Taking the metro or RER

Escalators to metro & RER at Paris Gare du Nord

 

1. When your Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, walk forwards off the end of the platform onto the main concourse and veer left, going down this escalator into the metro.

  Metro ticket counter at the Gare du Nord
 

2. Go to the staffed counter a short distance from the bottom of the escalator, on the right, or look for a ticket machine marked Ici vente de passes Navigo Easy.

 

Navigo Easy card

 

3. Buy a €2 Navigo Easy card from the staffed counter or designated ticket machine, asking for it to be loaded with one or more €2.10 t+ metro tickets.  Once you have a Navigo Easy card, you can top it up using machines or the RATP app as explained here.

  Sign at the entrance to metro line M5 at Paris Gare du Nord
 

4. Follow the signs.  Metro lines have numbers, RER lines are lettered.

From the Gare du Nord, you want RER D for the Gare de Lyon, Metro 5 for the Gare d'Austerlitz & Metro 4 for Gare Montparnasse, see the recommended metro routes on this page.

  Paris metro train
 

5. The metro runs every 2-3 minutes and calls at all stations.

  RER (express metro) train in Paris
 

6. 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.  RER line D links the Gare du Nord with the Gare de Lyon in just 2 stops.  Metro & RER map

An easy guide to crossing Paris

Eurostar trains arrive at the Gare du Nord in Paris, 7 minutes' walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro or taxi ride from the Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse and other Paris stations.  Journeys from London, Brussels or Amsterdam to the south of France, Switzerland, Italy & Spain often involve changing trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  It's easy enough, I've done it so many times, even if a little daunting for first-timers.  Here's a quick guide to changing trains & stations in Paris by metro, taxi or RER (Réseau Express Régional = express metro).

small bullet point  Option 1, by metro or RER

    How to change stations in Paris by metro

    How much time to allow between trains

    How much is a metro ticket?

    How to buy metro tickets

    Map of metro, RER & bus routes (please let me know if this link stops working)

    Recommended routes from Gare du Nord to other Paris stations

    Recommended routes from other Paris stations to Gare du Nord

    Video guide: Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon by RER

    Video guide: Walking from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est

    Video guide: Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse by metro

small bullet point  Option 2, by taxi

    How to change stations by taxi

small bullet point  Option 3, by private transfer

    How to change stations using a private transfer

small bullet point  Other useful information

    Left luggage lockers in Paris

    Lunch in Paris between trains?

Metro or taxi?

The metro (or RER express metro) is cheapest and quickest.  A taxi costs more and actually takes longer, but it's a painless way to cross Paris with luggage & kids.  If I'm travelling alone, I hop on the metro/RER.  If I'm with wife, kids & luggage, or if it's a special occasion with Mrs 61, I splurge on a taxi.  The extra cost can be a sound investment.


How to cross Paris by metro or RER

small bullet point  How much time to allow between trains

small bullet point  How much is a metro ticket?

small bullet point  How to buy metro tickets

small bullet point  Recommended metro routes from the Gare du Nord to other stations

small bullet point  Recommended metro routes to the Gare du Nord from other stations

small bullet point  Metro, RER & bus route maps (please let me know if this link stops working)

For routes between other stations, just study the metro map.  For plans of the layout of each Paris mainline station see www.gares-sncf.com.

Metro or RER, what's the difference?

The RER or Réseau Express Régional is a network of cross-Paris suburban trains running underground like the metro, but faster and with fewer stops, just slightly less frequent, say every 4-8 minutes rather than every 2-4 minutes.  Some RER routes use double-deck trains, including Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.  Metro & RER are both shown on the Paris metro map, the same 't+' central Paris metro ticket is good for metro, RER or bus.  Some journeys are best done by metro, others by RER.  Because metro & RER use the same tickets and both run underground, the word metro is often used to mean both classic metro and RER express metro.

How much time to allow?

