Gare Saint-Lazare is one of six train stations in Paris. It is the terminus station for suburban and grand line trains including Transilien (2 lines- Lines J & L), intercités (3 lines- all lignes Normandes, and TER Haute Normandie (serving upper Normandy).

Gare Saint Lazare is centrally located close to the metro, RER E, and various bus stops. There is one bus stop on Rue de Rome and a bus station located close to the intersection of Place Gabriel Péri and Rue de Rome.

Outside to the train station you’ll find a column shaped sculpture of clocks.

This train station has been undergoing renovation since mid-2008 and is scheduled to complete at the end of this year, 2011. The Saint-Lazare Metro station has a dome shaped covering about 10 metres (~ 30 feet) from the front steps of the train station. This station services Metro lines 3, 12, 13, and 14. While underground you’ll find a path connecting the Metro station to Haussmann-Saint-Lazare station, which is a station for the RER E line.

There is a Vélib station located on the corner of Rue de Rome and Rue de Amsterdam, because of the volume of traffic that goes through this station it might be hard to get a bike at this location.

Inside the train station you’ll find 27 lanes (voies). Generally lanes 1-18 are servicing the suburban and intercity trains while lanes 19-27 servicing the Grand Line trains. You’ll see signs above the voies indicating what they are normally scheduled for.

This train station has an SNCF ticket outlet and also automated machines (for SNCF, TER, Ile-de-France tickets). There is an information desk open generally from 07:00 to 22:00 Monday to Fridays, 07:00-14:00 Saturdays, and 14:00-22:00 Sundays.

If you are using a billet origine-destination or a grande ligne ticket, you will have to validate it before getting on the train (Note: Some print at home tickets will not need to be validated and will be scanned once boarded). There are two different machines, one for billet origine-destination and one for grande ligne tickets.

This station has only one floor and does not have a luggage storage. It does however have a lost and found office located close to lane 27. The washrooms cost 0,50€ and are located in front of lane 23 & 24 and there are food kiosks within the station.

Hope you have a happy and safe train ride!

Resources

Paris Transport Security & Safety Tips

Gare d’Austerlitz is located in Paris’ 13th Arrondissement, near Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière in the Google Map below:

It is an intersection point for the Metro line 5 and terminus station for Metro line 10. The RER C line is also serviced by this station and is located on niveau -1 (ie. level -1). At Gare d’Austerlitz you’ll find both the suburban and grand line trains including Elipsos, Corail Lunéa, Aqualys, TER centre and Téoz.

The station is in operation everyday from 5:30 to 0:00 (ie. midnight) except bank holidays. At Gare d’Austerlitz you’ll find an info kiosk, automated luggage storage and other amenities including three food outlets and a money exchange booth. Washrooms are available at 0,50€.

Outside the station you’ll find a velib station (ie. self service bike rental), access to buses, car rentals, taxis and Boulevard de l’Hôpital. The automated luggage storage has different size compartments that can be rented for up to 72 hours. Please refer to the Paris Train Station & Airport Luggage Storage article for more information.

Resources

Paris Transport Security & Safety Tips

Gares serve surface level trains traveling in and out of the city of Paris to surrounding suburbs and further out to cities both nationally around France and internationally on either high-speed TGV lines (up to 320km/h or 200mph) or normal speed train lines (roughly 110km/h or 68mph).

There are seven commonly used gares within central Paris: Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare d’Austerlitz, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare de Bercy.

Paris Metro stations serve one or more Metro lines and some also serve RER trains while within central Paris (Paris transport zones 1-2).

Metro (ie. subway), RER (Réseau Express Regionale - ie. above/below ground light rail), and Tram: all form part of the light rail system serving central and suburban Paris.

The Metro and RER stations within Paris have both above & below ground stations (although most are below ground).  Trams of which there are three (soon to be four with more in the works) generally have only street level stops along the western (T2), southern (T3) and northern (T1) edges of Paris & suburbs.  The exception being stops near the terminus stations where these trams are often underground or within a building.

One confusing thing about gares in Paris are the multiple types of trains operated by different authorities. Suburban trains run by the Ile-de-France regional authority are Transilien branded trains.  But, they also operate RER branded trains that serve many of those same suburbs, usually making more frequent stops. RER A trains and RER B trains are run by the Paris regional transport authority (RATP).  All other RER trains are run by Transilien.

Intercity trains or “major trains” (ie. grande lignes in French) departing from gares often share the same train platforms with the regional RER and Transilien trains.  The brands of intercity trains include: TGV (France), iDTGV (France), TGV Lyria (Franco-Swiss), Thalys (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg/Germany), Eurostar (London/Paris), ICE (Germany), Intercities (France), Ter (France) and perhaps soon AVE (Spain).

Important note: Within the city of Paris, you can almost always use a ‘ticket t+‘, but if your destination requires the use of a suburban train, you will have to buy a ‘Billet Origine-Destination’ ticket, which is a station-to-station priced ticket. This means that a day trip to Versailles from Paris by train will require a ‘billet Origine-Destination’ (but a day trip to Versailles from Paris via bus can be paid for by ‘ticket t+’).

Hope this removes some of the mystery of Paris public transportation.

