gare de nord
 

I have read about what a nightmare of a station Gare de Nord is. I will be arriving to Paris from Amsterdam in Gare de Nord and leaving Paris for London later in the week. My question is to those who have experience when I arrive where do I get a legitimate Taxi?. Also I will be traveling Eurostar to London. What is that process like. I have read about confusion of where to go and such so all information is appreciated.

Walk out the front door to the taxi queue. It isn't hard.

I never thought of it as that different from many other stations. There are always signs in train stations to transport options, including taxis. There are signs on the walls.

The Eurostar "process" begins on the second level; you'll see signs that say "London Hall" and take one of the elevators up to it. You fill out the forms, go through the "officials" and then go into the waiting area.

I suspect that what you have been told is a <i>Blind Men and an Elephant</i> moment. Correct as an observation, incomplete as a whole. Furthermore it is irrelevant in your case.

The confusing part of Gare du Nord is the RER commuter train and the METRO part of the station located mostly in the underground section.

Presuming you are taking Thalys train from Amsterdam, that train arrives on the ground level, very close to the Eurostar track. The Thalys train arrives very close to the side exit where you can catch a legitimate taxi. A legitimate taxi is found at the official taxi rank. There is usually a queue of people wanting to avoid rogue taxis. Rogue taxis come up to you to solicit business. Legitimate taxis never do that. My dead ringer test is whether the driver gives a price estimate close to your understanding, such as what your hotel told you. Rogue taxi drivers pronounce outrageous price as if it is the "official" rate or muddles and pretends he does not understand you.

Eurostar check-in area is well marked. You can see the iconic trains in secluded part on the ground level. You go through luggage security check and passport control. You must observe the check-in lead time appropriate for your class of seat on Eurostar. When you arrive in Paris from Amsterdam, spend a little time and confirm where you would go to check-in to Eurostar later in the week.

You disembark from the train.
You follow the flow.
When track ends you turn right.
You walk about 46 meters.
You exit the station.
The queue for official taxis start there.
Official taxis have a sign with taxi written on their top.
And a lamp. Green they are free. Red not.
Where is the nightmare ?

Ps : I am at Gare du Nord twice a week.
Since about 10 years. Equals a thousand times.
No nightmare.

Hi. There are a couple of opportunities to get fleeced at the Gare du Nord. On the train from Brussels, passengers were offered the option of reserving a taxi to meet them in the station; I considered it, but it had a 45 euro minimum, way more than I would pay for a fare to the Marais.

When we arrived, I was approached by someone offering a taxi; I didn't see a queue, so I followed the tout, asking, "How much?" as we trotted along. He kept beckoning and I kept following; when we reached his friend, the offered fare was 50 euros.

So I went back and found the taxi queue (outside the station to the right), stood in line, and got a ride for 12 euros.

You walk about 46 meters.>

I clocked that at 47 metres- are you sure of your distance?

Stay calm. Gare du nord is sprawling, crowded and bustling. Thousands survive it easily each day.

Here is a photo tour from a blog so you can see what it looks like: http://parisbytrain.com/gare-du-nord-photos/

Here is a map of the station interior (thanks to the Belgian rail system. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the small map to enlarge. You can see the Taxi symbol to the bottom right. https://www.b-europe.com/Travel/Prac...7-7631986f551f

Since you have been scared by a "nightmare", the ParisbyTrain blog contains comments on the station's security. Basically, keep your belongings with you, keep your valuables secure and out of sight, and ignore the hustlers trying to sell you a taxi. Only use the official taxi queue.

Gare du Nord is as simple as can be if you are only interested in the Thalys and the Eurostar.

They are next to each other and also next to the taxi stand, and that can allow you to forget that it is the busiest train station in Europe.

Why don't you take the metro instead?

Legitimate taxi drivers always remain in their taxis, unless they are loading your baggage.
Anyone who walks up to you, offering anything, should be avoided.
Keep your valuables in a safe place.
Relax, you'll be fine.

When you arrive at the Gare du Nord from Amsterdam, walk off the train and make a right. Ignore the offers of taxis and keep walking (not far) to the legitimate taxi queue. Get in line. Even if it looks like a long wait, it usually is amazingly speedy. Those taxis are metered, and the drivers won't cheat you.
To go to London on the Eurostar, enter the station and look for the sign for the Eurostar. It is upstairs. There is an escalator. At the top of the stairs you will be directed by signs to the check-in area. Very easy process.
The Gare du Nord is in an unattractive area and has some petty criminals who may try to scam you. Just ignore them. You will be completely safe.

It should also be noted that Gare du Nord is undergoing major renovation at the moment and there are quite a few large temporary walls masking certain areas.

"The sign for the Eurostar..."

When we were there a couple of weeks ago just out of a taxi from the Gare de Lyon I kept <B>looking</B> for a "sign for the Eurostar" and all I saw was some "sign" for the "London Hall."

The Gare du Nord isn't much different from any major city train station. It's big, it's a bit scruffy, it's busy, there are scammers there ready to take advantage of innocent travelers who don't know where they're going and look confused, don't have their belongings secured, or are just easily taken in by offers of "help." You don't need to be one of those people. Get off the train, make sure you have anything valuable securely put away, follow the signs that say "TAXI," get in line, don't talk to anyone else, and when your turn comes get in the taxi.