Gare du Nord at night?
Dec 22nd, 2012, 05:34 PM
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Gare du Nord at night?
My sister and I, both on our 20's, will be arriving at Gare du Nord on a saturday night at 23:20 from our eurostar train, our hostel is near the Anvers station, should we take a taxi? I have read GDN is not a safe place at night and I'm super worried, any advice?
Dec 22nd, 2012, 06:45 PM
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Gare du Nord is heavily patrolled by police, on the inside. Getting to Metro Anvers is another story. It is not far and I would walk during daylight, but as I recall that is not the best of neighborhoods. I suggest a taxi. There is a taxi rank out front. Ask your hostel what a taxi should cost and ask the driver for his estimate before you let him throw your bags in his trunk. Wave off the gypsies hanging about the taxi rank. They are professional beggars. They run when a policeman comes into sight so they may be up to something worse. Keep your valuables hidden. Keep your umbrella ready and swat the pests if they don't back off.
Dec 22nd, 2012, 06:52 PM
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It's a somewhat dodgy area, but nothing to be "super worried" about. There's a police presence there, and the taxi stand is right out front. Just go and hail a cab and ignore anyone who tries to harass you, if they even do, and keep your valuables well hidden. No one in France has assault rifles.
Dec 22nd, 2012, 07:42 PM
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As others above have said, you need to ignore anyone that randomly walks up to you and offers a taxi. We were at Gare du Nord in Oct and these gypsy cab drivers were all over the place.-- much more abundant and aggressive than I recall in the past. Use the taxi stand out front and you will be fine.
Dec 22nd, 2012, 09:45 PM
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Absolutely agree with the recommendation to take a taxi. One friendly amendment to the above posts - the taxi stand is not in front but on the side of the station. As you are coming off the platform where the train arrived you will turn to the right and proceed to the exit for the taxi queue.
Dec 22nd, 2012, 10:37 PM
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Hi as a woman who has travelled solo to Paris, and used Gare du Nord, I want you to understand what the dangers MAY be, it will not be to YOU , but your stuff . You are most unlikely to be assaulted, the risk is you may be pickpocketed or have a bag go missing.
So the tricks to deal with this are simple. Do not arrive with luggage you can barely handle and a purse hanging off your shoulder, try not to look frazzled and stressed. You should put out an air of calm and confidense. Do appear to be in control of yourselves.. look up , you will see the signs that say "TAXI" , follow them ( and as previous poster says the offical taxi rank is out the side door. You simply go out the doors and straight to the taxi rank. Do not stop if someone approaches you, and even if it is a child, IGNORE and proceed . Do not let anyone get close to your body, remember, no one can take what they can't reach. I don't want you to get more freaked out by hearing this stuff, I am not afraid but I am viligant and confident appearing when travelling and it does work. Looking stressed, scared and confused only marks you as an easy target. Its really not dangerous, I mean if you are smart you will have your passport, credit cards and bulk of your money in a money belt under your clothes and only 50 euros in a bag or inside coat pocket. You will have only one easy to handle suitcase .
I personally do not always use a moneybelt, but I do always keep my bag worn cross body, and it has a zipped top, and full flap that covers the top zipper and I keep my stuff inside a zipped pocket inside the bag, sort of three layers they would have to get through. If you are the least bit nervous , wear a money belt and you can't really lose anything of value. If you travel with more then one suitcase then thats your choice, it would never be mine.
Paris is a lot safer then many places I have been, and I feel safe there, alone, and even alone with one of my kids, but even my 11 yr old knew how to play the game. Put on a poker face and learn to ignore people and you will be fine.