Gare de l’Est is located in Paris’ 10th Arrondissement, a bare 10 minute walk south east of Gare du Nord, visible in the Google Map below:

Gare de l’Est serves high speed trains such as Thalys, TGV, and ICE (see Rail Europe for tickets) to eastern cities such as Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Luxembourg, and Cologne and also regular speed trains to cities around the Ile-de-France region.

Arriving at Gare de l’Est by Car, Taxi, Bus, on Foot

Here is a picture of the front entrance of Gare de l’Est, also known as Paris East station, found on street 8 Mai 1945.  (See Gare de l’Est in relation to Gare du Nord on Google Maps).  This photo was taken looking north.  The street running up the left side of the station is rue d’Alsace. To walk from Gare de l’Est to Gare du Nord, simply head north up rue d’Alsace, turn left onto Rue de Dunkerque and you’ll arrive at the front entrance of Gare du Nord in about 10 minutes.

Arriving by Metro

Here is a photo of arriving at Gare de l’Est by way of Metro Line 4, one of three Metro lines with stops at this major train station.  Metro Line 5 and 7 also stop at Gare de l’Est.

Immediately after entering the station from the Metro Line 4 we are underneath Hall Central.  Overhead we see two video screens showing departures information.  The left video screen, labeled “Départs Grandes Lignes” shows trains leaving Paris for far eastern France and German cities via highspeed trains such as TGV and conventional trains such as Corail.  The display on the right shows trains departing for the region surrounding Paris (the Ile-de-France) normally served by Ter and Transilien trains.  These trains will leave via the center train lanes (”voie” 13 to 22) reserved for Ile-de-France travel.  More on this further down.

Another photo of the main Metro entrance/exit underneath Hall Central.  Visible are entrance/exits for Metro Line 7 and 4. On the right hand side, partially hidden by some pillars, we can see a ticket window (guichet pronounced [gee-shay]) for purchasing Metro tickets.  In the immediate foreground of this photo is a is a wheelchair lift down onto the Metro level.  Gare de l’Est is one of the more wheelchair friendly train stations in Paris.

Here’s another photo of the Metro entrance under Gare de l’Est.  A sign off to the right shows Metro Lines 4, 5 and 7.

On the Metro level is a baggage locker/left luggage room tucked into a corner behind some escalators.  Baggage storage at Paris train stations ranges from 5€ for small lockers to 9,50€ for large ones fitting about 2 large roller suitcases.  Maximum duration of storage is 48 hours.  You’ll need to pass through a quick security checkpoint in order to store your bags, not unlike the security done for boarding a plane.

Moving up one level from the Metro lines we arrive at Hall Central of Gare de l’Est.  This space is mostly occupied by shops and could be mistaken for a commercial shopping centre.

Here’s a wide-angle photo of Hall Central at Gare de l’Est which gives you a good idea of the layout.  The information pillar on the left gives you some orientation hints.  This photo was taken facing west.  Off to the right are the main train lines.  The hall beyond the far end of this area is known as Hall d’Alsace. Behind us is Hall St. Martin.

This sign within Hall Central shows how the main train lines are split onto two platforms, yellow and blue, with train lanes numbered from 2 to 30.  You’ll notice there’s a big gap in lane numbers, 13 to 22. That’s because the central train lanes are reserved for Ile-de-France trains serving the area immediately surrounding Paris.  Ticket purchases for trains heading to other cities and far off destinations can be found in Hall St. Martin.

Looking just slight down from the previous photo we can see the central train lines off in the next hall.  Just before that are a set of four display screens providing information on trains departing within the next hour and from which lanes/platforms.

Moving west from Hall Central puts us at Hall Alsace, easy to recognize with its massive overhead painting.  Hall Alsace gives access to the yellow train platforms, lanes numbered 2 to 12.

This is an overhead shot of the yellow train platform area just north of Hall Alsace.  The trains are a bit hidden off to the right hand side of the photo behind the “happy” flower shop.  The exit straight ahead leads out to Rue d’Alsace, which as mentioned above connects to Rue de Dunkerque and Gare du Nord train station.  Center foreground in the photo is an information booth with an ACCUEIL sign on top, helping passengers out with directions and train information.

Turning to our right we now face the central train platforms serving Paris and the immediate surrounding area (Ile-de-France).  Trains here are sectioned off from the rest of the platform via gate barriers (visible on the left with green lights and swinging glass doors.  The green building in the centre of the photo sells tickets for Ter and Transilien trains servicing the Ile-de-France region.  This tickets are known as Billet Ile-de-France and are the same size and shape as small Metro tickets, but are priced specifically for travel between two stations.  Two green ticket vending machines are visible in front of the ticket office, which accepts either Euro coins or smart-chip credit cards for payment.  Above the ticket office is an Ile-de-France train network map.

Turning again to our right we now face east towards the blue train platform, lanes numbered 23 to 30, with the central platform visible to the left.

Here’s an overhead map view of the station showing the yellow platform on the western end, Ile-de-France train lanes in center, and blue platform trains on the eastern end.  You can also see the layout of Hall Alsace, Central & St. Martin.

And finally a closer picture of the two levels of Gare de l’Est showing the place of the Metro lines in relation to the train lines and streets surrounding the station.

