How do I transfer between train stations in Paris? (Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, etc.)
Paris has several main train stations, all serving national and international trains to different parts of the country. When travelling through Paris by train it is almost always necessary to change from one station to another. The main stations (or Gares in French) are Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon and Gare de Montparnasse.
Frequent metro, RER (express metro) and bus lines connect all major train stations with each other. No need to book an expensive taxi! Public transport runs 24/7, very frequently (every 2-5 minutes) and is cheap and easy to use. On this page we'll explain you all about it.
How to transfer between stations & how to buy tickets
Frequent metro, RER (express metro) and/or bus lines connect all stations with each other. Connections are available 24/7 and often run every few minutes. No need to pay for an expensive taxi!
Tickets for Parisian public transport have gone fully digital. Download both the RATP and SNCF apps and create an SNCF account (if you don't have one already) to buy your tickets using almost any credit or debit card. Your phone's NFC function opens the gates at metro stops.
Alternatively, you can buy a top-up paper pass called a NAVIGO pass from a ticket machine at a train station. However, the card itself plus any unused money on it are not easily refundable, plus it means having to pass by a ticket machine at the train station, while a digital ticket can be bought in advance. TIP: on TGV café cars it's possible to buy a Navigo pass for the price of the pass plus an additional fee. However, this service is slowly being phased out and might not always be available in your TGV's café car.
- Finding the quickest connection: it's easiest to simply use Google maps or Apple maps on your smartphone, which both generally have up-to-date information on public transport in Paris.
- A single ticket between any of the major train stations usually costs €2.50.
- Although the metro or bus journeys between any two train stations takes no longer than 20 or 25 minutes, add an extra 15-20 minutes or so for walking from the metro stations to the platform of your train.
- We generally recommend planning at least 75-90 minutes to transfer in Paris, to allow time for possible delays, finding the right metro line and platform, not having to rush, and buying tickets if necessary.
Which lines to take
Please see the following pages for the most used connections. For other train stations use Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est are walking distance from each other. This is a 10 to maximum 15 minute walk, with signs outside showing you the way. Although it's possible to take the metro for 1 stop, this involves taking lots of stairs and underground walkways at both stations, so generally does not really save much time.