Taxis, Paris

Taxis is it, the car is king, if not renting then why not a taxi into glorious Paris.
Several companies, I like the G7 for immediate pickup, simply dial +33 (0) 1 41 27 66 99 in English
and tell them when want to hire the car, if you are in France, using a French phone able you can call 3607 to pre order the taxi and follow these steps

Step 1: Choose option (press 1) if you want the car immediately, or option 2 (press 2) if you wish to pre-order a pick-up.
Then,

Step 2: Choose option 1 (press 1) if you want to pre-order the taxi for today, or option 2 (press 2) if it is for tomorrow.

You will then be asked to key in the desired time of the pickup in the XXXX format. For example, you would key in 0730 for 7:30 a.m. and 1930 for 7:30 p.m.

If you will need a taxi in what are defined as rush hours (see more below), the pre-order will require a fee of 5 euro, which must be paid by credit card. You will be asked to hold until an operator will take the details of your credit card. At this point, you can ask to speak with an operator in English, rather than continue in French. In this case, you will be transferred to an English-speaking operator who will take the credit card details and summarise the order for your confirmation.
The cost of the taxi, estimated costs

Cost: From the CDG T2 airport to the Lower Marais (very close to Bastille), without any pre-arrangement, total wait less than 5 minutes: €55 (including tip).
- Cost: To the CDG T2 airport from the Lower Marais (very close to Bastille), pre-arranged pickup , €55 (including tip). At the time of arrival, the car was already pre-metered at €11, which was included in the total €55 cost.

to find a taxi
Where to find a taxi: I found it very difficult to hail (flag) taxis in Paris. Idle cars are usually in taxi stations. Those on the road are taken. In addition, cabs are not allowed to pick passengers when they are within a prescribed distance from a taxi station
this is the site that tells where to find a taxi stand in Paris
http://www.taxi-paris.net/page41.html
now have a great time driving in Paris
::)

and new service from airports of Paris, WECAB, share taxis but cheaper manage by G7 taxi company claims 40% cheaper than a taxi fare but not try it yet. webpage www.wecab.com
+33 (0) 1 41 27 66 77

For our Paris trip, we booked hotel F1 (http://www.hotelformule1.com), and traveled with a private service paris disneyland shuttle (http://paris-disneyland-shuttle.com/). the driver guided us to visit paris.

We tried two days running to hail cabs in Paris to take us home from days out site seeing but without success, even waiting for 30 mins at a time at various so called taxi ranks. Even when they came by empty, they just shook their heads and drove on. Today we used the Velib bikes instead and it was a godsend!! Cost of just €1.80 per person for a whole day. So we picked them up from the end of our road, cycled to the Sacre Coeur then picked up different ones and on to the Bobo area for lunch and shopping then picked up bikes again to ride home. Brilliant concept! Mind you, we diced with death on the roads as they are crazy drivers!!! Book online, very easy.

I am a Airline Pilot and I have seen this trick pulled on tourist it makes me so angry. The Bus ride from the CDG airport is the best deal but, when you head to the bus Taxi drivers will offer to take you for a few dollars less tellin you it is a better, faster ride; "why wait for the Bus?" If you accept he will take your luggage & lock it in the Taxi trunk. When you get to the hotel the driver will demand from $50 to $100 more for your luggage which he will keep locked until you pay. Expect no help from the Paris Police. The Poloice think it is a funny game played on stupid Americans. The hotel employees are no help either. I've seen tourist cry, scream and one guy punched the cab driver and was arrested. TAKE THE BUS. IN TOWN USE THE METRO (SUBWAY). AVOID THE TAXIS>>

Read more: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/21d1d0/#ixzz1opTNYBTs

This morning i left Asnieres sur seine which is in west Paris at 6 am and believe it or not at 6 27 am i was standing in front of Terminal 2 F of CDG. It is always good to lessen the pain of interaction in CDG as it is not a people friendly peopled airport!
quickly to Zone 1 and checked in for a flight to New York and then a special line Access 1 and within five minutes the security check was also over
at exactly 6 45 am, i was in the Air France Lounge at Terminal 2 F.

the sweetest part is that the taxi ride cost only 50 euros. There are agencies now which will take you to the airports for a fixed price. Viola!

the driver was a parisien of algerien descent and with his limited english and my limited french we could have a conversation..

I am going to the USA to me the friendliest country for a foreigner to visit.. from a country where more than 90 per cent can be classed as less than friendly not because they are cold but because of the language. it is incredible that in the middle of europe, they sit, and they dont speak a word of any of the other european languages... forget about trying to speak Spanish here.. you will have more luck in the USA

many ways to come into Paris, taxi,shuttle, RER trains, buses, and rental car. The exact train fare is at RATP.FR site they went up in July 2011 so not keep up with them yet...as I drive a car.

At that time it is best as suggested to take a taxi. And if take the trains avoid Chatelet,its not a good station to try Paris, very long corridors, and tunnels and many lines connect there.

if you insist on public transport, go on RER B from airport to stop Denfert-Rochereau, there take line 6 to la motte picquet-Grenelle, and walk to hotel or take a short taxi ride of 5 mins.

overall the best is the taxi, about 40 euros for two ,small luggage, extra luggage you paid a bit more about One euro per luggage.
hope it helps

1 more image

Paris also has green taxis: the bicycle taxis.

The Cyclotour, Urban Cab and Cyclobulle companies provide the Paris bicycle taxi sevice.

The rate is about 1.50 Euros per person per kilometer travelled with a minimum rate of 3 Euros. That rate goes up to 2.50 Euros per person on Sundays and public holidays.

Sightseeing rates : From €25 for a 30 minute ride.

We had booked an early morning easyjet flight that was leaving Paris at 7.00am and we had to be at the airport an hour before.

Taxis G7 were very reliable, we booked the night before and our driver was waiting downstairs 5 minutes before our booking. We made our flight and there was no traffic on the road at 5.30am!

To speak to an english operator; +33 (0)1 41 27 66 99

After a short strike, the taxi drivers have obtained a raise of 3.1 pct (1st march 2008).
The maximum price is :
- a fix of 3.22 euros
+ 0.88 euros per kilometer
+29.61 euros per hour when they are still (in a traffic jam for example) or at a very low speed.

The average cost within Paris is 12 to 20 euros. From an airport : 60 to 80 euros on Sunday (my personal experience) according to the distance and time
If you start from a Railway station : + 1€ per luggage.
The normal gratuity (tip) is 10%.
Some accept credit cards.
The best way to find a taxi is to go to a taxi station, generally at the corner of the street (there are 15.000 taxis in Paris but it is not enough for the demand).
But if its roof light is on, you can call a taxi by the street when you are sufficiently lucky.
There are 3 places in a taxi, 4 if the driver accepts a person at its right (we are not in London).
The taxi drivers do not generally speak English (some do not speak correctly French) and they are often rude because it is not a profitable job. Be indulgent.
On the picture : taxis place Denfert Rochereau (see The Lion of Belfort behind the cars)

I feel I need to put in a good word for the taxi drivers of Paris. I have had bad experiences with taxis in other European cities but never in Paris and as good as the Metro, RER and buses are, there are times when a taxi is the best option. For example, very early in the morning when you have a train to catch from Paris de l'Este and you are staying in Montparnasse. I took a taxi at 6.30am which cost just 10Euro80. the driver was very pleasant and helped me with my luggage into the station. Similarly we travelled to Orly from Porte d'Orleans at 4.30am and the cost which we had been told would be in the region of 30 Euro was in fact, 23 Euro. So don't be afraid to take a taxi in Paris, you won't be ripped off.