So the tricks to deal with this are simple. Do not arrive with luggage you can barely handle and a purse hanging off your shoulder, try not to look frazzled and stressed. You should put out an air of calm and confidense. Do appear to be in control of yourselves.. look up , you will see the signs that say "TAXI" , follow them ( and as previous poster says the offical taxi rank is out the side door. You simply go out the doors and straight to the taxi rank. Do not stop if someone approaches you, and even if it is a child, IGNORE and proceed . Do not let anyone get close to your body, remember, no one can take what they can't reach. I don't want you to get more freaked out by hearing this stuff, I am not afraid but I am viligant and confident appearing when travelling and it does work. Looking stressed, scared and confused only marks you as an easy target. Its really not dangerous, I mean if you are smart you will have your passport, credit cards and bulk of your money in a money belt under your clothes and only 50 euros in a bag or inside coat pocket. You will have only one easy to handle suitcase .
I personally do not always use a moneybelt, but I do always keep my bag worn cross body, and it has a zipped top, and full flap that covers the top zipper and I keep my stuff inside a zipped pocket inside the bag, sort of three layers they would have to get through. If you are the least bit nervous , wear a money belt and you can't really lose anything of value. If you travel with more then one suitcase then thats your choice, it would never be mine.
Paris is a lot safer then many places I have been, and I feel safe there, alone, and even alone with one of my kids, but even my 11 yr old knew how to play the game. Put on a poker face and learn to ignore people and you will be fine.
Dec 23rd, 2012, 05:33 AM
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Ditto all of the above. My booboo. The taxi rank is on the right as you exit the platform. See the layout at http://tinyurl.com/2cgs57. This poster with multi language index is posted at various places in the gare. The taxi symbol is a frontal icon of an auto. Out front is where the taxis drop off passengers.
Dec 23rd, 2012, 09:10 AM
#8
Or you can just walk up rue de Dunkerque to Place d'Anvers in 10 minutes. I would be sort of embarrassed to take a taxi for such a short walk. I think that some of the previous posters are confusing "Gare du Nord during the day" and "Gare du Nord after 11 p.m." -- late in the evening, there is still a bit of lowlife, simply because a lot of these people are homeless and have nowhere else to go. But the gypsies and pickpockets went home to dinner much earlier in the evening. Due to the heavy police presence (mostly plain clothes)and the video surveillance, I think that the risks are really quite minimal.
Dec 23rd, 2012, 05:21 PM
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I think the risks are quite minimal, too, but a taxi ride will be super cheap because it's not far at all. And I guess now that I'm a gimp for the foreseeable future and can't run away from molesters, I've become more cautious.
We're in Baltimore right now, and it's hard to go a half a block without running into a beggar or panhandler (not Roma, of course). We've come here the past three years for the Christmas holidays, and I used to "budget" a certain amount for panhandlers, but frankly, I'm over it. I just say no and keep moving and hope for the best. In Paris, I feel a LOT safer doing that, as it's highly unlikely I'll be assaulted.
If you're really concerned, take a taxi, but if you're a traveler who looks like she knows what she's doing and isn't afraid, walk.
We're in Baltimore right now, and it's hard to go a half a block without running into a beggar or panhandler (not Roma, of course). We've come here the past three years for the Christmas holidays, and I used to "budget" a certain amount for panhandlers, but frankly, I'm over it. I just say no and keep moving and hope for the best. In Paris, I feel a LOT safer doing that, as it's highly unlikely I'll be assaulted.
If you're really concerned, take a taxi, but if you're a traveler who looks like she knows what she's doing and isn't afraid, walk.
Dec 23rd, 2012, 08:08 PM
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I like to view a map if possible so-----As you can see from the station map in this link http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisur...u_nord.jsp,the taxis are very near to where the Eurostar trains arrive at the station. As mentioned previously, after exiting the track area, turn to the right and follow signs (pictures) for the taxi stand.
Dec 23rd, 2012, 08:12 PM
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Another map of Gare du Nord-- note the orange shaded tracks where the Eurostar arrives and The taxi stand nearby. http://www.nshispeed.nl/web/file?uui...contentid=2177
Dec 23rd, 2012, 08:21 PM
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This is the correct link from the Eurostar website http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisur...re_du_nord.jsp
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