The best detailed Paris street map to buy is The Paris Mapguide from Michael Middleditch. I’ve not found a Paris street too small to be included in this book. There are some outlying arrondissements that are not covered fully though, so beware if you’ll be traveling at the outer edge of any of the border arrondissements of Paris.
I wouldn’t recommend this map book for Paris if I didn’t love it myself, and I seriously love this map book. This Paris map book is soft cover, just slightly bigger than paperback size (not thickness, it’s 64 pages), and is extremely detailed. It contains a Metro/RER map, RATP bus routes and shows Metro stations within neighborhoods/quarters. This last feature is not to be overlooked. A Paris Metro map from the RATP is great to have, but if you overlay the metro stops with a Paris street map you’ll have a god-like understanding of how to move about Paris. You’ll be giving locals directions with this map (this has happened to me multiple times, including once where I gave a nice elderly Parisien lady directions near Charles de Gaulle Etoile and just after helping her another nice Paris gentleman stopped and asked me: “You OK?”, not realizing that I was the one giving directions to the local Parisien woman).
Where can you find/buy this Paris street map? That depends on where you live.
Here is photo tour of Gare de Lyon train station in Paris along with explanations to help you understand how to find your train and your way around Gare de Lyon. You may wish to refer to a map of Gare de Lyon station while following the pictures in this article to help familiarize yourself with the layout.
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). Paris Metro Tickets are 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.
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.
When searching for tickets, be sure to try departure times earlier and later than your ideal departure time. You may see large differences in prices of tickets that are merely an hour apart due to popularity of certain train times or schedules.
Most TGV tickets are available up to 60 days before day of travel. 1st class tickets are purchaseable up to 90 days ahead of time. And finally, iDTGV self printable tickets, are on sale up to 6 months from date of travel, although with extremely limited routes and schedules.
Buy as early as possible as the prices of TGV tickets increase as the number of remaining seats drops. Purchasing same day tickets for a TGV train at the station will likely cost double that of a ticket purchased a month ahead. For example a one way Eurostar ticket from London to Paris purchased at last minute on a Wednesday: €133.00. A Eurostar ticket for a Wednesday one month in advance: 88€.
If you’re given the ability to choose where you sit and you have difficulties with mobility or would like easy access to the toilets, choose seats that are near the ends of a given train car (if possible), i.e. low seat numbers (less than 20) or high seat numbers (above 70).
If you can choose your seating arrangement, I recommend avoiding the four-square seating position (unless you’re a family of 3 or 4). This is where four seats face each other with a folding table in the middle. Basically, you’ll have even less legroom than normal as you’re jockeying with the passenger directly in front of you for leg space. Side-by-side seating is similar to what you find on airplanes, facing forward, with fold a down tray from the seatback in front of you.
If you are traveling with backpacks or small luggage that you’d like to keep an eye on, aim for seats between 40 and 60, which are situated mid-car and gives access to luggage racks located near the center of the train car. Keep in mind that not all train cars have these middle carriage luggage racks.
Travelers with large suitcases should avoid these middle-car luggage racks as they are not easy to access due to the narrow aisles within TGV train cars. The luggage racks are marked with small white suitcase signs placed underneath the first row of overhead storage shelfs. The seats directly in front of or behind these luggage racks are unaffected in ability to recline, since the seats recline by shifting forward the seat bottom rather than reclining the seat-back.
Choose home delivery of your TGV train tickets as obtaining the tickets from machines at the station can be difficult (or impossible) for those without smart-chip enabled credit cards (i.e. most North American credit cards).
If you do have a smart-chip credit card and wish to pick up your TGV tickets at automated machines at a train station you’ll need:
the 6 letter booking reference (from your online ticket purchase confirmation),
your original credit card/debit card used to make the purchase
If you’re not able to use the automated machines to collect your tickets you’ll have to speak with an employee at a SNCF ticket window.
There are often long lineups at the manned SNCF ticket windows so go early to pick up your tickets.
Better yet, do not wait till the last minute to pick up your tickets. You can collect your TGV tickets at any time after your ticket purchase. Thus, pick up your tickets early, from either the automated ticket machines, or from SNCF ticket windows, upon your arrival in France if possible, even if your train travel is not scheduled till days or weeks later.
