Gare Montparnasse is huge! Come with time and come on an Uber if you have a lot of luggage. Parking around these parts is scarce, and if you do find it, expect to pay money. Seeing as my companion had the tickets for us set, I am assuming you have options to purchase them online. I recommend this heavily because this train station is full of people all the time. More so, they have vendors everywhere, including a Pierre Hermé that I wish I had bought macarons from. Seriously, it's impressive, and when you get on the train, even more so. The train was impeccable and so spacious. This made traveling a breeze and I only wish the US would get on board. read more

Gare Montparnasse is one of the six large Paris railway terminals located in the 14th and 15th arrondissements. It's been a while since I was there. If I remember correctly the day we left the city for a visit to Versailles we left from here. There is also a metro station in the terminal. I'm posting a photo I took of a train I boarded. I remember having to close the door behind me because it wasn't automatic like NYC Subway. I also got in trouble because I didn't save a ticket stub I needed. My daughter didn't tell me they have employees checking tickets. Naturally I was asked and didn't have the ticket. I was lucky the attendant let me go! Plus we had the language barrier even though my daughter knows a little French. Take this as a warning save your ticket stub! You may need it to transfer or the return trip. read more

Gare Montparnasse - Back in the day my daughter and I took this subway in Paris. Posted 01/14/21 - Train Stations Near Me - Paris, 75

Living in Texas does not prepare you for mass transit. What we do have is above ground so it tends to be easy to use. If you can see it... So when traveling to big cities and faced with wanting to ride the " subway" I get a little anxious. Think Penn Station in New York and you have an idea about this station. Fortunately, things fell our way and we got enough help and direction, easing our experience. Once on the train it was easy to figure out. Getting there was the challenge Chances are like me, you won't have to ride the train but, do it anyway. You will be happy about the experience. read more

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The main station for Paris, the Gare Montparnasse was my departure point for Saint-Malo in Brittany. I had checked the area out the day before so I knew where I was going (a bit of OCD) and found the subway route I'd take was closed for the Montparnasse-Bienvenue stop--the main stop connected to the station. I learned an alternate route that may have taken 5 minutes longer and involved switching subway trains, but when you arrive, you're at the station. The station is very busy. My scheduled departure time was 7:31 and I was there by 6:30. There are shops and food vendors and I got my coffee and pain au chocolate in the station. There are plenty of benches for passengers to sit so passing the time with breakfast was fine. 20 minutes before departure, the platform number (or voie in French) is posted on the boiard and if the train is there, you board then and find your seat. It was quick. When I return at 10:30 PM, all I had to do was walk across the concourse, go down two escalators, and I was back on the subway retracing the route I took in the morning and I was within a few blocks of my hotel in no time whatsoever. I love the trains in Paris and France! read more

Gare Montparnasse - The departure board at the station. - Train Stations Near Me - Paris, 75

Subway train looking thing. No one to help and long lines. People are confused what route how much to pay. My tip take a long look at the route and then go buy your ticket. Some transfers are needed to get to your final destination so you must pay close attention or you will get lost. Rush hour 5 on and oh my is the stench strong!!! read more

Gare Montparnasse - Train Stations Near Me - Paris, 75

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Took my first TGV to Toulouse here! It's a very open space so sometimes pigeons would be flying about. There are some nice food options around (McDonald's, Paul, both have wifi). Also a relay that sells magazines and snacks. Everything is clearly indicated and even with the strike, things seem to be moving along. read more

I did not expect this train station to be that big. Coming from the metro line it can be quite confusing. You have to get out of the metro line to go to the train line. You need to have a metro ticket and a train ticket. Once you are in the train line the board displays all the information then you follow accordingly. Lot of stores and restaurants. Super crowded and busy. read more

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This is the main train station in Paris. As with any station in a large city, it's crowded, dirty, filled with homeless people, and scammers. this is completely normal fyi: annoncer un train "a l'heure" alors que l'horaire est deja depasse on the plus side, there's plenty to eat and shop. read more

