Having made a guide to Gare du Nord, which you should be able to find here, I thought it might also be useful to see a few things about Gare de l'Est, since a lot of people want to visit the champagne houses of Reims, Alsace, or continue on by rail to Germany or Switzerland.

This might help you in your dealings with Gare de l'Est: http://tinyurl.com/ygmdt7x

Thanks, kerouac. 45 minutes to Reims. Maybe next trip to Paris I'll be able to force myself to take a day trip - once I arrive in Paris I never want to leave!! I do, however, have Reims on my wish list so it's about time I go.

It's super easy, and I'm sure you know that certain metro trips inside the city can take longer!

I saw Gare de l'est before the TGV and it was kinda grimy. This looks great. Do the German ICE trains also use this station or is it just French trains?

I can answer my own question now - there are ICE trains at Gare de l'Est.