Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord (Paris)

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.

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 area 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 (blue) trains to the UK and the Eurostar (red) trains to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, the TGV trains to towns and cities in northern France also depart from here.

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.

The following train services depart from and and arrive at the Gare Du Nord:

• Eurostar trains to / from London
• Eurostar (formerly Thalys trains) to / from Aachen, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruxelles, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Liege, and Rotterdam
• TGV InOui trains to / from Arras, Boulogne, Douai, Dunkerque and Lille
• TER trains to / from Amiens, Aulnoye, Beauvais, Boulogne, Calais Etaples, St Quentin and Le Treport
• RER trains to / from Aeroport CDG (line B), Antony (for Orly) (line B), Chantilly (line D)

Detailed journey guides for travel to many of these destinations can be accessed from the foot of the 'Contents Menu'.

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ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about taking trains to and from Paris-Gare du Nord and answered them below.

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Yes, the Gare du Nord is a terminal station so the voies (platforms / tracks) used by the trains are easily accessible from the main Hall 1 concourse and the Hall 3 concourse, you can simply walk to and from the trains.
However, the Eurostar departure area for the trains to London is at an upper level to the concourse in Hall 2.
Though the Hall 2 concourse and the voies (platforms / tracks) which the Eurostar trains to the UK depart from, can be accessed by both escalators and lifts / elevators.

The Gare Du Nord is served by two Metro lines, the Line 4 and the Line 5.

Line 4

The Line 4 is the primary public transport link between the Gare du Nord and the heart of Paris, hence it is typically very busy
It's stop at Cité takes its name from its location on the Île de la Cité in the middle of The River Seine, which is the island on which Notre Dame cathedral is located.
Though taking the RER line B can often be a quicker option than taking the Line 4 - see below.

At Châtelet station the Line 4 has comparatively convenient connections with Line 1 and Line 14.

Line 5

The Line 5 links the Gare Du Nord to the eastern side of central Paris and it has stops at the Place de la République and the Place de la Bastille.

by RER

The RER is a system of mainline trains which cross central Paris and link areas on opposite sides of the city and three of its five routes are available at the Gare Du Nord.

It provides faster access to some areas of the city also served by Metro line 4 - And also provides the transfer to areas in central Paris which aren't linked to the Gare Du Nord by Metro.
The voies (platforms / tracks) in the part of the station used by the line B and D trains are arranged into pairs, 'Nord' and 'Sud'.
Looking into the station from the RER ticket hall.

• The left of the Nord platform is used by line B trains heading to destinations including Aeroport CDG.
• The right of the Nord platform is by line D trains heading to the likes of St Denis and Chantilly.
• The left of the Sud platform is used by line D trains heading to the Gare de Lyon and beyond.
• The right of the Sud is used by Line B trains heading to St Michel-Notre Dame and Antony for Orly Airport.

Both Line B and Line D link the Gare Du Nord to Châtelet - the RER station is named Châtelet-Les Halles as it is on the lower level of the Les-Halles shopping mall.
Line B has a stop named Saint-Michel Notre-Dame which lives up to its name with a location just across the River Seine from the Notre Dame cathedral; And it also calls at Luxembourg station which is within a five minute walk of the Pantheon.

The Line E station at the Gare Du Nord is named Magenta, but it is accessed by a comparatively short passage way.
Line E provides direct access to and from the area around St Lazare - And it also now provides a direct link between the Gare Du Nord and the the La Défense business district.

to the main tourist attractions from the Gare Du Nord

A quirk of Gare Du Nord is that it has comparatively few direct links to the most popular tourist attractions in Paris:

• The Eiffel tower = take the RER line B between the Gare Du Nord and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and connect at that station with RER line C which goes to and from the station named Champ Du Mars Tour Eiffel.
• the Sacre Couer and Montmartre = take Metro line 4 between the Gare Du Nord and the station named Barbès - Rochechouart, transfer with Line 2 which goes to and from the station named Anvers.
• the Louvre Museum = take Metro line 5 between the Gare Du Nord and the Gare de l'Est, transfer with Line 7 which goes to and from a station named Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre.
• the Musée d'Orsay = take the RER line B between the Gare Du Nord and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and connect at that station with RER line C which goes to and from the station named Musée d'Orsay.
• the Pompidou Centre = take the Metro line 5 between the Gare Du Nord and Republique and connect at that station with line 11 which goes to and from the station named Rambuteau.

