We are taking the Thalys from Paris to Brussels on July 26th. I plan on buying our tickets at a SNCF office a day or two ahead of time. We would like to leave Paris fairly early in the morning but don't know how much time to allow to get from hotel located near Maubert Mutualite to Gare du Nord and then to figure out where to catch the train. Does anyone have an idea? Thanks

If you already have your tickets, 40 minutes before the train departs will be plenty of time.

Walk to the St-Michel Notre-Dame RER station (8 minutes). Trains come through about every 5 minutes.

Take RER B (Direction Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV) to Gare du Nord (5 minutes).

In the station, follow the signs to the platforms marked <i>Grandes Lignes</i> (Main Lines). A prominent board in the middle of the terminal shows which train is on what track.

Thank you for the reply. It sure sounds quick and easy the way you break it down. I was thinking it would take a lot longer than that.

Hi B,

You can find directions for anywhere in Paris at www.ratp.fr.

Hi Ira, What a great web-site. I went thru my proposed metro routes and found that some were good and others could be improved on. Thanks for the info. B

You are welcome, B.

If you have a Pocket PC or Palm Pilot, you can carry with you the same information as ratp.fr using <b>M&eacute;tro</b>, a <u>free</u> program that plots subway and bus routes in hundreds of cities.

http://nanika.net/metro

Hi Robespierre, I have a Sony Clie. Would that work? B

I don't see why not. I think all Palm OS devices are supported.

Try it. It will either work or not.