Gare du Nord: is it really that bad?

Gare du Nord is a crowded station and a place where pickpockets are known to work the crowd. Consider any bottleneck or distraction to be a scam. Other than that, it's a perfectly serviceable train station. Remember that you must check in for Eurostar at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, and once you do, you will stay in a separate Eurostar lounge, which can also be crowded.

Thank you, Laura -- I appreciate your knowledge.

It is just a train station like most others - it is not squalid and in fact has a rather extensive mall. There are food vendors handy near the platforms and it is pretty well organized to get around. We have never had the slightest problem there and have been through it many many times both for regional trains and for the Thalys. When I read of people who are terrified of the ordinary it reminds me how provincial we Americans often are. Apparently lots of travelers have never taken a train but spent their live cocooned in cars. Of course one has to be a bit savy about pickpockets and such but that is worst at popular tourist sites not reserved for train stations and it is only a problem for those who don't know how to properly secure their valuables. I would not give this a thought.

mikey,

I did the Eurostar from London to Paris on my first solo trip and made it out alive and with all of my stuff i brought with me.

Dont do anything dumb just like you would at home and you should be okay. If you've readup on the various pickpocket and scam artist in Ricks books, you will be better armed than most.

happy trails.

I've been through Gare du Nord lots of times. Just a perfectly normal large station. I don't know where or how it got the reputation you refer to. Reasonably clean and bright, with shops if you want to buy something to eat or read on the train.
If you leave your luggage out of your sight you run the risk of it disappearing, even outside your own front floor.

When you get off the Eurostar from London, just walk to the front of the train (follow everybody else), and then either straight ahead if you want access to the street, or turn left and follow signs for the métro or RER. This will take you down a series of escalators to the underground part of the station. Click here for a plan of the station.

Ditto to the above: it has the usual amount of panhandlers but it sounds like you already have the security routine down so you'll be fine.

It's a large railway station in a large city. What more can we say? I've passed through it numerous times with no incident as do hundreds of thousands every day. If you want a cab follow the taxi signs to the taxi rank outside. There is an information kiosk on the main concourse, by the way.

Hi,

In comparing Gare du Nord with places you are familiar with, I would rather walk through that area solo once the sun goes down than doing likewise at Seattle Pioneer Square. You know spots in the Bay Area...choose between Gare du Nord or 13th/Broadway in Oakland at dusk, or other similar spots.

I always stay at Gare du Nord, nice hotels from 2 to 4 stars, just depending on your level of luxury, mostly since it's so very convenient for arriving in Paris, either direct from SFO to CDG after a ten hour plus flight, or from London via the EuroStar, as you're doing and departing from Paris. Nord as a station is much better now than it was 30 yrs ago.

True, relative to other nationalities American tourists are far fewer in numbers at Gare du Nord or you just see them passing through. Those descriptions you list above I would consider part exaggeration and part valid. The gypsies often operate at Nord as do the scammers with their petitions, "do you speak English?" signs. Ignore these types, be aware if you see them from afar and ditch them. I would be on guard at Nord as in any train station in Paris...Gare de Lyon, Gare de l'Est (I like that one much better over Nord)

I see Gare du Nord as a practical ( a bus, ie no need to rely on only the Metro), RER, Metro, EuroStar, train stop centre), convenient, basically a "get in, get out" place, unless you want to explore the place, really get to know it inside out, which I've done there too. Are you staying at Nord or just passing through arriving by EuroStar? Before meeting up with tour group, where are you staying in Paris? There are hotels (good to expensive) right across the street once you exit the station.

It can be daunting at Nord for a first timer since it's a crowded station with people coming off the EuroStar, the TGV and regional trains from northern France (Amiens, Arras, Soissons, Dunkerque, Abbeville, Lille, Bethune, Cambrai, etc) and the RER from the adjacent station.

As Laura says do watch for distractions and be alert to your surroundings. In September, I did have an experience with a gypsy petition girl while I was waiting for a friend to come in on the Eurostar. She approached an older man (my age, lol) and thrust her petition into his stomach. He was not paying attention and I thought she might try to get her hand in his cross body bag which he was not attending to. The petition was one of the I am deaf and mute variety and she had come up to me a few minutes before. I said to him behind her back "Watch your bag, that is a scam." She turned and glared at me and stomped off. As I chatted with the gentleman, she circled back and screamed B*tch at me and stomped off again. He was shocked as he had not heard of the push the clipboard into your stomach distraction. He decided she was not deaf or mute based on her behavior and found it interesting she had enough English to call me a name!

As others said it is a huge station so lots of people coming and going. I found it clean and bright and in spite of my encounter there were lots of police and train security around.

Keep your wits about you. If you are traveling with others, as you get off the train if you are able to step to the far side of the platform out of the way of everyone who is rushing to the gate exit, do so. That will give you a minute or two to get yourselves and your luggage together, then head toward the exit gate.

