I gave Gare du Nord a 1-star review in 2010, and honestly, most of what I said still kind of holds…read more But the station is beautiful, and I believe it has, at least, stopped deploying those ridiculous unusable ticketing machines. We went through Gare du Nord to go to London last month, and EuroStar has actually gotten worse. I suspect this has more to do with Brexit than the train station, but it was not fun waiting in that line. It got extra unfun when my three-year-old told me he was feeling sick, then threw up all over the floor. So you know what, I'm calling it even. Gare du Nord is annoying but useful and gorgeous, and my offspring has now vomited on the floor (I ddi clean it up). I'm also giving myself permission to skip reviewing the Paul stall, where my mom picked up some pretty decent pastries and sandwiches. Three stars, and we'll see each other next time.

We came to this rail hub in Paris for our high speed train to Amsterdam. We were on the…read more"Pre-tour" portion of our river cruise and had to go to Zamdam to catch our ship. That required us to get the main station on Amsterdam, then catch a bus. What can I say. It was your typical train station with many trains ready to go and you could also catch a subway here. It was easy to maneuver through and while I was waiting I went for a coffee and a pastry. That's the special thing about Paris... even in the train station was good coffee and great pasteries. I noticed lots of Police patroling the area which definately helps make you feel just a bit more safe and comfortable. Boarding the train was quick and easy and they left right on time. KUDOs to the team here at the Gare du Nord.

Overview: very quick to get thru security, quite organized, and many options to choose from to eat…read moreat especially in the early morning ---- I had a train from Paris to London which departs at 7:09am and scheduled to arrive at 8:30am. The ticket tells you what time to aim to be at the station by 6:09am. It was pretty easy to navigate to from Gare du Nord, I didn't see signs for Eurostar specifically, but they had symbols of a train and a UK flag which led to the right place. Tickets were kinda expensive especially buying them not far in advanced I heard that the earlier you buy them the cheaper they are. There were a lot of people for this first train of the day and they are separated by country nationality and then into multiple lines to consolidate on space. You first scan your ticket, then do a passport scan, followed by another passport scan and then you go through security where they x-ray your bags. After all of the security measures there is a large waiting area with many seats spanning the length of the station, in between are different little gift shops and food areas along with seats and charger ports. With the departure so early, there are a lot of places to grab a quick breakfast or coffee to-go. And there are a couple of gift shops for last minute Paris souvenirs... like this GIANT Remy for 59€90, or a mini one for €10! Super cute plushies and a large variety of breakfast foods (sandwiches and pastries) available. ---- Overall: easy to navigate and board as an American, follow the symbols and get there early just in case!

I've taken Eurostar between Paris and London a few times over the years, and I remembered it being…read morerelatively painless back in like 2010. It's still nice to take a train from central Paris and end up in central London, and probably worth some aggravation to avoid the hassle of airports. But it isn't cheaper, and it kind of sucks. We took the Eurostar from Gare du Nord to St. Pancras last month and had a pretty unpleasant experience. Brexit may be partially at blame for the long, slow line at customs, but surely Eurostar can do something about their staffing to speed things along. It took longer to get through than any airport security I've dealt with in several years. The train was fine, unremarkable but comfortable enough. I didn't want to be on it, though, for something like two bonus hours. We were delayed due to an unspecified incident near the tracks at Lille, that the announcer referred to as a "tragedy" during one of his many mushy updates. We were eventually rerouted and left the station over an hour after our scheduled departure time, and took a slower route that avoided Lille. I have since looked up this mysterious tragedy in Lille, and the only references it to it online are related to this Eurostar delay. My boys were excited about going through the chunnel, but the actual passage felt like any other tunnel. I guess we can say we've been through it, at least. The ride was otherwise not the easiest with two kids, starting as it did with over an hour of sitting in place. My three-year-old was also sick that day, something we discovered when he threw up in the customs line. He proceeded to throw up twice more on the train, once on me, and once in the bathroom, where my husband had the pleasure of cleaning the floor with what he describes as half-ply European toilet paper. I guess that part isn't Eurostar's fault, but their nonsense certainly didn't help. I'm glad the train got us from point A to point B, but I'll avoid taking it again in the future.

