Every day, thousands of travelers pass through the station. Professionals, families, people in a hurry… They’re all here for the same reason: to travel! This station, well known to Parisians, is the Gare Montparnasse. It was recently voted “best station in France” by Consumer Choice Center. The latter propelled our beloved Parisian station to 9ᵉ place among the best European stations. As such, it is the only French station in the ranking… Find out why!
Montparnasse would be the best train station in France, and here’s why
Consumer Choice Center based its rankings on a number of criteria, including: the number of ticket options on offer, station services, accessibility options, free Wi-Fi, national and local rail coverage, car-sharing… Of the 50 busiest railway stations in the ranking, Montparnasse achieved a total score of 89.5, tied with Vienna station. By way of comparison, the top-ranked station, Zurich HBF, achieved a total score of 101 points for all its services.
In detail, the Parisian station was praised for its modern infrastructure and the diversity of its services. It’s worth noting that the station underwent major redevelopment work between 2017 and 2021. Even though it has dropped from 6th to 9th place compared with last year, it leaves behind the Gare de Lyon, which has taken a monumental fall in one year. The latter fell from 5th to 26th place, recording a score of 74.5 points. The main reason? Long waiting times, especially when buying tickets…
The ranking also highlights the fact that Gare Montparnasse boasts around a hundred shops on its four levels, including restaurants accessible to people with reduced mobility. Cafés, bakeries, fast-food outlets, ready-to-wear clothing… the choice is vast! A feature that has kept the railway station in this ranking.
And you, do you think this award is deserved?