Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon

There are three main ways to transfer from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon. The first is via the RER (a suburban underground train, connected to the Metro). The second is to use the taxi rank outside Paris Nord. The third is to pre-book a taxi so that your driver is waiting for you when you arrive at Gare du Nord.

Let's look at each one, starting with pre-booked taxis.

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Pre-booked taxis

Taxi driver waiting at Gare du NordPhoto: Daniel Elkan

The easiest way to change stations in Paris is with a pre-booked taxi. Your driver will wait at the end of the platform holding a card with your name on it or at a pre-arranged meeting point outside the station.

The vehicles are spacious and can take skis and snowboards at no extra cost. If your train is delayed, the driver will wait for you. All drivers speak English.

The drive from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon takes around 30 minutes by taxi. However, you should allow a minimum of one hour for your transfer just in case (and more if you want to stop for lunch).

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Ski-Lifts prebooked taxis

Alpine transfer company, Ski-Lifts, offers a cross-Paris taxi transfer service to help skiers travelling by train to the Alps. A Ski-Lifts driver will meet you at the end of the Eurostar platform holding a placard with your name on it. Ski-Lifts has vehicles of various sizes and can take skis and snowboards (tell them you have skis or snowboards when making the booking).

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C.A.T pre-booked taxis

Another company we at Snowcarbon recommend is City Airport Transfers (the name belies the fact that they also offer taxi transfers between Paris’s train stations).

A C.A.T. driver will meet you at the designated meeting point opposite the station. City Airport Transfers also has vehicles of various sizes and can take skis and snowboards.

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What's the pre-booked taxi service like?

We've made a one-minute film to show you exactly what Paris’s pre-booked taxi service is like - and had a lot of fun doing it!

It’s certainly a good way to transfer for a family or a group of friends, making things very easy.

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Taxi rank

Taxi rank at Paris NordPhoto: Daniel Elkan

When you arrive at Paris Nord on the Eurostar, turn right at the end of the platform and exit the station (30 metres). The taxi rank is right there.

Taxis arrive constantly and even when there is a queue, you rarely wait more than 10 minutes.

The journey time from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon takes 20–30 minutes.

The price from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon is €15 to €20 per four-person taxi. These can carry skis or snowboards. There is normally a €1 charge per big piece of luggage such as a suitcase or snowboard bag.

To get an idea of what Paris’s taxi service is like, you can see Snowcarbon co-founder Daniel use the taxi rank in our plane vs train race to the Alps.

Be sure that you're taking a licensed taxi from the actual taxi rank to avoid scammers. If someone approaches you on the street offering you a taxi, politely decline and head to the taxi rank. 

As with pre-booked services, you should allow a minimum of one hour in total (i.e. train to train) for the change from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon.

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RER (like the Metro, but simpler)

RER between Paris Nord and Paris Gare de LyonPhoto: Daniel Elkan

The RER is a suburban train running through Paris, similar to the Metro.

The actual RER journey between Paris Nord and Paris Gare de Lyon takes 15 minutes, with trains running every six minutes. However, as above, we recommend you allow a minimum of one hour in total for your transfer.

Fortunately, the route’s simple and direct: from Paris Nord, take RER Line D towards Melun or Malesherbes and alight at Gare de Lyon.

To get a better idea of what the RER is like, check out this blog article by Daniel from when he travelled by RER from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon.

A ticket for the RER costs about 2€. If travelling in a group, you can save time by buying a carnet of 10 from a Eurostar or TGV cafe-bar. 

There are escalators and lifts to take you to and from the platforms. Don't struggle up the first stairs you see – take a moment to look for the escalator or lift, or ask someone. The French for escalator is "escalator" and lift is "ascenseur."

The normal ticket gates on the Metro/RER can be a bit narrow if travelling with a suitcase. Look for the wide-entry gate, which has a button that you press for it to open.

The excellent ShowMeTheJourney website has a step-by-step guide on how to take the RER from the Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.

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Restaurants at Paris Gare de Lyon: L'Europeen

Situated: Opposite the station
Address: 21 Bis Boulevard Diderot, 75012, Paris
Cuisine: Mediterranean, seafood and fish are the specialities
Price for a main course: €13 - €35
English spoken:
Space to store bags/skis:
Reservation: Advised
Opening times: 07.30 – 01.00 every day
Website: www.rest-gj.com/europeen-1.html
Phone: 0033 1 43 43 99 70

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Restaurants at Paris Gare de Lyon: Le Train Bleu

Situated: Inside the station, first floor
Address: 1er étage Gare de Lyon, Place Louis Armand
Cuisine: French
Price for a main course: €28 to €42, set menus from €49
English spoken: Yes
Space to store bags/skis:
Reservation: Advised
Opening times: 11.30 - 15.00 and 19.00 - 23.00
Website: www.le-train-bleu.com
Phone: 00 33 1 43 43 09 06
Email: reservation.trainbleu@ssp.fr

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Ski holidays by train — Ask Snowcarbon

At Snowcarbon we are always happy to help you with suggestions for great resorts, fantastic accommodations, and how to get where you’re going!

We look forward to helping you.

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