French airport taxis??

Yes they are reliable. Go to the official taxi line and ignore anyone who approaches you on the way there. Fixed rate is 56 euros to a right bank location and 65 to the left bank. Up to 4 people with luggage for that price (normal amount of luggage...no steamer trunks!). Verify the will take your credit card. No need to tip. Ricks's book discusses this, I believe, and there are many mentions on the forum. Try entering "taxis from CDG" in the search bar above, filter for travel forum, then filter for 6 months or less.

Mahalo Judy, you've made me feel more confident.

Very official looking people will approach you with lanyards around their neck, maybe an official looking hat or uniform and a clipboard asking 'Taxi?' or 'Taxis this way' or 'need a taxi?' These are the scammers just walk by ignoring them and follow the signs on the floor that lead to the official queue which will be obvious when you see it. The last few times we have done this there has been virtually no line waiting; if you are at a busy time there will be a switchback line that moves quickly. There are dozens of cabs waiting their turn below ground and half a dozen awaiting passengers at the head of the queue. The dispatcher will. point you to one. If you are several with luggage they will find a van cab. The fixed amount should be on the meter when you pull out -- if they are running the meter point out the fixed amount. (only happened to me once and he immediately changed it -- I had a very long trip where the meter would have been much higher -- St. Lazare is pretty close in and the meter might actually be less -- but from the airport the rule is the fixed costs.)

In addition to Judy and Janet's information.....

I have a 3x5 card (yes, I still have dozens of them, hahaha) with the complete address I want to go to in Paris including the number that says 750xx. AND beside it I have the amount of the fixed rate, 56E in your case and have "FIXED RATE" written out beside it. Although the taxi drivers usually speak English they may not read English but I'm willing to bet they know the phrase "Fixed Rate". I type it out on the computer and tape it to the card.

When you come back from Bayeux will you be going to a hotel? If so, I'd do the same on the back side of this card so you are set for return. Will you take a taxi from the Bayeux train station to your hotel? I usually fold my 3x5 in half and have 4 spots for hotel addresses, lol. There will not be a fixed rate from any of those locations.

You can also ask the attendant for a taxi driver that speaks English.

with the complete address I want to go to in Paris including the number that says 750xx.

By this, Pam means the postal code for the arrondissement (district) where you are headed. All Paris postal codes start with 750, and then the last two digits are the number of the arrondissement. (For example, when I met my husband, he lived in the Fourth arrondissement. His postal code was 75004. The Musée d’Orsay is in the 7th arrondissement, so its postal code is 75007. The Père Lachaise cemetery is in the 20th arrondissement, so its postal code is 75020. And so on.)

I don’t think this is necessary in your case - a card that says Gare St Lazare and 56€ will get the point across.

Thank you to everyone for the very helpful information.

Janette, the heads up for bypassing any offers of assistance
Pam, the 3x5 cards are so old school and so me, lol!
Skunklet, asking for an English speaking driver
Kim, clarification of the 750 meaning.
Additionally, good to know about the meter setting. Hoping that our long trip from Hawaii won't leave us walking zombies, plan to try to get as much sleep as possible while flying. Coming from Hawaii our biggest challenge is probably going to be not wanting to stop and try to spread aloha to anyone that wants to talk to us, lol.
Random, but I've been trying to find a picture of the floor signs to the official taxi queues.
Mahalo to all of you!

I am sure that there are YouTube videos of folks explaining how to make it to the taxi stand that show the signs.

And keep in mind that the first signs you see directing you towards the taxi stand will be overhead signage.

My husband even had a scammer approach him in the line saying that line was Only for outside of Paris city. They know you're sleep deprived off a long flight most likely and they're very motivated to trip you up , so to speak.

Plus....at the head of the official taxi line there is a line manager who will point you to a taxi when it's your turn. For groups he will point them to the side to wait and call up a van from the waiting area. It's all very organized.

And laughing...I usually do everything digitally but for this....I'm more comfortable handing the guy the 3x5 card so he can put it in his GPS than giving him my phone even though I have the address in my phone as well. BTW, I also shake my phone and ask ApplePay OK? I used to hold up my CC but have gone to ApplePay in every instance I can. Just make sure you know where your 3x5 card is stashed, hahaha! I keep it in the same zipper pocket as my passport until I get to my hotel, then move it to my change purse with CC/DC/ID.

My brother and his wife came for a visit to see me in Paris last Saturday and bad a very poor run in with a miserable taxi driver (G7... surprisingly). They went to the taxi stand like I told them. However, the person organizing it at the front had my brother and sister get in a taxi that was not the next one I the queue, but one who was nearby. He supposedly drove like a maniac and refused to take their credit card when they got to the hotel. My brother, who doesn't speak French, told him they could call the police if the driver preferred and the driver took their cars over the phone (he never turned the meter on). Strangely, to get to the 16th where we live, the driver only charged then 25€. Needless to say, we reported the driver. Even following our instructions, it didn't go well.

One trick sometimes mentioned is 'credit card machine is broken'. It's the law that they must take cards. So add to your 3x5 card "Mastercard" or "Visa".

I almost hesitated to mention this and add to anyone’s stress level, but for the first time flying into CDG last May there were men who were not official working the taxi line and directing people away from the official manager. I believe I’m correct in saying the taxi manager will be wearing a safety vest or something that is an official uniform. Our taxi manager was young and either he wasn’t aware or was afraid to confront these older men.

We’ve always followed the large feet on the ground with “taxi” written on them.

Thank you so much for your observations. I also had concerns and found out we can request assistance, which I did through the chat with Air France. You have to do it with your airlines I think, not the airport. It's not obvious, the little chat thingy in the lower right hand of your screen when you log in. Super easy. Now, when we arrive in Paris, we wait on the plane until everyone else has deplaned, then the airport assistant team will scoop us up, guide us through customs (including the new EES), and on to the official taxi line. My 78 year old husband who has difficulty walking will have a wheelchair if he wants it. It's free. And we're going for it because we have a two day trip from our home in Hawaii. Hope this helps someone, no shame, we'll report back on the actual experience.

yes official taxis are reliable!

DO NOT follow the guys harassing you in the terminal (they are not official at all), walk to the official station at the airport and always ask the price before going in

"My 78 year old husband who has difficulty walking will have a wheelchair if he wants it."

Definitely go for the wheelchair. It can be a long walk from where you deplane to and thru the Border Control. The wheelchair attendant will take him with you following thru the special lane for crew members and zip/zap, you're done. They will also take you to the curb to the taxi stand.

No need to inform them ahead of time that you are using a credit card. They are all required to take credit cards and they know it. Let them know you know it too. Just hold firm and they will back down. Machines that "don't work" will magically work just fine when they learn it is a credit card or nothing. Scammers and predators prey on sheep—don't be a sheep.