, although
sometimes
a little daunting for first-timers. Here is a quick guide to
changing trains & stations in Paris by metro, taxi or RER ('Réseau
Express
Régional'
= express metro).
Crossing Paris by metro
physically takes
about 30-35 minutes, indeed my own best recorded time from the concourse at
the Gare du Nord to the concourse at the Gare de Lyon is 27 minutes. But you should
always allow at least
an hour between the Eurostar arriving at the Gare du Nord and your connecting
train leaving one of the other Paris stations, with the following exceptions:
(1) if your onward train leaves from the Gare de l'Est, 45 minutes
between trains is sufficient as the Gare de l'Est is only a ten minute walk from the Gare du Nord.
(2) if you are catching a sleeper train that you can't afford to miss,
allow
longer, at least 90 minutes between trains if the sleeper leaves from Paris
Austerlitz or Paris Bercy, at least 60 minutes if it leaves from the nearby
Gare de l'Est. (3) If your onward train leaves from Paris Montparnasse
TGV station I'd also allow longer, perhaps 90 minutes, as there's quite a
walk from Montparnasse metro station to the Montparnasse TGV station.
On the return
journey, you need to allow for the 30 minute Eurostar check-in at Paris Gare
du Nord as well as the metro journey. So allow at least 90
minutes between your train arriving in Paris and the departure of your
Eurostar from the Gare du Nord back to London, with the following exceptions:
If your train arrives at the Gare de l'Est, 60 minutes is sufficient between
trains as it's only a 10 minute walk to the Gare du Nord; (2) If
your train arrives at Paris Montparnasse, allow at least 1 hour 50 minutes
as it's a fair old walk from Montparnasse TGV station to Montparnasse metro
station.
Children 0-3 travel
free. Children 4-9 (inclusive) travel for 0.85 euro.
It's cheaper to buy a 'carnet' of 10 tickets for 12.00 euros. You can keep any spare tickets and use them later, even
up to a year
later. Each ticket is valid for one journey in central Paris on either
metro, RER (express metro) or bus.
How do you buy tickets?
The metro is not included
in mainline tickets, so head downstairs to the metro and buy a ticket from the self-service ticket machines
or at the metro ticket office. The self-service machines have an English language
facility and accept euro coins, notes & credit cards. They also
sell carnets of 10 tickets.
Travel tip: If you haven't any euros, the ticket machines will let
you use a credit card even to buy one 1.60 euro ticket.
Travel tip: If you are making a return journey, buy two
metro tickets as you pass through Paris on your outward journey. You can
use the second ticket for crossing Paris on your return trip, saving time
queuing at the ticket office. Metro tickets can be used on any day once
they have been bought.
Travel tip: You can buy a carnet of 10 Paris metro tickets for
£15.00, and Paris metro visitor passes, at the information desk in the
Eurostar terminal in London, just ask...
Finding the right metro
platform...
Unlike the London Underground,
which uses a line name then 'northbound' and 'southbound', Paris metro lines
each have
a number then a 'diréction'. The
'diréction' is the name of the station at the end of the line in the direction you want to
go. For example, 'M5 diréction
Place d'Italie', Place d'Italie being the station at the end of line 5 in that
direction.
A taxi is a painless way to cross
Paris, especially if you have large amounts of luggage. A taxi from the Gare du Nord
to (for example) the Gare de Lyon or Gare d'Austerlitz costs around 17-19 euro
and takes about 25 minutes. However, be aware that there's often a long queue for taxis
at the Gare du Nord and other main stations, so always allow at least an houror
preferably more between trains, see
above. Don't accept
taxis or private hire vehicles from touts, use the official taxi rank at the side entrance to the Gare
du Nord (the same side of the station as the Eurostar platforms). Make sure the
driver turns the meter on when you drive off.
As there's often a long queue for
taxis at the Gare du Nord and other Paris stations, it's a good idea to pre-book one. Several companies
offer pre-bookable taxis in Paris, including www.taxis-g7.com.
To book a taxi from G7:
Call the G7 Taxis
English-speaking line on +33 1 41 27
66 99. Lines open 24 hours.
Bookings can be made from 7
days until 1 hour before you need the taxi.
A credit card guarantee may
be required at certain peak times.
Book the taxi for at least 10-15
minutes after the scheduled arrival of your Eurostar. They'll give you a booking reference.
