Map of stations in Paris
 

See larger map  Red = high-speed line

Buy rail map of Europe

See city map showing stations

The station for London, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne

The Gare du Nord is the busiest station in Europe, in fact the busiest station in the world outside Japan - although they include all the RER suburban trains running underground to get that accolade.  It handles trains heading north from Paris, to Lille, Calais, London, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne.  First opened in 1846 by the Chemin de Fer du Nord, the original station building proved too small and was moved to Lille where you can still see it as the Gare de Lille Flandres.  The current Gare du Nord was built between 1861 & 1864.  See city map of Paris showing stations.

small bullet point  Station overview

small bullet point  Which platform for your train?

small bullet point  Luggage lockers

small bullet point  Ticket office

small bullet point  Taxis, metro & RER

small bullet point  Tips for using the Gare du Nord

small bullet point  Food outlets & supermarkets

small bullet point  Somewhere to eat

small bullet point  Hotels near the Gare du Nord

small bullet point  Eurostar check-in procedure & departure lounge

small bullet point  How to walk to the nearby Gare de l'Est

small bullet point  How to take the metro/RER or taxi to other Paris stations

OverviewStation plan  Location map

The Gare du Nord is a terminus with easy, flat & level access between the taxi rank, concourse & all mainline platforms, making it painless to navigate with wheeled luggage.  See a station plan here, you can find more plans & information about the station and its facilities at www.garesetconnexions.sncf.

The station is marked up as 4 halls:  Hall 1 is the main concourse served by platforms 1-19.  Hall 2 is the balcony upstairs leading to the Eurostar check-in for trains to London.  Hall 3 is the eastern side concourse served by platforms 20-21 & 30-36 used by TER & suburban trains.  Hall 4 is downstairs on the eastern side of the station leading to the RER platforms.  For trains to Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne you want Hall 1.  For London, Hall 2.

Paris Gare du Nord facade

The beautiful facade of Paris Gare du Nord, dating from 1861-64.  The statues represent the European cities served by the Chemin de Fer du Nord, the largest central figure representing Paris.

Paris Nord Eurostar platforms

Eurostar platforms 3, 4 & 5.  On arrival, the glass gates are opened and passengers walk off the platform onto the station concourse.  Departing passengers for London must check in at the Eurostar terminal as explained here.  That's the Eurostar departure lounge behind the row of first-floor windows, passengers access the trains from two footbridges, visible above the trains here.  Platform 6 can also be secured for a Eurostar arrival or departure.

Paris Gare du Nord station concourse

Main concourse showing platforms 3-10, taken from the long balcony leading to the Eurostar check-in.  Steps down to the metro & RER are in the foreground.  Eurostars to/from London use platforms 3-6 on the left, Eurostar (formerly Thalys) to/from Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne use platforms 9-15.

Paris Gare du Nord station concourse

When you walk off Eurostar, this is your view of the concourse.  With my back towards the Eurostar platforms 3-6, you can see the escalators down to the metro/RER with the main exit from station to street behind it.  Turn right for taxis & luggage lockers.  At the rear of the concourse you can see the long first floor balcony leading to the Eurostar terminal for departing passengers to London, accessed up an escalator opposite platform 17.  Metro & RER information.

Paris Gare du Nord station concourse

Walk off Eurostar & turn right for taxis & left luggage office.  This is the west side exit from the concourse to the taxi rank, and the escalator down to the left luggage lockers.  Taxi information.

Which platform for your train?

Platforms are numbered 1 to 36 from left to right, with platform 1 on the west side, See station plan.  Platform numbers are usually posted on departure screens 20-30 minutes before departure.

Tickets & reservations

Luggage storage

Taxis & metro

Tips for using the Gare du Nord

Luggage lockers at the Gare du Nord   Monop minimarket at the Gare du Nord

Left luggage lockers on lower level near platform 3.  Follow signs for consignes.  Bags are X-rayed at the entrance.

 

Monop minimarket next to the station exit opposite platform 8, a good place to stock up for the journey.

Food outlets & supermarkets

Somewhere to eat

If your kids insist, there's a MacDonald's just across the road and to the right, in the rue Dunkerque.  But you can do better than that, here are two great places that make lunch before or after your train an experience in itself...

Brasserie Terminus Nord

The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is directly across the road from the Gare du Nord's wonderful facade, and a traditional French brasserie where train travellers have dined in Art Deco and Art Nouveau environs since 1925.  The Brasserie Terminus Nord is a favourite of mine when I'm passing through Paris by train, and so handy for the station.  Oysters and seafood are a speciality.

Brasserie Terminus Nord

The Brasserie Terminus Nord across the road from the station, after its refurbishment in September 2021.

Terminus Nord restaurant   Terminus Nord restaurant

Oysters are a speciality at the Terminus Nord.

 

Seafood choucroute at the Terminus Nord.

Cafe du Nord

The Cafe du Nord (cafedunord-paris.fr), opposite the station to the left of the Terminus Nord has also been recommended though I have yet to try it myself.

Chez Casimir

My favourite restaurant, l'Ardoise Gourmande - where Master 61 discovered he loved escargot - sadly closed down in 2019, but the nearby Chez Casimir, 4 minutes walk from the Gare du Nord at 6, rue de Belzunce, gets good reports, see the Tripadvisor.co.uk Chez Casimir page, see walking map from Gare du NordFeedback appreciated.

Chez Casimir restaurant near Paris Gare du Nord

Hotels near the Gare du Nord

The 3-star 25 Hours Terminus Nord is directly across the road from the station and gets great reviews - it's also had great feedback from seat61 users.  Formerly the Mercure Terminus Nord, it's been refurbished in a decidedly funky style, a great choice for an overnight stop or longer stay.

Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 minutes walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star), Art Hotel (3-star), Avalon Hotel (2-star) & Hotel Cambrai (5 minutes walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star).

25 Hours Hotel, Paris Nord

The 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the station.  I stayed at this hotel when it was a Mercure in a room with a balcony facing the station.  But I've yet to experience its funky new 25 Hours makeover.  If you stay here let me know!


Back to 'Rail travel to Europe' general page

Back to home page