Gare de l’Est Station Map

Gares360.com has produced a virtual photo tour of Gare de l’Est. Select the vantage point and the level you’re interested in seeing at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Click & drag the photo in the direction you’d like to see.

I hope this gives you an idea of the layout of Gare de l’Est!  Happy travels.

Resources

Paris Transport Security & Safety Tips

This is a step-by-step photo guide of taking RER B Paris city trains from Airport Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2 to Paris city centre. From the CDG arrivals lounge to central Paris, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to make this transfer. If you’re arriving at Terminal 1, see the CDG Terminal 1 to Paris photo guide.  For train times, prices, maps and other details see the Overview CDG to Paris by Train article.

*** Due to construction on RER B line, the last train leaving CDG Airport Terminal 2 is 10:55 PM (22:55), Monday to Friday (inclusive) until June 7, 2013.  Weekend service is unaffected.***

Arrival at CDG

Upon arrival at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2 the first thing that will happen after exiting the plane is immigration/passport control, which can be very quick depending on where you are sitting on the plane.  If you’re seated near the front of the plane and are the first to exit, you’ll be the first to go through immigration screening by French national police.  Thus you could be past immigration within 5 minutes (or 40 if you’re the last to exit a large plane).

Next you’ll collect your baggage at the carousels.  Estimate a good 30 minutes for this, nothing out of the ordinary in terms of expediency, perhaps even a little slow.

Customs control for baggage is next, which is separate from passport control and handled by customs officers near the exit of the baggage collection area.  In general the customs officers spot check passengers and only stop those who rouse their curiosity.  After this you’ll exit into an unsecured area of Charles de Gaulle Airport free to make your way to Paris or other cities via train.

If you happen to be arriving via Terminal 2G, the new Schengen (Euro Borderless Zone) terminal, you’ll need to take a shuttle bus to Terminal 2E/F in order to catch the RER train.  The shuttle buses, circulating every 4-5 minutes, can be found just outside the arrivals area of 2G.  [Thanks to Lynne P. for this updated information].

Getting to the Train Station at Terminal 2

The CDG Terminal 2 arrivals hall will look like this:

Notice the blue overhead signs? Those will point to Gare SNCF / Railway Station, Paris par Train / Paris by Train. Follow these signs to make your way to the train station located right within Terminal 2.

Here are some close-up photos of signs pointing to the CDG Terminal 2 train station:

At the end of each of the terminal buildings (there are six sub-terminals at Terminal 2: terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F) will be a large sign noting how long it will take to reach other terminals and the train station. In this photo, we see that the train station at Terminal 2 is 3 to 5 minutes walk from Terminal 2F.

Here is a map of Charles de Gaulle Airport showing the layout of CDG Terminal 2. Also visible are Terminal 3, Terminal 1 (which has its own train station) and CDGVAL shuttle train between CDG’s 3 terminals and parking structures.

(Courtesy of ADP)

The moving sidewalks between Terminal 2’s sub-terminals definitely speed up walking times:

Closer to the train station area you’ll find more signs directing you down to the station.

When you’ve arrived at the train station area, you’ll be on Level 4 of an atrium with a Sheraton hotel on one end, HSBC Bank on the other end and multiple signs pointing to the Gare/Station/Paris by Train.

Another photo of the station atrium taken on Level 3 facing the opposite direction (towards HSBC Bank, one level up). Signage is quite clear on the station location. You may wish to withdraw some Euro cash from the HSBC bank machine (visible at the top right in the below photo).  If your (non-European, non-smart-chip) credit cards don’t work with the automated ticket machines, they won’t work at the SNCF/RATP ticket windows either.  Thus you’ll need Euro cash to buy your tickets.

At the bottom of the atrium, Level 2, the actual station level you’ll have various stores and eateries on one side of the hall and a SNCF ticket purchase office on the other side.  Scattered throughout the middle of the train station are blue or green Billetterie Ile-de-France train ticket vending machines.

The SNCF ticket office is split into two halves, each selling only certain types of train tickets.  When facing the ticket office the left half sells tickets and passes for traveling within Paris and the Ile-de-France area, known as Billets Ile-de-France.

The right half deals with TGV tickets (for sale, collection, refunds and changes) for trains traveling to other cities within France, known as the Grandes Lignes.

If you’re wanting to buy a simple train ticket to Paris and you have a smart chip credit card or Euro coins, you can use the blue Billetterie vending machines to purchase such tickets. (The machines shown in this photo are from Terminal 3, but they are otherwise identical). Note that multi-day passes such as Pass Navigo or Paris Visite cards are not sold by the machines.  You must visit the ticket office to purchase passes.

Bear in mind that these machines will not work with most North American credit cards, which in general do not have smart chips nor are PIN number protected.

After buying your train tickets or passes it’s time to turn towards the train platforms which will require descending another set of escalators or stairs onto Level 1. The Paris Train platforms are marked as “Voie” (”platform”) 11 and 12 and also show “RER B Paris par Train“, the Regional Express Network trains that operate between Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Paris city centre.

This is a photo overlooking Paris bound train platforms 11 and 12 at CDG Terminal 2 Station.