The direct rail service between the Gare Du Nord and Charles-De-Gaulle airport is provided by line B of the RER.
Eight trains per hour are typically provided, though all day at weekends and during the middle of the day on Monday to Friday, half of the services are faster by around 7 minutes, because they skip some stations.

The journey time between the airport and the Gare Du Nord is 31mins by the faster trains and 38 mins by the slower trains.
The ticket cost is less than €12.
More info is available on the guide to airport rail links in France.

to and from Orly Airport

A people mover system named Orlyval links the airport terminals with Antony station.
This station is on line B which has a direct service to / from Gare Du Nord - and seven trains per hour are typically available.
When heading to the airport take care to avoid the trains heading to Robinson!
The journey time between Antony and Gare Du Nord is usually 24 - 30mins.

More info is available on the guide to airport rail links in France.

How to travel on to the major sports, entertainment and business venues across Paris from the Gare Du Nord:

To the Stade De France

If your seats are in blocks are on the south and east sides of the stadium = Blocks A, R, S, T, U, X, Y and Z, the station named La Plaine Stade de France on RER line B has the shortest walking distance of around 10 to 15 minutes.

If you will be sitting on the western side of the stadium = Blocks, K, L and N, the shortest and easiest walking route is from the station named Stade De France – Saint Denis on RER line D, despite it being the farthest of the three stations from the stadium.
Though bus line/route 353 is a five stop ride to the stadium and its stop is by blocks U, X and Y.

The RER trains on line B and line D will depart from opposite sides of the same platform (RER Nord) - Both lines will have trains departing every 5 to 10 mins.

If your seats are on the northern side of the stadium = blocks C, D, E. G, H and J an option is to remain on a line D 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.
Tram line T8 goes to a stop named Saint Denis-Porte De Paris.

To the Accor / Bercy Arena

The Accor Arena is located within a 20 minute walk of the Gare de Lyon.
Take RER Line D to the Gare de Lyon - and from there either walk, or transfer to Metro Line 14 for a one stop hop to Bercy metro station.

To the Villepinte Exhibition Centre

The Villepinte Exhibition Centre is located on the northern edge of Paris by CDG Airport.
Take RER Line B direct to Parc des Expositions station

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 from the Gare Du Nord:

1. Use the passage way in the station to access Magenta station and take the RER line E to Rosa Parks station
2. 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 from the Gare du Nord is done by:

1. Taking a Metro line 4 train to Strasbourg St Denis
2. Taking a Metro line 9 to Michel-Ange Molitor station.

**To the Paris Expo Exhibition centre **

The Paris Expo Exhibition Centre is located in the south west corner of the city.
It is a two step journey from the Gare Du Nord:

1. take RER line B (Sud) to Cité Universitaire station
2. take tram route / line 3a to its stop at Porte de Versailles

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
It is a two step journey from the Gare Du Nord:

1. Take a Metro line 4 train to Strasbourg St Denis
2. Take a Metro line 9 to Porte de Saint-Cloud

All of the info you will need is available on the Paris By Train website.

Yes, but most of the food and drink outlets in the Gare Du Nord serve fast-food, snacks and sandwiches.
If you want to have full meal before departure or after arrival, the best option is to head to one of the brasseries which are across the street in front of the station,

The left luggage office, the '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.
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 23:15
• you can pay with cash or bank cards.

There are three separate '1st class' lounges at the Gare Du Nord, which are solely accessible to those who have booked Business Premiere tickets to travel by:

• Eurostar to the UK in the Hall du Londres (Hall 2)
• Eurostar to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands - Though it is 100 metres from the station at 22 rue de Dunkerque
• the TGV InOui services - it is on the Hall 1 concourse opposite voies 14 - 15.

When arriving at Paris Nord station by Eurostar or TGV, or TER 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 you don't pass through any checks - as these would have been carried out prior to boarding.

When you step on to the concourse, the taxi rank is over to the right, so 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 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.