The taxi will wait up to 5 minutes if you don't turn up on time (you may be
charged for the waiting time!).
For some reason, their taxis
can't or won't use the official station taxi ranks, so at the Gare du Nord
they will normally tell you that the taxi will wait at 12,Boulevard du Denain, across
the road directly
opposite the front of the station. Similarly, if you're being picked
up at the Gare de Lyon, ask to be picked up at number 2, Place Louis Arnand,
which is outside the Hotel Mercure, just walk outside the station onto the
forecourt and turn
left.
The taxis have a 'G7' sticker inside the rear window (see the photo to the
right).
If you tell them you're
arriving by train, some G7 staff will refuse to book a taxi for you and tell
you to
call back on the day of travel. In fact, I suspect these staff are
following their company policy, whereas other staff happily conspire with
you to pre-book one, using an address that doesn't look like a station
pick-up (which may explain the point above!). So it's probably better
to avoid mentioning that you're arriving by train, use the '12, Boulevard du Denain' address above instead of mentioning the Gare du Nord, and if the
staff member refuses to book a taxi because they suspect you're arriving by
train, either (a)
politely insist on pre-booking a pick up from one of the above addresses
instead of the 'Gare du Nord' or 'Gare de Lyon', as it may be the reluctance
to pick up from stations that's the problem, or (b) put the phone down,
re-dial and get a more helpful member of staff who will pre-book it for you.
Yes, you really can pre-book one of their taxis, but some G7 staff
are more helpful than others in getting around their company's rather
self-defeating and hazy rules about train-related taxi bookings...
Of course, you could call G7
Taxis on the day of travel using your mobile once your Eurostar exits the
Channel Tunnel, and then you'll be sure you've reached France running on
time. That might a good option! +33 1 41 27
66 99.
You just pay the taxi driver
at the end of the journey in the normal way, based on what the meter says,
around 17-19 euros from Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon, Gare de Bercy or
Gare d'Austerlitz, plus the 5 euro booking fee. The drivers accept both cash (euro) and credit
cards. A recent Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord trip cost 25 euro
including the booking fee and a five minute wait as we were a bit late.
If you use this service,
feedback
would be very welcome. It's reported that they may not accept taxi
bookings during the Paris rush-hour.
Private transfers...
Alternatively, go to www.taxi-paris.net
(+33 6 07 60 49 14, tim@taxi-paris.net) and book a hassle-free private
transfer specifically designed to meet trains and take you across Paris to
board another train. This service gets good reports, with an
English-speaking driver
meeting you at the Eurostar arrival gate with his car parked right outside the
station. The only downside is the cost, around 60 euros per car plus 1
euro per luggage item, 4th & 5th passengers a few euro extra. They may
ask for a 50% deposit. If you use this service,
feedback
would be very welcome.
Wheelchair-accessible taxis...
There's a
pre-bookable wheelchair-accessible taxi service in Paris run
by www.taxis-g7.com
(their website is only in French, but look for 'plan du
site' then 'G7 Horizon'). To book, call +33 1 41 27
66 99 (English speaking line) or +33 1 47
39 00 91, making sure you ask for a wheelchair
accessible taxi. There may be a 5 euros booking fee, and
bookings can be made from 7 days until 1 hour before you
need the taxi. Gare du Nord to Gare d'Austerlitz for
example costs 17-19 euros per taxi. If you use this
service,
feedback would be very welcome!
If you want to spend some time in Paris,
there are left luggage lockers ('Consigne automatique' in French, but signs
are also in English) at the Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and Gare d'Austerlitz. Expect to have
your bags X-rayed before entering the locker area. Small, medium and
large size lockers cost 4.50, 7.00 and 9.50 euros for 24 hours. A medium
locker will take one backpack or small suitcase, a large locker will take two
backpacks or larger suitcases. There are no facilities for leaving
bikes, surfboards or skis.
It's an easy 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the
Gare de l'Est, much easier than going just one stop on the metro.
Walk out of the Gare du Nord onto the street in
front of the station.
Turn left along the front of the station, and keep
going straight ahead of you up the Rue de Dunkerque until the tracks leading into the Gare de
l'Est stop you going any further.
Turn right into the Rue d'Alsace along the tracks,
descending the long flight of pedestrian steps to the side entrance of the Gare de l'Est.
