Paris Train Stations Information

Which Train Stations are there?

In Paris, you have 6 main train stations that will give you access to different areas of Paris from different places in Europe or in the region.

If you move around Paris and use public transportation, you will come across at least one of these stations. It is quite useful to know where they are, where they can take you and how to get tickets.

On this page, we will give you a quick description of each station and let you know how to book a ticket from and to them.

Gare de Lyon

Paris Lyon station is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It is one of the most important European train stations and at the same time one of the sights of Paris.

Long-distance trains run to southern and southeastern France, as well as to Switzerland, Germany and Spain. There is a night train connection to Venice.

Two RER and two metro lines as well as 9 bus lines offer connections to the regional and inner-city public transport. The RER A line goes to Disneyland, terminating at Marne-la-Vallée Chessy, and Metro 1 connects with the North Station. The Air France Le Bus Direct airport bus departs directly in front of the main entrance at Hall 1 on Boulevard Diderot.

Get more information about Disneyland Paris Theme Park and buy the best deals.

Gare de l'Est

The Paris East station is just a 10-minute walk from the North station. Its name refers to the destinations it serves, rather than its location in the city.

Trains run from here to the east of France as well as to Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Most French soldiers were transported to the front at Verdun from this station during World War I, which is why it is called the Gare de l'Est-Verdun.

On October 4, 1883, the first Orient Express with destination Constantinople departed from Gar de l'Est and the Moscow Express starts from here.

Suburban train P and three metro lines provide connections to regional and inner city public transport. Due to its proximity to the North Station, also connections from the Gare du Nord can be used easily.

Gare du Nord

Paris-Nord station is located in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, about 3 kilometers from the city center. It is the largest train station in Paris, the busiest in Europe and the third busiest in the world.

Gare du Nord is a hub of international rail traffic and not only connects the northern to the southern districts of Paris, but also serves the north of France as well as neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Connections to regional and inner-city public transport are provided by three RER lines, three metro lines, 13 bus lines and seven night bus lines of the Noctilien network.

Gare St. Lazare

Gare St.Lazare is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris in the European Quarter, where the streets are named after European cities.

Trains depart from here in the north-west direction. Mainly the agglomeration Île-de-France is served. Long-distance traffic does not play a major role, but there are trains to the Channel coast as well as to Le Havre in the Normandy.

Between the years 1900 and 1974, the New York Express provided the connection to Le Havre, from where ships departed for North America.

There are two RER lines and five metro lines, connecting the station to regional and inner-city public transport.

Read more about How to use public transport in Paris.

Gare Montparnasse

Gare Montparnasse is located in the 15th arrondissement in the southwest of Paris. It is the only one of the 6 Parisian train stations built in the 20th century. Since its modernization in 1990, a public garden, the Jardin Atlantique, and the Memorial Leclerc museum have been located on the station's roof. 

Trains run from here to the west and southwest of France, as far as Hendave on the Spanish border. There are connections to Brittany as well as to the Atlantic coast.

Two RER lines and four metro lines connect Gare Montparnasse to regional and inner-city public traffic, making it an important transportation hub. 

Gare d'Austerlitz

The Gare d'Austerlitz is located on the left bank of the Seine in the 13th arrondissement. It owes its name to the town of the same name in Moravia, where Napoleon successfully emerged from the Battle of the Three Emperors in 1805. Because of its beautiful facades and roofs, the station has been listed as a historic monument since 1997.

Train connections are available to central-western France and the Île-de-France region, and all domestic overnight trains terminate here. Since Gare d'Austerlitz is the only one of Paris' 6 train stations that is not fully used to capacity, high-speed trains are planned to depart from here in the future.

Line C of the RER and two metro lines provide connections to regional and inner city public transport.

Location of the Grand Train Stations in Paris

(Link to the map)

Eurostar Train

After almost six years of construction, the Eurotunnel was finished. It was officially opened on 6ht May 1994. Earlier plans to connect Britain through St Pancras Station and France through Gare du Nord station with a tunnel were quickly scrapped.

Today, the Channel Tunnel connects the UK with France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
From Disneyland Paris you have via Eurostar Train direct connections to London. There are also connections to the UK from the south of France, although these operate seasonally.
 
The Eurostar runs via Brussels through the tunnel under the English Channel and is in London from Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

How to Buy a Grand Train Ticket in Paris

The best way is to book your train ticket online in advance. Various internet operators offer these services. The most popular are the following sites:

• https://www.sncf.com/en/booking-itinerary/book-tickets
• https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times
• https://en.oui.sncf/en/

There are different tickets vending machines in all stations, depending on the destination. You buy tickets for local and regional trains at a different machine than tickets for long-distance trains. All ticket machines have English options; however, sometimes they may not accept foreign credit cards.

If this seems too complicated, just go to the ticket counter in the train station and buy your ticket there.

We recommend booking online in advance, so you skip the line and avoid language barrier. Contact Us for support.

Are Train Tickets Valid for Metro?

As a rule, train tickets are not valid for the metro; you need a separate ticket. It can get quite expensive to travel without a ticket. The controllers usually do not hesitate to issue a penalty, which amounts to around 50 euros. A metro ticket is much cheaper ...

Transport from the Train Station

Taxi: There are taxi ranks at all railway stations. Even if the queue sometimes looks long, the companies are well organized and passengers are quickly distributed among the waiting vehicles. Learn all details about Taxis in Paris (including Taxi Apps).

Metro : All stations are located in the city center and are easily accessible by metro.
Apart from the Gar de l'Est, all stations are also served by the suburban railway, the so-called RER lines.

More Things to Know about Public Transport

To learn more about public transport in Paris and how to use it the best way, you may also have a look at our complete Public Transport Guide for Paris.