GARE D’AUSTERLITZ
Read moreIt is the station for trains linking central and southern France: Orléans, Limoges, Montluçon, Toulouse, Brive, Cahors, as well as night trains to Nice and the Alps, in particular. The station's facade has been renovated, and its interior is the subject of a vast redevelopment project that has been ongoing for years. The only Parisian station to still have a few free platforms while the other stations are saturated, the Gare d'Austerlitz is set to grow in importance in the near future. In the meantime, it's the station of permanent works!
LYON STATION
Read moreThe Lyon train station is served by RER lines A and D, and the line R of the Transilien (Montargis and Montereau). It serves all the great quarter East/Southeast of France, including the TGV to Burgundy, Rhône-Alpes, Franche-Comté, Provence-Alpes-Côte d 'Azur, Languedoc, Côte d' Azur, Languedoc, and also the night trains for Italy. In work, it grows to receive 45 million broad-line travelers annually by 2020, or $ 10 million more than today.
GARE DE L'EST
Read moreOn its display panels, you'll find Transilien line P trains, TERs to Champagne, the Ardennes and the Marne valley, TGVs to Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Germany, and night trains to Hanover, Berlin, Munich... A wide range of destinations. The Gare de l'Est, considered by many to be the capital's most beautiful, is the gateway - or exit - from the capital to the East. There are plenty of stores here, and the Gare du Nord is an easy 500-meter walk away.
GARE SNCF DE L'AEROPORT PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE
Read moreThe station is connected to the TGV networks South, West, North, as well as to Thalys and Main lines. It is located between terminals 2 C, 2 D, 2 E and 2 F and is served by the free shuttle CDGVAL (towards terminals 1 and 3) and by bus airports of Paris N 1 (stops at terminals 2 A, 2 B, 2 C, 2 D, 2 E and 2 F).
GARE DU NORD
Read moreWith 180 million passengers a year, it is touted as Europe's leading station in terms of traffic. This "major multimodal crossroads" is home to RER lines B and D, Transilien lines H and K, TGVs serving most of the major conurbations in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, as well as others to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and Eurostar to London. With its many stores (in the section dedicated to regional traffic), the station is undergoing major renovations in the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
GARE MONTPARNASSE
Read moreServed by 4 metro lines and numerous buses, Gare Montparnasse serves the whole of western France: Brittany, Pays de Loire and the entire Atlantic coast, as well as the western Pyrenees and Toulouse. This busy station offers a wide range of services, including luggage storage and car rental. Entirely renovated, access is now easier, and several dozen stores have opened on its different levels. You can spot it from afar: the tower of the same name is just across the street!
GARE DU NORD (10E)
Read moreIts beautiful façade with nine statues representing the cities of the North, is the work of Hittorf to whom we also owe the Winter Circus, the Place de l'Etoile or the gardens of the Champs-Elysées.
TRANSILIEN
Read moreOwned by SNCF, Transilien is the network operating in Paris and the Ile-de-France region. There are 15 lines covering a network of almost 1,300 kilometers criss-crossing the region. Of these 15 lines, 2 are operated with RATP (RER A and B), and some others are tramway lines (4, 11, 12 and 13). If all this seems a bit confusing, it's much simpler when it comes to fares: the regulatory authority, Ile-de-France Mobilités, is responsible for applying a common fare structure, and tickets are readily available.
GARE SAINT-LAZARE
Read moreIt's one of the most important stations in Paris. On the surface, hundreds of trains run every day to the western suburbs, as well as to towns in Normandy, including Rouen, Le Havre, Caen and Cherbourg. Underground, there are 4 metro lines, as well as the RER E, which now connects the eastern suburbs with La Défense and Nanterre. Completely renovated ten years ago, the station also boasts dozens of stores and restaurants, grouped together in a gallery located in the huge former salle des pas perdus.
TRENITALIA
Read moreThis is the direct competitor of the TGV, which has arrived on the Paris-Lyon (France's busiest line) and Paris-Milan routes. Thanks to European regulations, Trenitalia, the transalpine equivalent of our national SNCF, is now able to offer high-speed services between Paris and these two emblematic destinations. Their red trains, the "Frecciarossa", offer 4 ranges of comfort, above-average service and fares that remain very reasonable for the service provided. Competition is therefore fierce.