I have a train ticket that requires a change of trains and train stations in Paris. My train arrives at Gare Lyon at 9:40am, and my next train departs from Gare Montparnasse at 10:40am. I will travel mid-week. Is an hour sufficient time to go from Gare Lyon to Gare Montparnasse? If so, should I take a taxi or metro between the stations in order to arrive at Gare Montparnasse in time to catch my 10:40am train? If a metro, where do I catch it, and what line should I take? I will have carry-on luggage with me. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1032 posts
The Man in Seat 61 has more detail on transfers between train stations in Paris than I could ever supply - see this page: http://seat61.com/Paris-metro.htm
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
16 posts
Thanks. I spent a couple of hours last night on that website and got a lot of information. However, I was unable to obtain the specific information I needed between Gare Lyon and Gare Montparnasse, so I was hoping for information that addressed my specific questions.
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
Barbara - According to RATP website(www.ratp.fr) your journey will take about 25 minutes. Hopefully Ed will see this post, he is very knowledgable about getting around Paris.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10176 posts
It will be close. Take line (ligne) 1 direction Etoile and get off at Chatelet. Change to line 4, direction Porte d'Orleans and get off at Montparnasse. The change in Chatelet is a convenient one. You don't have long hallways to walk. Traffic is unpredictable, so you are better off with the metro. However, things happen on metro lines too, so there is no guarantee whether you'll make it or not. It will take about 10 minutes to get from the train to the metro and at least that to find your way to the correct platform at Montparnasse. Be at the back of the train when you arrive at Gare de Lyon, so you will be closer to the metro entrance. Good luck.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
I think it might be too tight. Those journey planners don't allow for where you start in the station and assume that you have a metro ticket in your paw. Who knows how long it will take you to figure out the machine and get a ticket, assuming there's no line. They also assume that you know exactly how to make a line change and don't have to back up or stop to read a diagram. Miss a train and you're five minutes or so in the hole at the git-go, and you've got two of those to pull off. What I can't picture is the hike from the metro side (Montparnasse-Bienvenue) over to the SNCF side - - it's just been too darn long. Also, you're going to have to be looking for the Montparnasse platform while you're moving along rather briskly. I'd probably try it by myself, maybe. But not if I had a lot of money invested in the outbound ticket.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10176 posts
The Montparnasse part is quite a hike, up and down stairs and through a tunnel. Edit: you want to be at the head of the train pulling into the station. Sorry about that.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Taking Metro line 14 to Chatelet (no stops) would be slightly faster than taking line 1 (three stops).
Posted by
Paris
9548 posts
Yes,but the transfer at Chatelet between the 14 and the 4 takes much longer than between the 1 and the 4.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4037 posts
The useful blog Paris by Train discusses connections at the sprawling Montparnasse station, complete with photos. http://parisbytrain.com/gare-montparnasse-photo-tour/