Find out everything to know about Paris metro line 12
Paris metro line 12 is one of the network’s longest. Its 15-km route runs through the capital from north to south via the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. It was one of the first lines to serve the Paris suburbs. It has been extended several times and stops at 29 stations throughout the capital.
The stations on line 12
- Aubervilliers – Front Populaire
- Porte de la Chapelle
- Marx Dormoy
- Marcadet – Poissonniers : transfer to line 4
- Jules Joffrin
- Lamarck – Caulaincourt
- Abbesses
- Pigalle : transfer to line 2
- Saint-Georges
- Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
- Trinité – d’Estiennes d’Orves
- Saint-Lazare : transfer to lines 3, 13, 14 and the RER E
- Madeleine : transfer to lines 8 and 14
- Concorde : transfer to lines 1 et 8
- Assemblée nationale
- Solferino : transfer to the RER C
- Rue du Bac
- Sèvres – Babylone : transfer to line 10
- Rennes
- Notre-Dame-des-Champs
- Montparnasse – Bienvenüe : transfer to lines 4, 6, and 13
- Falguière
- Pasteur : transfer to line 6
- Volontaires
- Vaugirard
- Convention
- Porte de Versailles
- Corentin Celton
- Mairie d’Issy
The tourist spots and sights on metro line 12
Leaving from Saint Denis and Aubervilliers, the line 12 then stops in the Montmartre neighborhood. You have several options for reaching the Sacré-Coeur basilica. Get off at Lamarck – Caulaincourt and stroll through the neighborhoods narrow streets. Swarming with artists and cozy cafes, treat yourself to a walk in one of the most touristy areas of Paris.
The next stop, Abbesses, will bring you closer to the Montmartre hill and will take you to the Montmartre funicular railway. The funicular runs along the Square Louise Michel, taking you to Sacré-Coeur and avoiding the 222 steps.
The line 12 also serves the Gare Saint Lazare, where you can take a TGV or a TER train to the Paris suburbs.
Going a little bit further, Concorde station will take you to the Jardin des Tuileries where you can reach the Louvre easily.
The next two stations: Assemblée Nationale and Solférino are located just a few meters from the magnificent Musée d’Orsay. Organize your journey on metro line 12 by taking a look at our page dedicated to the Musée d'Orsay’s opening hours. Leaving from Assemblée Nationale station, walk to the museum in just a few minutes.
Located in the iconic Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, Le Bon Marché and the Grande Epicerie de Paris are served by the station Sèvres – Babylone.
Finally, Porte de Versailles is an excellent station to get to the Paris Parc des Expositions. Avoid traffic jams when trade shows are on!
The line 12’s remarkable stations
By taking the line 12, you will pass by some stations which are worth the detour by the way they are decorated or how their platforms are laid out.
The station Saint Lazare, which serves the station, is huge and decorated by some remarkable works. Especially the rotunda, located under the Place du Havre, which stands out with its pillars decorated with mosaics.
Concorde station will catch your eye with the decorations on its walls. Entirely covered with small white squares, it spells out the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. With one letter per square, it will fill the time while you wait for the next metro to come.
At Assemblée Nationale station, the decor is always changing, but sticks with the theme of national sovereignty. A while ago, there were portraits of French presidents.
Abbesses station’s decor, the deepest of the metro, will catch your eye. Going down the steps to the platform, you can admire a superb fresco depicting several years of history of the city of Paris.