On the platform itself you’ll see signs noting that all trains are going to Paris, since Aeroport Charles de Gaulle is the terminus or end-of-line station for the RER B train line.

Note that although the platform sign reads Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV, this platform shown is not the TGV train platform, it’s simply the name of this station as a whole.

The TGV train platforms are located and accessed from the other side of the station.  If you’re taking a TGV train to another city besides Paris, the train platform area should look like the following:

Remember to keep your train ticket with you at all times throughout the journey.  You may be asked by a ticket controller to show a valid fare or otherwise pay a penalty fare of 35€. The tickets are also required to exit the arrival station in Paris as there will be turnstiles protecting the exits, just as they protect entrances.  Finally, your RER train ticket is also good for connections onto the Paris Metro and other RER train lines once you’ve arrived in Paris; There’s no need to purchase a separate Paris Metro/RER Ticket T+ for making connections within the city centre onto other Metro or RER trains (but not buses nor trams, which require a new ticket).

The first Paris city centre station will be Gare du Nord, requiring about 30 minutes for the voyage from Airport CDG Terminal 2.  Paris stations along the RER B line after Gare du Nord will be Chatelet Les Halles, St. Michel-Notre Dame, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert Rochereau and Cité Universitaire.

Resources

Gares360.com has produced a virtual photo visit of CDG Terminal 2 train station, allowing you to visually see the 5 levels of the train station.  Select the level & vantage point you wish to see on the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

The following train timetables show depature times of RER B trains leaving CDG Terminal 2 towards Paris.  (Ignore the second pages).

RER B Train Schedule (departure times) CDG Terminal 2 to Paris Mondays to Fridays (except holidays)

RER B Train Schedule (departure times) CDG Terminal 2 to Paris Saturday, Sunday and holidays

First & last trains timetable for Paris Metro and RER A / RER B trains.

Photo of the front of Gare Montparnasse in the 6th Arrondissement of Paris, opposite Montparnasse Tower (Tour Montparnasse).

Gare Montparnasse to Metro

The following section will explain how to get to the Metro station at Gare Montparnasse if you’ve recently arrived via bus or on foot.

Upon entering Gare Montparnasse from street level (Niveau 0), you’ll have stairs and escalators leading up to the main train lines (TGV, Ter, Transilien, two floors up on Niveau 2) on Level 2 or you can continue forward towards to the Metro area.

From the entrance of Gare Montparnasse, walking straight ahead and down, you’ll enter Sublevel 1 (Niveau -1) where you’ll find the entrance for Metro lines 4, 6, 12 and 13.

Here we see the entrance for Montparnasse’s Metro station just after the arrival of a Grandes Lignes train from the upper levels, hence the crowd.  As you can see from the overhead signs in the photo above, Montparnasse’s Metro station connects to Paris Metro lines 4, 6, 12 and 13 (see Metro map). Just past the overhead signs are two ticket windows on either side of the hall and several blue Billetterie Ile-de-France ticket vending machines scattered throughout.

After purchasing your tickets or passes and passing through the turnstiles you’ll need to traverse a long tunnel to where the Metro lines are actually located, which is quite far north Gare Montparnasse (the train station).  Due to the length of this walkway, the transit authority is experimenting with a high speed moving sidewalk, shuttling pedestians along at 9km/h rather than the normal 3km/h.

After the tunnel you’ll be at Montparnasse’s Metro station called Montparnasse Bienvenue.  Here you’ll have access to lines 4, 6, 12 and 13. For more information on taking the Metro, see the Paris Metro photo tour.

Arriving at Montparnasse from Metro

If you’re arriving at Gare Montparnasse from the Montparnasse Bienvenue Metro station, the photo below is the view you would have of the entrance of Gare Montparnasse (and the exit of the Metro area). At the top left of the photo is an overhead sign (in white) for Trains Grandes Lignes and Trains Ile-de-France. If you’re making a connection to a TGV, Transilien, Ter or Corail train departing from Gare Montparnasse, these are the signs and directions you’ll want to follow.


(Link to this photo: Metro turnstiles with luggage).

Just past the exit barriers from the Montparnasse Metro (red doors on the left), past the Metro ticket sales hall and ticket vending machines, up the few short steps, you’ll enter an area with shops, escalators and four sets of stairs leading up, two in front, two to either side (see below photo). Near the center of the photo is a small blue sign reading Grandes Lignes with an arrow pointing up. Take those stairs (or the escalators) and climb up 3 levels to Niveau 2 to get to the TGV, Ter and other intecity trains. After this point you may only see signs that read: “Access Aux Trains”. That refers to the Grandes Lignes Trains at Hall Maine so you may follow these signs as well.

If you’re traveling to Paris suburbs rather than far away cities in France, you’ll want to climb only one level to the Transilien Ile-de-France train level (street level, also known as Niveau 0 or Rez-de-Chaussée).  The photo below shows the Transilien train ticket purchase area and entrance:

Tickets for Transilien trains can be purchased from Billetterie Ile-de-France train ticket vending machines and from the ticket window just off to the right in the above photo.

