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See larger map Red = high-speed line |
The station for London, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne
The Gare du Nord is the busiest station in Europe, in fact the busiest station in the world outside Japan - although they include all the RER suburban trains running underground to get that accolade. It handles trains heading north from Paris, to Lille, Calais, London, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne. First opened in 1846 by the Chemin de Fer du Nord, the original station building proved too small and was moved to Lille where you can still see it as the Gare de Lille Flandres. The current Gare du Nord was built between 1861 & 1864. See city map of Paris showing stations.
Which platform for your train?
Tips for using the Gare du Nord
Eurostar check-in procedure & departure lounge
How to walk to the nearby Gare de l'Est
How to take the metro/RER or taxi to other Paris stations
Overview: Station plan Location map
The Gare du Nord is a terminus with easy, flat & level access between the taxi rank, concourse & all mainline platforms, making it painless to navigate with wheeled luggage. See a station plan here, you can find more plans & information about the station and its facilities at www.garesetconnexions.sncf.
The station is marked up as 4 halls: Hall 1 is the main concourse served by platforms 1-19. Hall 2 is the balcony upstairs leading to the Eurostar check-in for trains to London. Hall 3 is the eastern side concourse served by platforms 20-21 & 30-36 used by TER & suburban trains. Hall 4 is downstairs on the eastern side of the station leading to the RER platforms. For trains to Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne you want Hall 1. For London, Hall 2.
The beautiful facade of Paris Gare du Nord, dating from 1861-64. The statues represent the European cities served by the Chemin de Fer du Nord, the largest central figure representing Paris.
Eurostar platforms 3, 4 & 5. On arrival, the glass gates are opened and passengers walk off the platform onto the station concourse. Departing passengers for London must check in at the Eurostar terminal as explained here. That's the Eurostar departure lounge behind the row of first-floor windows, passengers access the trains from two footbridges, visible above the trains here. Platform 6 can also be secured for a Eurostar arrival or departure.
Main concourse showing platforms 3-10, taken from the long balcony leading to the Eurostar check-in. Steps down to the metro & RER are in the foreground. Eurostars to/from London use platforms 3-6 on the left, Eurostar (formerly Thalys) to/from Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne use platforms 9-15.
When you walk off Eurostar, this is your view of the concourse. With my back towards the Eurostar platforms 3-6, you can see the escalators down to the metro/RER with the main exit from station to street behind it. Turn right for taxis & luggage lockers. At the rear of the concourse you can see the long first floor balcony leading to the Eurostar terminal for departing passengers to London, accessed up an escalator opposite platform 17. Metro & RER information.
Walk off Eurostar & turn right for taxis & left luggage office. This is the west side exit from the concourse to the taxi rank, and the escalator down to the left luggage lockers. Taxi information.
Which platform for your train?
Platforms are numbered 1 to 36 from left to right, with platform 1 on the west side, See station plan. Platform numbers are usually posted on departure screens 20-30 minutes before departure.
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Platforms 1 & 2 are not in public use.
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Platforms 3-6 are sealed off for Eurostar trains to/from London. Passengers arriving from London walk straight off the end of the platform onto the concourse. Passengers departing for London must check in at the Eurostar terminal upstairs (marked as Hall 2) and access these platforms down travelators from the Eurostar terminal, see advice for Eurostar check-in.
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Platforms 7 & 8 are typically used by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains to/from Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne.
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Platforms 9-19 are used by TGVs & TERs bound for Lille and northern France.
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Platforms 20-21 & 30-36 are used by TER and suburban trains.
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Platforms 41-44 are RER (express metro) platforms located underground, including the RER D trains to the Gare de Lyon.
Tickets & reservations
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The main ticket office windows open onto the main concourse, opposite platforms 3-6.
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The Eurostar ticket office is upstairs on the balcony, accessed up an escalator opposite platform 17, with a smaller office downstairs on the concourse opposite platform 14.
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There's a separate ticket office for Haut de France regional tickets opposite platform 14.
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There are plenty of SNCF ticket machines, with a touch screen & English language facility. These also sell Interrail & Eurail reservations.
