Took the train in and out of Paris the other day and it was a decent experience. Unlike my last…read morevisit a couple years ago, the train station has cleaned up a ton. I didn't see any gypsies and I did see security and police. There were multiple people at the door with boxes of cigarettes in their hands... Gare du Nord is super convenient as the Metro is directly connected to the station. When leaving Gare du Nord to the UK, there is a separate hall which entails leaving the EU and entering the UK before going through security. The halls were pretty full with numerous shops selling sandwiches and coffee. Seats were scarce and rather a hot commodity.

A pretty cool train station located in the heart of Paris. We ended up here after taking a Eurostar…read moretrain from London. The stations is busy with people traveling so it was a bit hectic. Fortunatley, we had a disruption with our train back to London, so had to return to the station and security, police, and the military were all there to assist. They made a scary and stressful experience much better by the service and assistance they provided. Everyone was so positive and reassured us we would get to our destinations. The stations itself is breathtaking like the other structures throughout Paris. It is directly connected to the Metro so we didn't have to go far to get to our hotel in Paris. If you need to purchase a metro pass, you can change the language to English by clicking on the British flag. It is fast, easy, and convenient. If you are unsure, you can always ask.

The Gare de l'Est (East Station) is two train stations: one being part of the Paris Metro line,…read moreconnecting Lines 4, 5, and 7 and the other being the one of seven Paris mainline stations supporting TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) going to various cities in Europe. My nephew and I had planned a weekend trip to Luxembourg, and this station was the origination of the 2.5 hour high-speed trip, beginning early on a Saturday morning. We came from different places in Paris using Metro, and met up here. The walk from the Metro part of the station to the main central holding area takes a bit of time, with need to closely follow signs pointing to Gare de l'Est. About 24 minutes before the scheduled departure of our train, the platform number came up on the big board. At that point, we used the QR code from our purchased ticket to pass through the security gate of the platform. Then it was a long outdoor walk parallel to the train until one finds the correct car. We left right on-time. We came back to the same station from Luxembourg, and it was a simple matter of reversing direction back to the Metro side of the station to get back to our dorm/hotel.

Navigating thru this station is a nightmare once you arrive by Metro. Missed our train because of…read moreno clear signs and help available in the station. Had to exchange out pre-booked tickets and paid an additional fee for the same. Strongly recommend having a lot of buffer if you are planning on taking a train from here.

I found myself at Gare de Lyon at the end of my time in Paris to catch a train to Barcelona. I…read moreopted to train it instead of fly due to the general hassle of flying and the sophisticated rail system that Europe has. Getting to the station was pretty easy via Metro. The station is large, with several concourses with the tracks. It was pretty easy to navigate, and as soon as I got to my concourse I was easily able to find what track my train would be rolling out of. Additionally, there are several convenience shops and eateries you can spend time in while waiting for your train. Everything was pretty seamless - there was a good amount of time between announcing my track and rolling out of the station which helped me find my way and settle into my seat. Overall, I had a good experience at Gare de Lyon; it was a great sendoff to my time in Paris.

Boarded train to Milan from Paris at the Gare de Lyon station. I had to find hall #1 and wait for…read morethe information to populate on the screen with where I was to get on the train. There were places to sit while waiting for the train. There are also places to grab something to eat while waiting for the train.

This train station in Paris, France is one of the seven large mainline railway station terminals…read more Several railway lines have been immortalized in various works of art notably paintings by Monet at the Musee d'Orsay. It is the second busiest train station in Paris after Gare du Nord, handling 100 million passengers a year. The station is quite large so it took me a while to walk from one end to the other to catch my train. This train station makes it easy to get to Giverny to visit the Monet house and garden. It took about 40 minutes. I'm so impressed by the mass transit in France and Europe.

On my last trip out to Paris for the Olympic summer games, I came through this train station…read moreseveral times. In addition to catching the RER E train, there were multi-levels of shops and stores of various types. The McDonald's here tends to be very busy, I would go to the smaller one just across Rue Saint-Lazare. If I needed any snacks or drinks, I went to the Carrefour City which has very decent prices.

There is one tiny elevator in the center. If you have a few bags, and don't want to cram on the…read moreescalator, you have to walk behind a few shops on the first floor before the Hall 4 entrance to find the elevator. Once inside, hold your breath. It smells like urine. Beware of people coming up to you to ask you random things. I had it happen a few times and it's a busy station! People are all over (kids, dogs, kids, suitcases). It's a busy place. The food selection is great and the shops are nice too. It's not the worst station or the best station I've been too. It runs on time and will get you to where you need to go.

It's a very large and busy train station, but it was well marked and maintained…read more I wish there would be some additional seating. I had to change trains here and it went very smoothly, as all the platforms are on the same floor. The was a long line at the gate, but it moved fairly quickly. There are nice choices for restaurants and shops. The employees were very helpful to those that requested help.

