How to use Paris Gare Du Nord/Paris Nord train station

About the station

Paris Gare Du Nord is Europe’s busiest train station, so if you're a first time user, this guide to navigating the station, should help make sense of what can be a bewildering location.

Paris Nord's status is partially due to its role as one of the city's main commuter hubs - though the RER and Transillien trains, which serve locations close to Paris use different parts of the stations to the long distance trains.

The station is an enormous complex with multiple access points to/from the trains - particularly if you will be transferring between the RER/Metro and the part of the station which the high speed trains use.
Therefore the Gare Du Nord houses numerous shortcuts - very convenient for its regular users, but somewhat confusing if you're not familiar with the station.

It also houses a fairly large mall, which functions like a magnet to the youths who live to the north of the city centre.

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Improvement Works at Gare Du Nord:

Paris Gare Du Nord has been improved for the better in recent years and the station has lost what could at times be a slightly intimidating atmosphere.
Completed building works have brightened up the mall and the main RER station, as well as making the access to and from the RER and Metro less confusing - there are also usually more staff on the platforms in the RER part of the station.

Also access to Metro Line 4 is being worked on - hopefully it will include better access to a part of the station, which wasn't step-free.
These works are a prelude to major re-construction, timed to coincide with Paris hosting the 2024 Olympics.

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Living up to its name:

The station also lives up to its name in two ways:

(1) It is located to the north of the city centre, in what isn't the smartest are of town - particularly on either side of the station.
So the more popular areas of the city are a Metro, RER, bus or taxi ride away.

(2) It does indeed serve destinations to the north of Paris.
In addition to the Eurostar trains to the UK and the Thalys trains to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands - the TGVs to towns and cities in northern France including Arras, Boulogne, Douai, Dunkerque and Lille depart from here.

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Arriving by Eurostar, Thalys and TGV trains at Gare Du Nord

When arriving at Paris Nord station by Eurostar, Thalys, TGV, or Intercités trains, simply walk towards the front of the train to access the main concourse.
Heading to the main concourse is the only route for exiting the station or accessing the public transport connections.
When arriving by Eurostar or Thalys at the Gare Du Nord you don't pass through any checks - as these would have been carried out prior to boarding.

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Shortcuts to the information:

TO THE METRO/RER TO GARE DE LYON

TO GARE MONTPARNASSE TO GARE DE L'EST

TO ST LAZARE TO AUSTERLITZ

On the main concourse at Gare Du Nord:

To the taxis:

When you step on to the concourse, the taxi rank is over to the right - the transfer between stepping off a high speed train and the taxi rank is comparatively straightforward.
It is step-free and avoids the crowds of people in the station who will be making their way to and from the commuter trains.
Though queues for the taxis inevitably lengthen after a Eurostar or Thalys arrival, so if you want to take a taxi to another station for an onward connection, it can be a good idea to make your way towards the front of the train prior to arrival.

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To the left luggage facility:

The left luggage office 'Consignes' is at a lower level - next to the Lost Property 'Objets Trouvés' office.
The escalator which leads down to it is on the far right of the concourse when leaving the trains - it is by the Eurostar arrivals.
Like all left luggage desks at major French stations it is staffed, you can't just walk up to a locker, so allow time for this interaction, particularly when collecting bags.

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To the RER and Metro at Paris Nord:

If the station isn't particularly crowded and you'll be heading for the RER, walk over to the left-hand side of the concourse and descend down on to the RER concourse using the atrium over on that side of the station.
This is the quickest route to the RER and avoids having to use an underground passage way.

That passage way can be accessed by a short staircase and an escalator which is on the concourse in front of voies (platforms/tracks) 6 and 7 and is the quickest route when transferring to the metro - it is also an alternative route to the RER station.
But when the concourse isn't crowded, SMTJ prefers to access the metro using that atrium, which also leads to the RER trains.

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Eight Things Worth Keeping in Mind if you will be connecting to the Metro Or RER at the Gare Du Nord:

(1) The RER is the commuter rail system in Paris in which full size trains cross the city in tunnels - so in central Paris they have stations underground.

(2) At the Gare Du Nord the RER Line D is by far the quickest option if you're heading to the Gare De Lyon, or the area around it.
Alternatively RER line B provides the train service between the Gare Du Nord and the two main airports in Paris - Charles De Gaulle and Orly.

(3) if you will be heading to the Left Bank area of the city (the south bank of The Seine), then taking RER line B is usually a better option than taking the Metro.
Line B stops at St Michel-Notre Dame - where connections are also available to RER line C, which stops at the Musée D’Orsay and Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel.

