Train Stations of Paris - Jun 2010

This is the third posting of my June/July trip to France.



On my last free day in Paris I decided to visit all the magnificent train stations. So I bought a Metro pass and was on my way.


Hopefully in the next month or so I will be inspired to paint one of the these scenes.


The first, and smallest of the stations, was Gare D'Austerlitz.

A short walk away was Gare de Lyon. I'm sure by now you have figured out that gare means station.

I always enjoy seeing the sleek modern TGV trains in the old glass and steel roofed stations.

It is truly amazing how many people take the trains in France. There are hourly trains holding at least 750 people between all the major cities in France. Most are non-stop and do not have to slow for railroad crossings like they do in the USA.

This is the station - Montparnasse - that I took a train to Nantes, the first stop on my cycling tour. See the separate posting of the cycling tour.

Three down, three to go. Here's the Gare de L'Est - The East Station.

I'm not sure these bumpers would actually stop a runaway train.

A sign to the Metro, toilets and exits.

Gare du Nord - the North Station. This is the station you take the train to and from Charles De Gaulle Airpor or reach London through the Chunnel. It was also the subject to one of my train station paintings.

It looked as if the outside of the station had just been cleaned.

And finally Gare Saint-Lazare.

This is the only station where I was stopped from taking pictures. I had to walk around with my camera at my waist snapping away. I escaped without being arrested.

This was an interesting sculpture outside the station. What time do you think it was? All the clocks are set to different times.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures of the train stations of Paris.