kerouac

Gee, Byshhe, I know plenty of grown ups who enjoy riding the Noctilien night buses or even a Vélib to go home when the metro has stopped.

And of course now we have Autolib along with Vélib, so anybody can get an electric car to go home for just a fraction of the price of a taxi, and you can leave them at any other station, just like the bikes. Poor, poor taxis!

(I'll admit that you need to be in condition to drive to use an Autolib.)

Ackislander

It took you from June to December to read and complain about the replies?

Either you are publicity-mad and hoping to reappear among the top posts or you move your lips very, very slowly when you read.

justineparis

Wow,, I am surprised by your post,, first of all, I do not consider taxis in Paris any more expensive then they are in my city,, Victoria, B.C Canada,, see I'm not afraid to say where I am from and what I am comparing prices too,, apparently where you live( a mystery) taxis are very cheap. Lucky you.

Secondly, I have friends and relatives that are Parisian and they think nothing of going out to dinner, dressed up, on the metro or bus. They can afford a taxis too,, but with metro being so much faster most locals don't bother with taxis unless its hideous weather, or they are old, or fat,, might be why there aren't as many fatties in Paris,, people use public transport and do not consider it a step down,, like in some in other countries(North American really) .

Thirdly, you post something but can't back it up,, perhaps you are just complaining because your currency is so low that it seems expensive to YOU, once you convert. I remember years ago the American dollar cost us 1.50 or more,, then I would go to Hawaii and think everything was expensive,, since everything was 50% more to me,, until I realized its all relative to the local economy, a local in Hawaii didn't think a 10 dollar plate was expensive I thought a 15 dollar one was.

julia1

Byshhe - 'FRENCH TAXIS - WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE !'

Me - WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?

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jaja - 'Americans do say "whilst" when they are trying to be thought clever or something.'

Me - Nonsense. I'm American and I use 'whilst' (and 'amongst' and ...) in ordinary conversation, and I know I'm not clever, so I don't even try to be thought clever by someone such as yourself...

Byshhe

Julia1

Me...its not shouting....it's called capital letters.

Byshhe

Does everyone on this forum only stay/eat/drink in major towns and cities and in the dry light summer months....of course my wife and I are going to get a Velib / Autolib because they have them in all the villages in France and around the world....we absolutely love cycling back in the rain from a restaurant late at night, particularly my wife in eveing dress and heels.....where are some of you people from ?!

StCirq

No they do not have Velib/Autolib in all the villages in France and around the world. That's absurd. They have them in many urban areas in France and other European countries and America. No one in my village in the Périgord has probably ever heard of them. In other villages around the world they use donkeys, and elephants, and horses, just to name a few of the more primitive forms of transport. Where are YOU from that your experience has been so narrow?

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/do-not-use-all-capitals.html

kerouac

We are from a sensible city where we do not need to use taxis if we think they are expensive. We have created a subway system and a bus system to cut down on our expenses. There are plenty of women in evening dresses and heels on the transportation devices. In fact, that's one of the things that helps them to afford nice clothes.

Gretchen

Bottom line--they aren't really "expensive". LOL

toupary6

I never noticed that taxis were expensive in France.

Use a little common sense. If you have a hard time finding a taxi at night, ask the concierge or the manager of one of those restaurants you frequent in evening dress. That's one of the services they perform for "real travelers."

Or is this really about something else and just a way to express your general dissatisfaction? With your attitude, it doesn't surprise me that your experience left something to be desired.

AlessandraZoe

I just don't find taxi prices in Paris to be outrageous, and in the scheme of things of everything that one pays for on a trip to Paris, taxi prices are just not a problem. I agree with Gretchen's statement: "I can eat better and cheaper in Paris than I can in my hometown."

In fact, the overall decent cost of a good experience in Paris is what my husband, Mr. Financial, has always noted since our first "together" visit to Paris in 1998, Gretchen. He found Rome to be very expensive; he found Ireland to be very expensive; he found London to be very expensive. The Euro to doller shifts. But he insists to this day he can get a great bang for his buck in Paris without working that hard at it.

And I don't know about all of you, but I sure as heck can walk to a lot of good restaurants in any neighborhood in which I've stayed in Paris. I really don't need a taxi to get to great food--and I'm sure that if I was under the mistaken impression that I did, I'd probably have the bucks to pay for the darn taxi, too.

I can't think of one major point of interest within Paris that doesn't have decent transportation to it, either.

toupary6

And the OP apparently hasn't noticed the number of women in Paris who navigate very well in heels.

And add me to the list of those who find they can eat better for less in Paris.

Christina

okay, I don't really take taxis very much, but I don't find Paris taxis any more expensive than many major cities I have been in. But if you aren't used to those kind of prices, they will seem high, I guess. And I am in the OP's corner about not really wanting to take the metro/bus if really dressed up, I agree that isn't very nice. THe big issue with this is really the walking, in my opinion, as dressy shoes are not very good for walking many blocks so it depends how close you are to the metro on both ends as to how great that idea is. And if it is raining, all bets are off.

So I can understand that and do agree taxis can be scarce in Paris because they don't have enough of them from what I've read. I've heard articles about that on the radio within the last year, as I recall. At night isn't my big concern, but it can get dicey if you need one for the airport and can't get one. I was kind of dressed up and going to a concert once so thought I'd splurge and ask for a taxi at my hotel, I think the weather was rainy, that was why. The hotel desk clerk told me I really should go take the bus as I was never going to get a taxi to come that night in that weather. I guess that's the norm, unfortunately, that's when you most want them. I did take the bus and it was okay, of course.

kerouac

I guess I am just a stupid man but I will absolutely never understand any human being who wears shoes that are not good for walking. And I am never able to have sympathy for such people either.

julia1

Byshhe: FRENCH TAXIS - WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE !

Me: WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?

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Byshhe: its not shouting....it's called capital letters.

Me: Wrong answer - on the internet it's called shouting.