TAXI IN PARIS
 

I hope you won't think this question is stupid. We'll be in Paris next month (can't wait..) while we're there we'll plan to go to London by train (Eurostar) and I think the train departs from Gard du Nord (?) in the morning and we'll be back the same day at night around 11 pm.. is it easy to find a taxi from there. I heard that there weren't as many.. pls give me advise. Is it easier to take a metro. our Hotel is near Louvre. .. thanks again for all your help.

Hi F,

The metro/RER will still be running.

Enter "Gare du Nord" and your address at www.ratp.fr for directions.

((I))

Why don't you get the number of a radio taxi just in case? I am sure your hotel can help you. Actually I checked in Frommers and he lists a couple of radio taxi companies,
01-45 85 85 85
01-42-70-41-41 or
01 42 70 00 42.- note that you shall be charged from the point where the taxi begins the drive to pick you up.
Since you will be taking the taxi at a railway station I would check first with the hotel to be sure it is ok.
There will be surcharges one for the time of day since there is a surcharge between 7 PM to 7 Am, and probably for departing from a railway station.
But on the other hand I would not take the subway from gare du Nord that late. Well in essence I would ask the Hotel for advice or to a local person.
I would do it ahead of time if possible. Also if you are going to call for the taxi, be sure to pick up an exact place to be picked up. I mean before leaving for London, be sure where you shall be standing waiting for the taxi. Good luck.

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFO. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY TRIP TO PARIS. THANKS AGAIN.

At least 50 taxis are waiting for each and every Eurostar, at the taxi stand right next to the Eurostar arrival zone.

But I second ira's suggestion. The metro is faster, safer and cheaper.

Hi Kerouac..
is Metro actually safer than taxi? I taking my one year old son with me?

Safety is not really an issue.

You'll almost certainly take the Metro to the Gare--why not do the same on the way back?

The metro will not have a traffic accident.

The metro is 6 times safer than travel on the surface of Paris.

Any other questions?

Seriously the metro is it that safe after 11PM from Gare du Nord?

I think the metros do actually have traffic accidents occasionally. Not much, of course, but it occurs. I suppose those folks on line 13 where the fire broke out in the metro and they were stuck down there for a while a couple months ago thought that was really safe.

The metro is absolutely safe after 11 pm at Gare du Nord and full of people, just like all the rest of the day. Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe.

Christina, please explain when do the metros go out into the traffic? Do the leave the stations, go up the stairs and play with the cars in the street?

I think Cristina is refering to metro accidents down there not playing in the streets....right?
I know I am stuborn but I still cannot believe that taking the metro at 11 PM is totally safe, Gare du Nord might be a busy station but how about the exiting one? I would never take a metro that late unless I am a local person or unless I know my way perfectly.

You should talk to two of my female colleagues who say they would never take a taxi at that time of night due to wild driving and indecent proposals.

I share the beliefs of kerouac's female colleagues, although I haven't specifically tried late-night taxis in Paris (just very rarely elsewhere). But that's exactly my belief as well. I'm not at all convinced they are necessarily the safest option.

Thanks for the input. I am just a bit concerned of taking a metro so late at night w/ an infant since I've never done that before even when I was in Paris a few years ago.
If I do decide to take a takxi, Hopefully the taxi driver will slow dow a bit when they see that I am with an infant.. :-)

To be honest about the unruly driver problem, there are quite a few women taxi drivers now, and the ride with them is generally civilized.