Montparnasse TGV Trains & Tickets

Back to Gare Montparnasse’s main train station section. Above is a photo of multiple levels of Gare Montparnasse, taken from Level 2 (”Niveau 2″), two floors up from ground level. Looking down at Level 1 we see the Mezzanine, which has baggage storage (”Consignes”), Lost and Found (”Objets trouvés”) and some food services.  Further down, near the middle of the photo, we see the subterranean access to the lanes (”voie”) for Transilien/Ter commuter trains which are parked up on Level 2 between lanes 18 to 28.  This below ground level entrance allows you to pop up onto the train lanes halfway down the platform, useful for long trains, giving travelers on the latter half of the parked train quicker access to the Metro.

At the center upper part of the above picture is a black departures board, showing trains that are schedule to depart soon from Gare Montparnasse.  The yellow boxes scattered through the middle of the photo are Grandes Lignes train ticket (TGV, Corail, etc.) change, collection and vending machines which take credit/debit cards.

Above is another photo of the departures board from head-on.  Just below the board is a sign reading Access to Trains (”Access aux Trains”).  The short hall past the ticket machines leads into Hall Maine, where all the TGV, Ter and Transilien trains are parked at lanes (”voie”) 1 to 28, starting from the left (east).

Train Tickets

Looking left from above position, still on Level 2, we see signs directing travelers to the TGV ticket office as seen in the photo below:

Moving closer to the ticket office we see that there are different types of ticket counters available to us (three in total). The first set of ticket counters to the extreme left sell TGV tickets and other non-high speed train tickets for immediate departures, i.e. train tickets for travel leaving in the next hour.  Here is a photo of that area:

Further to the right are ticket counters for Grandes Lignes train tickets which includes TGV, Ter, Téoz, Corail, Lunéa brand French trains which travel to other cities across France.  If you’re not in a rush to buy a ticket and hop on the next train, this is where you should buying your train tickets.

The final ticket office area is enclosed in glass and is marked Espace de Vente. This ticket office sells train tickets for international destinations such as Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.  Below is a photo of the International train ticketing office at Montparnasse:

Below is a map of Montparnasse Level 2 showing the layout of the train ticket office on the bottom left and its three counter areas: Réservations Internationales (International Train Reservations), Réservations Grandes Lignes (TGV, TER & other intercity trains within France), and Billets Départs Immédiats (Tickets for Immediate Depatures).

This Montparnasse map is courtesy of Gares en Mouvement.  Visit their site for a full version.

Montparnasse Train Departures & Arrivals Area

Let’s look at the train platforms (arrivals & departures) for TGV, Ter and other trains.  Here is an overhead map of the train lanes at Hall Maine which are can be seen in the pictures further below:

The picture below taken from the left end of Hall Maine, Level 2, where the lane numbers are low and climb as one moves further down the hall.  At the top center of the photo below is a large black departures board showing when trains are departing, their destinations and from which lanes.  The trains are parked on the left, starting with Lane 1 (Voie 1) and climb as you move further down the hall. The ticket counters described in the previous section are off to the right of this position (not visible in the photo).

Each of the lanes terminates with a column showing a lane number on the side. TGV lanes 1 - 9 are marked with a TGV insignia near the tops of the columns.

Ter, Transilien commuter trains and finally more TGV trains are parked between lanes 18 to 28.  On the front of each column marking the lane you’ll find the lane number (”Voie”) and train information including direction and stops along the way.

In the photo below, at the far end of Hall Maine you’ll notice that the train lanes stop at 24, yet there are 28 lanes in total at Gare Montparnasse.  On the far wall is a sign pointing to lanes 25 to 28, located diagonally to the left past lane 24. This area is also referred to as Montparnasse 3 or Gare Vaugirard.

If you’re arriving at, rather than departing, Gare Montparnasse by TGV, Ter, or Transilien train and are looking to make a connection to the local transit options, follow the large blue overhead signs pointing towards buses and Metro lines located ahead and below at Street Level (Niveau 0) and Sublevel 1 (Niveau -1) (overhead signs in blue can be seen at center left of the above photo).

To help get your bearings after you’ve arrived and are still on Level 2, walking straight out from the main train lines will give you a view of Tower Montparnasse (Tour Montparnasse), which is very visible out the front window of Gare Montparnasse.  You are facing north east from this position.

Useful Links

Gares360.com has produced a virtual photo tour of Gare Montparnasse.  Select the level and vantage point you’d like to see using the map at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.  Click and drag the image to change the angle of view.

Online map of Gare Montparnasse

Resources

Paris Transport Security & Safety Tips

Above is a photo of the entrance to the Eurostar platform within Gare du Nord station in Paris, located up the stairs/escalators on Level 1 (Niveau 1). The Eurostar platform and trains are separated from other trains due to the need to screen passenger passports for the voyage to London. (The UK is not a Schengen zone country).

Climbing the stairs in the last photo we arrive at the Eurostar check-in level. Visible on the left are e-ticket machines where one can collect Eurostar tickets purchased online at Eurostar.com.  The Eurostar ticket office (not visible) is located just left of the ticket machines.  If you don’t have a smart-chip pin protected credit card, these machines which will most likely not work for you.  Instead, enter the ticket office and collect the tickets in-person.  Have a print-out of your ticket confirmation email (with the ticket reference number) plus a passport to retrieve your tickets in-person.  At the end of this walkway is the Eurostar entrance. Non-EU citizens will need to fill out a declaration card for UK Immigration before you enter. Cards are available near the blue information kiosk visible in the centre of this photo.

