Taxis, Paris

There are various different taxis around the city of Paris. They will sucker you in only to most likely over charge you for the trip. You wonder why would they do that? well its pretty simple actually. if you scream "tourist" or you do not speak the language (french) then that is considered a "target or opportunity" for them. You will come across honest taxi drivers, dont get me wrong. But those chances are very slim considering the amont of tourist there are.

Unique Suggestions: If you just dont have the time or patience to seek an alternate plan of travel and you must be somehwere like...NOW! then by all means jump in a taxi. But always look before you leap. Be sure the taxi is legit. When I am in an urban are such as a city and I want a taxi i look for the one in abundance. Meaning that there are A LOT!! of this specific type of cab. i will also look to see what others there are and i will observe the people getting in and out of these cabs and sometimes even ask them if it is worth it (that is if they speak english) When you find the one you want look for the company name on the side, phone number( some of them will have it), license plate, driver, etc. The driver should have a meter and ID displaying his name and licence to operate. If you see neither of these then maybe you should find another taxi. And always remember you can negotiate a price as well. if you know where you want to go and the price in your mind is a little to steep ask him/her if they will accept a counter offer. name a price and you have a 50/50 chance of them saying "Ok". if not ask another taxi and sooner or later you will find the one you want. This is of course if you have the time.

Fun Alternatives: Another way around the city is the Metro/Train. If you know how a subway works or ever been on the NY City subway then you get the idea. It is crowded at times but is fast an efficient. Its cheaper then a cab and if you dont mind standing or sitting next to 30-40 strangers then this is the way to go. And besides if you dont like crowds then maybe you shouldnt be in a city in the first place. And if the metro is not your cup of tea then you can always resort to the tried and true alternative........WALKING. If you and your significant other do not mind walking and if weather permits then you can always walk. i love to walk and it doesnt bother me. Me and my wife were there in Feb 08 and the weather was not bad and it was sunny out. We took the Metro from the Eiffel Tower so we can be within walking distance of some of the sites we wanted to see. Then we walked around all day and caught the metro back to our hotel in the evening. It saved us money in the ling run.

a writer commented about the very high cost of taking a shuttle for two people, and recommended waiting in the taxi line instead. I agree that a taxi would be a better alternative, but that can take a very long time when many flights arrive at once. My suggestion (I've done this for years) is to book a car service because they will meet you in baggage claim, and the cost generally will be more than a taxi but less than a shuttle.

Once you exit the immigration/customs at CDG you will be bombarded and pretty much accosted by rogue taxi drivers. You will definitely know them as they will walk with you trying to get your attention. Do NOT arrange any ride with these guys. They will rip you off as there is no set rate.

Instead go through the airport exit doors to the taxi line. The line may look long and daunting when alot of passengers deplane, but it goes fast. The legitimate taxis work for Taxi Parisien.

If you find yourself getting a taxi whilst in Paris, watch out for "helpful" taxi drivers offering to put your things in the boot of the car.....they charge 3 euros per item. My sister discovered this recently when she came to stay with me for the weekend- She had a very small weekend case and two small carrier bags of things she had bought here and when she went to get in her taxi to go back to the airport the taxi driver jumped out and opened the boot for her. She then got in to realise that the taxi driver had already put 10 euros on the meter!

Unique Suggestions: If you have stuff that you could keep in the passenger seat with you, say no to the boot!!!

Taxis are very, very expensive in Paris. Use the Metro for your transportation needs unless absolutely necessary. Paris is a big puzzle of a city. I often came to the conclusion that they were driving around for a while before taking me to my destination. I could be wrong, but I am sure that I payed too much. Walking is proven to reduce heart disease?

Unique Suggestions: Always use the taximeter and keep your eyes and your map open.

Fun Alternatives: See medical advice above

One night (or techinally morning) after partying we decided to take a taxi home. We found one and we got in and we giggling and laughing until we realized that he kept driving in circles around the arc de triomphe to make the meter higher. We just got out of the taxi and ended up being farther away than when we stated.

Unique Suggestions: There are many people who drive taxis illegally in france to keep you from this problem they are required to have a taxi drivers card, feel free to ask for it.

Cabs...beware of cab drivers who appear friendly, but forget to tell you about the luggage surcharge, then take you three times round the city pretending they don't know where they are going AND stop for petrol leaving the meter running! It's a traditional trick in many cities, but make sure you are aware of the price to your destination before setting off and make sure you have a map to show them for clarification.

Ok, this happened to me before the 'arrival' of the Euro currency. A taxi driver gave me a faulty 100 French Franc Note as change ! Afterwards from other tourists I heard that this thing happened to them also. Everywere in the world tourists are an easy target for this type of events. Thats life :-))