Taxi from Garde Du Nord

The official taxi rank at GARE du Nord is near the Eurostar platform. Go to the concourse at the head of the train. Take the exit on the right. You will see the taxis and, likely, a line of people waiting their turn. The line will move fairly quickly and there may be someone managing the line.. It's a good idea to have the name and address of your hotel written on a piece of paper to give to the driver. Make sure before getting into the taxi that his credit card reader is working. If not, go to the next taxi.

Thank you for the detailed info! This helps so much!

There have been many reports of corrupt drivers attempting to convince passengers of fixed rates from the Gare du Nord. This is not true. Make sure your driver starts the meter prior to leaving. If they refuse, get out and get into another taxi. If they threaten to call the police, let them.

Yes I've heard of this and thank you for the reminder. Does anyone have an opinion whether Eurostar or airplane (Easy Jet) would be better from England to Paris? I took Easy Jet a few times last summer from Gatwick but not to Paris

Re flights vs train. Setting aside the pure aggravation of airports. You will need to do the math. Time to travel from your London hotel to one of the airports, vs time to St Pancras station. Arrival at airport 2-3 hours before flight for baggage check and security vs arrival 1hr 15 min before train for security and passport check. Transit time between London and Paris. Clearing Passport Control and baggage check and exiting the airport vs exiting the train station. Taking the RER or taxi into Paris vs you're already there.

Thank you my sister lives in England and will be taking me to the airport or train station. She suggested Eurostar right away so I’m assuming it will be more convenient for her to take me there. But I’ll check on logistics myself and check with what she prefers as well. Thanks again!

We.did both, flights and Eurostar and much prefer train . I seem to remember it took less time and I know it was much more comfortable, in fact we are doing this from.Paris to London this spring. As said the taxi lines are well controlled although there were a couple of very aggressive men trying to get us to use their taxi instead of the official ones in fact one touched my arm to try to get me to go with him. As my husband said I wasn't raised in NYC for nothing!! I thought it was funny but can be intimidating if you are not prepared but there were several.security men there so.is really safe, just something to.be aware of. Enjoy your trip.

I appreciate all the advice it’s so helpful. Is there a good way to tell if it’s an official taxi despite them not trying to charge the flat rate?

If they are in the official (marked) taxi line, they are legit. They will be lined up also.

P.S. If I remember reading correctly, Eurostar tickets are cheaper the earlier ahead you purchase them. Anyone on the forum to confirm?

As you approach the taxi rank at Gare du Nord, there will be people asking if you need a taxi. Ignore them. They are thieves. Get in the official taxi rank. It's well marked and there will be a line of people waiting for a taxi.

The last time I was there I estimated about 100 people ahead of me. I don't' think I waited more than 10 minutes as taxis kept arriving.

With the train you depart from the center of town and you arrive in the center of town. No need to travel in from the airport. And since all formalities (immigration, customs, etc) is done in London, when you arrive in Paris, you just walk off the train and go.

Remember to give yourself plenty of time for the Eurostar formalities in London. Eurostar recommends you check in no later than 75 minutes before departure for standard class tickets.

If you have never taken Eurostar or are not familiar with the procedure, you might want to read up on the check in procedure as it is different than any other train.

http://www.eurostar.com/us-en

Go to the drop down menu on the top right of the page. Scroll down to Traveling with Eurostar and start at the "Your Trip" section.

I agree going directly into Paris is better. I’m looking at staying in the St Germaine area. The metro seems daunting to me, would a taxi from the train station be easier than the metro? I plan on looking at metro maps however it looks like St Germaine area is an acceptable walking distance to many sites so I could avoid taking the metro.

There are a lot of dishonest taxi drivers operating out of Gare du Nord. Just make sure the driver starts the meter. To have his taxi on the road, his credit card machine must be operable. If you have any problem, take a photo of the driver information is posted on the left rear seat window.

You can file a complaint, if necessary, with the préfecture de police concerning any problem you have:

https://www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr/demarches-et-services-en-ligne/particulier/contact-us-customer-complaint-form

Yes I think that’s correct about Eurostar tickets. The price is going up

The metro seems daunting to me, would a taxi from the train station be easier than the metro?

Yes, a taxi would be easier. Many people will tell you how easy it is to take the Metro--go downstairs, then upstairs, then walk to your hotel.

A taxi takes you directly to your hotel. No steps. I usually take a taxi when I have luggage but will rely on public transportation at other times..

Yes, a taxi costs a little more but.....you're spending how much for the entire trip only to get ultra thrifty over a few Euros.

YMMV

Is there a good way to tell if it’s an official taxi despite them not trying to charge the flat rate?

The only place that is a flat rate from Gare du Nord in a taxi is CDG airport (or Orly airport).

All other destinations use the meter. So if you are going to your lodging from Gare du Nord, the driver will correctly be using the meter.

If I remember reading correctly, Eurostar tickets are cheaper the earlier ahead you purchase them. Anyone on the forum to confirm?

Absolutely.

Eurostar tickets only get more expensive the longer you wait to buy them.

Hi, if I arrive to Gare du Nord on the Eurostar and opt to walk, is it generally safe to walk from Gare du Nord to the Marais area during the daytime? I'm not much for taxis. Personally as a single woman, I don't like getting into a vehicle with a stranger. I would feel okay taking a taxi the other direction--from a hotel to Gare du Nord, as the hotel would likely book a reputable taxi driver.

