Paris Taxis for four adults and a 2-year-old
 

Hi all...

My wife and I have always used Metro & buses in Paris, but this coming trip, we are taking our son, daughter-in-law and 21-month-old grandson.

We'd still prefer public transport using our Navigo cards (we can get cards for them), but with four adults and a child (free on Metro), they may prefer taxis. A couple of points:

(a) I don't think they're bringing child seat...will taxis?

(b) How numerous are taxis large enough for the five of us? I assume a 7-passenger SUV taxi would be necessary, since front seats only seat two people...is that correct?
Will that significantly increase the cost?

Thanks.
SS

No - taxis will not install car seats for you. If you want that you need to organize a private car service that offers that option (at a lower price).

There are quite a few larger cabs so you will not have a problem. When we have needed a larger cab there was no issue and I believe the price is the same.

Taxis will provide a child seat but you have to call/email/contact them beforehand.
See here for taxi G7 - I tried to find the same with Taxi bleu but didn't succeed.

http://www.taxisg7.com/services/taxi...clf0ajegfkt5q4

No prob to have large cabs, same price as normal taxis.

I never took a shuttle in Paris and never will, having read/heard too many stories of no-show, but each to his own.
My rec would be in any case to not prepay : having a no-show is not funny but a no-show and then trying to recover one's own money is even less fun.

I haven't seen any vehicle in years that had a bench front seat, so I don't know how you could have 3 people sitting there, even if they theoretically allowed two passengers in the front.

YOu can get a taxi with a child seat by reservation only, as far as I know. And 7 passenger ones are not the norm, either, although you can reserve them. G7 taxi seems to have the best options online or by phone, you can order a taxi for 5, 6 or 7 passengers (they call it a Maxicab), as well as a child seat, you just have to tell them, as well as the age of the baby. I guess that what they call the Family Cab pariswat links to.

As far as extra costs, there is about a one euro charge for each person over 3, and a 1 euro charge per bag over 1. SO not much, really. I don't think they have a charge for the child seat.

I don't think they should bring their own seat anyway, as I can't imagine carting that all over Paris with you all day/night. And I bet some taxis wouldn't allow you to put your own car seat in them.

There are now a couple websites dedicated to them, you can check them out
http://www.babycabs.fr/
http://www.taxibabyseat.com/english/

If you're worried about prices, you should know that there's always an "approach fee" with G7 Taxis. Normally, it's around 5 to 10 EU, but many think it's worth it for the convenience of having a taxi show up when it's scheduled to - especially with a child seat.

You can always hail a cab on any busy street, though there won't be a child seat - just stand near the corner and look for the green light on top. No light, or any other color light, don't get in, because it won't be legitimate. If you're only going short distances, you might not wish to bother with a child seat.

You can check to see approximately how much it costs to go from Point A to Point B on this website
http://www.taxisg7.com/estimation-tarif-duree-course

I'm pretty certain they will not bring a child seat...I will strongly encourage tham not to. Besides, they are spending the week before we get to Paris in Nice and Lyon, so I doubt they will want to lug a car seat everywhere. :-)

I'll be lobbying hard to take Metro and buses. We have our Navigo cards, and I hope to get them cards, too. (I'll remind them to bring photos, so they won't have to use a photo booth.)

I like the freedom of the week-pass. (I know with four people, it would make sense to take a cab pretty much everywhere...but add in the little one, and the whole situation changes.)

They're coming in on TGV to Gare de Lyon...I assume I could buy them there when they arrive. N'est pas? Maybe at the Bastille Metro? (Our apartment is on Blvd de la Bastille about equidistant between the two.)

SS