The above photo is the scene at Gare du Nord upon arrival from the London to Paris Eurostar train. This is facing south east towards the front entrance of Gare du Nord on rue de Dunkerque. Centre middle is an overhead blue sign pointing left towards the Metro and RER trains located two levels down from street level (picture here).  There will be two sets of stairs leading one level down just left of this scene.  At the bottom of the first set of stairs will be two green Billetterie Ile-de-France ticket vending machines where you can buy Metro, RER and Transilien commuter train tickets.

Continuing further down the hall you’ll see plenty of yellow TGV ticket machines where one can collect, change, cancel their Grandes Lignes tickets (TGV, Ter, etc.).  Visible is another overhead sign pointing towards Metro and RER trains with an airport symbol signifying the RER B train service from Paris to CDG Airport as well as Orly Airport to the south.

Here’s another photo of the same hall, opposite side.  In the distance you can see several green Billetterie Ile-de-France green ticket vending machines.  These sell both RER and Metro tickets trains (Billet Ile-de-France, Ticket t+) including carnets and can recharge Pass Navigo / Découverte with Carte Orange (although they do not sell new cards). Continuing down this hall leads towards Metro lines 4 & 5 and RER B, D, and E.

The above is a photo of the western half of Gare du Nord station from the Eurostar level overlooking train lanes/platforms 1-13 (voie in French) for Eurostar and Thalys trains arriving from London (Londres), Brussels (Bruxelles) and German cities. Near the center of the photo is a sign reading Reseau Ile-de-France RER with an arrow pointing to the east side of Gare du Nord station. This is the direction of the RER B, RER D, RER E platforms underneath Gare du Nord, at sublevel 2.

Photo of the eastern half of the Gare du Nord station facing north, showing the departures board on the left, train lanes (voies) 14 and up, used for TGV trains and Ter (Ile-de-France) trains. At bottom right is an information booth with an ACCUEIL (Welcome) sign along the top. Beyond the Departures Board, on the other side, are more train lanes for Thalys (high speed trains from Paris to Brussels, Belgium, to the Netherlands and Germany) and Eurostar (high speed trains from Paris to London). East (looking right) of this position is the large open atrium leading to the RER B, D, E lines and Metro line 4 and 5 on sublevels 2 and 1.

This is a photo of the eastern atrium at Gare du Nord with a Transilien (Ile-de-France) ticket window selling tickets for Ter and Transilien trains traveling outside of Paris, but within the Ile-de-France. Further east (looking right) is the RER/Metro portion of Gare du Nord.

Photo from just above and west of the RER/Metro lines at Gare du Nord along the Eastern edge of the station. Here you can see a sign for RER lines B, D, and E plus Metro lines 4 and 5.

Photo of Gare du Nord’s RER/Metro station entrance section, full of turnstiles, leading to train platforms serving RER B, RER D and RER E and Metro Line 4 and Metro Line 5. RER B trains connect Paris to Aeroport Charles de Gaulle (CDG), taking roughly 25 minutes from Gare du Nord. RER B also connects central Paris/Gare du Nord to Paris-Orly Airport to the south requiring a train change at Antony Station with the final connecting train being Orlyval which stops at both Orly West (Ouest) and Orly South (Sud) terminals. RER D runs north-south, connecting Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon station in direction of Melun or Malesherbes. RER E runs east-west connecting Gare du Nord to Gare St-Lazare on the western side of central Paris.

A photo of ticket vending machines at Gare du Nord within the RER/Metro section of the station. These machines are used for buying individual Metro/RER/Bus/tramway tickets (Ticket t+), carnets (books of ten or twenty Ticket t), and also tickets for train destinations within Ile-de-France on Transilien or Ter trains. Remember that most non-smart-chip credit cards will not work with these machines, so use Euro coins if you have them. These machines can also charge up Pass Navigo / Navigo Découverte cards with Carte Orange week or month “subscriptions” (abonnements) using the Navigo slot.

Safety Security at Gare du Nord

Read about staying safe in Gare du Nord train station.

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Simple Gare du Nord map showing the main train platforms (”Grandes Lignes”).

(Map courtesy of Railteam.eu)

Arriving at Gare de Lyon by Metro or RER

If you’re arriving at Gare de Lyon from a Paris Metro or RER train and are making a connection to a TGV or other type of surface train, you’ll need to make your way from Niveau (Level) -2 to up to the train platforms at street level (Niveau/ Level 0).  From the Metro or RER trains, take stairs or escalators up one level and follow the overhead signs pointing to the Grandes Lignes.

Along the way you may see overhead screens listing surface train departures.  These screens show the type of train, train number, departure time, final destination or terminus station, which zone of Gare de Lyon the train will be parked at (either Blue or Yellow) and finally which platform (”Voie”), designated by letters A through N for the Blue Zone and numbers 5 through 23.  For an example, look at the first train departure on the left screen which shows a TGV train, number 7665, departing at 14h28 (2:28pm), final destination Dijon Ville station, leaving from the Blue Zone at platform D.  Further down you’ll notice blue and yellow squares beside destination names, but no number or letter.  This means that the station hasn’t decided which platform the train will leave from, only that it will leave from the designated zone: Yellow or Blue. These zones will be explained later in this article.

