A nineteenth-century station that became an international hub
Gare du Nord stands in Paris’s 10th arrondissement; SNCF Gares & Connexions gives its address as 112 rue de Maubeuge. A first station opened here in 1846 for the Compagnie du Nord. The present building was constructed between 1861 and 1865 to designs by Jacques Ignace Hittorff, and it was already receiving trains in 1864.
Today the site brings together trains to Lille and the Hauts-de-France, Eurostar services to London, Brussels and Amsterdam, plus suburban lines and the RER. That density matters in practice: before agreeing a meeting point, you need to know which part of the station you mean. A Paris station transfer is planned around the hall and the level, not just the station’s name.
Finding your way: Hall 1, Hall 2 and the Eurostar platforms
According to Eurostar, passengers for London follow the UK flag signs to Hall 2: departures are on a first-floor balcony above the main concourse, and London trains leave from platforms 3 to 6. Trains to Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany usually leave from platform 7 or 8. The platform is only shown once boarding opens.
Hall 1, the main-line side, has the “cour des taxis” exit (exit 7) at level 0 near platform 3, and a left-luggage and concierge point at level -1, as the station’s official page describes. These landmarks help fix a clear meeting place away from the crowds, one the chauffeur knows before the passenger arrives.
Before the platform: passports, security and check-in time
For Eurostar departures, Eurostar states that passports are checked twice, first by the French authorities and then by UK Border Force, and that passengers and bags go through security screening. The ticket gates close before departure, and the company asks travellers to arrive at the time recommended on their ticket. Those rules are set by Eurostar and the authorities, and they can change.
For whoever organises the journey, the consequence is simple: drop-off time is worked out from these formalities, not from the train’s departure time. The chauffeur drops the passenger at an agreed point, and assistance ends where the checks begin. The passenger should have their ticket and travel documents to hand before leaving the car.
On arrival: name-board welcome and a first meeting point
Stepping off a train, a traveller is often laden with luggage and may not know the station. A name-board welcome removes that uncertainty: the chauffeur waits at a place agreed in advance, holding a sign with the guest’s name, then leads them to the car. Parking and drop-off rules are set by the station and the authorities; we do not assume them, and we build them into the transport plan once confirmed.
For someone arriving from across the Channel, train tracking on request lets us adjust the welcome time if the service runs late. If the programme continues to an airport, for example Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, the next leg can be attached to the same booking instead of being handled separately.
London to Paris: planning the round trip
A business traveller linking London and Paris often strings several steps together: a morning meeting in Paris, an evening Eurostar home. IKIGAI is based in Paris; it runs transfers to and from Paris, and international journeys on request, London included. Details are on the London–Paris chauffeur page.
On the Paris side, plan the return as carefully as the outward leg: the real end time of a meeting sets the departure for the station, not the time printed on the ticket. A VIP chauffeur who stays available between appointments avoids a string of separate bookings.
Booking a chauffeur for Gare du Nord
To book, send the date, the train or connecting flight, the number of passengers and bags, the destination or pick-up address and the direction of travel. IKIGAI issues a firm quote before any confirmation, then gives the chauffeur a clear brief. Round-the-clock availability is possible on request, and invoicing is adapted to companies, family offices and concierge services.
You can reach us by WhatsApp, e-mail or the form on the contact page. Assistants and concierges can group several trips from a single stay. More stations and airports are covered in our Airports & travel section, including Gare de l’Est, its neighbour in the 10th arrondissement.