(4) Gare Du Nord is served by Métro lines Line 4 and Line 5 .

Line 4 stops at:
(i) Etienne Marcel station, which is a 5 - 10 min walk from the Pompidou Centre
(ii) Cité station, which is right by Notre-Dame cathedral

Though as can be seen on the Metro map neither of these lines head west, so if your final destination is on the western edge of the city centre, making the one-stop hop on RER Line E to St Lazare can be the best option.

(5) It's a good idea to work out which Metro or RER line you will be taking before arriving at Paris Gare Du Nord.
Metro/RER maps at Gare Du Nord can be tricky to track down.

(6) Think twice about taking the Metro or RER if you have heavy luggage etc.
The majority of exits and interchanges on the Metro are NOT step free.
In the RER station at the Gare Du Nord, if the elevators down to the RER lines B and D platforms are out of order, you will have to use the stairs to access the trains, as there are no down escalators.
Also the majority of the ticket barriers at Metro/RER stations don’t accommodate large bags - and there are no luggage racks on the invariably crowded Metro trains.

(7) A zone 1 single journey ticket is valid for the RER or Metro - there are no specific RER tickets.
There are numerous ticket machines on the RER concourse, so many that the queues for the ticket office can be shorter – though the ticket booking counters can be closed in the afternoon/evenings.
The ticket machines have good English translation – but look out for the easy to miss ‘confirm your purchase button’.
You can also book multiple tickets – useful if you will also be using the RER on a return journey.

(8) In the RER station:
The platforms/voies in the Line B and D station have been brightened up and there also usually numerous station staff on the platforms – which has made the RER station much more user friendly.

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Making Your Way To The Metro and RER at Paris Nord:

The RER concourse is at a lower level, at the far left of the main concourse - when facing away from the trains.
The sign posting isn't the best and you may need to thread your way through the queues of people waiting for Thalys trains.

However, turning left and then heading straight ahead to the far side of the station is usually the easiest option for making this transfer.
That's because you can't miss the atrium that leads down to the RER and Metro stations - check the images above.
This is also the easiest route to follow to the Metro.

When you have reached the atrium leading to the RER and Metro, which is on the far left of the main concourse, you will see an escalator leading downwards.
At the foot of this escalator;
- go ahead for RER lines B and D
- turn right for RER line E (the line E station at Gare Du Nord is named 'Magenta')
- go sharp right for the Metro lines - the entrances to lines 4 and 5 are adjacent to each other.

There are also lifts available, look out for the 'Ascenseur' signs.

Towards the back of the concourse opposite the voies/platforms/tracks used by the Thalys trains, there is another entrance to the Metro - but this passage way route to the Metro is no quicker and more confusing for first time users.
But when the concourse is exceptionally busy, using the passage way is a good alternative to making your way through the crowds waiting for trains.

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To The Other Main Paris Stations from Gare Du Nord:

We have produced dedicated guides to how access these three stations from the Gare Du Nord.

To Gare de Lyon To Gare De l'Est

To Gare Montparnasse

To Gare St Lazare:

The transfer to St Lazare station from the Gare Du Nord should take 10 - 20mins.Take RER Line E, there are trains every 5-10mins to Haussmann – St-Lazare, which is also where those trains terminate.

There are short passage ways at both mainline stations connecting them to the RER Line E - but this is a comparatively straightforward station to station transfer.
The RER Line E station at Gare Du Nord is named Magenta.

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To Gare Austerlitz:

Metro Line 5 (direction Place d'Italie) provides a direct link from Gare Du Nord to Austerlitz, but think twice if you have luggage.
The Austerlitz Metro station on line 5 is above ground and there are no escalators/lifts down to ground level - where the mainline trains depart from, you have no choice but to use the stairs.

Worth knowing about taking the Metro:

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Taking Eurostar, TGV, Thalys and IC Trains from Gare Du Nord

The express trains from the Gare Du Nord all depart from the same part of the station, namely the main street level departure hall, located on the left-hand side of the station, when facing towards the trains.

DEPARTING BY TGV, THALYS and IC TRAINS:

FROM THE METRO and RER STATION

DEPARTING BY EUROSTAR:

At the Gare Du Nord the Eurostar services depart from voies (platforms/tracks) 3-6.

As the signposting at Gare Du Nord is comparatively poor, what can be bewildering is that when you enter the station, you can see the Eurostar trains right beside the main street level concourse - but you cannot access the trains directly from this concourse.
Instead the Eurostar departure hall, the ‘Hall du Londres’, is at an upper level - above the main concourse.
So when you enter Gare Du Nord don't head towards the Eurostar trains.

