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Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon (Paris)
The Gare De Lyon station in Paris is a rather beautiful, but a somewhat confusing space to navigate for first time users - particularly when departing by train.
Hence our guide to using the station, plus how to access central Paris and the city's other stations from Gare De Lyon and where to stay near the station.
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The Gare De Lyon lives up to its name as the TGVs to Lyon do depart and arrive from here.
Though the station also hosts high speed trains to/from a swathe of other fabulous destinations in the south of France, the French Alps, Burgundy, Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
In consequence more long-distance trains to and from Paris use the Gare De Lyon, than any of the other stations in the city, hence the huge space that this beautiful station occupies.
So the top two tips for using the Gare De Lyon are;
- take your time and
- set aside your expectations of how you would normally use a station and let the signs and info screens in the station guide you to your train.
So many high speed trains use the Gare De Lyon, that they can't all be accommodated in the original terminal building, in fact most now use an extension to the side of it.
The fact the Gare De Lyon is in effect multiple stations, sharing one location, is the source of much of the confusion.
Good to know:
Eight Things Worth Knowing about Gare De Lyon:
(1) Aim to arrive at Paris Gare De Lyon a minimum of 15mins before your train departs.
(2) The Gare De Lyon is in effect three stations in one building:
- Hall 1 - which is in the midst of being rebuilt and expanded
- Hall 2
- and the RER/Metro station
(3) The two parts of the station, which the long distance trains depart from and arrive at, are named Hall 1 and Hall 2.
They are some distance from each other, so being aware of which of these 'Halls' your train will be departing from, is important.
(4) Think of Gare De Lyon as you would a large airport, with these 'Hall's being the equivalent of 'Terminals'.
(5) But unlike an airport, for the long distance trains, there are no absolute rules at Gare De Lyon, as to which hall (terminal) your TGV InOui, Lyria or Frecce train train will be departing from.
It could be Hall 1 OR Hall 2, but which of these halls a train will be departing from, is included on all of the departure screens at the station - though most of these trains leave from Hall 2.
The Ouigo, TER and Transilien (regional trains) services usually depart from Hall 1.
(6) Gare De Lyon is served by Metro Line 1 and Metro Line 14.
(7) Gare De Lyon is also served by two lines of the network of RER trains in Paris - line A and Line D.
In central Paris these RER lines are the equivalent of express metro lines.
Both Line A and Line D link Gare De Lyon with Chatelet-les Halles.
Line A also calls at the city centre stations of Auber and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile.
Line D connects the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.
(8) The majority of the toilets / restrooms at the station are by voie (platform / track) 23, which is in Hall 2 - and on the far left-hand side of its concourse when facing the trains.
Transferring between Hall 1 and Hall 2:
The route between Hall 1 and Hall 2 is step free but they are approximately 200 metres apart at either end of the passage way named the Galerrie des Fresques.
In Hall 1 there are signs showing the way to Hall 2, this passage way is over to the left (when facing the trains) through the booking hall - when you enter the booking hall, turn right and walk passed the ticket booking desks.
In Hall 2 signs hanging down from its roof will direct you into this passage way by the ticket desks - however, there is an alternative route between the two halls which involves walking along the side of the main hall, near voie A
Train service summary
The following train services depart from and and arrive at the Gare de Lyon:
- TGV In Oui trains to / from Aix-les-Bains, Annecy, Antibes, Avignon, Besancon, Barcelona, Beziers, Bourg St Maurice, Cannes, Chambery, Dijon, Evian-Les-Bains, Girona, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Narbonne, Nice, Nimes, Perpignan, St Etienne, St Gervais, St Raphael, Toulon and Valence.
- Ouigo Grande Vitesse trains to / from Antibes, Avignon, Cannes, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, Nimes, St Raphael, Toulon and Valence.