The world's largest underground railway station, the Station Chatelet - Les Halles is located…read moreunderneath the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping center. It's also the most convenient place to take a connection from the Paris Metro line system to the RER airport lines. Loaded my final trip for 2,5€ on my reloadable metro card on the morning of Day 7, taking line 1 to stop Chatelet. I made a mistake here: knowing I needed to connect to RER Line B, I couldn't find any signs so ended up going outside. Google maps seemed to indicate that, but thinking back, I am realizing that there must have been an underground connection between them. Navigating the outside with luggage in the rain was difficult. But after entering the shopping mall, I just followed the signs for RER. I found a machine to purchase an airport ticket, but it refused to work with my card that I had been using all along on Metro (it had the airport option grayed out...which was frustrating...showing that it was the right machine, but that I was doing something wrong). The only option was a bus to the airport which I definitely did not want. I then began to wander around until I found a staffed office. I tried to explain my situation to the older gentleman..he scanned my ticket, got exasperated (I think with the situation, not me) and told me I needed to go a ticket office to get it fixed. I was going to leave, but then a younger woman intercepted and told me she could fix it. She took my card, did 'something' to it, and then told me I could use the machine now. Sure enough, when I scanned the same card, it now gave me the option to purchase an airport ticket (13€). There is definitely something strange about how you can have the right paper ticket, but if it wasn't initially set-up a certain way, it won't work in all case. Not a good thing for a tourist. I paid the $15.18 (13€) and used it to scan through the gates (which were for all RER various lines). I then followed the signs for the airport line. I boarded the first train that came, and it ended up being OK. The journey took a while, going through five stops to terminal 2. Most people got off before then. I got off at the last stop, and had to scan my ticket to exit before I could enter the airport. Got to the airport station by 11:33. I had left the hotel around 10:15 so it takes a while...an Uber would have been around $35 for the journey. I'm glad that I experienced it, especially since I was by myself. But I see the use of Uber when in Paris next time.

This is a nice and big metro station with all the shopping stores around. However everything is so…read moreexpensive. They have AC inside. You have t pay €.70 euro for bathroom. Very crowded

Took the train out of Gare du Nord the other day and it was a decent experience…read more The departure exercise out of Gare du Nord was slightly chaotic as platforms are merely announced 20 minutes prior to departure. Unlike airports, there are no security checks before boarding the train besides the visual presence of police and security. The train station is open air, which could be tricky during heatwaves and/or the rain season. Rode in the 2nd class cabin with assigned seating and baggage had to be manually carried up the stairs onto the train to be placed in the baggage hold or the overhead space above the seating. Staff were available in case of fellow passengers that wanted to switch seats while on-board. The conductor did come through to check tickets electronically once on board. There were toilets on board in between coaches which were usable with flushable toilets, soap, and water. There was a cafe car on board along with some standing room. The menu seemed limited. Once on board, there was free Wifi that worked for the majority of the trip and worked well. Seat comfort was adequate on a 3 hour long distance coach with seating configuration at 2+2 in 2nd class. There was also a tray table which was perfect for reading, eating, and/or working. There were announcements made a couple minutes prior to arrival to the destination.

Our journey to Amsterdam from Paris was super lux in the premium carriage #2. The seat was extra…read morecomfy for the 3 hour 20 minute high speed rail ride. You also get to relax in the Thalys lounge before your train adventure. Coffee, juice and croissants available at the premium lounge. We were served two full meals on the pleasant train ride. Soda, juice, water, beer & wine available at your request. Our carriage attendant was so courteous and service oriented. Kudos and thanks to Francois for the excellent service! Without any exaggeration, the Thalys is the only way to get to Amsterdam in affordable luxury.

What a wonderful evening! Stephane was the perfect chauffer. He led us to all the amazing sights,…read morekindly answering our many questions. Our tour around Paris was not only beautiful, but informative as well. The car was also perfect, inside and out. I will definitely recommend Stephane to friends and family.

Traveling through Paris felt first-class thanks to Stéphane and Do. Their flexibility was unmatched…read more-- extending trips when needed, adjusting on the fly, and making sure we never missed a reservation or experience. From private transfers to Disneyland Paris to squeezing in a last-minute visit to the Louvre, they handled it all with professionalism and care. Our luggage was loaded and ready without us lifting a finger. If you're planning to truly experience Paris in comfort, this is the only way to do it. Worth every euro.

We arrived at Musée d'Orsay without a pre bought ticket…read more The line wasn't that long so we decided to stay. We were inching along, and then suddenly the line moved really fast, they were letting people enter faster. We spent over 10 minutes and we were in. This museum is smaller than the Louvre, and has many floors and seems harder to navigate, so I just let my son take the lead and I followed. We took our time admiring the paintings: Monet, Lautrec, Van Gogh, Degas....some people are going with the flow, but some took too much time posing with the paintings, maybe thinking it's their personal studio .... We really like this museum. The time we went, there is a special exhibit dedicated to Renoir.

Stunning. One of the most beautiful museums I've been to in the world. It is an absolutely must see…read moreif you're in Paris. The space itself pulls you in, and it's easy to spend hours here without realizing it. I got lost in the beauty of the paintings here many times. Although the Louvre Museum is #1 and the most iconic, Musée d'Orsay is absolutely worth seeing and holds its own. It's in my opinion the #2 must see museum in Paris. Le Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay inside is also worth a stop on it's own, beautiful setting with high quality desserts and coffee.

So MANY steps This…read moremetro station was near the hotel. Very easy to use. But.......from the north from the hotel there is an uphill walk and a flight of stairs to get to the entrance. Inside the station there's four flights of stairs to get down to the platform. At the entrance there are kiosks to purchase tickets. These tickets are good for metro, bus and tram. The kiosk takes credit cards and cash. There offer several languages. If you are in the city for several days, I recommend the T+ ten pack. The pack makes each ticket $1.80. Actually all the Paris metro stations were clean and easy to use. Good signage for lines and directions. An electric board at the platform tells you how many minutes the next two trains are out. My last recommendations- try to avoid rush hours, and load the Paris RATP app. It's easy to use and was a great help finding the lines to take. Rode it alone without issues.

Handy. Loads little fun local joints about In The 18ème, surrounding this station. Fresh fruit,…read morelocal businesses, lots brasseries and bars with those quintessential small bistro tables! I do approve. Every time I think of this name, I think of Marius warning the people to galvanize because General Lamarck is ready! I can't help how my brain works. Just being in the moment in taking it all in, especially the terribly romantic hillside of Montmartre, boasting some of the best bakers and winners about!