If you’re arriving by car, tax, bus, or on foot, below is the exterior of Gare de Lyon with its distinctive clock tower.

The above photo of Gare de Lyon was taken from boulevard Diderot, just north of the station, looking south.

If you’re arriving at Gare de Lyon by TGV or other type of surface level train, you’ll end up parked at either one of two platform zones: Yellow or Blue.

Blue Zone Train Platforms

Here is a panoramic photo of Gare de Lyon’s Blue zone train platforms and its Grandes Lignes trains.  To help get your bearings, the large clock tower you saw from the exterior photo, not visible here, is at the extreme far right hand side of this position behind us. The Yellow Zone platforms are diagonally left at the far end of the Blue platforms, accessible by a walkway traversing the left wall of the Blue zone.

Gare de Lyon “Blue” Platform/Zone, looking in direction west north west, facing the restaurant l’Express Bleu, just above a set of stairs/escalators leading down to level -1 (Galerie Diderot). Healthy amount of Apple ipod billboards on display the day this photo was taken (June 21, 2008).

Another photo of Gare de Lyon Blue Platform from the opposite angle/side. From here you can see the restaurant Le Train Blue, with neon sign, up at the top left, accessible by stairs on either side. It’s take away and quick meals restaurant L’Express Bleu, is located directly underneath. The escalators you see here lead down to Galerie Diderot’s western end, with access to buses, car rentals, taxis and Rue de Bercy.

Gare de Lyon Blue platform again, facing west south west. In this photo, from left to right, we see escalators heading down one level to Galerie Diderot giving access to Metro lines 1 and 14, RER A and RER D, buses, taxis on rue de Bercy (for quick travel to Gare d’Austerlitz on the other side of the Seine) and car rentals (”location de voitures”). All of this is printed on the blue sign posted immediately west of the escalators.

In this photo there are several TGV trains parked on the blue platform. At the head of each train you can see a blue sign with a white letter, signifying the lane or “voie”. Beside the signs are television screens showing detailed information about the train: the train number, its destination, the station stops the train will be making along its route.

On the right hand side of the photo you can see the large departure board. Every train leaving Gare de Lyon will be listed on this board, regardless of whether the train is leaving from the blue platform or yellow platform. The trains are ordered in time till departure. The next train to leave Gare de Lyon will be listed at the top.

Each train listed on the departures board has the following information:

• Type of train: TGV or regular/conventional train
• Train number: marked on TGV tickets, but not on regional train (Transilien/RER) tickets
• Time of departure (Heure): when the train is leaving, in 24 hour clock, example 14:25 for 2:25pm
• Destination: the final destination (terminus station) of the train. There is a very good chance your station or stop will not be listed since your station is before the terminus station, but the train will stop at your station. To verify that the train in this lane/voie will stop at your station, refer to the television screens at the head of the lane, which give detailed information on the voyage.
• Details (Particularités): 1st (1eme) and 2nd (2eme) class train cars or simply 2nd class.
• Lane (Voie): where your train is parked. Note the color of the square, blue or yellow. If the square is blue, the train is waiting in the blue platform. If yellow, you need to go the other train platform at the other side of the station. If you see only a color but no letter or number on top of this, Gare de Lyon station controllers have not decided which lane the train will be parked in, simply which platform or zone. It would be smart to be at the correct zone before the lane number is posted for the train, so that you have time to get aboard and stow your belongings without having to rush.

Galerie Diderot Beneath Blue Zone

This is Galerie Diderot, one level down for the Blue platform (niveau -1), facing east. Here you can find various clothing, personal care shops and toilets (located at the far eastern end). Note that the washrooms are pay-for-entry within Gare de Lyon. The fee is 0.50€ (fifty centimes), which you give to the madame working the gate and she provides you with a token to use in the turnstile giving you access to the washroom. The washroom is separated into men’s and women’s sides, but is in the same overall “room”.

Turning around we see Galerie Diderot at its western end, at street level, facing west towards Rue de Bercy and Gare d’Austerlitz. Just above us is the Blue Platform. Just outside the doors ahead in the distance are the buses 20, 24, 57, 63, 65, 87 which connect Gare de Lyon to Gare d’Austerlitz and various other places around Paris (and Paris central which is west of this location, accessible by Bus 24 among others). This is also the location of the car rental offices (Location de voitures). One more level down from this location are RER A, RER D, Metro line 14, all accessible just ahead and left, down the stairs.

Yellow Zone Train Platforms

In this photo we see Gare de Lyon’s Yellow Platform/Zone facing East towards Rue Chalon and Place Henri Frenay. In the foreground are escalators and stairs leading down to the Salle Mediterranée, giving access to Metro line 14 and RER A, RER D trains another level below (niveau -2). At the far end, left hand side are another set of stairs leading again to the Salle Mediterrannée giving access to the baggage lockers/luggage storage (Consignes). At the far end you can see the Departures Board listing trains leaving from both Blue and Yellow Zones. On the right are the Grandes Lignes train platforms (voies) marked by yellow signs with numbers instead of letters, since this is the Yellow Platform. In the center right of the photo is a glass box with “Accueil” marked overhead. This is the information bureau manned by several employees to answer questions about your train or Gare de Lyon.