The access to this upper level is actually some distance from the voies (platforms/tracks) that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators and elevators (ascenseur) leading up to Eurostar departures are located on the opposite side of the concourse to voies (platforms/tracks) 14 - 15.
Look out for the Union Jack on the rear wall of the station concourse.

Don't wait on the main concourse for the departure details of a Eurostar train to be confirmed - head directly for the check-in desks as soon as you arrive at the the Gare Du Nord.

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Checking In for the Eurostar at Gare Du Nord:

Eurostar requests that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets check-in a minimum of 30mins before departure, and 45mins before departure on weekends and holidays.
It is up to you to allow time to pass through check-in and board the train.
If you have a Business Premier ticket, Eurostar recommends that you only have to check-in 10 mins before departure.

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DEPARTING BY TGV, THALYS And INTERCITÉ TRAINS from Gare Du Nord :

At the Gare Du Nord the Thalys trains depart from voies (platforms/tracks) 7 - 10 and the TGVs usually depart from voies (platforms/tracks) 9 -14.
The Intercités (IC) trains usually depart from voies (platforms/tracks) 9 -18.

When you enter from the front of the building, or ascend up from the metro/RER and look towards the trains, these voies (platforms/tracks) are in the left departure hall.
They are at street level, so they have particularly easy access from the taxi drop off areas and bus stops.

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Finding Your Train at Paris Nord:

Check the electronic screens marked 'Grande Lignes' for the details of the TGV, Thalys AND Intercités (IC) departures.
The specific voie (platform/track) that a TGV, Thalys or IC train will be departing from is not usually confirmed until around 15 -20 mins prior to departure.

If you can’t see the station that you’re travelling to on the departure screens - find your train using the train number.
This will be a 4 digit number, which will be printed on your ticket - so match this number to the train number that will be on the departure screens.

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Boarding TGV and Thalys trains at Gare Du Nord:

If you have ticket for a TGV or Intercites train issued by a machine or booking office, don't forget to stamp it using the yellow machines at the entrance to the voie/platform/track.
There is no need to stamp any other type of ticket.

Aim to be at Gare Du Nord a minimum of 15 min before departure if you will be taking a THALYS train – all Thalys passengers now have to pass through security checks.
Prior to the confirmation of the specific voie (platform/track) that a Thalys service will be departing from, you can join the queue for Thalys departures.

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CONNECTING TO THE TRAINS FROM THE GARE DU NORD RER/METRO STATION:

At the Gare Du Nord, the Metro and RER stations now share a bright and airy atrium which links the parts of the station that they use, with the main concourse above.
Using it is now the easiest to follow route between these trains and the express trains.
It is at a lower level from where the main line trains depart - but there are escalators and lifts up to the main concourse.

When arriving by Metro or RER trains follow the signs pointing the way to the ‘Grande Lignes’ - they'll lead you into this atrium.

When you ascend up into the main part of the station, which you will see above you, you'll need to head to the other side of the concourse for the express trains.
The atrium is located on the side of the concourse which is used by the commuter trains.

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Arriving by RER at Gare Du Nord:

If you arrive at the Gare Du Nord by RER then depending on what route you take to exit the RER part of the station, you MAY find yourself in a fairly smart shopping mall.
This can be a tad disconcerting as it won't seem like you're in a station at all.

The signs in this mall pointing the way to 'Grand Lignes', which you need to follow to the high speed departures, can be hard to spot - most people will be heading for the commuter trains.
But once you find these signs keep walking ahead - you may see other 'Grandes Lignes' entrances over to the right - but ignore this short cut, which is for the benefit of regular users of the TGV trains.
Ultimately, it can be a long-ish walk, you will find yourself in the atrium, which leads up in to the main part of the station, which you will see above you.

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Conveniently Located Hotels/Hostels

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Our General Guide to Using Stations in France

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Paris Gare Du Nord/Paris Nord

Paris, (France)

Journeys from Paris

About the station

Useful links

Arriving by Eurostar, Thalys and TGV trains at Gare Du Nord

Taking Eurostar, TGV, Thalys and IC Trains from Gare Du Nord

Conveniently Located Hotels/Hostels

Our General Guide to Using Stations in France

Paris Gare Du Nord/Paris Nord

Paris, (France)

Journeys from Paris

About the station

Useful links

Arriving by Eurostar, Thalys and TGV trains at Gare Du Nord

Taking Eurostar, TGV, Thalys and IC Trains from Gare Du Nord

Conveniently Located Hotels/Hostels

Our General Guide to Using Stations in France

Our Concierge Service