This is an overview of how to travel from CDG Airport to Central Paris by city train (RER B). For instructions in the opposite direction see Paris to Airport CDG by Train.
The quickest & least expensive way to get to Paris from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport is by taking the RER B suburban city train leaving from either CDG Terminal 2 or Terminal 3/Roissypole.
The RER B train line runs north-south through the centre of Paris, stopping at Gare du Nord, the London to Paris Eurostar station, then at Châtelet Les Halles the “super” exchange station with 4 metro lines and 3 RER lines available, then Saint Michel/Nôtre Dame, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert-Rochereau, Cité Universitaire, and continues south towards Orly Airport (requiring a transfer onto the OrlyVal metro at station Antony).
The two train stations at Charles de Gaulle Airport are named “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1” and “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV“, the first being located near Terminal 3 in the Roissypole building and the second located between Terminal 2E and 2C. (A map of CDG airport is provided below).
The first train leaving Charles de Gaulle Airport towards Paris departs at 4:56am from Terminal 2, stops at “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1” station two minutes later, and then reaches Gare du Nord in Paris at 5:26am.
The last RER B train leaving airport CDG for Paris departs at 11:56pm just before midnight (update: see warning below), arriving at Paris Gare du Nord at 12:26am. This train schedule from CDG to Paris is the same every day of the week, including holidays. (For a complete timetable, see the schedule of RER B trains).
*** Warning! Construction along the RER B train line until August 30 2013 is affecting late evening trains leaving CDG Airport to Paris. From June 10, 2013 till July 12, 11:03pm is the last direct train leaving CDG Airport for Paris, Monday to Friday (Saturday, Sunday, holiday trains are unaffected). From July 15 to August 30, 2013, the last train leaving CDG Terminal 2 will depart even earlier, at 10:01pm. And finally, August 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2013 there will be no RER B CDG to Paris train service. Travelers attempting to take the RER B train on these days (or in the evenings mentioned above) will be directed to take the CDGVal airport terminal train to Roissypole/Terminal 1 RER train station and then take a shuttle bus to La Plaine Stade de France station where the RER B train is operating as usual to Paris. See the official RER B train line interruption notice (in French) with a calendar of dates affected.
If you’re landing at Terminal 1 you’ll have to take a shuttle train called CDGVAL to Terminal 3/Roissypole in order to catch the RER train. The name of this station is “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1“. Don’t mistake the “1” in the name as meaning “Terminal 1”, it doesn’t, it’s simply the first of the two train stations at CDG Airport. Just follow the signs for the CDGVAL tram within Terminal 1.
To make things more confusing, Terminal 3 is located between Terminals 1 and 2, so traveling from west to east across terminals you’ll hit Terminal 1, then 3, then 2. Keep in mind that the CDGVAL tram stops at parking stations in between Terminals 1 and 3 (Parc P-r), and Terminals 3 and 2 (Park P-x), so don’t get off CDGVAL too early. There will be voice announcements at each stop in French and English to help guide you.
If you’re landing at Terminal 2, keep in mind that there are 7 sub-terminals and you must make your way to the train station which is located between sub-terminals 2E and 2F. There will be numerous signs through the terminals pointing towards the Paris RER train.
Even more important to note is that American and most other non-European credit cards (without smart chips and without 4 digit pin numbers) will not work with these machines. At the CDG 1 station there is a large ticket window with 3 SNCF employees that will be selling individual tickets for the RER. At Terminal 2 there is a dark glass paned room on the bottom floor, off to one side that will be selling RER tickets and SNCF/TGV tickets. If you’re facing this glass room, the entry on the left will be for RER tickets to Paris. The entry on the right is only for tickets to other cities. Almost always there will be at least one ticket seller that speaks English and it will be noted by a little British flag on the corner of his or her window. Either way, you’re looking to buy a ticket for “Paris Aller-Simple” [Pear-Ee Alleh-Som-pleh] which is a one way ticket. The price should be roughly €9,50 for adult tickets and €6,40 for children (9 and under) RER B train tickets to Paris.