- Frecce trains to /from Lyon, Milan and Turin
- TGV-France / Italy trains to /from Milan and Turin
- TGV-Lyria trains to /from Basel, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich
- TER trains to / from Dijon and Lyon (most of these trains depart from Paris Bercy)
- Transilien (local) trains to / from Fontainebleau
- RER trains to / from Disneyland Paris (line A) and Chantilly (line D)
Detailed journey guides for travel to many of these destinations can be accessed from the 'Contents Menu'.
Book Accommodation
When planning a trip, finding convenient accommodation can be trickier than working out which train to take.
Hence ShowMeTheJourney has partnered with the innovative accommodation portal, Stay 22, to offer three options for discovering your optimum accommodation:
1: Use the map above to see which hotel rooms and Vrbo rentals, with easy access to Gare de Lyon, are available.
2: Or click on these cherry-picked properties, offered by Stay 22 partner Booking.com, which are by Gare de Lyon and have been selected on the basis of high guest ratings:
Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon
3: Or see what's available with Stay 22's accommodation partners; which include, Expedia, Hotels.com and Trivago - by clicking the large button below.
Stay 22 will 'shuffle' the booking services so that you can be automatically directed to its partner that currently has the optimum availability at this location.
Questions Answered
ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about taking trains to and from Paris-Gare de Lyon and answered them below.
If you can't find the information you are seeking, you can ask a question by using the Travel Planning Service.
Is there step-free access to and from the platforms /tracks?
Yes, the Gare de Lyon is a terminal station and the voies (platforms / tracks) that the long-distance trains depart from, are all on one level, which they share with the Hall 1 and Hall 2 concourses, where travellers can await departure.
So when boarding from these concourses you simply walk ahead towards your train.
These two concourses in Hall 1 and Hall 2 are also at street level, so the access between taxis and trains is also step-free.
How to travel between the Gare De Lyon and the city centre
The Gare De Lyon is served by two Metro lines - the Line 1 and the Line 14.
Line 1
Line 1 is the busiest Metro line in Paris as it is the route which crosses the city east <> west broadly along the River Seine.
Though it is the fastest public transport link between the Gare De Lyon and the areas around The Louvre and the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.
Line 14
Line 14 provides an alternative route to the area to the north of the Musée du Louvre with its stop at Pyramides and its stop named Madeleine serves the northern area of the 8th arrondissement.
Though the primary connection provided by line 14 is with the area around Saint Lazare.
There is also step-free access by lift / elevator at all Line 14 stations in central Paris including the Gare de Lyon.
RER Line A
These mainline local trains are faster than the Metro and the station at Auber serves an area by the Palais Garnier.
It is also a quicker alternative to taking Metro Line 1 to the area around the Arc De La Triomphe and the La Défense business district.
More info in the Onward Travel to Central Paris section below and on this guide to arriving in Paris by train.
How to travel between the Gare De Lyon and Paris airports
The station at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is connected by high speed trains to multiple cities which also have trains to and from the Gare de Lyon.
These locations include Aix-en-Provence*, Avignon*, Lyon, Marseille, Nimes, Montpellier and Valence; *= the out of town stations.
However the trains between the Gare de Lyon and these cities are much more frequent than the services from and to CDG Airport.
to and from Charles de Gaulle Airport
RER line D links the Gare de Lyon to the RER station at Gare du Nord, where an easy cross-platform connection is available with the line B trains, which travel to and from CDG Airport.
There are typically 8 x end-to-end journey options available per hour - the journey time is usually around 55 mins and the ticket cost is under €12.
to and from Orly Airport
Line 14 now provides a direct link every 2-3 minutes between the Gare de Lyon and Orly airport and the journey time is around 30 mins.
How to travel from the Gare de Lyon to sports and exhibition venues
How to travel on to the major sports, entertainment and business venues across Paris from the Gare De Lyon:
To the Stade De France
RER line D is direct to Stade De France – Saint Denis station, so you can leave the train there and walk or take a bus or tram to the Stade De France.
OR remain on the train one stop beyond to the station confusingly named St Denis and transfer to Tram line T8 - The tram stop is straight ahead from the station exit, on the other side of a bridge which spans a canal.
