From Gare du Nord to rue George Sand in the 16th? We are arriving on the Eurostar and I hope to avoid the cash machines at the train station. I do have €25 from our last trip. Could it possibly be more than that? We haven't been in Paris for 12 years but I recall cab fares then of €6-10 for the rides we did.
Posted by
San Antonio TX, United States
2393 posts
According to the Taxifare Finder it would be about €30 in average traffic.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
16287 posts
Ouch. This will be at mid-day---- early afternoon, on a Monday.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
Parisian taxis are now required to have a credit card machine. Whether or not the driver wants to use it is another matter - he might say it's broken, etc. I've never paid more than 27 EU in heavy traffic, going farther than you will, so doubt that the fare will be more than 30EU, even at that time of day on Monday. But if there is a protest march or someone important is arriving for lunch with the President, that might not be the case.
All you have to do is ask the driver if he accepts credit cards before you get into the taxi. If you don't speak French, just show him your Visa or MasterCard and smile.
Since it's been so long since you were last in Paris, you should know that it's much simpler to get a cab. Stand on a busy corner, look for the green light on top of the taxi, put out your hand and smile. Metered rates are good for 4 passengers, and there is no more fee to put luggage in the trunk.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
I forgot to mention that Gare du Nord is full of scam taxi drivers. Ignore the people walking up to you offering you a taxi, who will take you on a very expensive "scenic" tour of Paris. Turn towards the left when exiting the station and head to the official TAXI queue on rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis. Walk to the end of the line and wait your turn.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
And one last thing...
I never leave for a foreign country without enough cash to get me through at least one or two days. You never know what can happen, and to my way of thinking, it's better to be safe than sorry.
You can go to your bank and request euros - 100 to 200 EU should be enough - this would ease your mind, and wouldn't cost very much for the convenience. Normally, your bank can complete the transaction in a couple of days.
Posted by
Paris
9584 posts
I would guess 20-25 euros but I'm not the most expert fare predictor. I guess it could get up to 30 depending on the conditions. And if the Monday is a holiday -- like next Monday the 16th -- the rates are a little higher -- but of course the traffic a bit lighter, so it probably evens out. I wish I had a better more accurate answer but if it were me, I'd feel comfortable with a few more euros in my pocket. rue George Sand is a ways down into the 16th, so a bit of a distance from the train station.
Depending on what you're doing in regards to wireless connectivity (i.e. whether you'll have it upon arrival in Paris), you could get an Uber and then not have to worry about cash . . .
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Lola, There is a cash machine at London St Pancras station, in the Eurostar waiting area that dispenses £ and Euros! I am not sure what it charges for Euros, or how much your bank would charge.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
16287 posts
Thank you, Chris---that may be the solution. Our bank only charges 1% transaction fee and waives any ATM-specific charges, so I will plan on getting more €€ at St. Pancras. This will be Monday the 23rd so maybe not a holiday.
Strange that I am a bit wary about Paris. We handle Italy and Barcelona just fine, and maybe I have just seen too many posts about the Metro hazards and also Gare du Nord. We do know to only take taxis from the official taxi rank and both of us speak passable tourist French and can read much more.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4412 posts
On my last trip we took a taxi from Ile St. Louis to CDG, the hotel concierge told us we should be prepared to pay in cash. And he was right.
Another time the taxi had a cc machine but when we got to the airport the driver claimed his machine wouldn't accept one of our cards. So we tried another and voila, it worked. Yeah, OK.
Posted by
Paris
9584 posts
Good, Monday the 23rd is NOT a holiday.
Unfortunately you're right to be more concerned about Gare du Nord. It is not a welcoming place for our arriving visitors.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
Even if your French is very good, it's a really good idea to have the address you're headed to printed on a piece of paper. Make sure to include the Postal Code and hand it to the driver. Many drivers don't have French as their first language, so this will help avoid any confusion.
The ATM in St Pancras is located right under the escalators. Make sure to be careful in this area, which is always crowded.