Daisy, just be aware that it could take well over half an hour of walking, with your luggage, depending on where in the Marais you are going. If you follow the recommendations given above, you should be fine with a taxi.

I mapped the walking route from Gare Du Nord to my hotel and looks like a 49 minute walk, which is considerable.

"I mapped the walking route from Gare Du Nord to my hotel and looks like a 49 minute walk, which is considerable."

I wouldn't mind a 49 minute walk back to the hotel from a specific venue but I would not want to walk that far with luggage! I'd go for the taxi option and Kim has given you good advice about the flat rate vs meter. If you need to, copy some of the replies into a document, perhaps on googledocs, so you can review it when you get on the train in London.

I know there are people who are scammed every day but I've never had an issue with a taxi from GdN. I do hand them a 3x5 card with my hotel address on it.

I agree the walk would be fine for me. I will only have a small rolling suitcase however I am unfamiliar with the area and a walk like that may be intimidating. Most sites that I want to see are within 20-30 minutes from my hotel and appear to be pretty direct routes so I’m more comfortable with that.

I can easily handle 49 minutes, that is around 2.5 miles. I typically bring a backpack or a small duffel bag with a crossbody strap.

My question, though, was really about the safety of the area around Gare du Nord for walking. Are there any specific places outside the station that are unsafe? I'll be heading southwest on Rue La Fayette.

I recently posted my solo female thoughts on staying near Gare du Nord and my experience/impression of the area, perhaps it will be of some help: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france-reviews/paris-hotel-near-gare-du-nord-or-not

As to the specifics of safety for solo female walkers in the area, I have walked in and out and around the front of Gare du Nord over many years. Other than some groups of younger men "hanging around", the area during the day didn't concern me any more than walking through some areas of my home city. I even had my phone obviously in hand a few times and didn't fear for imminent snatching. That said, I wouldn't make a show of checking a phone or physical map, walk as if you know where you are going. Typical city smarts.

I am also a walker. I know that I walked back to my hotel from Bastille. (That area is blissfully flat!) However, I wasn't carrying a pack or dragging a suitcase. I'm just thinking a person could possibly attract more unwanted attention walking any where in Paris (or any other city) while manipulating a suitcase or traveling gear, but this isn't something I (personally) would have a particular concern with - perhaps just more purposeful awareness of the surroundings. I would make sure I knew the landmarks for the start of the walk.

Paris is a very safe place; violent crime is very low. Pickpockets are an annoyance but if they are successful you won't even see them so just make sure no valuables are in places a hand can go. I use an under clothes money belt in transit and then stow most of my money, IDs, cards etc in the hotel safe or apartment before heading out. Pockets, backpacks and carelessly held purses are risky and never lay a phone on the cafe table especially outside.

I would not hesitate to walk from Gare du Nord and would use City Mapper or google maps to give me my walking route. It is not that difficult to pull a small bag on sidewalks and you will always run into others doing the same.

this is getting a little confusing because there are two different people asking similar but different questions at the same time. Maybe best if you need specific answers to post a new topic, then you'll get the notifications too.

I just spoke with a female friend who has traveled to Paris alone. She was charged 185 euro from a taxi in the official line at Gare Du Nord and was very upset as you can imagine. It looks like I’m going to be figuring out the metro!

nmarsa567,
185 euro! Where did she go to from the Gare du Nord? If to the Marais area, I can't believe she actually got a taxi from the official line. If she did, that's terrible, but perhaps the driver was a tout who conned he and convinced her he was an official taxi. Anyone on the forum have any ideas about this?

She said she went to the suburbs. She described the driver as “ruthless” and having no sympathy whatsoever for her.

She said she went to the suburbs.

Hard to tell about a 185€ fare without knowing the destination, if the meter was running, what the meter read at pickup, or which fare structure was in effect (there are 3). It seems high but without more information, analysis is difficult.

The only guarantee with an official Taxi Parisien is that you have recourse in the event of a problem. Be very careful at Gare du Nord.

nmarsa567,
I'm still amazed at the exorbitant price your friend paid for her taxi, but "suburbs" takes in a lot. Our family members live in St Germain Les Arpajons, and they consider themselves to be in the suburbs of Paris as they are in the Ile de France. They are about 58 km from Gare Du Nord, and it takes about an hour to drive there. I have no clue about what the cab fare there should be. I wonder if there is a surcharge for someplace past a certain distance from the city. (A different fare structure?) The attitude of the driver makes me suspect that he is not an official taxi, as the only time I have found less than courteous drivers was in Istanbul, where we were careless about our taxi one time, and got a rogue driver who overcharged us. I think we looked like easy marks!
Best of luck for your trip!

My friend didn't specify where her destination was however she does live in France now so I would imagine she is aware of what a reasonable price would be for where she was going.
Thank you for your time and responses, I'm going to take a look at the metro and if I have questions I will post!

For what it's worth, I read yesterday that the taxis in Paris have gotten super expensive. This underscores for me that I'll be walking.

Sorry for hijacking the thread but it seemed to be relevant since the poster said she is traveling solo and asked about some safety issues.

I read yesterday that the taxis in Paris have gotten super expensive.

Taxi rates, if they change, will do so each year on 1 February. Here are the rates currently in effect (nothing has changed recently):

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15396

"Super expensive" is very subjective. The taxi rates in Paris are, more or less, what is found in any European capital city. Taxis are, of course, more expensive than taking the bus or métro.