I've always taken the RER into Paris, but my companion and I will be arriving after midnight. We plan to take a cab to our hotel near The Bastille, but are they plentiful at that hour?
If you've had experience with getting into the city that late at night, please let me know. All advice would be welcome. Thanks!

Cabs are always pretty plentiful at airports, I wouldn't worry. I"ve arrived around 11-11:30 pm at CDG due to a late flight and had no problem, but I really wouldn't worry if it's just 12:30. If CDG is open, I'm sure they have cabs or no one would be able to leave all night unless they had their own car.

AND your room will be READY, too!!!!

Perhaps a private car service that would meet you at CDG and take right off - may not be much more than a cab. But maybe they do not work that late?

Planes can be late - I'd consider booking one of the panoply of airport hotels and then leisurely go into Paris - I'm sure you have told your hotel of your late arrival - if not you may be locked out.

Perhaps a private car service that would meet you at CDG and take right off - may not be much more than a cab. But maybe they do not work that late?

Planes can be late - I'd consider booking one of the panoply of airport hotels and then leisurely go into Paris - I'm sure you have told your hotel of your late arrival - if not you may be locked out.

There is never any lack of taxis at the airport. And if ever for some reason such an incredible thing were to happen, there are night buses all through the night to Paris.

I know those group airport shuttles do not work that late but some private ones might.

It is an airport, there are always taxis at airports. But here is one that works all night and the rate is 58 euro. That's actually not too bad given night rates are a lot higher than day time for taxis. I've never used this one, though.

http://www.paris-blue-airport-shuttl...aris-city.html

Thanks for the advice!
As long as there are cabs available, I'd rather go to our hotel which I did advise of our late arrival. It's always wonderful to wake up in Paris in my favorite neighborhood rather than in an airport hotel.
The night bus might worth considering if cabs are not available, Kerouac, but I did not see a line that goes to the Bastille stop from CDG--- they seem to terminate at République.

Thanks, Christina. The shuttle looks like a good option. For two of us the charge would be 45 euros, far less than a cab.

The night rate is slightly higher but will no traffic from CDG into Paris, I doubt you will pay more than 50€ for almost any address in central Paris. Private shuttles are never far less than what a taxi will charge from CDG.

Sarastro, I heard cabs run around 80 euros from CDG at night. Is that just a myth?

After 7pm, the taxi km charge from CDG increases from 1.27€ to 1.54€. It is 28 km from CDG to central Paris. The km charge (not the total fare) would normally be 35.56€. After 7pm it increases to 43.12€. There is a base cost of 2.60€ to which the km charge is added. There is wait fare, charged when the taxi is not moving of 35.10€ per hour.

An estimate of the fare should be 43.12€ + 2.60€ or 45.72€. For the fare to reach 80€, the taxi would need to be at a near dead stop for one full hour.

The highest taxi fare I have ever paid was 64€ during a morning traffic jam. A1 was blocked, A86 was stopped, and the en route time to the 7th arrondissement was 90 minutes. I typically pay from 45€ to 50€ for a 50 minute ride from CDG.

You can hear all kinds of things caboom but the facts do not support a night time taxi costing anywhere near 80€. Allow 50€ for unknowns and if you have more than one bag, there is a 1€ fee, added to the fare, for the second and subsequent bags placed into the trunk.

Sarastro, thank you for your detailed breakdown of taxi fares from the airport.

Since we'll be heading into the city after midnight, there should not be much traffic and 50 euros plus the extra bag charge is quite easy for two of us to share. We have one rolling carry on bag each.

Does a 10 euro tip sound fair?

<i>Does a 10 euro tip sound fair?</i>

It would be like telling the driver you have never been in a taxi before. At the most, and only if he is very helpful with the luggage, round the fare to the nearest 5€.

Taxi drivers are generally not tipped.