Paris - by Metro or Taxi - for Short Stay

we always use the metro because it is fast. Traffic can be VERY slow in Paris -- we have had it take 45 minutes to get from Fondation Louis Vuitton to an apartment across town. Note also that many cabs will not take 4 passengers -- the front seat is the cabbi's 'office'. And cabs are not always easy to find. We have stayed near cab stands many times where we have never seen a cab waiting.

for the airport -- definitely a cab, but around town I think metro is more efficient as well as being more interesting and fun for the kids.

Hi!

janetravels44 is right about cabs. It can be YIKES. Not enough cabs + apocalyptic traffic = yikes.

I’d just add that since you have little time, maybe try using buses. I know - “the Metro is faster!” - but hear me out. Since the Metro is mostly underground, usually crowded, and often just nasty, the bus can be a super alternative. You’re above ground, for one thing! You can see sights! I consider the bus a great way to see stuff on the fly as you get from one itinerary destination to another. Yeah, the Metro might (MIGHT) be 15 minutes faster, but you see nothing and it often smells of urine.

• Bus 69
: route that passes by many major sights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Père Lachaise cemetery


• Bus 42
: route that goes from the Eiffel Tower to the Champs-Élysées, past the Opera Garnier, and to Gare du Nord 


• Bus 89
: explores the Rive Gauche (the Left Bank), passing by the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Panthéon, and the Arènes de Lutèce

• Bus 67
: takes you to lesser-known spots, including the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Comédie Française, and the Grand Mosque of Paris

Nate,
Your morning walk is IMO a long one. How old are the children? Allow a lot of time for this morning walk, or maybe take the hop-on hop-off boat "Batobus" on your way to the Eiffel Tower to see things along the way. Your nighttime dinner cruise will have a different perspective than a daytime boat ride. Check out a Paris map for distances, etc. to allow enough time for this leg. Plan time to stop and check out things that catch your eye. (By the way, I am assuming you are just planning to see the EiffelTower from the ground, and not going up. To ascend, allow lots more time.)

Take the metro from the Eiffel Tower area to Le Marais. Schedule enough time for lunch and a sit-down sometime in there, after a morning of walking. For that night, take the metro or taxi to Montmartre. Note that in Montmartre most metro stops are long flights of stairs below ground, so if the children are small, allow time to get up top to street level.

Just fyi, if you decide on a taxi, get the G7 app on your phone to "call" one. Be sure to tell them 4 passengers. We have had 4 adults in one taxi with the driver having one of us in the front seat. But not all will do so. Taxis can travel in the bus lanes so are faster than Uber and from what I hear, don't cost much more (Uber surge pricing). Of course, the metro is cheaper than taxis, by far. It is up to your tolerance for steps and for crowds on the metro. Also, the age of your children (Five, ten, fifteen years old?) will be a factor.

Your one day sounds VERY busy with the long walk, but you all may be happy to bustle along. Have a fun day in the City of Light!

Nate,
Volva's advice about the bus is great. Wish I had thought of it!

I almost always use the buses. First, you are on vacation, what's the rush? Second, you actually get to see the city en route rather than tunneling underground in urine-smelling subways. The only exceptions are getting to the airport on arrival—I now splurge on a taxi. And if I am in a real hurry to get across town at rush hour—in which case I may take the metro.

I have only two methods of travel in Paris: métro or walking, and I typically walk everywhere.

Sometimes I take the bus, never if I am in a hurry. I also avoid taxis and VTC's (Uber, Bolt, FreeNow). They take too long and add unnecessary expense.

You have grouped your itinerary rather well, the Eiffel Tower being the only somewhat remote point of interest. Otherwise, you can easily walk among the other locations. You probably only need a few métro tickets.

Métro all the way. I understand that at first it can be terribly daunting but after your first few rides you will have mastered it. It's really a simple system and one of the easiest. Google maps is your friend.

Metro by all means. Traffic can be very slow.

With regard to a dinner cruise, it might be hard to juggle eating and sightseeing at the same time. We always opt to have a great meal somewhere before and after a river cruise. You might want to consider doing the same. We use Vedettes Pont Neuf. https://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/cruises/

We've taken several night time cruises with them and have always enjoyed the experience. We've never had to have a reservation, although that might have changed in recent months. Wouldn't hurt to check to be sure.

Just food for thought.

Buses are slow; they are often filled with elderly and handcapped people since they can't use the metro and of course their giant shopping carts; unless you get a window seat, you aren't viewing the scenery. And we have had bus drivers zip right by our stop even though we have rung for the stop properly. The 69 can be lovely IF you get on at the terminus at either end, but as soon as it fills up you are standing and not seeing the sights.

Some people love the buses. And when we can no longer do the metro steps which could be any day now, we will be stuck with them. but IMHO getting their fast trumps sitting in traffic.

Hi everyone,

Apologies for the late reply. Thank you all for the great advice.

Nate

In Paris, normally, I hardly ever use a taxi, let alone ride share, not an option. I rely exclusively on the Metro and the buses. Surprising how extensive one can get around merely relying on the buses, nowhere as crowded in the summer as are Metro trains.

If there are 4 of you, you might not be able to squish all of you on into a crowded Metro train.

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