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Guide to Major Train Stations in Paris: Gare de l'Est
Paris Est (or Gare de l’East, East Station), is one of the largest and oldest railway stations in Paris. Originally called the Strasbourg Platform, it opened in 1849 as the western terminus for the Paris-Strasbourg railway. In 1854 the service was expanded to Mulhouse and the station renamed Gare de l’Est. In 1883 it began services on the Orient Express to Istanbul. Gare de l'Est was used for large-scale transport of French troops in World War I.
Today it is the major terminus for services to eastern France, and major cities in Europe including Zurich in Switzerland, Munich in Germany and Vienna in Austria.
Services from Gare de l’Est
TGV services go to major cities like
- Reims, Charleville-Mezieres and Sedan, Metz Ville, Nancy, Sarrebourg, Saverne
- Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse
- The Champagne-Ardenne TGV, Chalons-en-Champagne, Vitry-le-Francois and Bar-le Duc
Deutsche Bahn operates a City Night Line to
Metz Ville, Saarbrucken Hbf, Gottingen, Hanover and Berlin- From the USA: Check Train Schedules and Book Trains in France with Rail Europe
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Practical Information
Place du 11 Novembre, Paris 10
Information on Paris Gare de l'Est
Operating hours 5am to 1amTransport links to Gare de l'Est
- Metro
Ligne 4: Porte de Clignancourt to Porte d’Orleans
Ligne 5: Bobigny-Pablo Picasso to Port d’Italie
Ligne 7: La Coureuve 8 Mai 1945 to Ville Juif to Louis Aragon - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Charles de Gaulle Airport
Take RER(Regional Express Railway) train Line B directly to the airport.
More on cities reached from the Gare de l'Est
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Paris Gare du Nord Train Station
Gare du Nord (or Paris Nord), built between 1861 and 1864, is the busiest railway station in Europe. It’s the main station for trains to North France and also for the Eurostar from London, Lille and Brussels. It runs both TGV trains and SNCF trains.
Eurostar arrives here from London, Brussels and Lille.
Services from the Gare du Nord
TGV services go to:
- Tourcoign, Roubaix, Lille-Flandres
- Calais-Ville, Calais-Frethun, Lille-Europe
- Rang-du-Fliers-Verton, Etaples-Le Touquet, Boulogne-Ville
- Dunkerque, Hazebrouck, Bethune, Lens, Arras
- Saint-Omer
- Valenciennes, Douai
Most popular Intercités run to:
Creil, Boulogne, Cambrai, Maubeuge
Saint-Denis, Pontoise
Aulnay-sous-Bois, Crepy-en-ValoisMost popular TER trains run to: Mitry-Claye, Laon, Persan-Beaumont, Amiens
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Practical Information
112 rue de Maubeuge
Paris 10
Information on Paris Gare du Nord
Operating hours 5am to 1amTransport links to Gare du Nord
- Metro
Ligne 4: Porte de Clignancourt to Porte d’Orleans
Ligne 5: Bobigny Pablo Picasso to Place d’Italie - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Charles de Gaulle airport
Take RER (Regional Express Railway) train Line B directly to the airportMore on cities reached from the Gare du Nord
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Paris Gare de Lyon Train Station
Paris Gare de Lyon is one of the busiest stations in France and Europe. Built for the World Exposition of 1900, it’s a splendid building both inside and out where it’s dominated by a huge clock tower.
Even if you’re not using the station, I thoroughly recommend a meal at the fabulous restaurant, Le Train Bleu. A Belle Epoque gem, it’s decorated more like a cathedral than a restaurant with wonderful gold decorations and paintings on the walls and ceilings.
Le Train Bleu and the station have appeared in films like Nikita by Luc Besson, The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie, Mr Bean’s Holiday with Rowan Atkinson and the 2010 film The Tourist.
Paris Gare de Lyon city links include Lyon, Marseille, Paris and Geneva, Milan in Italy.
