We are planning a day trip to Paris and we need to be sure to be back at Gare du Nord by a certain time to catch our train. How long should we allocate to take the Metro from the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame to Gare du Nord? Would a taxi be better? Thanks!

From the Eiffel Tower you'd take the Bir Hakeim métro to the Montparnasse stop and then switch to the line to the Gare du Nord, but you'd have a fairly long walk to the Bir Hakeim métro, so I'd allow at least 45 minutes. From Notre Dame, you'd take the blue line to Chatelet and then switch to the red line to Gare du Nord, about 5 stops, so a half-hour would be sufficient. A taxi would be faster on both accounts probably, but in Paris you have to hail a taxi from a taxi stand, and you'd need to know where those are located.

Thank you for the information. Are the taxi stands clearly marked? Are they located around these locations? Thanks again.

I would be pretty sure you can get a taxi in front of the Eiffel Tower. Taking the Metro from the ET area is tedious.

I would suggest taking the RER from the Eiffel tower if you chose not to take a taxi. The entrance is one block from the base of the tower. With your back to the tower while facing the river the entrance is down the main BLVD to your left. Take RER C direction Massy Palaiseau and decend at St Michele (4th stop). Change to the RER B direction CDG and decend at Gare Du Nord (2nd stop). Total time 35 minutes.<BR><BR>From Notre Dame take the RER B(entrance on the square in front of Notre Dame, with your back to Notre Dame it is at the far end of the square on the right) Direction CDG and desend at Gare du Nord. (15 mins)<BR>In both cases it makes no difference what RER train you take as they all stop at every inner city stop. You may ride the RER with a standard metro ticket. Time estimations are from the metro site and tend to be accurate and also take into account wait and transfer times.

Please be advised that the RER C will be completely closed between the stops Invalides and Gare d'Austerlitz from 15 July through 24 August.<BR><BR>From Notre-Dame, the easiest way is walk over to the Cit&eacute; m&eacute;tro stop (line 4) which goes direct to the Gare du Nord (8 stops, approx 15-20 min ride).