Paris Gare Montparnesse Info Needed!
 

Appreciate any input regarding location within Gare Montparnesse where trains for Bordeaux are accessed. Trying to plan as far ahead as possible for my travel from Paris to Bordeaux next month. Knowing which door to enter, direction to head toward would help me greatly. The size of that station is intimidating to say the least. I've passed by it numerous times when staying in the area but have never gone in.

Thank you in advance Fodorite(s).

The TGV station is in the back of the regular station. It used to be in Montparnasse 2 Hall Pasteur, but that may have changed.

http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/franc...se-station.htm

Gare Montparnasse is a very large station, more complex in my opinion than Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est.

There are multiple entrances, both at concourse level and at Metro level. You can study the plan which Michael links, but you will need first to figure out where you are on the map, and that will will depend entirely on how and where you arrive.

The most important thing you can do to make this a less stressful experience is get there early. It is extremely busy at commuting times. The train tracks won't be announced until shortly before departure (10-15 minutes) but you can find the departure area in advance.

As you know if you have traveled by TGV in France, it almost always leaves precisely on time, so don't dawdle once the track is announced. Use the toilets, buy the newspaper before.

How are you arriving at the station. If by metro, you just come up from beneath and follow the signs. If on foot, you just walk in the front door. If you arrive by taxi, you'll be left on the side of the station.

A TGV can leave from either Montparnasse 1, 2 or 3 but they are actually all the same building. Every TGV I have taken has left from the main part of the station (Montparnasse 1). In fact, I just took a TGV there 4 days ago. If your train is listed at 2 or 3, it just means a longer walk. There are moving walkways to help you along on the right side of the station if you have to go back there.

You may find help at the blog www.parisbytrain.com

Thanks everyone! Anxiety level down a few notches.
I will be arriving by taxi after five days in Paris.
Votre E-Billet reads: Paris Mont 1 ET 2 / Bordeaux
I'm traveling on a Sunday mid day, so can I assume station might not be as busy?
I will definitely study the map beforehand.

Once again, this Forum continues to provide much needed support for a senior solo lady.
Merci beaucoup!

It might not be as busy midday, sure. I just follow the signs in it, just leave enough time.

Much calmer in the middle of the day on Sunday. The only reason that the ticket says "Montparnasse 1 & 2" is because the regulars know exactly how the train is composed, so some of them will arrange to be dropped off at the "Pasteur" entrance ("Montparnasse 2") if they now that their train car is located there.

The trains are very long (a Bordeaux train is usually 2 TGV trains of 10 cars attached to each other), so most of us dummies who don't take the train often have to look at the electronic signboard at the head of the train to figure out where to go. The car numbers are not always in what we would consider to be a logical arrangement. For example, on the train that I took this week, I recall that the setup was 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20. The reason is that the trains often split up into two different trains going to different places at a station along the way.

Kerouac
Thanks so much. I'm in Car 3. Do I proceed once the track is posted from any particular direction? Or does it matter?