This option can be particularly worth considering if your seats are on the northern side of the stadium = blocks C, D, E. G, H and J.
Tram line T8 goes to a stop named Saint Denis-Porte De Paris.
To the Villepinte Exhibition Centre
The Villepinte Exhibition Centre is located on the northern edge of Paris by CDG Airport.
Though despite the distance, it can be easily accessed from the Gare De Lyon.
Take RER Line D to Gare Du Nord and make a simple cross-platform interchange to the Line B on to Parc des Expositions station which is adjacent to the exhibition halls
To the Addidas / Porte de la Chapelle Arena
The Addidas Arena is located within easy distance of the Porte de la Chapelle metro station, from which it takes its name.
Tram line / route T3b also stops a couple of minutes walk from the venue.
It is a two step journey:
- take Metro line 14 to Porte de Clichy
- Transfer to tram line / route T3b and leave it at the Porte de la Chapelle stop
To the Stade Garros
Reaching the iconic tennis venue is a two-step journey:
- Take a Metro line 1 train to Franklin D, Roosevelt
- Take a Metro line 9 to Michel-Ange Molitor station
To the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
To the South Paris Arena
This venue is located at the Paris Expo Exhibition centre in the south west corner of the city.
It is a two step journey:
- take Metro line 14 to Madeleine station
- take Metro line 12 to Porte de Versaille station
To the Parc de Princes and the Stade Jean-Bouin
The Parc de Princes and the Stade Jean-Bouin are adjacent to each other in the Boulogne-Billancourt area of the city.
- Take a Metro line 1 train to Franklin D, Roosevelt
- Take a Metro line 9 to Porte de Saint-Cloud
How can tickets purchased for the public transport connections?
All of the info you will need is available on the Paris By Train website.
Are there cafes or restaurants available?
The iconic Le Train Bleu restaurant provides the ultimate pre-departure dining experience and the station also has numerous cafes and fast-food outlets.
Are there left luggage facilities?
The left luggage lockers are located in Hall 3 which is the level below the main concourses.
It is accessible from the Hall 2 and from the voies (platforms / tracks) A - M.
Two key things to be aware of are;
- the access to the lockers is staffed, so you can only deposit and collect luggage when it is open - and it typically closes each day at 22:00 (10pm)
- you need to pay with cash when collecting luggage, you cannot use bank / credit cards for payment.
Does the station have a First Class lounge?
Yes, the station has a Grand Voyageur lounge, which can be accessed by those who will be travelling with Business Premiere tickets, on the TGV InOui services.
It is located by Hall 1 in the passage which houses the ticket booking offices.
Departing by train:
The long-distance trains depart from two distinctly separate parts of the station, which are now known as Hall 1 and Hall 2.
Prior to the specific voie (platform/track), that a train will be departing from, being confirmed - which Hall (1 or 2) that a train is leaving from, is indicated on the 'Grande Lignes' departure screens, which you can access around the station.
The departure halls are usually confirmed hours in advance.
Make sure you are looking at the departure screens marked 'Grande Lignes'.
So head to the Hall that your train will be departing from and wait there for the specific voie (platform/track) to be confirmed.
Hall 1
The older departure hall used by some long distance trains, which is directly behind the beautiful main frontage to the street, is the Hall 1.
To help distinguish it from Hall 2, it has letters in place of numbers for its voies (platforms/tracks) and they run from A to N.
Though as Hall 1 is in the midst of being of being redesigned, for the time being, the overwhelming majority of the InOui services are departing from Hall 2.
Hall 2
The Hall 2 is to the left side of the main station building and it has voies (platforms/tracks) numbered from 5 to 23.
The majority of the high speed express trains leave from this part of the station.
The specific voie (platform/track) within a hall that each train will depart from isn't usually confirmed until 10 - 20mins prior to departure.
Therefore, Hall 2 in particular can be permanently crowded.
