From Paris with Love: Gare de Lyon

The Gare de Lyon is one of six large railway termini in Paris. Located in the 12^th arrondissement, it handles about 90,000,000 passengers every year, making it the third busiest station of France and one of the busiest of Europe. It is also served by the Gare de Lyon metro station. The two sculptures on the highest tier of the Gare represent the City of Paris (on our left) and the city of Marseille (on our right).

Entry to the Gare de Lyon

The Gare de Lyon from street level

There are four bas-reliefs between the portals. They symbolize industrial and commercial gains facilitated by means of transportation: Engineering, Navigation, Steam, Electricity

One of the bas-reliefs (la Mécanique) above the entry

The station was built for the World Exposition of 1900. On multiple levels, it is considered a classic example of the architecture of its time. Most notable is the large clock tower atop one corner of the station, similar in style to the clock tower of the UK Houses of Parliament, home to Big Ben.

Gare de Lyon clock tower

Rows upon rows of motorcycles parked in front of the Gare

Acceuil - A big glass box information kiosque in the Gare

A war memorial dedicated (1925) to railway employees who died for France in WW I.

The memorial was later updated to include lost lives in World War II.

Gare de Lyon schedule board

Near the beginning of the movie, The Tourist, Angelina Jolie stood in front of this schedule board. The Tourist (2010), is a romantic thriller starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. It began in the Gare de Lyon. Jolie's mystery woman Elise receives a message directing her to "Go to the Gare de Lyon." Off she goes. Once Jolie is standing under the station's schedule board, her instructions require her to get on a train to Venice and cozy up to a fellow who is the slightly unsophisticated “tourist” of the title. (The movie was mostly panned by critics, but the scenery was gorgeous, and it grossed so much money--the box office almost tripled the amount it cost to make the movie--that it was belatedly deemed an “international hit.” I thought it was a fun, escapist movie.

Actor Simon Baker, star of The Mentalist on American (and French?) TV, appears much larger than life in this ad for Longines.

Le Train Bleu

The station houses Le Train Bleu (The Blue Train) restaurant, which has served drinks and meals to travelers and other guests since 1901 in an ornately-decorated setting. It is named after a luxury French night express train (1886-2003) that had dark blue sleeping cars. The restaurant is a bit pricey---$300 for dinner for 2 would not be out of range--but seeing the interior, maybe for breakfast or Sunday brunch, might be worth it.

A grand stairway to the restaurant

Restaurant with Café below

L’Express Bleu Café

The stairway leads to the lower level of the Gare. There are shops on this level and access to the metro and local railway line.

Tracks for the TGV--Tres Grande Vitesse (Very High Speed) trains

A platform between the “bullet trains.”

Three trains all in a row

Armed French infantry soldiers patrol the Gare.

There were also 3 soldiers walking in a similar formation in the Tuileries Garden.

My husband’s sister lives in Arles, in the South of France, and he is going to visit her for a few days. This is the track where he’ll board the train.