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.

One of several train stations serving the town of Versailles. Coming from Paris, I took the L line…read morefrom Gare Saint Lazare (leaves about once every 20 min, make sure it's the specific L line that ends at Versailles Rive Droite and not some other destination) and this is the last stop.* The station itself isn't that large, just a simple couple rooms and an outdoor train platform. There is a bus stop directly outside the station. Take bus #s 1, 3 or 4 to bring you closer to the palace area of Versailles, or you can take a ~17 min leisurely walk to see a bit of the town before hitting up the main attractions. *Total time takes about 40 minutes and you need to purchase a one-way or round trip zone 1-5 ticket, OR do an unlimited Mobilis one-day ticket for zones 1-5. If you do the train tickets only, and want to take the bus once you get to Versailles, then you need to purchase bus tickets for within 1 zone separately. Would suggest to buy all these in advance at your train station of origin to avoid having to figure it out later.

This review is for the air show...what a chaos. Every time I come to Paris air show and miss…read moreFarnborough or Singapore air show. French invented inconvenience and chaos. The joy of RER ride and only two people working at station to collect 2 euros....huge bottleneck. Parking is very easy and some area are shaded. W Security is a joke (one x-ray machine working per gate!?)...everyone has to go through groping, I hear a lot of Europeans complain about the TSA in America but I guess if everyone gets groped they are okay!? Ticket scanning is easy and ladies working there are oh so professionally dressed (but not all of them are nice...) The display...it's not as cool as used to be, where are the Russians and Chinese!? I wanna see our foes displaying their latest and baddest. Gift shops are everywhere at the show, but each has different stock and if you see what you want just grab quickly. Also what's up with low quality junk that they sell for so much of money!? Despite all the negatives I mentioned, show will go on, it's about French pride and tradition continues...

Paris Air Show! Okay, this is one of the most historic and traditionally important shows in the…read moreworld. Here the top companies in the aerospace and defense industry exhibit to show their stuff. I have been coming here since 1086 and my main question is why do they have to make our lives so hard? a. Entry 1 star - We are here for weeks and have all the right passes for car and personnel. Every day they change the roads in, the rules and who can go where. It is organization at it's most oddest way. b. Traffic Police - 1 star - Being a huge show, and tons of traffic, the police are out in force and guess what, they do not actually help the flow, but hinder it. I am not sure what they are doing here, but I think it has the opposite affect. c. The show - 2 star - Normally a great show, but will the budget cuts, the air display this year was very poor. d. The people - Over the years, in my book the parisians have gone from the most difficult to one of the most accommodating people to work and to encounter. Very odd indeed. e. The noise - This is an air display show. However, the noise is TREMENDOUS. Cannot even speak when a fighter jet is roaring 150 feet above you. Great show, traditional and great stuff to see. GK says always come to the Paris Air Show, but be careful of so many things.

Well, once again, here is a metro station with the stylised sign at its entrance. Another thing is…read morethat this is located in one of the sleazier parts of Paris, but I actually found it to be rather accessible, which is pretty cool. Mind you, since it is located in the sleazy part of Paris, it does provide a reasonable way to escape. Okay, why was I in this part of Paris, well, it was to go and visit Le Chat Noir, so yeah, I do have a reasonable excuse.

So, this is apparently the most photographed station on the Paris Metro, though it probably has…read moremore to do with the entrance (which isn't unique) and not so much the pictures that are on the stairs as you descend. It's a nice station, but somewhat overrated.

The deepest station in all of Paris city, at approx 300 feet below the ground! Mmhmm…read more One of my favorite metro stations, primarily owing to the magic surrounding this station. Did you, dear reader, know that there was an actual abbey in this location during the Middle Ages? 300 feet below this station, there actually was. Gypsum (a soft stone) mines were ubiquitous back in the day. There existed a vast network of quarry tunnels, which, in time, did need to be filled by the city by high-pressured concrete. Needless, the mines closed in 1840's, The actual metro platform was built at bedrock, 285!! steps below Place des Abbesses (where the station is located).. yup! Each Art Nouveau stop was designed by architect Hector Guimard, and really define Paris as an art haven. The first metro opened in Paris in 1900!

Quality/Quantity - Now that we have been in France for over 3 or 4 weeks, we are experienced and…read morehave figured out their bus, train, and metro systems. Well we hope, lol. This trip was easy in and out! Ambiance - It is a major public train station for Montparnasse, so come early if you are not experienced. Crazy busy as expected. Service - Self service in this station. Price - 4.60 Euros; $5.50 US; very affordable. Owner Comment - Thanks for having affordable and smooth transportation with Inoui to Lyon.

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.