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 invevitably 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, partiularly 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 quicket 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: