European Railroad Discussion > Transfer in Paris

I am thinking about taking the Eurostar from London to Paris and then transferring to go to Zurich Switerland. Has anybody transferred from the Eurostar to other trains in Paris? Is there another transfer option? I know that the Eurostar goes directly to Amsterdam and Brussels. Thank you!

dcorreia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am thinking about taking the Eurostar from
> London to Paris and then transferring to go to
> Zurich Switerland. Has anybody transferred from
> the Eurostar to other trains in Paris? Is there
> another transfer option? I know that the Eurostar
> goes directly to Amsterdam and Brussels. Thank
> you!

I haven't connected in Paris for some time, but the Eurostar arrives at Gare du Nord, and the trains to Zurich should leave out of Gare de Lyon.
You can inexpensively take the metro between the two, but I suggest taking a taxi.  The taxi is definitely more expensive, but much easier with baggage than negotiating the stairs and turnstiles of the metro.  Also, you're above ground so get to see Paris!
I also STRONGLY recommend having lunch or dinner at the Le Train Bleu.  It isn't cheap, but great fun.

I took the Eurostar last week from London to Paris. It arrives at Gare du Nord (Paris North). The trains to Zürich depart from Gare de l’Est (Paris East) which is a 7 minute 0.3 mile walk according to the map app on my phone. A taxi, however, would he expected to take at least 23 minutes to travel a roundabout route if 2.2 miles between the two stations at current local time (6:15 pm). Quite doable with portable luggage. - I’ll be doing just that next Monday between two short day trips out of Paris. Otherwise I would go to the Deutschebahn website and see what the connections would be via Brussels.

Posted from iPhone

The multiple stations in Paris are indeed confusing. The trains to Geneva at the far western tip of Switzerland do indeed leave from the Gare de Lyon - I took the TGV yesterday and it was a straight 3:11 run southwesterly run (though not rapid at the end when it got into the Alps). Apparently, from what I see on the DB website, the route from Paris to Zürich is different.

Posted from iPhone

Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon can be done via Metro.
Take Line 4 out of Gare du Nord to Chatelet, then Line 1 to Gare de Lyon.

If as mentioned you have lots of luggage then you might want to take a taxi and see some of Paris
The RER is also an option, Green Line two stops.

 

The Man in Seat 61 website discusses this a lot, says it's easy. 
But there's another alternative. Take the train from London to Lille Europe instead of to Paris. There you can change to many TGV lines without changing station. I did that going London to Bourg Ste. Maurice in January, and it was much easier. 

Waybiller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dcorreia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
...
> I also STRONGLY recommend having lunch or dinner
> at the Le Train Bleu.  It isn't cheap, but great
> fun.

With friends I had a fabulous dinner there several years ago.  I was inspired to book that because a scene from the film Travels with my Aunt was filmed there.  Aunt Augusta (played by Maggie Smith) loved the painted ceiling.

TomPittsfieldMA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I took the Eurostar last week from London to
> Paris. It arrives at Gare du Nord (Paris North).
> The trains to Zürich depart from Gare de l’Est
> (Paris East) which is a 7 minute 0.3 mile walk
> according to the map app on my phone. A taxi,
> however, would he expected to take at least 23
> minutes to travel a roundabout route if 2.2 miles
> between the two stations at current local time
> (6:15 pm). Quite doable with portable luggage. -
> I’ll be doing just that next Monday between two
> short day trips out of Paris. Otherwise I would go
> to the Deutschebahn website and see what the
> connections would be via Brussels.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Zurich trains depart from the Gare de Lyon, it's a two stop RER ride from Gare du Nord.

Have you considered going via Brussels and Frankfurt/M ?  The advantages would be:
  -  two changes of train, but both intra-station
  -  more interesting [ opinion ] from a railfan perspective

The disadvantages would be
  -  price, probably
  -  The 'excitement' of DB punctuality etc issues

However you do it, let us know how things went with a trip report !

Best rgds, SZ

Semi O/T:   When thinking about this trip I recall that in 1965, when travel was, or at least seemed, a better experience than now, one might have done this journey by taking the 8 pm boat train, with dinner en route, from Liverpool Street to Harwich;  overnight in a cabin on one of BR's steamers;  a dockside transfer at Hook of Holland to the through Chur coach of the Rheingold;  views of the Rhine from the dome car;  a leisurely lunch in the DSG restaurant car;  and a 1710 arrival at Zürich.