The Gare de l'Est (East Station) is two train stations: one being part of the Paris Metro line,…read moreconnecting Lines 4, 5, and 7 and the other being the one of seven Paris mainline stations supporting TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) going to various cities in Europe. My nephew and I had planned a weekend trip to Luxembourg, and this station was the origination of the 2.5 hour high-speed trip, beginning early on a Saturday morning. We came from different places in Paris using Metro, and met up here. The walk from the Metro part of the station to the main central holding area takes a bit of time, with need to closely follow signs pointing to Gare de l'Est. About 24 minutes before the scheduled departure of our train, the platform number came up on the big board. At that point, we used the QR code from our purchased ticket to pass through the security gate of the platform. Then it was a long outdoor walk parallel to the train until one finds the correct car. We left right on-time. We came back to the same station from Luxembourg, and it was a simple matter of reversing direction back to the Metro side of the station to get back to our dorm/hotel.

Navigating thru this station is a nightmare once you arrive by Metro. Missed our train because of…read moreno clear signs and help available in the station. Had to exchange out pre-booked tickets and paid an additional fee for the same. Strongly recommend having a lot of buffer if you are planning on taking a train from here.

Quality/Quantity - As cautious travelers, we always stop by the train station on our first day in…read morethe city to buy our tickets for the next leg of our trip. This is an especially good suggestion for people that do not speak the language. But today's ticket, we bought online months in advance. We were told that there was a savings buying early versus the same day, etc. Now that we have been in France for over two weeks, we are experienced and have figured out their bus, train, and metro systems. Well we hope, lol. Ambiance - It is a major public train station, so come early if you are not experienced. Crazy busy as expected. Pay to use toilets - 1 Euro. Several floors. Service - Self service in this station as again, we pre-bought our tickets months in advance. Price - 188 Euros to Lyon for two people. $220 USD. Owner Comment - Thanks for having affordable and smooth transportation with Inoui to Lyon.

Among the train stations in Paris, I like Gare de Lyon the best. It's easy to navigate, and it has…read morean excellent annunciator board. In April, we traveled from Paris to Nice through this station. Our taxi driver dropped us off at the curb, and we had a short walk through the entrance doors to our gate in Train Hall 1. At the gate, we scanned our SNCF tickets and went down the platform to our train and assigned carriage (car). It couldn't have been easier.

This train station in Paris, France is one of the seven large mainline railway station terminals…read more Several railway lines have been immortalized in various works of art notably paintings by Monet at the Musee d'Orsay. It is the second busiest train station in Paris after Gare du Nord, handling 100 million passengers a year. The station is quite large so it took me a while to walk from one end to the other to catch my train. This train station makes it easy to get to Giverny to visit the Monet house and garden. It took about 40 minutes. I'm so impressed by the mass transit in France and Europe.

On my last trip out to Paris for the Olympic summer games, I came through this train station…read moreseveral times. In addition to catching the RER E train, there were multi-levels of shops and stores of various types. The McDonald's here tends to be very busy, I would go to the smaller one just across Rue Saint-Lazare. If I needed any snacks or drinks, I went to the Carrefour City which has very decent prices.

Quality/Quantity - Now that we have been in France for over 3 or 4 weeks, we are experienced and…read morehave figured out their bus, train, and metro systems. Well we hope, lol. This trip was easy in and out! Ambiance - It is a major public train station for Montparnasse, so come early if you are not experienced. Crazy busy as expected. Service - Self service in this station. Price - 4.60 Euros; $5.50 US; very affordable. Owner Comment - Thanks for having affordable and smooth transportation with Inoui to Lyon.

There is one tiny elevator in the center. If you have a few bags, and don't want to cram on the…read moreescalator, you have to walk behind a few shops on the first floor before the Hall 4 entrance to find the elevator. Once inside, hold your breath. It smells like urine. Beware of people coming up to you to ask you random things. I had it happen a few times and it's a busy station! People are all over (kids, dogs, kids, suitcases). It's a busy place. The food selection is great and the shops are nice too. It's not the worst station or the best station I've been too. It runs on time and will get you to where you need to go.

