Père Lachaise Cemetery

From Gare du Nord take the Metro to Place Gambetta. Per Rick’s Paris Guidebook exit at Gambetta Metro take sortie #3 walk two blocks past McDonalds and up Avenue du Pere Lachaise. We rode Bus #69 and followed the tour in Rick’s book. It was great!

Gambetta is on the metro 3 which doesn't stop at Nord. But it is the best stop for visiting Pere Lachaise because it takes you to the top of the cemetery so you can walk down -- so take the metro 5 to Republic and transfer to the 3 there or the 2 to 'Pere Lachaise' stop and transfer to the 3 there and get off at Gambetta. Be sure to bring a map of the cemetery if you can.

You walk down the hill through the cemetery and exit at the bottom and then hop on the 2 line at Pere Lachaise stop and it takes you back to Gare du Nord (the Gare du Nord stop is La Chapelle which is above ground outside and connected indoors to the train station. All this is well signed.

"Gambetta is on the metro 3 which doesn't stop at Nord. But it is the best stop for visiting Pere Lachaise because it takes you to the top of the cemetery so you can walk down -- so take the metro 5 to Republic and transfer to the 3 there or the 2 to 'Pere Lachaise' stop and transfer to the 3 there and get off at Gambetta. Be sure to bring a map of the cemetery if you can."

Would that be the route that is marked on this Google map?

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Gare+du+Nord,+18+Rue+de+Dunkerque,+75010+Paris,+France/P%C3%A8re+Lachaise+Cemetery,+Rue+du+Repos,+Paris,+France/@48.8640043,2.3902101,17.25z/am=t/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x47e66e6bfc58a37f:0x4fb63768d2dd790c!2m2!1d2.3553137!2d48.8809481!1m5!1m1!1s0x47e66d8b5c69a785:0xa1cf6127530b6419!2m2!1d2.3934725!2d48.861472!3e3

Rick's Paris guidebook explains Pere Lachaise in great detail, pick up a copy or read it online. Frommers also has a chapter on this. Since your time is limited, make a list of the graves you need to see and make sure you get to them.

For transit you only need a ticket to, and a ticket from the cemetery. It's going to be pretty rushed to do this and then train to Amsterdam, but hey whatever. You probably want to use the metro instead of the bus, or if you feel the need, take a taxi.

A thread with some helpful links to the cemetery:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/pere-lachaise-5b4d31e2-63a7-465e-81ef-cb5d117d61ad

No that route is bus routes which is much slower and more difficult to manage. The metro is much clearer and faster -- The routes I gave are pretty clear -- never use google maps for routing in Paris -- use the metro site or look at a map and see for yourself.

Here's a map of the Metro system. Janet's routing is the best way to go -- line 5 to Republique, transfer to line 3 to Gambetta. That puts you near the uphill entrance to the cemetery, and you can make your way to the downhill entrance, turn right and walk a little way to the Pere Lachaise Metro station, which you passed through before on line 3. Then line 3 to Republique, line 5 back to Gare du Nord.

A taxi might be faster, easy to get at the station, but traffic could hold you up. And certainly more expensive. Check your luggage at Nord, they have a place to do that. And allow plenty of time. I'd say four hours but I've never tried this.

Thanks for all the info! My schedule is flexible for Paris and Amsterdam, so I may arrive in Paris a day early and get an Airbnb for the night near the cemetery. Then the next day, get up early, visit the cemetery, and get on my late afternoon train to Amsterdam.

Also, does anyone know approximately where in the cemetery I could find this area?

https://media.nomadicmatt.com/pariscemetery.jpg

Are you looking for the green crypt or one of the others?

If you do go to Paris for one night you might find it more economical to get an inexpensive hotel rather than Air BnB. You’ll have cleaning costs, etc associated with the rental which might bump it up over a hotel. Plus Air BnB can be an issue in Paris as they are regulated. You’ll want to make sure yours is a legal rental with the appropriate 13-digit licensing number.

For one night get a hotel -- there are FWIW a ton of very cheap hotels at the Galieni stop of the metro line 3 which is a stop or two past Gambetta. The hassles of an apartment and the cleaning fee which is the same for a night or a week are not worth it for one night.

I agree with Pam and janettravels44 about getting a hotel for a one night stay. I never consider an Airbnb for less than 3 nights.

There are also lots of hotels, in all price ranges, close to Gare du Nord. I've stayed only at the Timhotel, which I would not recommend. You might want to stay close to the station so you don't have to move bags any more than necessary.

EDIT -- You also asked about payment cards for public transport. This website tells all you could want to know about rail in and around Paris, but unfortunately it doesn't look like they've updated the ticket information since last year. There is an Oyster-type card called Navigo Easy, which you can load with as much as you want -- in your case, probably just two rides. They used to sell individual tickets, which would cost less than using the Navigo Easy, but these were supposed to have been phased out last year. I haven't heard whether that really happened. But I suggest going to the Metro station, getting either the Navigo Easy with two fares, or two individual tickets. Individual tickets should be kept during the ride and discarded when you leave the station. Maybe kerouac2 or another poster has more current info.

"Are you looking for the green crypt or one of the others?"

No crypt in particular, just looking for that area of the cemetery that has the green crypt and the rest.

"If you do go to Paris for one night you might find it more economical to get an inexpensive hotel rather than Air BnB. You’ll have cleaning costs, etc associated with the rental which might bump it up over a hotel. Plus Air BnB can be an issue in Paris as they are regulated. You’ll want to make sure yours is a legal rental with the appropriate 13-digit licensing number."

I managed to find a rather inexpensive airbnb near the top of the cemetery. My plan was to start at the top, walk to the bottom, grab something to eat at the cafe nearby, then make my way to the rail station, so it works with my planning.

"You also asked about payment cards for public transport. This website tells all you could want to know about rail in and around Paris, but unfortunately it doesn't look like they've updated the ticket information since last year. There is an Oyster-type card called Navigo Easy, which you can load with as much as you want -- in your case, probably just two rides. They used to sell individual tickets, which would cost less than using the Navigo Easy, but these were supposed to have been phased out last year. I haven't heard whether that really happened. But I suggest going to the Metro station, getting either the Navigo Easy with two fares, or two individual tickets. Individual tickets should be kept during the ride and discarded when you leave the station. Maybe kerouac2 or another poster has more current info."

Awesome. Thanks for the info!

OK, I'm bored this morning and avoiding working on my taxes, lol, so I did some leg work for you.

Here is a link to the tomb area you are interested in. It gives a section on this Wiki article.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Grave_of_Crespin_(P%C3%A8re-Lachaise,_division_36)

Here's a map of the cemetery and it is in section 36, facing onto Chemin de la Guerite - over on the far right side of the map.

https://www.api-site.paris.fr/paris/public/2018%2F9%2FCPLMapEN.pdf

Your current plan is to come in at the Gambetta entrance which is at the top of the map, so you'd come in and take a left on one of the major walkways. Go all the way to the end and work your way South. I suggest you print out the map or save it on your phone.

"OK, I'm bored this morning and avoiding working on my taxes, lol, so I did some leg work for you."

Thought I had replied to this earlier but I guess I didn't. Thanks! This will definitely come in handy. 5 days until I board the plane to the U.K.!