So if you arrive at the Gare De Lyon more than 45mins before your train departs, the Hall 1 concourse is a more pleasant environment in which to wait for a train than Hall 2 (Hall 1 tends to be less crowded).
You will have to access Hall 2 if your train will be departing from there, but you’ll have time to make the transfer from Hall 1 to Hall 2.
If you have a ticket issued by a machine or ticket office, don’t forget to stamp your ticket in the yellow machines at the entrance to the voie (platform/track).
There is no need to stamp tickets you have printed at home.
Using the street entrances:
If you enter the Gare De Lyon from its main street entrance, what can be confusing is that you will be in Hall 1; but that may not be particularly obvious.
Hall 2 will be out of sight.
You will see people waiting around for trains , but avoid assuming that your train will be departing from this part of the station.
It is possible to access Hall 2 from the Hall 1 concourse, but they are approximately 200 metres apart.
There are signs showing the way to Hall 2, the route is over to the left (when facing the trains) through the passage way named the Galerrie des Fresques, which also houses the staffed ticket offices.
If you will be arriving by TAXI then check the live departure info on the link above; as there are separate taxi drop off points for Hall 1 and Hall 2.
Connecting from the RER and Metro:
For first time users, making the transfer between arriving by RER or Metro trains and departing by long distance express trains at Gare De Lyon isn't something to be rushed.
If you do follow the signs accurately, the transfer from stepping off an RER to boarding a TGV train will take at least 5 minutes.
There are multiple access points between this underground part of the station and the voies (platforms/tracks) above that the main line trains leave from.
Ideal for regular users of the station who will appreciate the quickest possible access to the trains, but a tad awkward for first time users of the Paris Lyon terminal .
Arriving at Gare De Lyon by RER or Metro Line 14:
Taking Metro Line 14 to the Gare De Lyon can be a good option, its stations have comparatively easy access to and from the trains and its stop at the Gare De Lyon is no exception, so here are five things worth knowing about taking these trains or the RER.
(1) Having ascended from the voies (platforms/tracks) by escalator or elevator that your train will have arrived at, you will find yourself in the warren that is the the RER concourse at Gare De Lyon.
The Metro Line 14 and the RER share the same part of the station.
(2) Look for and follow the signs to the 'Grande Lignes' trains and you will come to the entrance to the part of the station called Hall 3, which is accessed by ascending some multi-coloured escalators - less obvious lifts / elevators are also available
(3) Once you have ascended there is a lack of signs telling you are in Hall 3, but it is located directly beneath voies (platforms/tracks) A - N, so these can be directly accessed from here.
However it doesn't matter if your train is not departing from these voies (platforms/tracks) - there is easy access from this Hall 3 to the other voies (platforms/tracks) used by the long distance, express trains.
(4) The departure screens are different in Hall 3.
If your train will be departing from voies (platforms/tracks) A - N, you will be instructed to wait in the Hall 3 waiting area.
If you will be taking a Ouigo service, you will usually be directed to wait here.
However, if your train is leaving from voies (platforms/tracks) 5 - 23, you will be directed to wait in Hall 2.
This is accessed by the ascending moving walkway, slopes and lifts up which you'll come to the far end of Hall 3.
(5) The specific voie (platform/track) that each train will depart from isn't usually confirmed until 10 - 20mins prior to departure, but Hall 3 isn't the optimum location in which to spend a long time waiting for a train.
So if your train will be leaving from voies A - N and you've got time to kill before your train departs, then make your way to Hall 1 and wait for your train there.
Though this waiting in Hall 1 suggestion probably won't be an option if you will taking a Ouigo train, as the boarding procedures for these trains are usually carried out in Hall 3.
Arriving at Gare De Lyon by Metro Line 1:
Metro Line 1 uses a separate part of the Metro station to that which is used by Line 14.
It exits into Departure Hall 1, so if your train is departing from Hall 2, you can access it from Hall 1.
