Saint-Lazare

Saint-Lazare is one of Paris's great transport hubs - five Métro lines, national rail services to Normandy and the west, and an RER E connection that crosses the city. Monet painted the station's steam and iron in the 1870s in a celebrated series of canvases now in the Musée d'Orsay; the modern station retains none of that atmosphere but delivers efficient connectivity across a wide area of Paris and beyond.

The surrounding 8th and 9th arrondissements offer the city's finest department store shopping: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps both stand on Boulevard Haussmann, ten minutes south. Opéra Garnier - the gilded Second Empire opera house that inspired Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera - is within the same walk. This is Haussmann-era Paris at its grandest.

Station Overview

Zone 1. Métro Lines 3, 9, 12, 13 and 14 plus National Rail (Transilien) services to Normandy and Versailles Rive Droite. Step-free access on Line 14.

Lines and Connectivity

Line 14 (fully automated, very frequent) gives the fastest cross-city route south to Olympiades. Line 13 runs north to Saint-Denis and south through Montparnasse. Line 12 connects to Montmartre (Abbesses) northward and Montrouge south. Lines 3 and 9 give east-west connections through the 8th and 9th arrondissements.

Travel Tips

• Galeries Lafayette rooftop terrace is free and one of the best views in Paris - no ticket required, take the lift to the top floor
• Opéra Garnier guided tours run daily - book online for the best time slots, the interior is extraordinary
• National Rail (Transilien) to Versailles Rive Droite from the mainline station takes about 40 minutes
• Line 14 from here is the fastest route to Madeleine, Châtelet and Gare de Lyon

Nearby Attractions

Galeries Lafayette - 10 minutes walk south on Boulevard Haussmann. The flagship store has a spectacular Art Nouveau dome inside and a free rooftop terrace with panoramic Paris views.

Opéra Garnier - 10 minutes walk south. Charles Garnier's Second Empire masterpiece, now hosting Paris Opéra Ballet performances. Daily tours of the interior.

Église de la Madeleine - 10 minutes walk south-west. A neo-classical temple with Fauchon luxury food shop alongside.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

Standard Métro hours, approximately 05:30 to 01:15. Mainline services to Normandy run throughout the day. The station is very busy on weekday mornings and Friday evenings when commuters depart for the weekend.