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 station - 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

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

The alternative route to the Metro

Towards the back of the Hall 1 concourse, opposite the voies/platforms/tracks used by the Eurostar (red) trains, there is another entrance to the Metro which can only be accessed by stairs
It leads to a passage way under the Hall 1 concourse , which is a short-cut from this concourse to the Metro, particularly to Line 4.
This passage way also houses multiple Metro ticket machines and a Metro ticket counter - though it is only staffed at certain times of day.

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:

• Etienne Marcel station, which is a 5 - 10 min walk from the Pompidou Centre
• 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) The platforms/voies in the RER station 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.

Thanks to the plethora of public transport services in central Paris, full size suburban trains, the Metro and buses can all be used to transfer to the other main stations which surround the city centre.

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.

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.

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.

Or if time is in your side take the bus, Line 91 goes to Austerlitz from this stop on Rue de Saint-Quentin.

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.
This area of the station is now designated as the Hall 1- The voies 3 - 19 are arranged in a line left to right when facing north towards the trains.

• Eurostar (blue) trains to the UK typically depart from voies 3 - 6, though the departure access for these trains is through the upper level, Hall 2, see below
• Eurostar (red) trains to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands typically depart from voies 7 to 15 - though security checks are carried out pre-boarding, so you may have to join a queue
• the TGV InOui trains to Lille and beyond, typically depart from voies 9 to 15
• The longer-distance TER trains to destinations including Amiens, Boulogne and Le Treport, typically depart from voies 16 to 19
  Though some TER trains can depart from the part of Gare Du Nord that's primarily used by the local / commuter Transilien trains, on the H line network.
  These trains leave from voies 20 - 28, which are accessed from Hall 3 - It is on the northern side of the atrium which gives the access to the RER and Metro; when looking towards the trains you will be facing north.

Aim to be at Gare Du Nord a minimum of 15 min before departure if you will be taking a Eurostar (Red) train; all passengers heading to Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands have to pass through security checks.
Prior to the confirmation of the specific voie (platform/track) that a service will be departing from, you can join the queue for Thalys these departures.

Where to head to

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) 7 - 15 are in the left departure hall and over to the right
They are at street level, so they have particularly easy access from the taxi drop off areas and bus stops.

Finding the train

Check the electronic screens marked 'Grande Lignes' for the details of the TGV and Eurostar departures.
The specific voie (platform/track) that a TGV, Eurostar (Red) 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.

If you have ticket for a TGV 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.

At the Gare Du Nord the Eurostar services to London 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 these Eurostar (blue) trains right beside the main street level concourse, but you cannot access the trains directly from this concourse.
Instead the Eurostar UK 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 trains - the direct link between the voies (platforms/tracks) 3-6 and the main Hall 1 concourse is only used when arriving by Eurostar
This ‘Hall du Londres’, has now been designated as the Hall 2, so follow the signs to the Hall 2 when navigating the station

The access to this upper level is actually some distance from the voies (platforms/tracks) that the Eurostars to London depart from.
The escalators and elevators (ascenseur) leading up to Eurostar UK 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 train to London to be confirmed - head directly for the check-in desks as soon as you arrive at the the Gare Du Nord.

Checking In for the Eurostar to London at Gare Du Nord:

Eurostar is currently recommending that that Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders should be at the Eurostar departure area 90-120 mins before departure; and that Business Premier ticket holders should be there 45-60 mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.

It is up to you to allow time to pass through check-in and board the train.

Though SMTJ once arrived at check-in with a Standard Class ticket only 20 minutes before departure time, as a truck had hit a railway bridge, which has caused big delays to the RER Line B trains.
The check-in staff were aware of the situation and couldn't have been more helpful, I was offered a ticket on the next train, but thanks to their efficiency I made it on to my booked departure just in time.

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 RER 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 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 train - this concourse is the Hall 1.
The atrium is located on the side of the Hall 3 concourse which is used by the commuter trains.

If you arrive at the Gare Du Nord by RER, 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 these short cuts; which is for the benefit of regular users of the TGV trains.
It can be a long-ish walk, but ultimately you will find yourself in the atrium, which leads up in to the main part of the station, which you will see above you.