We went to the taxi rank when we arrived is early afternoon. Manager put us in special line presumably because we were only two. But maybe because we looked stupid and old. Taxi started meter when we got in. The meter said $15.80 when we got to hotel. Driver tried to get $80 and showed me a similar taxi meter that said $80. My wife got our stuff out of taxi and into hotel. I told driver that $80 seemed high and I needed to talk to hotel. I went into hotel and told desk clerk. When desk clerk went outside to get taxi driver's side the driver sped off in his taxi. I got a free ride.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2622 posts
Sounds like you flipped the script and the taxi driver is the one who “got taken for a ride!”
Well done.
Posted by
1235 posts
Except for the official CDG taxi line to left/right bank with the fixed rate, we use the G7 Paris taxi app. It tells you what the fare will be, so there's no surprises or watching the meter. Our driver's were very professional, and cars were in exceptional condition.
But free is good! You win.
Posted by
Boston
253 posts
Gare du Nord is notorious for taxi drivers trying to rip tourists off. Well done you!
Posted by
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
21976 posts
Just look what these two guys had to deal with when getting in a taxi at Nord. Inexcusable behavior by the driver: https://youtu.be/gpCQZO2WQmM?feature=shared
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
4172 posts
Very well done on your part to not get flustered and insist on checking with the hotel. I have had more than one taxi driver try to rip me off when leaving Gare du Nord. In my experience, they flock there for arriving Eurostar trains. I have had attempts to charge me the flat rate from the airports and even had a guy once threaten to call the police on me for refusing to pay him 56€ for a trip from the station to the Place de la Bastille. I just laughed and offered to call the police for him. He called me several choice words in French and drove off in a rage.
Posted by
Chicago
8948 posts
Well done. And I love your description of the special line for people who look old and stupid. I am convinced that the official dispatchers at Nord must be complicit since this is the one spot where cab scams from the official line seem to be common. And yes, old and stupid is a target. I remember when my very elderly mother and I traveled in Italy years ago -- in Rome we had restaurants pad the bill several nights running. We were convinced that we were getting the special treatment for being, 'old stupid and American'. They actually seemed surprised that we contested the bills just as your driver was when you refused to be rolled by his thieving self.
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2844 posts
Gare du Nord is one place where people are cheated on a rather regular basis. I had the same experience when a taxi driver did not start the meter departing Gare du Nord. I knew he was going to ask for an exorbitant fixed fare, so up arrival, I took out my phone and starting taking pictures of his parking permit and license, things you need to file a police report. After a short discussion, rather heated on his part, he left asking for nothing.
If you have a problem with a taxi driver, please fill out a police report. The information you need is found in English, on the left rear window of every taxi. The report must be filed when you are in France (unless you use a VPN after leaving).
Posted by
San Francisco
15365 posts
You did very well. My compliments on doing this very good tactic checking with the hotel staff clerk. Looking old and stupid applies to me too, much more often than not but then so what ?
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8959 posts
That's terrible, but it sounds like it worked out for you. I'm very glad we took the Metro from Gare du Nord, though.