Paris possesses six major train stations. Each has an information office staffed by at least one person who speaks English. The offices are apt to be crowded in summer.

Coming from the north (northern Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands), you'll probably arrive at the Gare du Nord; some trains from London arrive here as well. Other trains from London come into the Gare St-Lazare, in the northwest part of the city.

Trains arriving from the west (Brittany, Chartres, Versailles) usually head to the Gare Montparnasse; those from the southwest (Spain and the Pyrenees) to the Gare d'Austerlitz; those from the south and southeast (Nice, Marseilles, Lyon, and Geneva, Switzerland) to the Gare de Lyon in the southeastern part of town near the Seine.

From eastern France and southern Germany, Luxembourg, and Basel, Switzerland, the arrival station is normally the Gare de l'Est.

Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est are only a short walk from one another. You can walk between them in 10 to 15 minutes.

No matter which station you arrive at, you will be right next to a Métro station with the same name as the train station, and signs will point you on your way. You may also be near an RER suburban train station.

Taxis wait outside train stations, but they cost more than the Métro or bus for most trips.

SNCF Website

---

Paris Transportation Saving Money on Paris Transport Finding Your Way Around Paris Paris Hotels Paris Apartments Paris Homepage