Gare Montparnasse - Train Stations Near Me - Paris, 75

complex labyrinth that reminds me of Penn Station in NYC. So many levels, mezzanines, exits, escalators, elevators that all lead to _slightly_ different places! It seems redeveloped recently but they could have done a lot better to streamline it. The construction is still ongoing, so hopefully it becomes even slightly better in the near future. Be aware of the distance between lines 4/12 and 6/13. They are at two completely opposite ends of the station (again, similar to Penn Station 1/2/3 vs. A/C/E stops but even harder to transfer between than that) It's a race to the bottom between this station and Chatelet. read more

Gare Montparnasse is the central train station in Paris, it's where Martin Scorsese based the film Hugo! It's easy to navigate the track numbers are listed on the digital boards twenty minutes before boarding just like Penn Station. read more

Gare Montparnasse - Train Stations Near Me - Paris, 75

Even if you're not taking a train here, it's very useful for some quick purchases on the go. I remember shopping around for Galouise and this being the only location within a mile where they could be found. Places here also seem to open quite early, which is an anomaly in a part of town that doesn't have access to Starbucks until like 8am. If you're an early bird like myself, this could be your only hope in the morning. Protip to my fellow Americans: Convenience stores as you know them do not exist here. Train stations are your friend. Oh, and security here is awesome. Instead of being mean, they were genuinely interested in explaining to me where the "cool" parts of town are, and some tips on how to navigate the subway. Awesome! read more

This train station is BUSY. It's the main hub, so there is lots going on all around you. I imagine it could be overwhelming to someone unfamiliar with the French train systems, so I was glad to be with seasoned travelers who knew what they were doing. It also slightly less under-kept that I anticipated, but there are lots of signs, and they have all sorts of shops and food vendors to keep you busy while you wait for a train. read more

I didn't spend a long time at Gare Montparnasse, because while we arrived with more than 2 hours to spare, we ended up heading out but not before dropping off our luggage in the lockers that you pay to use. And what a life saver, because this allowed AT and I to wander about the neighborhood right outside Gare Montparnasse. I have to confess something: AT told me there would be decent eating options inside the train station and it would have saved us some effort if we would have just done that but before stepping foot inside, I already decided that since we only had 3 whole days to explore Paris together and we hadn't gotten to check out this part of the 15th arrondissement (on the edge of the 14th), I wanted to go outside and see. Besides, as our cool Uber driver was dropping us off--having picked us up from the western edge of the 15th, right along the Seine--I spotted an Eric Kayser bakery (http://www.yelp.com/biz/eric-kayser-paris-16?hrid=hFnCgfl4LTZt28Ng1BDk-w) and wanted to stop by before leaving. We went inside as soon as we were dropped off kindly in the front of the station and I noticed that even outside Gare Montparnasse, there was a Christmas market. It is so cool that anywhere you turn in France when visiting around the holidays, you will find these quaint bazaar-like environments with wooden booths filled with artisanal goods and yummy beverages and food. I snapped a few photos, at the risk of looking like the ignorant American tourist but I did do my darnedest to be discreet. I also got some flicks of the station itself, as I love to have something that will remind me of places that I have been. When we came inside, AT moved around knowingly and he found the locker pretty quickly. There are several levels in the station, at least 3, with escalators easily spotted from most places and elevators tucked away with signs indicating where they are. I think we tried to use an elevator though and it never arrived after we pressed the button, even after waiting about a minute or two. There was no sign to inform us it was out of service but it seemed to be. Be prepared for this and also work on your muscles because you may have to carry your stuff up and down stairs at certain points. There was a plethora of businesses inside the station, with a decent selection of eating places, coffee shops, and pharmacies. Yes, I needed to make a stop at a pharmacy and now that I think of it, it was this very reason that I wanted so badly to wander about outside. Yes... Actually, more than just the explorer in me, I needed to find a pharmacy open on a Sunday in Paris. This is not the easiest of feats but I had a list of ones that the internet showed were open (because everything the internet says is true!). We stopped inside one in the station though, to see if I could find what I needed and fortunately for me, I did! Now the remaining time could be spent walking, eating lunch, and maybe picking up provisions for the 3-hour train ride. If you are unsure about the amount of time it will take you to arrive to Gare Montparnasse from wherever you are staying, get here early to ensure you don't miss the train (because even if you are here, Gare Montparnasse is large and you may have to walk quite a bit to find which platform your train is at and if your activity tracker is really lucky, you may be seated in one of the last cars of your train and once aboard, if you have large luggage, you will have to find space to store it--this is all to say even if you are there on time, have a buffer of at least 30 minutes to look for your train and get settled) and you will be sure to find enough entertainment to pass the time. At the very least, just grab a cup of coffee (which may not have a lid if it's not from Starbucks... I know because I had my coffee sloshing every which way as I dragged my little suitcase about the station) and observe the super neat split-flap display. The changing numbers and letters had me pretty mesmerized... :D read more

