changing trains between stations in Paris

Carolyn, an hour should be enough time, unless you have a lot of luggage that might slow you down. Paris East (Gare de l'Est) and Gare St. Lazare are both simply metro stops on the Metropolitain and it's possible to go basically anywhere on the Paris Metro well within an hour's time. I don't have the Paris metro in my head, but it's likely you will have to make a "correspondence" (i.e., change lines on the metro) and that would involve some walking and potentially some stairs, which is why I mentioned the luggage issue. Changing lines is not difficult- you just look at the map of the metro and it should be clear which stops are involved in making the change. And then, you could find that no line change at all is required for where you want to go. Still, an hour should be plenty of time. Enjoy!

Carolyn, the method I'd use would be: Line 7 (direction Villejuif-Louis Aragon) from Gare de l'Est to Opera (which will be the fifth stop) and then Line 3 (direction Pont de Levallois Bécon) to Saint-Lazare (the second stop). Note that the Saint-Lazare Metro station is a bit of a hike from Gare Saint-Lazare, which is where you'll need to go for trains to the Normandy area (I'm assuming that's your reason for travel to that station?). ¶ As I recall, going from the Metro to the station involves some walking and a bunch of Escalators (not difficult though). That trip should be about 30 minutes under ideal circumstances, but of course allowing extra time for the unexpected is a good idea. ¶ You might want to print a copy of the Paris Metro Map (it's available as a PDF file) so that you can refer to it. There are maps on the wall in the Metro stations as well. Happy travels!

Thanks, Ken and Gwen. I have a copy of the Metro map and will give it a study. I'm planning to take just a small rolling bag and a day back pack and am used to the subway in Boston.

Carolyn, Since you're packing light, I'll suggest another route. Take a 10-minute walk from Gare de l'Est to the Magenta RER station which is attached to Gare du Nord. Take a 4-minute ride on the RER E from Magenta to Haussmann Saint-Lazare. Take a very short walk to Gare Saint-Lazare.

I'm with Tim on this - been there, done that last autumn...

Thanks to all of you. I think I can do it with these detailed instructions. Carolyn