December 2008

The DisneyLand RER Paris train is better known in Paris as the RER A train (one of five RER trains, A through E).

This RER map shows the DisneyLand Paris RER line as the red line traveling from west to east across Paris:

It’s important to remember that the RER A line has several branching lines with different terminus stations. The terminus station for the DisneyLand RER Paris line is Marne La Vallée–Chessy station located about 40km east of Paris city centre along the A4 branch of the RER A train line.

For information on the DisneyLand RER Paris line tickets, timetables, maps and a guide on how to make the trip out to Paris Disneyland see the Paris RER to DisneyLand article.

The RER Disney train is the RER A from central Paris to Disneyland Paris at Marne La Vallée station 40km east of the city centre.

This RER Disney city train (RER A) can be taken from popular central Paris stations:

• Charles de Gaulle–Etoile (at Arc de Triomphe)
• Auber (at Galeries Lafayette & Printemps)
• Chatelet Les Halles
• Gare de Lyon
• Nation

This Paris Metro-RER map shows only central Paris and the five popular RER A stations along the RER Disney line, shown as a thick red line traveling west to east across Paris city centre:

The complete Paris RER Map shows the full RER Disney line from Paris out to Marne La Vallée station, the location of Paris Disneyland:

Tickets for the RER Disney train cost 6,45€ one way.  Tickets for the RER A train can be purchased from any of the above RER stations, from any Metro station within Paris, from both ticket windows and from Metro ticket vending machines and RER/Transilien train ticket vending machines (accepting euro coins or smart-chip credit cards).

For a schedule or timetable for the RER Disney train, refer the RER A timetables in direction Marne La Vallée–Chessy.  Travel time along the RER Disney line from Chatelet Les Halles station to Euro Disney is about 40 minutes.

For more information on taking the RER Disney train to Paris Disneyland, see the Paris RER to Euro Disney article.

RER A maps, schedules and ticket/pass information can be found below.

The RER A train connects Disneyland Paris to Paris city centre to La Défense business district at the western edge of the city.

Paris RER A Train - Overview

The RER A line shown on this RER map is the red line, which travels east to west through metro Paris, from Marne La Vallée (Eurodisney) to St Germain-en-Laye out west.

Schedules

RER A Schedules/Timetables & Line Map (showing stations & connections)

Map

Full Paris RER network map

Tickets & Passes

Fares for the RER A includes single use tickets known as Billet Ile-de-France, multi-use tickets and passes  Paris Visite, Ticket Mobilis and Pass Navigo Decouverte. Be careful with tickets & passes used on RER trains which are subject to fare zone limits and restrictions. Traveling with a ticket beyond its zone limit will prevent you from passing through exit turnstiles at your destination and worse, may earn you a 35€ fine from controllers that randomly check tickets.

Major stations

• Disneyland Paris (at Marne La Vallée station)
• Gare de Lyon (major TGV station)
• Chatelet Les Halles (connection to RER B airport trains)
• Auber (shopping at Galeries Lafayette & Printemps)
• Arc de Triomphe (at Charles de Gaulle–Etoile station)
• La Défense (Grande Arche, skyscrapers, banking business district)

RER A - Paris Disneyland

• Paris Disneyland Train Instructions (RER A)

Paris Disneyland is not actually in Paris city centre itself, but out in the commune of Marne La Vallée. In 40 minutes the RER A train travels from city centre Paris to Eurodisney at Marne La Vallée station.  RER A trains leaving Chatelet Les Halles for Disney start at 5:19 in the morning and run every 10 to 30 minutes until the last train departs at 00:36 in the evening, every day of the week. One way ticket price is 6,45€ (full fare) and 3,20€ for children. Other methods of travel: TGV train from CDG Airport to Paris Disneyland and Eurostar London to Paris Disneyland.

RER B - Gare de Lyon

• Gare de Lyon photo tour
  

Gare de Lyon is a major TGV (high speed) train station in south east city centre of Paris. Most trains leaving from Gare de Lyon serve the surrounding Ile-de-France area and other far away cities within France such as Dijon, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Montpellier and many others. Chateau Fontainebleau and INSEAD business school are accessible from this station via Transilien brand trains departing from Gare de Lyon.

RER B - Chatelet Les Halles

The RER A connects with the RER B Airport train at this staton. Other connections at Chatelet Les Halles include Metro lines 1, 4, 7 and 14. The RER D also joins Chatelet Les Halles to Gare du Nord, home of the Eurostar London Paris trains.

RER B - Auber

If Paris fashion and shopping are on your schedule, Auber is a stop for you.  Located above this station are two of the largest department stores in Paris: Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, known for its outrageous advertisements and window displays.

