Paris Taxis

Taking a taxi in Paris is an easy way to get around town. With tens of thousands of taxis driving the streets everyday it is not hard to find one, with the possible exception of a rainy day. You can call ahead for a taxi, hail one on the street in any neighorhood, from North Paris to South Paris, or wait in line at a taxi stand.

Airport Taxis

Taking a taxi from the airport can be convenient, especially if you have a lot of luggage on your back to Paris from the airport. However, taking a taxi will be significantly more expensive than taking the RER suburban train or the bus. For example, a Taxi from Charles de Gaulle airport to the city center will cost about 50 Euro. The benefit to taking a taxi from the airport, besides ease with your luggage, is that they run 24 hours a day, where as the train and bus does not. The airports have many taxi stands where you can wait in line and pick up a waiting taxi. It is important that you only accept a ride from a licensed taxi. All Paris taxis will have the sign Taxi Parisien on top of their vehicle. Do not accept a ride from anyone claiming to be a taxi who does not have this sign as well as a meter inside their vehicle.

Paris Taxi Rates

When you enter a Paris taxi there is a pickup rate that will go into the meter automatically. In addition to this starting charge, most taxis in Paris have a minimum charge that you must meet. It is important to note that a driver can not turn you away because you are not going on a long ride. Rates may appear to be inconsistent at times. This is because the rates increase at night and in the early morning. Taxis will also charge depending upon the number of people riding. Fares can get expensive quickly if you are stuck in heavy traffic or trying to go to a far off location.

Hours

One of the greatest benefits to taking a taxi is Paris is that they run 24 hours a day. No matter what time of day you need a taxi you will be able to find one. There are over 500 taxi stands in the city that you can go to. If you are close to a taxi stand it is not recommended that you try and hail one on the street, but rather go to the stand and take the next one in line. If you decide to call ahead for a taxi it is important to note that the driver will begin to charge you for the ride to your location. For this reason it is ideal to go to a stand if possible. The way to know if a taxi is available is to look at their Taxi Parisiensign. If it is lit up then the taxi is free and ready for customers.

Paying for a Paris Taxi

Many taxis in Paris take credit cards, but not all. The taxi should have payment information on the outside of the vehicle so that you know what forms of payment they accept and what they do not. Generally speaking it is a good idea to have cash that way you can be sure to pay your fare. Tipping Parisian taxi drivers is customary but not mandatory. Most people tip about ten percent to their driver. It's also important to remember that your driver may or may not speak English. Therefore you should have a good idea of where you need to go before you get into the car.

Main Taxi Companies

With tens of thousands of taxis in Paris and over 500 taxi stands it is important to point out the main taxi companies. Most vehicles are independently operated by qualified driver. These drivers are then associated with a taxis firm. Taxis G7 has 6,5000 vehicles in Paris and the surrounding suburbs. They make a commitment to make your journey a pleasant one. The firm also tries to make their cars as environmentally friendly as possible. This firm is a good choice if you need a handicap accessible vehicle. Taxis Blues has about 3,000 vehicles in Paris. They are all equipped with technology in order to be able to accept credit card payment. Alpha Taxis is the third large taxi firm in the city.

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