Above we see the Yellow Zone platforms in detail.  You can clearly see the platform numbers on their yellow background at the head of each lane. Near the centre of the photo is a set of four ticket machines.

Looking more closely, the three machines on the left are for purchasing, pickup or exchange of TGV train tickets.  The last boxy blue machine on the right is a Billetterie Ile-de-France selling Billets Ile-de-France, which are tickets for station to station travel in the Ile-de-France region that contains Paris and its suburbs. For example, you’d use a Billet Ile-de-France for traveling from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau. This machine also sells Metro/RER Ticket t+ and carnets of tickets (books of 10 or 20 at a discount).  The Ticket t+ is used for the Paris Metro and RER within zone 1.

Also to note in the above photo are the three types of validation machines visible, one for Carte Orange/Pass Navigo, one for Billets Ile-de-France and one for TGV Tickets.  Immediately beside the boxy blue Billetterie Ile-de-France is the Pass Navigo validation card reader.  Those using Carte Orange on either a Pass Navigo or Pass Navigo Découverte are asked to validate their card using this machine before boarding an Ile-de-France train (Transilien, Ter or RER).  The yellow box attached to the metal pillar is a TGV ticket validation machine (composter).  Finally, on the opposite side of the pillar, mostly hidden, is a Billet Ile-de-France ticket validation machine.  Use of this machine for Billets Ile-de-France is required before boarding.

Turning around in the opposite direction of the Yellow Zone train platforms is a long hallway known as the Galerie des Fresques, where the main ticket sale windows for Gare de Lyon are located.

Ticket Sales / Pickup at Gare de Lyon

Turning left from the Yellow Zone picture above we see the long hall known as the Galerie des Fresques.  On both the left and right hand sides of the hall are ticket windows and sellers.  Lining the hall are yellow ticket vending machines that can also make ticket changes and handle ticket collection, provided that you’re using a smart-chip enabled credit card (normally European only cards, few if any North American credit cards work with these machines).

Above is another photo of the Galerie des Fresques from the opposite end, looking towards the Yellow Zone.  Clearly visible here are the manned ticket windows where one can buy or pickup pre-bought tickets for TGV, and other types of Grandes Lignes trains.

In this close-up photo of a ticket window you can see a video display screen noting which languages the employee speaks.  At the top of the screen are multiple of flags denoting spoken languages.  This gentlemen in particular speaks English, German and Italian in addition to French.  This ticket window is also equiped with a device to aid those with hearing impairment.  Keep in mind that you can’t actually queue for a particular ticket window as the lineups serve multiple windows.  You could simply note which seller speaks a language you’re comfortable using and let others pass in front of you till that employee in particular is free.

Immediately to the right of the previous Galerie des Fresques photo is the ticket window for Billets Ile-de-France and Carte Orange. If you don’t have a smart-chip/European credit card (or lots of Euro coins) you’ll have to use this ticket window to purchase your billet Ile-de-France with cash. Beyond this area is the Blue Zone platform.

A head-on photo of the Billets Ile-de-France / Transilien ticket window.

Just left of the Billets Ile-de-France / Transilien ticket window are two more ticket vending machines. Although one machine is green, the other blue, they are otherwise identical in their tickets and carnets sold.  They can be found against the back wall at the end of Galerie des Fresques near the blue zone, just beside the exit door to the right, taking Euro coins, Carte Blue French debit cards and smart-chip credit cards.

Getting from the Yellow to Blue Zones

Connecting the Yellow zone to the Blue zone is the walkway show above on the east side of the Blue train platforms.  This photo was taken from the Yellow Zone looking towards the Blue Zone. Take note of the stairs leading underground on the train platform to the left.  These stairs give immediate access to Level -1 the Salle Méditerranée, which another level down gives access to the Metro and RER trains.

Baggage Storage at Gare de Lyon

One level down from Gare de Lyon Yellow Zone is the Salle Mediterrannée giving access to Place Henri Frenay (to the right of this photo). Here you see the baggage storage room (Consignes). Upon entrance to the luggage locker area you’ll have to pass through a metal detector and have your luggage x-rayed before finding a locker. There will be change machines inside that take Euro bills and change them into 2€ and 1€ coins. The prices of the lockers vary depending on size, from 5€ to 9,50€. The large lockers will fit up to 4 medium sized wheeled suitcases.  The maximum length of a storage period is 48 hours.  I have no idea what happens after the 48 hour period is up.  The baggage storage room is open from 6:15am till 10pm at night everyday.

Map of Gare de Lyon

Here is a Adobe Acrobat format Map of Gare de Lyon station (PDF) and its three levels: Level 0 - Grandes Lignes Blue and Yellow Zones, Level -1 Galerie Diderot and Salle Méditerranée, and Level -2 Metro and RER trains.

Resources

Paris Transport Security & Safety Tips