taxi from CDG
 

We(2 couples) are traveling this week to France. We arrive at CDG around 11:30 a.m and plan to take a taxi to hotel in the 5th.
How many euros should we expect this to cost? I am not taking any euro and plan to use ATM upon arrival.We assume we will need 2 taxis. Thank you to everyone on this board. I have used many suggestions in planning out trip.

~50 euros per taxi sounds about right

Whoa. Unless you're traveling with a tremendous amount of luggage, you can usually wait in the line (not long) for a larger car or even mini van taxi. You shouldn't need two taxis for four people.

thanks for the replies. Is there a separate line for mini van taxis?

Yes, you will have a choice of size of vehicle. At least twice I've ridden into Paris in a station wagon type that would accommodate more luggage than the four-door cars. The fare was about the same when I returned to CDG in a four-door.

I don't know if a mini-van would charge more or be in a separate line, but the station wagons were in the same line as the cars.

We took a taxi mid-day from CDG to the Luxembourg Gardens area of Paris in mid-June, there was little traffic so the driver made good time and the fare was just under 35 euros, which surprised me. I was expecting ~50 euros since on previous trips when we drove into town in rush hour traffic it took longer and the fare was higher.

No, there is not a separate line for minivan type taxis - they are increasingly common, just wait in line until one comes along. If you are up next and it is not a minivan tell the person behind you to go ahead.

And no, the mini-van taxis charge the same rates as the regular ones.
There is always (so far as I know) someone there helping people get into taxis and calling the next taxis forward. When he sees four of you with luggage, he will most likely move you aside to wait for a mini-van. Not a problem.

According to tegulations, you can choose any taxi that you prefer at a taxi stand. And yes, of course it may enrage the other taxis in front of that taxi. But there are lots of minivans.

ERRRR... regulations.

If you're next in line, is it considered fair play to walk down the queued taxis and get in the one you want? After all, you were going to wait for it anyway...

Yes, that's exactly what I was saying.

I don't think it makes much difference at the airport or at a train station where the taxis move out quickly, but it can irritate a smaller taxi stand where the taxis have been waiting for 20 minutes (true, this seems to happen less and less often -- most taxi stands out in the city are empty when I am looking for one).

My experience with taxi lines at major European airports/train stations is that there is usually a person directing cab loading. As you approach the head of the line, catch his eye, and hold up four fingers. He will motion you to wait a bit, load the smaller groups of people behind you, and load your party into the next suitable vehicle. Sometimes, he will motion a larger cab forward in line and load your group further out in the roadway, depending on the custom at that location.

I used to be a cab driver in my youth, so tend to notice the process. Sometimes the drivers slip this guy a little something -- it is in their interest to see that things go quickly and smoothly.

:-)