Travelling via Gare du Nord - viable alternative to Lilles?

[HFJohnson]

The title says it all really. I'm just weighing up my options for our trip in December. We'll be returning on a Tuesday so will have to take the indirect train via Lille. This will mean a four hour journey all in all so I was wondering if coming via Paris was an option? I'll be travelling with two children but we'll be travelling fairly light so luggage shouldn't be too much of a problem. Can anyone tell me...

1) How much the RER would cost

2) How long it would take

3) How easy it is to do, eg it is easy to find from Gare du Nord and would the change at Chatelet Les Halles be straightforward?

Thanks

HFJ

 

[Carrie_Cat]

1 - 7,10€ from DLP to GdN for an adult - half price for a over 4- under 10 year old

2 - Say an hour as it's 40/45 minutes to Chatelet-Les Halles and then one stop up on the B or the D to GdN

3 - When you get out at GdN you just follow the signs to the trains - It says Grandes Lignes-Eurostar on the plateform

From memory it's up an escalator from the RER platform then I think from the B you go up another escalator (I do it from the E so it's slightly different). You are at the entrance to the station concourse by now and you go up a final escalator to the Eurostar check in

At Chatelet-Les Halles it's very straightforward as you just change platform (normally straight across from the A is the B) and they are clearly signed. There's an electronic overhead board which tells you where the train is stopping and GdN is the next stop up.

 

[HFJohnson]

Thanks Carrie, sounds like it could be do-able. Are the trains pretty frequent on the RER?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thanks Carrie, sounds like it could be do-able. Are the trains pretty frequent on the RER?

Every 15 mins from DLP to Chatelet and every 5/8 minutes from Chatelet to GdN

If there was ever a pb with the B you also have the D which goes to GdN from the Chatelet-Les Halles stop and it's easy to reach by going up escalators and following signs.

On the RATP site they say 1 minute change from the A to the B and 3 minutes from the A to the D

 

[MollyandLucy'sMum]

we changed in Paris last time we went. we had two small children with us and luggage and it was fine. There were loads of ticket machines and could be used in English. I liked the fact trains went regularly so there was no chance of missing your connection. you also get more choice of eurostar time as London to Paris runs a service nearly every hour.


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[HFJohnson]

Thanks, it's good to hear other's experiences. It's the timings that are swaying for me I think. The price will be about the same but we'll get to DLP an hour or so earlier and we won't be getting home so late either.

What was check-in/passport control like at Gare Du Nord? How long before my train do you think I should aim to get there (I was thinking about an hour before)?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

When I go I get there about 45 minutes before but I'm on my own without luggage.

Eurostar say at least 35 minutes before as that is the cut off time for them

I think an hour is fine especially if you are in the week out of rush hour

 

[HFJohnson]

Carrie - the train I'm looking at departs at 6.13pm on a Tuesday - do you think that might be a bit busier? I'd probably aim to leave DLP by 3.45.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Carrie - the train I'm looking at departs at 6.13pm on a Tuesday - do you think that might be a bit busier? I'd probably aim to leave DLP by 3.45.

If I look at a Tuesday in October (as the RATP itinerary search doesn't go any further) for a depart from MLV-Chessy around 3.45 I get the following

<table summary="Description complète de toutes les étapes de l’itinéraire"><tbody><tr class="even"><th scope="row">

</th> <td class="step">

aller jusqu’à Marne-la-Vallee Chessy – RER </td> <td class="horaire"> 15<abbr title="heures">h</abbr>48 ; </td> <td class="duree"> 3 <abbr title="minute">min</abbr></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table summary="Description complète de toutes les étapes de l’itinéraire"><tbody><tr><td class="etapes" scope="row">

</td> <td> depuis Marne-la-Vallee Chessydirection Poissyjusqu’à Chatelet-Les Halles </td> <td> de 15<abbr title="heures">h</abbr>51à 16<abbr title="heures">h</abbr>31 </td> <td> 40 <abbr title="minute">min</abbr> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <th scope="row">
</th> <td class="step">

correspondance </td> <td class="horaire">
</td> <td class="duree"> 1 <abbr title="minute">min</abbr> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="etapes" scope="row">

</td> <td> depuis Chatelet-Les Hallesdirection Mitry-Clayejusqu’à Gare du Nord </td> <td> de 16<abbr title="heures">h</abbr>35à 16<abbr title="heures">h</abbr>38 </td> <td> 3 <abbr title="minute">min</abbr> </td> </tr> <tr class="even end"> <th scope="row">

</th> <td class="step">

aller jusqu’à Gare Du Nord (RER), Paris </td> <td>
</td> <td> 3 <abbr title="minute">min</abbr></td></tr></tbody></table>
So 53 minutes all together and then the walk up 2 escalators across the concourse and up the other escalator to the Eurostar floor and join the queue

You will be out of rush hour as it starts from 17.00 and you will be there in loads of time

 

[HappyPanda]

I did the Eurostar from Gare du Nord and found it to be quite painless. The RERs run regularly and are well sign-posted.

On our return journey we left DLP about 3 hours before out train was due and then just got something to eat in one of the restaurants within the station.

We found it quite hard to find the actual entrance to the Eurostar terminal, as it's up an escalator from the main concourse... but once we found it we noticed it was actually quite well sign-posted, we just must have missed them all!