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The wife and I were traveling by TGV from Paris to Bordeaux. Gare Montparnasse was a reasonably short cab ride from our hotel on the Champs-Élysées. The station with its garish, modern exterior was sprawling inside, yet surprisingly easy to navigate. There was plenty of signage showing train arrival/departure information as well directions to the boarding areas. Since we had purchased our tickets online, we didn't have to use one of the many automated ticket kiosks found in the main hall. One interesting/annoying feature was that travelers had to pay (half a euro?) to use the restroom. Considering that they weren't free, I expected them to be cleaner and smell better than they did. Oh well. We were there to catch the TGV and Gare Montparnasse was the station that best served that purpose for us. read more

I get stuck at Penn Station here in NYC all the time and the issues I have the Montparnasse are minor in comparison. Pro's and con's! CON: - Can get crowded. - Can be very cold in the winter time in the waiting areas - You'll have the normal amount of oddball or homeless people that you'd expect in a city train station (that said, lots of security as well) PRO: - Decent little shops. I had to buy a few things, and it was nice to be able to do that. My favorite scarf came from this train station, actually. - Decent food shops. - The whole train getting-on-board bit is fine and fairly straightforward read more

The most useful transport hub in the south of Paris was originally built way back in 1840, but rebuilt after the last time they welcomed a foreign army to town. As well as the useful metro links from here (from the fusion in the 1930s of the Montparnasse and Bienvenue metro stations), the further afield options are Brittany and western France. Connections used to be made easier by the fastest moving walkway in the world. I am not sure if it still holds that accolade though. I have often been through this station going somewhere else. I'm not wonderfully keen on the area but then it is within easy reach (on foot or train) from a lot of my favourite places. An additional note. If you plan to stay in the areaavoid the flea ridden Timhotel! read more

Une de mes gares préférées et oui c'est le signe des vacances, des weekends farniente, retour sur St. Brieuc oblige...!! Vous trouvez de nombreuses boutiques dans la gare ou même a l'extérieur en attendant votre train car avec le peu de banc et la crasse par terre, il est difficile de vous dire que vous attendrez la! Mais quand c'est l'heure de partir les Escalators vous amèneront directement sur les voie et les panneaux s'affichera vous indiquerons facilement votre numéro de quai! Et en avant le bon temps...!!! read more

When we finally boarded the train not knowing we were standing next to the train. There were minutes to spare. It was only moments finding a seat. This train had a completely different look, smell and feel. When the announcement came over the speakers I struggled to understand it but because the speaker spoke so rapidly I'm sure I missed most if not all of it. It was only in french. Ten or fifteen minutes later this woman came up and started talking to me. I epically failed at understanding her but also crashed and burned trying to say in french that I only spoke a little french and had no idea what she said. Then came the epic DOH moment when she finally said, "ticket!" Ummm ok I don't speak french nearly as well as I thought. Too funny! read more

The station Paris Montparnasse is a big station in Paris, it s in the middle of a cool part of the city. It is next to the famous tower and to lots of restaurants and shops. There are several of subway line which take you there but you ll still have to walk a bit which can be annoying with bagages. You also can use the bus to go there. read more

a bit chaotic and 70s build gare. not very attractive . Main hub for TGV heading south

Thank you to Carina at Window 5 for helping my boyfriend and me get home safely back to Spain the morning after the attack. You are an angel, and we are extremely grateful that you were willing to take the time to make sure we were taken care of. Pray for Paris. read more