My husband and I recently returned from a European trip with included a stay in Paris. We arrived via Eurostar and were quoted 75-100 euros as the price to get from the Gare de Nord to Boulevard Montparnasse. This seemed excessive to us so we used the metro.
Returning to the Gare de Nord via taxi we paid 20 euros including tip.
My question is: are there rules in Paris about taxis, taxi queues that are honest/reasonable? If so where are they, especially at Gare de Nord?
Many thanks.
Did you ask the driver in the cab at the front of the line at the taxi stand?
If so, maybe she/he thought you were talking about a different place?
Also I noticed a lot of people were pushing what I would guess were unlicensed taxis inside the station. Those people probably are a ripoff.
When I arrived at Gare du Nord last year I headed for the taxi stand. At the door a man asked me where I wanted to go then quoted a rediculously high rate. I said "no." The real taxi rank is OUTSIDE the train station, is well-organized, and gets everybody to a taxi in a few minutes. It was a busy time of day, so it took half an hour or so to get to my hotel. I don't remember the exact amount, but it was way less than that quoted by the "tout" at the station door. Just be sure you are at the official taxi rank before taking a cab. Of course, the Metro will always cost less.
A couple of months ago someone posted they wound up taking an unofficial taxi from Gare du Nord as it was in the official taxi area. I wondered how people could mistake the unofficial taxis from the real taxis.
I arrived via Eurostar in late Sept and I could see how easy it would be to make the mistake. The touts started inside the station which I expected and was prepared for (thanks to education from this forum), but then when I ignored them and went to the official taxi line it was huge and snaked out from under the white awning and down in front of the taxi touts and the unofficial taxis. The touts continued to ask people in line where they were going and quoted a 120€ price to everyone when they said their hotel address. I just ignored them and no one approached me. It did take 45 minutes to get thru the line to an official taxi and they were loading 3 cabs at a time. The touts continued to approach people in the official taxi line even after we were under the canopy area. There was a Gare du Nord security person there by the head of the line but he just had a disgusted look on his face and made no move to intervene even though the touts were openly approaching people in line right in front of him.
My taxi was about 15€ to my hotel.
Thanks so much for all the information in replies. It will certainly help on our next trip to Paris and especially the Gare de Nord.
Again,
Thanks
Sounds like the quote you got was from an unlicenced pirate taxi driver.. the ones that often approach tourists saying "taxi taxi?"
Fare was ridiculously overblown and anyone who had been to Paris would have known that.. lucky for you , you were not tricked !
Honestly I feel sorry for anyone who gets into a taxi that's going to cost them 100 bucks within a city,, but I guess some people do !!
Always take only taxis that are from the actual official taxi stands.. there is a line, there is almost always a dispatcher ( at the train station taxi lines and at airport) who assign you a taxi.
Always ignore any driver who approaches you ...
I've waited in line at the Gard de Nord taxi station and experienced the touts as well. When you first look at the line, you might think that this is going to take forever--but it usually moves pretty quickly. So don't panic and go with the private taxis--just be patient and you'll do fine with the official taxis instead.