This is the quickest and shortest
route, but to avoid the long flight of steps, walk out of the Gare du Nord and
across the road into
the Boulevard de Denain straight ahead of you, turn left into the Boulevard de
Magenta, then left again into the Rue du 8 Mai 1945. This route is a bit
longer, but gives
level access from one station to the other.
Walk off the end of the Eurostar platform,
turn left, and follow the signs for RER line D.
All RER line D trains stop at the Gare de
Lyon, as long as you get on one going in the right direction. So follow
the signs for 'RER D
direction Melun / Malesherbes'. Trains may be shown as going to Melun,
Malesherbes or Corbeil-Essonnes, these all stop at the Gare de Lyon.
Take RER line D two stops direct to the Gare de Lyon.
The train ride only takes 7 minutes. There's one stop on the way, if
it's Chatelet-les-Halles you know you're on the right train!
The whole trip from the Gare de Lyon concourse
to the Gare du Nord concourse takes about 25 minutes including walking time,
buying a ticket from the machines and waiting a few minutes for an RER
train.
At both the Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon there are
escalators (and/or lifts) between the mainline station concourse, the RER
concourse and the RER platforms, making it relatively easy even with luggage
or a pushchair. To access the RER, there are also special wide ticket
gates for passengers with luggage or pushchairs.
Top tip: If you've time for a meal,
coffee or beer whilst waiting at the Gare de Lyon, try the famous
Train Bleu restaurant on the
main concourse.
2-minute step-by-step video guide: If you still
find crossing Paris is daunting, see the 2-minute
step-by-step video guide!
Gare du Nord ▶
Gare de Bercy
Walk off the end of the Eurostar platform,
turn left and follow the signs for RER line D.
Take RER line D two stops from the
Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon (follow signs 'RER D
direction Melun / Malesherbes'). Trains may be shown as going to Melun,
Malesherbes or Corbeil-Essonnes.
Take metro line 14 one stop from Gare de Lyon to Bercy (follow signs
'M14 direction Olympiades'). Or you can walk from Gare de Lyon to
|Bercy, it's about 600 metres.
The mainline Gare de Bercy is a stone's throw from
Bercy metro station. Go up the steps to street level, then around the corner
with the 'Cafe Chambertin', and you can see it ahead of you past the Hotel
Claret.
Walk off the Eurostar platform,
veer left, and follow the signs for metro line M5.
Take metro line 5 direct to the Gare d'Austerlitz (follow signs 'M5
direction Place d'Italie').
Line M5 climbs out above ground, crosses the Seine on
a bridge and arrives at the Gare d'Austerlitz on a high-level station opposite
the mainline station entrance.
Gare du Nord ▶ Gare
Montparnasse
Walk off the Eurostar platform,
turn left, and follow the signs for Metro line M4.
Take metro line M4 direct to Montparnasse
Bienvenue (follow signs 'M4 direction Porte d'Orléans').
In contrast to other Paris mainline stations,
where the metro platforms are more or less directly underneath the mainline
platforms, at Montparnasse it's a 700 metre (750 yard) walk (with steps in
places) from the metro station to the mainline TGV platforms. Allow
plenty of time for the transfer, and if you're not good with long walks with
luggage, consider taking a taxi from Paris Nord to the Gare Montparnasse.
Gare du Nord ▶ Gare Saint
Lazare
Walk off the Eurostar platform and follow the signs for
RER line E direction Haussmann Saint-Lazare.
If you still find crossing Paris daunting, this
2-minute video will show you exactly what it's like, where to go and what to do,
step-by-step. The whole journey takes as little as 25 minutes
concourse-to-concourse, but always allow at least an hour between trains,
preferably more.
It's an easy 10 minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the
Gare du Nord, far easier than taking the metro.
Walk off the end of the platform, turn right along
the concourse and walk out of
the Gare de l'Est side entrance (marked "Sortie rue d'Alsace")
Turn right and walk up the long flight of pedestrian steps, with the tracks
into the Gare de l'Est on your right.
Ignore the first left turn into the Rue des Deux
Gares, but take the second left turn into Rue de Dunkerque. You'll now see
the magnificent facade of the Gare du Nord straight ahead of you.