Using the train departure screens:
If you will be taking a TGV, Lyria, Intercités or Ouigo service, you will need to check the blue screens which have the header 'Grande Lignes' above them.
What's unusual about these screens at the Gare De Lyon is that prior to the specific voie (platform/track) being shown, is that they direct travellers to await their departure in a specific Hall.
Those on the concourses will indicate whether passengers should wait in Hall 1 or Hall 2, while those in Hall 3 (by the exit from the RER station) will indicate whether you should wait in Hall 3 or Hall 2.
If you can’t see the specific station that you’re travelling to on the departure screens, find your train using the train number.
This will be a four digit number, which will be printed on your ticket - so match this number to the train number that will be on the departure screens.
If you’re cutting it fine and see a letter and not a number for the platform (voie) on the departure screens - then you need to head for Hall 1.
See a number from 5 to 23 and you need to head for Hall 2.
Though if you enter in Hall 3 and see a letter shown for the voie, you can head directly up to your train.
Arriving by train:
Your train will arrive in one of two distinct parts of the station, either at voies (platforms/tracks) A – N or 5 – 23; but you won't know which part of the station you will encounter until the train pulls in.
...at voies (platforms/tracks) A to N:
You will be in the older part of the station, which has a glass canopied roof spanning the tracks.
These voies (platforms/tracks) A – N have steps and escalators located along them, which lead down into the Hall 3 at Gare De Lyon.
The quickest route to the RER trains and to Metro Line 14 is to make use of these stairs/escalators; so don’t keep walking head until you reach the main concourse if you'll be taking the RER..
The entrance to the RER station and Metro Line 14 is located at one end of Hall 3; follow the sloping floor down.
However, if you're connecting into Metro Line 1, then do walk ahead to the main concourse; the quickest direct route to Metro Line 1 is over to the right of the Hall 1 concourse, which is located at the far end voies (platforms/tracks) A – N.
So work out if you will be taking Line 1 before you arrive at the Gare De Lyon.
....at voies (platforms/tracks) 5 to 23:
If your train arrives at voies/platforms/tracks 5 - 23, the only option is to walk ahead to the front of the train and exit on to the Hall 2 concourse.
In the middle of the Hall 2 concourse is the access down (by escalators, moving walkways and slopes) into Hall 3.
The RER station and the access to Metro Line 14 is at the far end of this Hall 3.
For Metro Line 1 keep walking ahead of you across the concourse, into the large passage way, which leads to departure Hall 1 through the ticket hall; The entrance to the Line 1 station is at the end of this passage way.
Arriving at voie 23
If you don't have an umbrella with you and your train arrives at voie (platform 23) while it's raining, then you're going to get wet.
It is on the far eastern side of the station and it hasn't been provided with any shelter.
Onward travel to central Paris:
Four Things Worth Knowing about travelling on to the city from Paris Lyon station:
(1) If you have heavy luggage etc avoid the Metro Line 1 if possible - most of its ticket barriers aren't compatible with large items AND the majority of access from and to trains at other stations on the line isn't step free.
(2) In contrast the newer Line 14 has easier access to/from the trains - including at Gare De Lyon where it is linked to Hall 3 by escalators and elevators.
(3) Check the signs and make sure you are using the correct ticket gate/barrier - which gives access to the line/train that you need to take.
(4) Before arriving at the Gare De Lyon, it can be worthwhile to check which metro/RER station gives the best access to your final destination in the city - and therefore which line you need to take.
Metro/RER maps at the station can be harder to find than you’d expect.
Also the routes within the station to Metro Lines 1 and 14 are very different - so the best option is to follow the specific signs to each of these lines.
by RER Line A:
This line has the quickest access to locations in Paris, which are to the west of Châtelet, particularly if your final destination is convenient to, Auber or Charles de Gaulle – Étoile stations.
Take any train from the 'Ligne A Est' platforms (routes A1, A3 or A5)
by Metro line 14:
If your final destination is in the areas around Chatelet or to the north of The Louvre, take Metro Line 14 - rather than Metro Line 1 or the RER.
