Arriving to Paris on a major holiday: May 1st

Yes, you should be able to get a cab. Are you flying in or arriving by train?

Not a good answer to your question. But we have been in Europe a couple times over May 1 and hardily noticed any difference. Now this was probably closer to ten or more years ago so our experience is very dated. I would think you would be fine.

Be aware that there is “no one size fits all” answer as to how different countries in Europe are on May 1. There are countries, like the Netherlands for instance, where you don’t notice a thing and everything is up and running. And there are countries like France where May 1st is a major holiday with lots of closures. Shops will be closed. Most museums are closed. Workers unions will organize marches which can lead to roads in central Paris to be closed off temporarily. So depending on where exactly your hotel is and when exactly you arrive, a taxi may not be able to drive all the way to your hotel or may need to take a detour.

Cabs should not be a problem unless your hotel is along the labor day march route. metros are closed along the path but otherwise open. There will be places open to eat but most shops and museums are closed -- it is the biggest holiday for closures besides Christmas day and New Years.

Yes, you need to be aware of marches and closures. Ask your hotel what to expect, and perhaps set up a guaranteed car pickup at CDG.

Public transportation is running in Paris on May 1, as a backup. This is not the case in most other French cities, FYI.

My husband is flying in on May 1 and meeting me at our hotel. I have arranged through our hotel for a cab to meet him. My experience with that type of arrangement in Paris is that the drivers know how to avoid any traffic jams as they are constantly talking to other drivers. We have never encountered a problem in many trips to Paris.