Boarding the Train
For Aéroport CDG 1 station it should be pretty obvious where the platform is as you can see it from the ticket machine areas and you’ll see turnstiles with green lights on them. Terminal 2 is not much worse: simply follow the signs that say “Trains to Paris”. It’ll be quite difficult to miss and all trains from these platforms travel to Paris. You can view the television screens while on the platform to see all the stops the train will make. The stops should include Gare du Nord, Châtelet les Halles, St. Michel-Nôtre Dame, Luxembourg, and others. The four mentioned here are the ones that the majority of travelers will be looking for as they’re all in central Paris. Gare du Nord is best for those going to a hotel near Sacré Coeur/Montmarte, Châtelet les Halles for those staying near the Louvre, St. Michel-Nôtre Dame is across the Seine (the Left Bank), and Luxembourg being near the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens).
For those extra keen travelers, there are “express” RER B trains that leave from both train stations. Simply look at the television screens on the platform and note how many stops are between CDG train stations and the four central Paris stations mentioned above. The express RER B train will go directly from Aéroport CDG 1 to Gare du Nord, without stopping at any stations in between. The regular train will make about 9 stops in between CDG Airport and Gare du Nord. You’ll save roughly 12 minutes by taking one of the express trains, but even the non-express RER B will get you to Paris (Gare du Nord) in about 34 minutes.
This is a photo of an RER A (red line) stations panel.
These panels can be found along each RER train platform for each direction of travel. This panel in particular is in the direction Cergy-Le Haut (A3), Poissy (A5), Saint Germain-en-Laye (A1).
Each name listed on the panel represents a station stop. The next train that arrives will stop at all station names that are lit with a yellow square.
This train in particular will be traveling along the A1 branch of RER A, ending at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
This is a photo of a RER A Line Map within Gare de Lyon showing its five branches:
A1 – Saint Germain-en-Laye
A2 – Boissy, Saint-Léger
A3 – Cergy Le Haut
A4 – Marne La Vallée, Chessy, Euro Disney
A5 – Poissy
To know which direction you should be taking on a RER A train, first find the station you want to arrive at on a line map or panel like the one shown above. Once you’ve found your station, follow the line on the map until its end: the terminus station. The name of the terminus station will be the direction you’re after, either “Boissy, St-Légere, Marne-la-Vallée” (off to the east of Paris for locations like Euro Disney) or “St-Germain-en-Laye, Poissy, Cergy” (off the west of Paris, for locations such as La Défense).
Once you’ve located the right platform for your direction, you need to take an RER A train that will stop at your station, since not all RER trains will stop at all stations along the line. You must refer to the RER station stop panels located above the train platforms to see where the next train will stop.
Train ticket validation for TGV/Grande Ligne trains is required before boarding and can be done with machines that look like this:
The grey mouth-like slot near the bottom allows you to insert one end of the ticket (length wise). Use the left end of the ticket, where there is usually a bar code and an SNCF logo. Also, insert the ticket face up (magnetic stripe down). After you hear a printing noise similar to an old dot-matrix printer remove the ticket.
Here is a photo of a validated/composted TGV ticket.
Just left of the barcode is a line reading “P Lyon 2106080926”. That is the compostage or validation stamp created by the yellow machine above. After this is done, the ticket is valid for travel.
Validating or punching your train ticket or “billet” [bee-yay] is required when traveling on the Transilien, Ter, and various other Paris regional trains (not Metro) going to other cities in the Ile-de-France region that contains Paris.
To use the machine, lay your ticket with the front side face down, magnetic stripe facing up, on the black plastic area and slide the ticket to the left. Wait for the machine to make a loud stamping noise after which your ticket should be punched and validated. Orientation of the ticket, besides magnetic strip facing up, doesn’t matter.
Don’t confuse these machines with the TGV Ticket Validation Machines, which are yellow and take the larger format tickets.
If you’ve used your Ile-de-France Ticket/Billet for travel on a Metro line before boarding a Transilien/Ter train, you don’t have to validate the ticket as it’s done automatically by the Metro/RER turnstiles.
Ticket validation or composting is required to prevent riders from using a single ticket multiple times.
The closest Paris Metro stations to the basilica Sacre Coeur include:
Abbesses – Line 12 (green)
Anvers – Line 2 (blue)
Lamarck Caulaincourt – Line 12 (green)
As Montmarte is quite a hilly area of Paris, a cable car (Funiculaire de Montmarte) is available to take you from the base of the church grounds to the entrance of the basilica. The cable car fee is included in regular Paris Metro tickets and passes. (Photo by Edwin.11)
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The closest Paris Metro stations to the basilica Sacre Coeur include:
