Paris-Rotterdam trusted railway timetable

Do not search from Gare de Lyon, there are no trains there to Rotterdam from there. Search from Gare du Nord. It will be your responsibility to get to Gare du Nord by whatever means suits you, RER, Metro, bus, or taxi. The tickets you buy will not include Paris local transportation. That's the way it works. When you buy an airline ticket, you don't expect the airline to figure out and include local transportation to the airport.
Edit- Looks like Thalys has direct fast trains at 7:25, 8:16, and then about every 2 hours. Trip takes 2 hours and 40 minutes or so. Look at the schedule at www.thalys.com. You can also buy tickets at www.capitainetrain.com for an easier purchase process at the same price Thalys shows.

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the prompt response. Yup i got it, gotta start from Paris Nord but i don't think I need a transfer to chatelet from Paris Lyon?
Which train website woulld you recommend in this matter?

Thanks

That is local transportation. Easiest will be the RER D will take you from Gare de Lyon direct to Gare du Nord for a single Metro ticket about 2 euro. Hang on to your ticket because you need it to exit the RER station at Gare du Nord. The direct D trains run every 20 minutes at 6 past the hour and take 15 minutes to Gare du Nord. Other times show take the RER A to Chatelet and change to the RER B to Gare du Nord and take 21 minutes.
Paris Rapid Transit (RATP) trip planner: http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/fr/ratp/recherche-avancee

Jen

Do you understand that neither the Métro nor RER are normal long distance trains? They are both Paris and Ile de France local transportation, like New York City's Subways. The Métro is like the local subways in NYC, the RER is like the express subways, but they are all subways. Not until you go upstairs at Grand Central Station or Penn Station do they become long distance trains. (Yes, I know about PATH, let's not be distracted).

There are loads of possible routes between Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord, but the easiest was described above, using the RER which makes only 1 or 2 stops. You can use the Métro, and there are indeed Métro lines at both stations, but contrary to your first question there is no direct Métro connection. If you want to use the Métro for that you will have to change at least once, maybe twice depending on the route you choose. It could be anywhere the lines cross. You can choose.

You could also take a bus, or a taxi, your choice.

Route your train tickets from Gare du Nord.

Thalys is the premium fast train service from Paris (Nord) to Belgium and Holland.
https://www.thalys.com/fr/en/

You need to look and book on the Thalys web site; these are Thalys trains between Paris and Rotterdam, Brussels and Amsterdam. Certainly not the Raileurope site which is designed to charge US ers more than Europeans pay for the same services. Book 3 mos out and the price will be about 29 Euro or so. We always book on this site and print tickets at home.

You can train from Gare d'Lyon to Gare du Nord via the RER D line as noted. You need to keep the ticket not just to exit but also because at any time in the RER/Metro system you can be asked to show your validated ticket and fined heavily on the spot if you can't produce it.

Hi All,

Thank You kindly for all the responses. My bad, I just re-check my Paris RER and Metro map and yes as confirmed here there is no direct Metro link between Paris Lyon and Nord. I do need to change at Chatelet Metro. I must take only the RER D1 Line to Orry La Ville for direct train. I got it with Thalys trains too. Thanks heaps for pointing that out guys

For the local France routes & schedule I'd rather stick with the local RATP fr website as confirmed by Sam. The German's train website somehow still suggests RER changes at Chatelet hence my confusion starts.

Take notes with keeping the tickets at all times :D

this forum is the best!

Hi Janettravels44

i just check Thalys website but the price is Euro 96 Economy Comfort2 class for 2 people. Perhaps because I'd go during high season in July? or is there any other class other than Comfort 1 & 2?

Thank You

bahn.de is probably suggesting that you change at Chatelet because there is no direct Line D train within 5-10 minutes of the specific time you picked, and it thinks you can get there faster by using Lines A and B and changing at Chatelet.

The 96 euro fare is the second lowest possible fare for this route. The lowest possible fare would be 70 euro. The only way to get that would probably have been a month ago. So you should go ahead and book it. You should plan on arriving at Gare du Nord at least a half hour before departure of the Thalys train as you have a bit of navigating to get from the RER platform to the regular train platforms.

Hi Philip
based on ratp, there are direct RER trains from Paris Lyon to Nord in every 10-15mnts within my specified time. the total amount taken is much longer than i do a separate browse from the local Thalys and ratp search results. Also total transit/changes shown on bahn.de require 3-4 transits within my specified time. i don't understand why the results come up in that manner too.

Hi Sam,
yes , i could see the Euro70 on the next day schedule. perhaps because i plan to leave on Monday thus, the traffic right after the weekend is still considered high. Thank You for reminding me to allow ample time in transit. Plus we'd take 2 big luggages with us :D

How are you getting to Gare de Lyon? Are you staying at one of the hotels (Mercure or Novotel) on the station?

You have now disclosed that you are traveling with huge luggage, and more than one.

The Métro is not a lot of fun with steamer trunks - of course no travel is ever any fun with big luggage unless you are like Terri Lynn who pays serfs to carry it everywhere, and the RER isn't a whole lot more fun.

Unless there are compelling reasons otherwise I would now change my advice and suggest a taxi - Taxis Parisien are very reliable throughout Paris - from your hotel direct to Gare du Nord.

I hope you will be OK humping these monsters up into the Thalys train.

The Thalys doesn't stop very long at its Rotterdam stop, just long enough for on and off and go, so you will need to be ready before you arrive there.

Do you have a place to leave these before you set off for Kinderdijk? How are you getting to Kinderdijk (a lovely place)?

Hi Nigel,

Yes I am staying at Mercure so the trip to the station won't be that much of a hassle. But are the stations luggage friendly? I think they'd have those ramps and elevators in convenient distance? At first we thought to drive but suggested otherwise due to Paris' traffic and parking difficulty. How much would the taxi fare cost though? If it's not much of difference with the RER and the traffic at 8am should be better then we'd better take the cab :)

Hi Nigel,

we plan to stay around the Rotterdam Central. but we haven't decided which hotel :D so we put our luggage first then we'd take bus#90 to Kinderdijk

Be prepared for a couple of things at that Mercure. I've stayed there, and the rooms are ok, but the lobby area is exceedingly small and cramped - just as well that I never saw a line at Reception - and there is no direct link into the station. It has no front door, just a side door. You go out that door and around part of the station and then into the station.

I don't remember any elevators at either Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord, except one small bank of two lifts to go upstairs at Gare du Nord to the Eurostar check in. They will not impact you, you will be at one of the main platforms on the main floor for the Thalys.

There are likely to be some stairs at both ends of the RER journey, but not nearly as many as using the Métro. My memory is - somebody who has been at Lyon more recently than I please correct me - that it is through the joint barriers at ground level, or perhaps down one escalator - yes it must be one escalator because the shopping floor is niveau -1 isn't it - then through the joint gates (have your T+ tickets ready) then down another escalator after a bit of a walk, then I think I think it is down again then a few steps. The RER platform is a little narrow.

I think that possibly the RER lobby takes you up an escalator at Nord and through the gates (have that T+ ticket ready) and into the main station, with, I think another escalator up.

Come on you regular RER riders, put me straight.

There is a pretty nice Holiday Inn Express a block and a half from Rotterdam Centraal, if you don't mind slightly weird "L" shaped rooms with little high windows. We enjoyed it there but asked to be moved to a room with a normal window - they were able to accommodate on the 2nd night.

Their beds are doubles not kings or queens.

If you go for it, beware the trams, the paths of which you will cross on your walk there.

To add to what Nigel said, I am a frequent traveller between Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord.
At Gare du Nord It is 4 levels up from the RER line D platform to the surface (daylight) level where the Thalys, and TGV trains depart.
That involves 4 escalators. There are stairs as an alternative, but I always use the escalators.

Gare de Lyon is the same, multiple escalators.

In both stations there are lifts ('elevators'), but they are not the main method, that is the escalators. With the mass of people involved they could not all use lifts.

Hi Nigel,
ohh my , should prepare ourselves for the stairs then >_< bad thing we start from Paris first which means I'd do most of my shoppings too.. i'd look for RER lines too when arriving from the airport to avoid Metro stairs.
noted for the Thalys short stop in Rotterdam and the Holiday Inn near Rotterdam Central. u're a champ Nigel, thanks heaps!

Hi Chris F
thanks god for the escalators :D so there should be escalators all the way to the platforms or there're parts that we need to take stairs for? noted don't look for the lifts just go straight for the escalators. there wouldn't be any ban for large luggages on the escalators right? coz some countries prohibit that

Here is a video from seat61 on the reverse route going form Gare du Nord (Eurostar platform, Thalys platform is next to it) to Gare de Lyon. http://www.seat61.com/Paris-metro.htm#.VVTurMLbJjo

Jen, there are more than one route up and down between the levels, you either go "up and then along", or "along and then up". Depending on which one you choose you will encounter either stairs or escalators. I always pick the escalator route.
Yes, the above-mentioned man in seat 61 video shows it all nicely.