The world's largest underground railway station, the Station Chatelet - Les Halles is located…read moreunderneath the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping center. It's also the most convenient place to take a connection from the Paris Metro line system to the RER airport lines. Loaded my final trip for 2,5€ on my reloadable metro card on the morning of Day 7, taking line 1 to stop Chatelet. I made a mistake here: knowing I needed to connect to RER Line B, I couldn't find any signs so ended up going outside. Google maps seemed to indicate that, but thinking back, I am realizing that there must have been an underground connection between them. Navigating the outside with luggage in the rain was difficult. But after entering the shopping mall, I just followed the signs for RER. I found a machine to purchase an airport ticket, but it refused to work with my card that I had been using all along on Metro (it had the airport option grayed out...which was frustrating...showing that it was the right machine, but that I was doing something wrong). The only option was a bus to the airport which I definitely did not want. I then began to wander around until I found a staffed office. I tried to explain my situation to the older gentleman..he scanned my ticket, got exasperated (I think with the situation, not me) and told me I needed to go a ticket office to get it fixed. I was going to leave, but then a younger woman intercepted and told me she could fix it. She took my card, did 'something' to it, and then told me I could use the machine now. Sure enough, when I scanned the same card, it now gave me the option to purchase an airport ticket (13€). There is definitely something strange about how you can have the right paper ticket, but if it wasn't initially set-up a certain way, it won't work in all case. Not a good thing for a tourist. I paid the $15.18 (13€) and used it to scan through the gates (which were for all RER various lines). I then followed the signs for the airport line. I boarded the first train that came, and it ended up being OK. The journey took a while, going through five stops to terminal 2. Most people got off before then. I got off at the last stop, and had to scan my ticket to exit before I could enter the airport. Got to the airport station by 11:33. I had left the hotel around 10:15 so it takes a while...an Uber would have been around $35 for the journey. I'm glad that I experienced it, especially since I was by myself. But I see the use of Uber when in Paris next time.

This is a nice and big metro station with all the shopping stores around. However everything is so…read moreexpensive. They have AC inside. You have t pay €.70 euro for bathroom. Very crowded

Stephane Nancy provided impeccable service throughout our trip. He was highly responsive,…read moreprofessional, and went above and beyond to create a customized Champagne tour that perfectly matched, or exceeded, our expectations. While we booked our own cellar tours, Stephane helped us optimize the itinerary, recommending the best route, timing, and stops to make the most of the day. One of his best suggestions was to visit one cellar in Reims and the other in Épernay rather than staying in a single town. This allowed us to enjoy a scenic drive through the picturesque vineyards, visit the iconic Avenue de Champagne, and stop in Hautvillers, the charming village of Dom Pérignon, where we took in stunning views over the Marne Valley and the surrounding vineyards. Those thoughtful recommendations turned an already exciting day into an unforgettable experience. Stephane also recommended several lunch stop options, including Le Bellevue Restaurant & Bar inside the Royal Champagne Hotel in Champillon (which is the one we selected). It was the perfect choice, with exceptional food and sweeping views over the Champagne vineyards--one of the most memorable meals of our trip. The little touches he added before and during our trip made all the difference. He greeted us with fresh croissants to start the day, and after one of our cellar tours, he surprised us with delicious bakery treats for an afternoon pick-me-up. His attention to detail and genuine hospitality made us feel incredibly well taken care of from start to finish. We were so impressed with Stephane's service that both my friend and I immediately booked him again for our airport departures. His local knowledge, professionalism, reliability, and warmth truly set him apart. If you're looking for an outstanding private driver in Paris or the Champagne region, I can't recommend Stephane, or one of his colleagues, highly enough. He played a huge role in making our trip so special. (As a note, I had Mr. Do for my airport drop off because Stephane was already booked for my friend who had to leave earlier than me for the airport. Both of us appreciated the extra guidance both drivers provided to take us into the departure terminal, guide us to the self-service VAT (Value Added Tax) refund kiosks to get us on our way!)