RER B - Charles de Gaulle–Etoile

The Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Avenue de Champs-Elysées is accessible via Charles de Gaulle–Etoile station on the RER A. This station is another fair size interchange hub connection Metro lines 1, 2, 6 to the RER A train.

RER B - La Défense

Home to Paris’ business and banking district, La Défense is a little slice of Manhattan or Chicago with its numerous skyscrapers (but without the traffic: it’s mostly a pedestrian area).  A second “Arc de Triomphe” exists here as the high-tech Grande Arche, many times larger than the Arc de Triomphe, housing office space and a museum dedicated to computers at its top floor.  Views over Paris from this arch are impressive.

RER B maps, schedules and ticket/pass information can be found below.

The RER B Paris train connects Paris city centre to CDG Airport, Orly Airport, Gare du Nord (Eurostar station) and other important destinations in the metro Paris area.

Paris RER B Train - Overview

The RER B map shown here is a simplified version, showing only major destinations and connections along the blue colored line.

Schedules

RER B Schedules/Timetables & Line Map (showing stations & connections)

Map

Full Paris RER network map

Tickets & Passes

RER B uses tickets known as Billet Ile-de-France. Multi-use tickets and passes for the RER B include Paris Visite, Ticket Mobilis and Pass Navigo Decouverte.  Caution: tickets & passes are subject to fare zone limits and restrictions, notably with regards to airports CDG & ORY.

Major stations

• Aeroport Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
• Gare du Nord (Eurostar Paris London train station)
• Chatelet Les Halles (large interchange station)
• Notre Dame
• Luxembourg
• Denfert-Rochereau (connection point to Gare Montparnasse)
• Antony (connection point to Paris Orly Airport train - Orlyval)

RER B - CDG

• RER B CDG to Paris Instructions
• RER B Paris to CDG Instructions

The above instructions provide information on taking the RER B from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris centre and vice versa. If you know which CDG Terminal you’re landing at see the detailed photo instructions for CDG Terminal 2 to Paris or CDG Terminal 1 to Paris. If you’re landing at Terminal 3, use the CDG Terminal 1 to Paris instructions.

RER B - ORY

• RER B Orly to Paris Instructions
• RER B Paris to Orly Instructions

The RER B remains the fastest way to get from central Paris to Orly Airport (ORY) at a total single ticket cost of 9,60€. Keep in mind that the RER B does not directly connect to Orly Airport, but requires a connection onto Orlyval, a dedicated airport train leaving from Antony station, south of Paris, along the RER B train line.

RER B - Gare du Nord

The RER B train makes its first stop in central Paris at Gare du Nord, famous for being the station for the Eurostar high speed Paris to London train.

See the photo tour of Gare du Nord to get a better idea of its layout.

RER B - Chatelet Les Halles

The largest underground station in the world, Chatelet Les Halles, connects to a multitude of Metro and RER train lines including: Metro 1, 4, 7, 14 and RER A, RER B & RER D.

If you’re going to Gare de Lyon and are changing trains from RER B to the RER A at Chatelet Les Halles, note that the two trains are on the same platform, just at opposite sides. Simple alight the RER B, walk to the other side of the platform and board the next train. The next stop will be Gare de Lyon.

RER B - Saint Michel Notre Dame

Conveniently, the RER B makes a stop just next to the famous cathedral of Notre Dame, immediately beside the river Seine in Paris’ 6th district. This station also serves as a connection to the RER C line traveling to Versailles.

RER B - Luxembourg

This station is located immediately east of the Jardin du Luxembourg or Luxembourg Gardens.

RER B - Denfert Rochereau

Second to last station within central Paris for the RER B, Denfert-Rochereau connects to Metro Line 6 which connects to Gare Montparnasse, another of Paris’ popular main large train stations serving TGV trains out to Bordeaux and other southern cities in France.

On December 31st (New Year’s Eve), certain Paris Metro & RER lines stay open and operational all night long.

Paris Metro lines operating all night: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 et 14 the evening of New Year’s eve.

Paris RER lines operating all night: RER A and RER B the night of 31 December.

Paris Noctilien (night bus) will operate as per normal.

All Paris Metro, Buses, RER, Trams will operate free of charge from 17h (5pm) on Dec. 31 until 12:00 noon January 1.

Please keep in mind that not all Metro stations along the above noted lines will be served during the extended service hours, rather only the more popular stations and stations with connections to other lines.

Paris Metro & RER lines not mentioned above will operate as per normal with service ending at 01:40 for the Metro. For more information RER hours of operation see the Schedules page.

(Thanks to Didier Rouger of RATP for some of the above information).

You can now take a virtual walking tour of Paris with Google’s Street View service on Google Maps.

As you can see, the Google car has been making the rounds in Paris.

It’s even managed to capture yours truly showing some friends around Paris.

(Google car photo courtesy of dH FlickR)