It’s particularly useful if you will be heading to the areas around Pyramides or Madeleine stations.
The trains on Line 14 are less crowded and they're faster than those on Line 1.
by Metro line 1:
This line 1 operates in a parallel direction to RER Line A, but makes stops in many more locations.
It is theoretically the best option if your final destination in the city is
Accessing The Other Main Line Stations in Paris
If you're heading to the Gare du Nord from the Gare De Lyon by train, we have produced a step-by-step guide (see below).
to Austerlitz:
The easiest option is to make the 10 min walk.
There are signs pointing the way to Austerlitz at the far left (with the trains behind you) of the Hall 1 concourse.
Outside the station building is a grim escalator leading down to street level.
Cross the River Seine on the Pont Austerlitz, when you have crossed the bridge the station is immediately ahead of you to the right.
to Gare de l'Est:
Take Metro Line 14 (direction Madeleine) to Chatelet and change for Metro line 4 (direction Porte de Clignancourt)
OR
Metro line 1 to Bastille (direction La Defense) and change for Metro Line 5 (direction Bobigny).
The entrance to Metro line 14 has comparatively easy access from Hall 2 (voies/platforms 5 - 23) descend down into Hall 3 and the entrance to line 14 will be at the far end.
There are also stairs and escalators down to this Hall 3 concourse located along voies/platforms A - N.
In contrast the Metro Line 1 entrance is on Hall 1 concourse at the far ends of voies/platforms A - N.
However, this is a particularly awkward journey so a taxi is highly recommended, or take the bus, Line 91 is direct to the Gare De l'Est from a stop on Boulevard Diderot.
to Gare du Nord:
Take RER line D as per this step-by-step guide.
to Montparnasse:
Take Metro Line 14 (direction Olympiades) to Bercy and change for Metro line 6 (direction Charles de Gaulle Etoile).
There are several options for making the awkward transfer from Gare De Lyon to Montparnasse, but this suggested routing has 3 advantages:
(1) Line 14 has step free access at Gare De Lyon;
(2) the interchange at Bercy is comparatively straightforward;
(3) Line 6 at Montparnasse is located closest to the exit from the Metro station.
Or take the bus, Line 91 to Montparnasse from a stop on Boulevard Diderot
Though in hot weather and/or if you have luggage, a taxi can be worth every cent.
to St Lazare:
Go direct on Metro Line 14.
If you have luggage, persevere and use the elevators at St Lazare - the only alternative to the multiple flights of stairs at that particular station.
Journeys
# Jump to a directionJourneys from Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon
Jump to directionsParis to Aix-en-Provence by train
Paris to Aix-les-Bains by train
Paris to Annecy by train
Paris to Antibes by train
Paris to Avignon by train
Paris to Barcelona by train
Paris to Basel / Bâle by train
Paris to Béziers / Beziers by train
Paris to Cannes by train
Paris to Dijon by train
Paris to Firenze / Florence by train
Paris to Genève / Geneva by train
Paris to Lausanne by train
Paris to Lyon by train
Paris to Madrid by train
Paris to Marseille by train
Paris to Milano / Milan / Mailand by train
Paris to Montpellier by train
Paris to Mulhouse by train
Paris to Narbonne by train
Paris to Nice by train
Paris to Nîmes / Nimes by train
Paris to Perpignan by train
Paris to Roma / Rome by train
Paris to Torino / Turin by train
Paris to Toulon by train
Paris to Venezia / Venice / Venedig by train
Paris to Wien / Vienna by train
Paris to Zürich / Zurich by train
Journeys to Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon
Jump to directionsBarcelona to Paris by train
Basel / Bâle to Paris by train
Bern to Paris by train
Genève / Geneva to Paris by train
Lyon to Paris by train
Madrid to Paris by train
Marseille to Paris by train
Milano / Milan / Mailand to Paris by train
Torino / Turin to Paris by train
Zürich / Zurich to Paris by train
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