Crossing Paris by metro or RER physically takes around 30 minutes from the concourse at the Gare du Nord to the concourse at the Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse or Gare d'Austerlitz, in total.  My own best time from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon by RER is 27 minutes.

However, in reality you need to allow wiggle room for delays and (if necessary) buying a metro ticket.  Journey planners allow as little as 42 minutes between a train arriving at the Gare du Nord and a train departing from the Gare de Lyon, I consider this far too little with no room for any delay.  If necessary, split the booking to make sure you allow my recommended minimum time between trains either side of Paris.

How much is a metro ticket?

How to buy metro/RER tickets

Option 1, buy card tickets with a magnetic strip - old school!

Option 2, use a Navigo Easy smartcard - the future!

Option 3, using your Android phone

Finding the right metro/RER platform


Metro routes from Paris Nord

Gare du Nord ► Gare de l'Est

Paris Nord, facing Paris Est   Steps from Gare du Nord down to Gare de l'Est

Walk out of the Gare du Nord, turn immediately left.  Then keep walking 300m in this direction until you can't go any further.  See map of walking route.

 

The steps down to the Gare de l'Est.  That's the Gare de l'Est side entrance at the bottom.  There are now escalators & a lift to the left of these steps.

Alternative route, avoiding the steps:  If you can't cope with those steps, here's a level-access route taking 9 minutes & 700m.  Walk out of the Gare du Nord, cross the road and walk down 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.  See map of this alternative walking route.

Gare du Nord ► Gare de Lyon  See video guide

Gare du Nord ► Gare de Bercy

Gare du Nord ► Gare d'Austerlitz

Gare du Nord ► Gare Montparnasse  See video guide

Gare du Nord ► Gare Saint Lazare

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Metro routes to Paris Nord

Gare de l'Est ► Gare du Nord

Rue d'Alsace side exit from Gare de l'Est   Steps from Gare de l'Est to Gare du Nord

Walk off the end of the platform, turn right and walk out of this side exit, marked Sortie rue d'Alsace, see map of walking route.

 

The steps from the Gare de l'Est to the street above.  There are now a set of escalators and a lift here, to the right of the steps, if you can't manage them.

Alternative route avoiding the flight of steps:  If you can't cope with those steps, here's a level-access route taking 9 minutes & 700m.  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.  See map of this alternative walking route.

Gare de Lyon ► Gare du Nord

Gare de Bercy ► Gare du Nord

Gare d'Austerlitz ► Gare du Nord

Gare Montparnasse ► Gare du Nord

Gare Saint Lazare ► Gare du Nord

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Video guide:  Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon

If you still find crossing Paris daunting, this short 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.

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Video guide:  Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est

It's a 7-minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est, with just a short flight of steps at the end.  If you'd prefer a level-access route avoiding these steps, see the alternative route explained above.

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Video guide:  Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse

This 2-minute video shows the transfer by metro line 4 from the Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse.

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How to cross Paris by taxi

How much does it cost? 

How long does it take?

Taxi tips

Paris Gare du Nord taxi rank

The well-organised taxi rank at Paris Nord, outside the west side exit from the station, near platform 2.  The station exit is out of shot to the right.  Staff help organise the queue.  Travelling with small children, they've even directed us to the front of the queue!

How to pre-book a taxi

Wheelchair-accessible taxis

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Private transfers

Private transfers in Paris, between stations or station & hotel

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Lunch in Paris between trains?

Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have a meal between trains in Paris?  Breakfast in London, Lunch in Paris, Dinner in Nice, Milan, Barcelona, Geneva...  It also means that if (heaven forbid) there's a delay to your Eurostar, you'll still make your onward connection.  Here are three good places to eat between trains:

Big Ben Bar, Paris Gare de Lyon   Train Bleu restaurant

The wonderful Train Bleu restaurant (above right) & Big Ben bar (above left) at Paris Gare de Lyon, see the Train Bleu page.


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