Hello, my sister and I will be arriving Paris Gare Lyon via TGV and are staying at the Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais in the 4th. The (2) closest metros to our hotel are Hotel-de-Ville and Saint-Paul-le-Marais.

Is it better to just hop in a cab (we won't have much luggage) or take the metro?

Thank you again for helping!

If you're traveling light, you can take Metro line 1 directly from Gare de Lyon to either St-Paul or Hotel de Ville.

Thank you TimS. So at Gare de Lyon we'll see signs for Metro Line 1 ... hop on and then it'll be direct to either St-Paul or Hotel de Ville? I've never ridden the metro in Paris so I'm not sure how easy it is to navigate. Thanks!

Follow the "M" sign. You will then have a choice between 'Chateau de Vincennes' or 'Pont de Neuilly'. This give the diection you want to go in (east or west). There will be a platform for the first choice, another platform for the second (different stairway)...you will see signs on the wall to show you which stop that platform's train go to. You want the 'Pont de Neuilly' direction. 2 stops away is St Paul, 3 stops is Hotel de Ville. You might want to buy a "carnet" which is a 10 tickets for the Metro, that you can use for your sightseeing.

Go to www.ratp.fr to download and print a Metro/RER map. The site is viewable in English.

Hey, Katzen...do yourselves a big favor and take a taxi right out front at Gare Lyon. Don't tackle the metro with ANY luggage..give yourselves a day to get oriented.
The taxi ride should not cost more than 8 E's...last month we came in from Nancy at Gare l'Est and cabbed to area around Hotel de Ville (almost twice the distance and traffic).. and the taxi cost 10E's including fee for bags. What a pleasure compared to shlepping into and out of the metro.

As I always say, 30 days later, the Euro cost won't make any damn difference in your lives. Enjoy!

Stu T.

Michel_Paris, you're showing your age. The direction she wants is called La Défense now.

Thank you for the responses ... so I want to go towards the La Defense direction and I will hop on. Thanks!

Hi K,

If you go to www.ratp.fr, you can get directions for any points in and around Paris by bus or subway.

I also recommend buying a carnet of 10 tickets.

I think that getting off at the Hotel de Ville stop would be better. When you come out of the metro, you will be right on front of the HdV. Good photo op.

Have a nice visit.

You can also get to the foot of the street your hotel is on by taking the bus. The advantage to this method is that it involves no schlepping luggage up and down stairs in the rat maze that is the Métro.

At Gare de Lyon
Take Ligne 65
Direction Mairie d'Aubervilliers
Connect at Bastille

Take Ligne 29
Direction Gare St-Lazare
Get off at Rue Vieille du Temple

Walk 10 meters to hotel.

Here's the connection - notice that the two bus lines stop at the same spot, just north of the Place de la Bastille. So you just get off the 65 and on the 29 without walking.

http://www.ratp.info/picts/plans/pdf...s/bastille.pdf