This is the quickest and shortest
route, but to avoid the long flight of steps, walk out of the Gare de 'Est and
turn right down the Rue du 8 Mai 1945. Turn right into the Boulevard de
Magenta then right again into the Boulevard de Denain. The Gare du Nord is
now straight ahead of you. This route is a bit longer, but gives level access from one station
to the other.
Follow signs to 'RER D'. You want
direction 'Orry la Ville', which usually means RER 'D' platforms 2 & 4.
RER 'D' platforms 1 & 3 are for trains in the other direction.
Take RER line D two stops direct to the Gare du Nord. The actual
train ride only takes 7 minutes. All RER D trains call at the Gare du
Nord.
The whole trip from the Gare
de Lyon concourse to the Gare du Nord concourse takes about 25 minutes
including walking time, buying a ticket from the machines and waiting a few
minutes for an RER train.
At both the Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord there are
escalators (and/or lifts) between the mainline station concourse, the RER
concourse and the RER platforms, making it relatively easy even with luggage
or a pushchair. To access the RER platforms, there are also special wide
ticket gates for passengers with luggage or pushchairs.
Gare de Bercy ▶ Gare du
Nord
Walk out of the mainline station onto the
forecourt, down the steps
and across the road ahead of you. The metro station is just round the corner.
Take metro line 14 from Bercy to Gare de Lyon (just
one stop, follow signs 'M14 direction Saint Lazare').
Take RER line D from the Gare de
Lyon to the Gare du Nord (just two stops, follow signs 'RER D direction Orry la Ville').
Alternatively, walk 600 metres to the Gare de Lyon and take the RER direct
to the Gare du Nord.
Gare d'Austerlitz ▶ Gare
du Nord
Take metro line 5 direct to the Gare du Nord (follow signs 'M5 direction
Bobigny').
The M5 metro station at the Gare d'Austerlitz is a
high-level station opposite the mainline station entrance. Line M5
crosses the Seine then dives underground for the rest of the journey.
Gare Montparnasse ▶
Gare du Nord
Take metro line M4 direct to the Gare du Nord
(follow signs 'M4 direction Porte Clignancourt').
Note that in contrast to other Paris mainline
stations where the metro is directly underneath the mainline station, at
Montparnasse it's a 700 metre (750 yard) walk (with steps in places) from
the mainline TGV platforms to the metro station. Allow plenty of time
for this particular transfer.
Gare Saint Lazare ▶
Gare du Nord
Follow signs 'RER E direction Tournan & Chelles
Gournay'.
Take RER line E one stop to Magenta, which is
connected to the Gare du Nord.
Here is a summary of how long
to allow to make connections across Paris.
Recommended
time to allow to change trains in Paris...
The minimum connection
times shown here are the minimum amount of time you
should allow between the scheduled arrival of your train
in Paris and the scheduled departure time of your
connecting train from Paris.
Travelling FROM London
If your onwards train
departs from the Gare de l'Est (only a 10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord, where Eurostar arrives):
45
minutes, if missing it simply means catching the next
one.
1 hour 15 minutes
minimum if catching the last train of the day or a
long-distance sleeper train which you cannot afford to
miss.
If your onwards train
departs from any other Paris station (usually a 30-40
minute RER or métro ride from the Gare du Nord):
1 hour
if missing it simply means catching the next one
1 hour 40 minutes
minimum, preferably 2 hours, if catching the last train
of the day or a long-distance sleeper train which you
cannot afford to miss.
Travelling TO London
Arriving on a train at the Gare de l'Est (only a 10-minute
walk to Paris Nord from where Eurostar departs)
60 minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory
30-minute Eurostar check-in time.
if you miss the Eurostar because your train is
significantly late, the Eurostar staff should let you
catch the next one, as long as seats are available.
Arriving on a train at any other Paris station (usually
a 30-40 minute
métro
or RER ride to Paris Nord)
1 hour 30
minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory 30-minute
Eurostar check-in time.
if you miss the Eurostar
because your train is significantly late, the Eurostar
staff should let you catch the next one, as long as
seats are available.
Since the opening of the new UK high speed line,
roughly 85-90%
of Eurostars normally arrive within 15 minutes of the advertised
time, but it is not unknown for problems in the Channel
Tunnel to delay a Eurostar by an hour. If you're
connecting with (say) a long distance sleeper train which
you can't afford to miss, then better
safe than sorry!