I am surprised it has such a horrid rep,, yes , there are pickpockets,, but seriously I have walked through it alone, and alone with a child.. many times now.. and did not feel I was in "Dantes Inferno" for goodness sake..
It has some pickpockets,, but it is also a major transportation hub station and its lined with shops, and other travellers, children, families.. etc.. all on their way to and from somewhere..

Just watch your wallet .. that's it.. nothing else to worry about.

This seems somewhat like the myriad recent posts that are focusing on the overblown fears surrounding Paris . Mike , I'm not sure whether you are fearful , but all the previous posts should allay your doubts . I have only two things to add --- Nord is one of Europe's great railway stations and worth a look in it's own right , in addition , coming in on the Eurostar , you really don't have an alternative in any event .

Gare du Nord is a very busy station and the only one in Paris I have been in. I was there for an hour and had no problems at all. Overall, I thought it was a pretty nice station and enjoyed it. I just sat and watched the people, and had a bite to eat. Just stay alert and you will be fine.

All sorts of names and descriptions are leveled at Nord. All are exaggerating to make a point, which has accurately already been made here. Unless I've missed it in spite of all the times I've been at Gare de l'Est, you don't see them operating at Est, only at Nord with their petitions and "do you speak English" signs. Bottom line, be aware, alert and vigilant

The other thing I would add is that the queues to buy Metro tickets after a Eurostar comes in are infamous - sometimes you can get a carnet of tickets in the departure lounge at St Pancras before leaving London and if possible I would do so. (Don't get a Paris Visite pass, they are hardly ever good value.)

To answer your original question, bottom line is:
Yep, it's probably as bad as you've heard.
Ok, maybe not quite as bad as "Dante's Inferno" (I haven't been there, yet).
The only time we were ever accosted by pick-pockets was there.
Be alert.

As Rick says, money belts--then no worries.

Well, I didn't find Gare du Nord any worse than any other large (huge) train station, and better than some. It's big and busy and crowded so take whatever precautions you would take in any other venue like that and you'll be fine. None of the descriptions you noted would have come to my mind when asked about it.

Really, if you've been in one major train station you've pretty much seen it all. Like airports.

Our TGV ended at Gare du Lyon and we were deposited into a massive swirling mass of humanity. And whaddaya know, we followed the signs to the taxi stand and got a taxi. Just like when I've been at Grand Central, or any number of British stations. It's just a train station, after all.

I gave some relatives who had never been outside of United States (actually had never been outside of the Northeast and California) a trip to London and Paris this past October. They are in their 60s. Here is exactly what I e-mailed them about Gare du Nord.

Gare du Nord (Your arrival spot in Paris): This is one of the largest, busiest train stations in the world so there are some hustlers there because hustlers like large bus and train stations. Finding a taxi is easy at Gare du Nord you just have to follow the blue Taxi signs pointing towards the western end (to the right as you exit the trains) of the station leading to Rue de Dunkerque where you’ll find the taxi rank. The queues can be long - it may take twenty minutes to get to the front if you hit a busy period.
Precautions:
Don't walk around looking like a lost lamb.
Do not leave your luggage unattended.
Keep secure contact with your bags with important papers and money at all times.
Do not accept assistance from anyone except the taxi dispatcher.
Be aware of pickpockets.

They had a great time and had absolutely no problems.

No one can say 'the only time I was accosted by pick pockets was there' because pick pockets usually work invisibly. They are most active in the metro and at the Louvre, Orsay and other tourist sites. You don't notice them. They are good. If you have a wallet in your pocket, you may discover it gone much later; you are unlikely to notice them at the time. A friend of ours had his wallet picket at the Orsay and by the time he noticed and called the credit card, 20 K had been charged on the card; this is organized crime. It is relatively easy to be pickpocket proof and thus not worry about it. Money belts are body safes for transit; once in a destination, stow stuff in the hotel safe.

I've passed through Gare du Nord many times and found it no different than any other busy train station.

Several train stations linked to metro stations have multiple levels and what seem like miles of tunnels - that might be the Inferno reference.

Thank you to everyone who replied to this thread.

It's obvious from reading the experiences here that my concerns about the Gare du Nord are overblown. It sounds like the Gare du Nord is a reasonably safe place if one is on his guard.

My apprehension came from reading horror stories on a website called 'Virtual Tourist' about rip-offs at the station, as well as a few other articles -- and obviously going in new place outside my sphere of experience.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply; you've certainly set my mind at ease.

Now about that "Stinky Cheese" . . . ;)

Given the choice of waiting at Richmond BART at 1900 or Gare du Nord for a train to Beauvais or Arras, etc., I'd take Nord w/o a doubt.

I've been through and around that station a fair few times and never had a problem...

In my experience nothing (save for rare exceptions) lives up to its hype - either good or bad. Take everything you're told or everything you read with a grain of salt.

Since you are arriving at the Gare du Nord, you won't be there long. When the Eurostar arrives with its many passengers, unless you are one of the first off and quick about it, you may encounter a long line for a taxi. Consider taking the metro. If there's no station close enough to your hotel, at least it will be a much shorter cab ride.

Sounds like a great trip. Bon voyage!!