Taxi or Metro in Paris?

Taxis are cost-effective for 4 people but still more expensive than 4 tickets for most journeys. Also, the metro is often faster than a taxi. It will depend on the time of the day and the route!

Note if you take a taxi you will need to use the Paris taxi app (don’t remember right now the name of it). I waited at a main taxi stop right off Rue de Rivoli for 20” in November 2022 and saw plenty of taxis… they just didn’t stop. I learned from my hotel that I needed to use the app to call one. That’s how I got a taxi to the airport our last morning.

The best taxis to use are from G7. You can download their app, or go to their website and call their English-speaking reservation number.

Or you can go to a taxi stand.

A popular school of thought among travelers is that if you are in a group of three or more people, it is sometimes better to hire a taxi rather than use the Metro. A taxi often saves time over the Metro, and time is a commodity more important than money while traveling. A taxi also makes economic sense because the cost can be split four ways.

However, there reasons to take the Metro. The Metro is fun, and it itself represents a cultural experience. I have been on at least 25-30 metro systems worldwide in my life. In random order, the three best are Paris, London and Toyko followed closely by Madrid, Berlin and Barcelona, I find. And as mentioned, the Paris Metro is supremely efficient and often beats taxis.

I have visited Paris three times, two times in 2012 and once in 2017. Riding the Metro felt like a fun part of being a temporary resident of Paris. I never took a taxi. Because you'll be in a group, however, it might make sense to take a taxi now and then.

The metro doesn't get stuck in traffic.

Thanks for the info about taxi apps, but is it that hard to simply find one at a taxi stand? I was last in Paris in 2018 and we had no trouble finding taxis without an app, even outside the Opera Bastille after a performance. But maybe that has changed!

I would suggest using a combination of the Metro and the buses. If taking the Metro require changing Metro lines in getting from A to B, whereas taking a particular bus is a direct shot, I am taking that bus. Metro tickets are valid on the bus. Walking, riding both bus and Metro got me around easily in Paris.

Check out bus stops when you come across them to see in which direction the bus is going , it just might be to your advantage if it is going your way.

Like Fred we use the bus system quite a bit but are more leisurely paced travellers so often not in a rush to get from A to B. This past May we also used the G7 app which was very handy. Judging from comments on other travel groups, lots of tourists are using taxis and Uber more than in the past (although I don’t know how long Uber or Bolt have been operating in Paris) so it may be more difficult to grab a taxi compared to years ago.

I think the Navigo Easy Pass can have 10 rides; might be worth each of us getting one so that it's an alternative.

Consider that you might want to split up, or even go four different places, some of the time. For that a taxi would cost much more than Metro. The suggestion of buses is a good one also, the Metro tickets work and you can see a lot more from a bus than underground. Depends on how far you're going and how the routes work.

In our experience except at some sites like Bastille, the Eiffel tower etc it is hard to find a taxi. Most taxi stands do not have taxis waiting. You can stand there and hope for the best that one shows up, but it is frustrating.

The metro is fast -- cross town taxis are slow. I'd plan to use the metro with occasional taxi use.

I guess that when there aren't any taxis at a stand, that's when the app might come in handy, as it does at home.

You cannot split a Navigo Easy between several people. You need one card per person.
You won't find taxis easily in the AM and PM weekday rush hours and late nights on Saturdays, but otherwise I have pretty good success hailing cabs or finding them at stands, especially in fancy neighborhoods. It did not become harder since 2018. It was nearly impossible in the days before Uber, though 😅. If that fails, G7 charges 4€ for a cab request (not too bad).

As Balso and Craig pointed out up above, the metro can be faster than a taxi. I know it's the case for my commute between home and work - it never makes sense for me to take a taxi, because barring some enormous problem, the metro is much faster.

I think the Navigo Easy Pass can have 10 rides;

The Navigo Easy card can be loaded with any number of tickets t+ you like, from 1 to 29 @ 2.10€ each. You may purchase groups of 10 tickets t+ discounted at 16.90€.

The only pass you may load onto the Navigo Easy is a day pass, with various zone coverage options.

Taxi advantages, you're all together in a private car. There are taxi lanes now. You'll see some sights.

Taxi disadvantages, they use regular passenger cars in Paris unlike London so you'd have to squeeze 3 in back and one up front if the driver will allow. So that might not work. And cost.

Either have your hotel call one for you (there will probably be a surcharge) or look for a taxi stand, they are everywhere.

Rick's general advice is, if it saves you a lot of time or is more convenient for your needs, take a taxi. Just don't make a habit of it if you can easily metro or bus.

As noted above, the Paris metro is one of the best in the world and not at all hard to use. But it's underground so you don't see Paris.