Luggage storage
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The left luggage facility is downstairs, down the escalators opposite platform 3 where Eurostar arrives. It's now a row of staffed desks rather than lockers. Bags are X-rayed before you deposit them. See the luggage lockers page for prices & opening times.
Taxis & metro
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Taxis: There's a well-organised taxi rank just outside the western side exit from the station. After walking off the Eurostar platforms, turn right and walk out of the station's west side exit near platform 3.
There are usually staff helping allocate people to taxis. Even if the queue looks long, it moves fast and doesn't usually take more than 10 minutes to get into a taxi. But always use an official taxi from the rank, don't accept offers from any touts. As anywhere, make sure they turn the meter on. More info on Paris taxis.
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Metro & RER: See the Crossing Paris by metro page for metro advice.
Tips for using the Gare du Nord
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Take a moment to wander onto the forecourt and see the beautiful station facade.
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Time on your hands before your train?
The Gare du Nord is a very busy place, if you have significant time before your train I'd get away from all the bustle and have a coffee, beer or even a meal in quieter surroundings at one of the brasseries suggested below.
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First class lounges.
The Eurostar business lounge is inside the Eurostar departures terminal, upstairs after check-in, only for passengers with the most expensive Premier tickets or a Eurostar Carte Blanche loyalty card.
The SNCF Grand Voyageur lounge is opposite platform 14 next to the Haut de France regional ticket office, but this is only for holders of SNCF's (or other Railteam members) frequent traveller loyalty card or most expensive business tickets, not for all first class ticket holders.
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Eurostar terminal. The Eurostar terminal for departures to London is on the first floor. Although in fact located above & alongside platform 3, you have to go up the escalator opposite platform 17, then walk along the first floor balcony across half the width of the station to reach the terminal entrance. See the Eurostar page for more details & photo.
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For more detailed information on the station & its facilities see the official SNCF site www.gares-sncf.com.
Food outlets & supermarkets
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There are plenty of kiosks around the station selling drinks, snacks, baguettes. There's a small Monop minimarket next to the station exit opposite platform 8, see the photo below.
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There's a larger minimarket at the bottom of the down escalator opposite platform 7, just before the M4 metro ticket office.
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For a wider choice at high street prices not station prices, there's a Monop minimarket 2 minutes walk away: Walk out of the main station exit, immediately turn sharp right and walk along the front of the station and beyond to the big junction where the rue de Dunkerque meets the Boulevard Magenta. It's marked 'Monop' with a trolley symbol on this map.
Somewhere to eat
If your kids insist, there's a MacDonald's just across the road and to the right, in the rue Dunkerque. But you can do better than that, here are two great places that make lunch before or after your train an experience in itself...
Brasserie Terminus Nord
The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is directly across the road from the Gare du Nord's wonderful facade, and a traditional French brasserie where train travellers have dined in Art Deco and Art Nouveau environs since 1925. The Brasserie Terminus Nord is a favourite of mine when I'm passing through Paris by train, and so handy for the station. Oysters and seafood are a speciality.
The Brasserie Terminus Nord across the road from the station, after its refurbishment in September 2021.
Cafe du Nord
The Cafe du Nord (cafedunord-paris.fr), opposite the station to the left of the Terminus Nord has also been recommended though I have yet to try it myself.
Chez Casimir
My favourite restaurant, l'Ardoise Gourmande - where Master 61 discovered he loved escargot - sadly closed down in 2019, but the nearby Chez Casimir, 4 minutes walk from the Gare du Nord at 6, rue de Belzunce, gets good reports, see the Tripadvisor.co.uk Chez Casimir page, see walking map from Gare du Nord. Feedback appreciated.
Hotels near the Gare du Nord
The 3-star 25 Hours Terminus Nord is directly across the road from the station and gets great reviews - it's also had great feedback from seat61 users. Formerly the Mercure Terminus Nord, it's been refurbished in a decidedly funky style, a great choice for an overnight stop or longer stay.
Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 minutes walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star), Art Hotel (3-star), Avalon Hotel (2-star) & Hotel Cambrai (5 minutes walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star).
The 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the station. I stayed at this hotel when it was a Mercure in a room with a balcony facing the station. But I've yet to experience its funky new 25 Hours makeover. If you stay here let me know!