Services from Gare de Lyon
Most popular TGV services go to
- Le Creusot and south east France
- Montbard
- Dijon to Bern, Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland
- Macon-Loche TGV to Geneve-Comavin
- Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport to Milan, Italy
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TER trains serve Melun
Practical Information
20 boulevard Diderot
Paris 12Gare de Lyon
Operating hours 3.30am to 1.30amTransport links to Gare de Lyon
- Metro
Ligne 1: La Defence to Chateau de Vincennes
Ligne 14: Saint Lazarre to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Charles de Gaulle airport
Take Air France Coach line 4, departs every 30 minutesMore on Cities reached from the Gare de Lyon
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Paris Gare Montparnasse Train Station
Opened in 1840 as Gare de l’Ouest, Gare Montparnasse became famous for the derailment of the Granville-Paris Express which overran the buffer, continued across 30 metres (100 ft) of the station concourse, went through the end wall and smashed out of the station to land on its nose in the Place de Rennes, 10 metres (33 ft) below the platform level. The photograph is well known, as is the incident which was used in the film Silver Streak and in Hugo, the children’s film.
The station was totally rebuilt in 1969 with an extension built in 1990 for the TGV Atlantique to the west and south-west of France.
Services from Gare Montparnasse
- Gare Montparnasse serves west and south-west France, southern Normandy, Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Tours, Poitou-Charentes, Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees and north-west Spain.
Popular TGV services include
Tours, Bordeaux, Rennes and Nantes.Popular TER services include trains to Dreux and Granville and Versailles-Chantier towards Le Mans.
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Practical Information
17, boulevard Vaugirard
Paris 15
Information on Gare Montparnasse
Operating hours 4.30 am to 1.15 amTransport links to Gare Montparnasse
- Metro
Ligne 4: Porte de Clignancourt to Porte d’Orleans
Ligne 6: Charles de Gaulle to Etoile to Nation
Ligne 12: Porte de la Chapelle to Mairie d’Issy
Ligne 13: Saint-Denis–Universite to Chatillon–Montrouge - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Charles de Gaulle Airport
Air France coach line 4, every 30 minutes.More on Cities reached from Gare Montparnasse
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Paris Gare d'Austerlitz Train Station
Paris Gare d'Austerlitz was built in 1840 for the Paris-Corbeil and then the Paris-Orleans line. Originally called Gare d’Orleans, the station was renamed after the Czech town where Napoleon I defeated his enemies. The station was extended in 1865-1868.
When the TGV Atlantique route was built, the terminus moved to Gare Montparnasse and Austerlitz lost most of its original long-distance services to the southwest.
Today Austerlitz servies south central France and night trains to the south of France and Spain.
Services from Gare d'Austerlitz
There are no TGV trains from Austerlitz
Popular Intercites services include to:
- Orléans, Blois and Tours
- Vierzon, Bourges and Montluçon
- Limoges, Brive, Toulouse, Narbonne and Cerbère
Lunea night services run to:
Orléans, Dax and Tarbes
Limoges, Portbou, Latour-de-Carol and Luchon
Toulouse and Albi
Toulon and NiceThe Elipsos Train Hotels (Trenhotel) operated jointly between RENFE and SNCF operate from here to Madrid & Barcelona. They generally leave around 7.30pm local time and travel overnight arriving the next morning at their destinations.
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Practical Information
55, quai d'Austerlitz
Paris 13
Information on Gare d'Austerlitz
Hours of operation 5.30 am to midnightTransport links to Gare d'Austerlitz
- Metro
Ligne 10: Austerlitz to Boulogne Pont de St-Cloud
Ligne 5: Bobigny Pablo Picasso to Place d’Italie - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Orly Airport
TAke the RER train C departing every 15 minutesMore on Cities reached from the Gare d'Austerlitz
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Guide to Paris Saint-Lazare Train Station
Paris Saint-Lazare was originally built 150 metres north-west of where it is currently and opened in 1837. It rapidly expanded and by 1900 was the terminus for nine lines. The second busiest train station in Europe and just behind the Gare du Nord, it serves destinations and cities in northern France.
Services from Paris Saint-Lazare
SNCF Intercite services go to:
- Vernon, Rouen & Le Havre
- Évreux-Normandie, Lisieux, Caen and Cherbourg
- Trouville-Deauville
- Dieppe
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Practical Information
13, Rue d' Amsterdam
Paris 8
Information on Gare St Lazare
Opening hours 5am to 1.15amTransport links to Gare Saint-Lazare
- Metro
Ligne 3: Porte de Levallois-Becon to Gallieni
Ligne 12: Porte de la Chapelle to Mairie d’Issy
Ligne 13: Saint-Denis–Universite to Chatillon–Montrouge
Ligne 14: Saint Lazare to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand - For buses, see the Paris Bus map
To Charles de Gaulle Airport
Take the RER train E to Magenta and change for the RER B to the airportMore on Cities reached from Gare Saint-Lazare