I do not like the crowds in metros so in PAris I will be taking the taxi everywhere. Do they speak english? DO you find them easily?

They don't usually speak much English. They are usually bad mannered Algerians who have terrible attitudes. One pretended he did not understand us when we told him in French the number of our hotel. (OK-figure no one can understand our French) We wrote the number on a piece of paper and he still said he did not understand. <BR>So-do not expect pleasant taxi drivers.<BR>Of course, this may be the exception, we did have an occasional driver who was nice.<BR>The Metro is not always crowded.<BR>Our hotel would call a taxi on the telephone for us, as would the restaurants we went to at night.<BR>Do not expect to flag down a taxi- you have to go to a stand.

Entirely opposite to my experiences over many years! But then I walk a lot! and no not much English spoken but know where you are going and write it down if you are not sure of your pronunciation.<BR><BR>Why do you need cabs.. I take one from train station to hotel...lazy, I guess,..and maybe another to airports or car rental .<BR>Metro, bus or walking gets me everywhere else.

Dear Rachel,<BR> You wouldn't be trolling would you? You do not like the crowded metro, yet you know nothing of the taxis?

Rachel: Except for rush hours, the Paris m&eacute;tro is rarely all that crowded. Also, the Paris bus system is excellent, allowing you to travel above ground and see the sights of the city as you get from one place to the next.<BR><BR>As for cabs, they must be either called for in advance (for which you pay a premium) or you have to grab one at a taxi station, and believe me, these are not exactly conveniently placed around the city. <BR><BR>I don't know if they speak English or not as I always speak French to them, but I can tell you that in many cases they are Asian or North African and don't have French as a first language, making conversing with them a challenge even if you are fluent in French.<BR><BR>I think you should consider learning the bus system of Paris - taking taxis around the center of the city is just not that practical unless you are prepared to call for taxis in advance or show up at the taxi stands.

I have never had a problem with Parisian taxi drivers not understanding me, but the ones I've had did not usually speak English fluently, I don't think (and I agree with St Cirq that conversing with them in French can be interesting if they aren't native French). However, it seems to me there are plenty of taxi stands in central Paris and they are quite easy to find. Also, they are always in front of major hotels. There are taxi stands at all train stations and major RER/metro stations and most major circles or intersections. There is a sign saying TAXI to show the place. I wouldn't think you'd have a problem if you write an address down on paper to show them, but to make it clear I think you should do more than just write a number on a piece of paper -- write down the name of the establishment where you want to go, and complete street address. Once you get to Paris, look around your hotel and see if there is a stand nearby, or ask the desk clerk where the nearest stand is. Some Paris maps even mark them on the map, you might want to get one of those (Streetwise Paris does and they look pretty accurate to me).

The taxi drivers we got did not understand fluent English, however, they understand some words. Just write down your destination for them and that should be allright. None of them were ever rude; they just did their jobs and minded their own business. That's all you need anyway, for them to get you from one place to the next.

I take cabs quite a bit and have rarely had an unpleasant driver. It is a good idea to write down the address of your destination. When you call a cab the meter starts running when the call is received. With respect to the busses, you can get a map of this and the other systems at any metro station.

I've had no difficulties with Parisian cab drivers, and in fact have had some interesting conversations with them.<BR>If you don't speak any French, take the above advice and have your hotel write down the precise address(es) of the places you want to go to.<BR><BR>With regard to taxis, be aware that surcharges apply for night trips, and, as mentioned, if the taxi is called for you.<BR><BR>You would make much better time on the metro. If you are concerned about safety on the metro, just be cautious as you would be in any big city. Keep your bag close to your body, don't carry wallets in outside pockets, don't be distracted by your maps or packages, leave valuables you don't need to have with you in the hotel safe. Ditto on all this if you take buses.

I have had some interesting cab rides but never a non-English speaking driver. I DO spend most of my time on the Metro. You're going to spend an awful lot of time in traffic &amp; waiting for a cab in my opinion.

Hi, Rachel. I was just in Paris and while I normally use the metro regularly, I had gimpy Mom with me so we used cabs only. It worked out very well. Of course, we were in &quot;tourist areas&quot; but I kept my eye out for taxi stands - clearly marked - and planned accordingly. Never had a problem with getting a cab, day or night, had no problems with the drivers. Some spoke no English, but I have enough French to speak to them and usually understand what they are saying back to me (or at least it worked this last trip, amazingly). Most spoke limited English. All were courteous, helpful with Mom, agreeable, and some even funny. However, taking a cab can take longer, especially at rush hour or evening. It took us more than half an hour to go from 202 Rue de Rivoli to Ste. Chapelle on Ile de la Cite. I could have walked it in 15 minutes. You can ask hotel and restaurant staff to arrange for a cab; be sure to tip them. I was initially nervous about taking cabs since I'd never done so, but it went very smoothly and in the future I'll be using cabs more than I used to, especially at night. Paris is so stunning at night, it's a shame to ride the metro. Oh - the drivers all proudly pointed out buildings and landmarks for us to &quot;ooh&quot; and &quot;ah&quot; at, so it made the ride really nice. Have fun on your trip.