Wonderful experience with our service to champagne day trip! From the very quick and professional…read moreservice for booking to punctual and great attention during actual trip it was a pleasure working with my driver in Paris

I've been to Musée d'Orsay twice over the years and have left both times feeling awed by what I saw…read moreand rueful of all I'd so obviously missed. You can't even speed run the place in two or three hours, and you probably need days or a lifetime to appreciate it in full. My more recent visit was earlier this month, with my husband and kids and other sundry family members, who spread out and explored the museum on their own. The d'Orsay opens at 9:30 in the morning and we booked tickets in advance for 10:00 entry. Getting in was quick and easy, and the crowd was pretty reasonable for the first hour or so, which we spent on the fifth floor. By the time we got to the special exhibit on the ground level, around noon, every room was thronged. We didn't make it to the second floor at all. The museum is a global treasure, a beautiful place with a staggering collection of French art, including the world's largest trove of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The d'Orsay was once the Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. It would be worth visiting for the architecture and use of space and light alone. The art, of course, is genuinely amazing. If you have even a passing familiarity with paintings as a genre, you will walk around the d'Orsay going, "Oh, THAT's here?" I saw multiple paintings I'd encountered in jigsaw puzzles, or on the covers of Debussy piano books. Manet, Cezánne, Gauguin, Degas; a whole room of Van Gogh, including one of his most recognizable self-portraits and his "Bedroom in Arles" (a very enjoyable 2,000-piece puzzle). Monet everywhere--I guess the d'Orsay owns 86 of his paintings. I loved the mini-exhibit of five paintings of the Rouen Cathedral, and even my six-year-old appreciated, if purely for subject matter, "The Saint-Lazare Station." Our kids, it turns out, do not yet appreciate art, and were in ragged form for much of our visit. Our three-year-old demanded to be carried at all times and kept insisting he didn't like "these pictures." (He also objected to his first nude, "The Bathers" by Renoir: "Why aren't they wearing any clothes, even? They can wear pants. They can cover themselves.") We had to take a breather in the underground cafe, with water and snacks, and this gave us enough steam to make it back out to the main floor. We managed to zip through a few of the many rooms lining the main corridor on our way up to the Renoir exhibit at the front of the museum. This part of our visit could not have been more cursory, and yet we stumbled upon Courbet's self-portrait, "The Desperate Man"--a cool painting I'd never seen before--and Millet's "The Angelus," a painting I'd learned about at the d'Orsay many years earlier. The Renoir exhibit (Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity, apparently just ended) was spectacular, an expansive collection of iconic paintings displayed for maximum impact. It was also jam packed and slightly unpleasant to navigate with two children on the verge of meltdown. I'd love to go back to Paris and explore the d'Orsay at my leisure. I'm sure it'd also be worthwhile to go with a guide, and perhaps two older, well-behaved children who might get something out of the experience. In the meantime, I'm grateful I've been able to see the place at all. It's a marvelous museum, one of the greatest in the world.

One visit is not enough…read more When you learn to swim. One lesson is never enough. The more you dive into the depths and emerge for a breath of air, the more you enjoy. The more rapturous moments are grasped. Ah, so is the Musee d'Orsay. It is not a museum to plunge to once. One must visit multiple times. Otherwise, it is impossible to swim between exhibits, paddle through the intentions of artists. Be sure, you don't need to swim to enjoy the galleries. Even dog paddling between famous works is enjoyable. However, to truly move through exhibits with ease takes practice. You will thank yourself.

So MANY steps This…read moremetro station was near the hotel. Very easy to use. But.......from the north from the hotel there is an uphill walk and a flight of stairs to get to the entrance. Inside the station there's four flights of stairs to get down to the platform. At the entrance there are kiosks to purchase tickets. These tickets are good for metro, bus and tram. The kiosk takes credit cards and cash. There offer several languages. If you are in the city for several days, I recommend the T+ ten pack. The pack makes each ticket $1.80. Actually all the Paris metro stations were clean and easy to use. Good signage for lines and directions. An electric board at the platform tells you how many minutes the next two trains are out. My last recommendations- try to avoid rush hours, and load the Paris RATP app. It's easy to use and was a great help finding the lines to take. Rode it alone without issues.

Handy. Loads little fun local joints about In The 18ème, surrounding this station. Fresh fruit,…read morelocal businesses, lots brasseries and bars with those quintessential small bistro tables! I do approve. Every time I think of this name, I think of Marius warning the people to galvanize because General Lamarck is ready! I can't help how my brain works. Just being in the moment in taking it all in, especially the terribly romantic hillside of Montmartre, boasting some of the best bakers and winners about!