Destinations that can be reached from the Gare Saint-Lazare
Destinations that can be reached from the Gare Saint-Lazare
Destinations that can be reached from the Gare Saint-Lazare
Destinations that can be reached from the Gare Saint-Lazare
a meeting point for more than 2 centuries
The Gare Saint-Lazare has been a central meeting point in the heart of Paris for over two centuries. It was the first station in Paris and Île-de-France, creating a link to Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Yvelines. It is a listed historical heritage monument that combines art, heritage, and shopping.
In 2012, a shopping centre with more than 80 shops and restaurants was built in the former Salle des Pas Perdus.
It is an unrivalled location that reflects both the industrial revolution of the 19th century and the advent of the railway system. This central transit hub demonstrates the importance of human beings moving to new places.
The transatlantic
the start of the journey to America
The Gare Saint-Lazare has a fascinating history The Gare Saint-Lazare actually provided a means of reaching beautiful Normandy in western France, particularly Le Havre and Cherbourg.
But why did visitors wish to reach the coast? During the 19th century, Europe was hit by political and economic instability.
The discovery of a new continent in 1492 meant that many colonists could start a new life in a place where everything had to be built from scratch. The Spanish had taken possession of the sea routes since the 16th century. It was at a later stage that the French and English travelled to the new world in large numbers. A line of enormous, luxury liners began sailing from Normandy in France. The people of Paris would therefore travel from the Gare Saint-Lazare to get to the port. The Terminus hotel, which is now the Hilton, made it easier for travellers passing through. Some travellers would even arrive at the station in pyjamas before getting dressed on the luxury liners. This is how the Gare Saint-Lazare became a symbol of its era. The Gare Saint-Lazare has been renovated several times in response to the needs of railway network and the SNCF. It is a symbol of art and today remains an essential transit point in Paris.
Destinations served by the Gare Saint-Lazare:
Paris and Ile de France
The station has 27 tracks, illustrated in 12 Claude Monet paintings in the 19th century, which enables travellers to reach more than 200 different destinations by train.
For those visiting the Paris intramuros on the metro, lines 3, 12, 13 and 14 can all be taken from the Gare Saint-Lazare. These lines are heavily used daily to reach the most attractive sites in Paris.
- For example, if you take line 14, you can get off at Pyramides and visit the Tuileries gardens.
- Line 13 goes straight to the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
- The Pigalle district and the famous Moulin Rouge can be reached on line 12.
- Line 3 will take you a few steps from the station to immerse yourself in the heart of French culture, at the Opéra Garnier.
You can use the Transilien (a commuter rail network) to travel all over the Île-de-France:
- Line J (Paris – Mantes-la-Jolie via Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Paris – Évreux, Paris – Gisors),
- Line L (Paris – Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris – Versailles – Rive Droite, Paris – Nanterre – Cergy),
- Line U (Paris – La Défense – La Verrière).
Normandy from the Gare Saint-Lazare
Thanks to the Gare Saint-Lazare and its direct line, Normandy can be reached very quickly by taking an SNCF train. Until 1994 and the arrival of the Eurostar, the Gare Saint-Lazare also provided train-boat connections to Dieppe, where one could board ships heading for England. And even now, people travelling to Ireland by boat can still take the Paris - Cherbourg train. The Gare Saint-Lazare also launched seaside tourism in France through the Paris-Dieppe link. Dieppe was founded in 1824 as the first seaside resort in France, in response to the appetite for “sea bathing”.
Now ranked the third largest French station in terms of traffic, the station mainly serves the western suburbs of Paris, along with most of Normandy:
- Rouen is just 1 hour and 30 minutes by train. This city is famous for its Gothic cathedral, the Gros-Horloge and the Saint-Maclou church.
- The city of Caen in the Calvados department is approximately 2 hours by train. The Caen Memorial is not to be missed while visiting this city. This is also not far from the most beautiful beaches in the department, for example Omaha Beach and Utah Beach.
- The port city of Le Havre is 2 hours, 30 minutes from the Gare Saint-Lazare. It is listed as a UNESCO heritage site owing to the architect Auguste Perret who, after the bombings of the Second World War, rebuilt the city using modern architecture.
- Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is located at the end of the cape in the Manche department. This destination can be reached in approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes by public transport, and immerses you in the history of the Second World War on these large beaches filled with bunkers.
For information on specific destinations or for reservations, go to SNCF Connect.
La fondation Monnet and Musée des Impressionnistes in Giverny
The Caen memorial and landing beaches
The nearest beaches to Paris
Deauville, the 21st arrondissement (district) in Paris!
access to Europe
The Gare Saint-Lazare is a central hub for those travelling in France and Europe. It has multiple connections, enabling travellers to reach European countries: England, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
If you wish to visit these destinations, simply make your way to the Gare du Nord. Once there, you can take one of a number of trains heading across Europe:
- The Eurostar to London,
- The Thalys to Amsterdam and Brussels,
- The German ICE to Frankfurt in Germany.
As mentioned above, it’s an easy journey from the Gare Saint-Lazare to Normandy. Once there, you can take a daytrip from Cherbourg to the channel islands, Jersey or Guernsey.
The Gare Saint-Lazare is the departure and arrival point for travelling in France and Europe!