We have just returned from a wonderful 3 days in Paris. Firstly thank you to everyone on TA for their advise. I thought I had researched everything taxi from airport, hotels, retaurants and bars and weather.
However I must have missed the way taxi drivers charge as I have never had so many difficult encounters with taxi drivers.
First taxi from CDG to city centre Rue de rapsiros We were expecting at least 55 euros becuase it was late in the evening. We were happy with this and pleased that we had not been ripped off as often happens when you arrive to a city for the first time.
Next taxi from hotel to Le Coupe-Chou 5 euros. We asked restaurant to get us a taxi back and it was 15 euros when we questioned the driver about this he lost it and we had to get concierge from hotel to sort it out apparently you pay for the driver%26#39;s journey to the restaurant so he had clocked up 10 euros before he picked us up ?
Next taxi short trip from hotel that showed 4 euros on meter gave the driver 5 euros and he started shouting at us. We asked him to write down what he wanted and he showed us 5.50 euros we gave him a further 2 euros and he refused to give us any change. Apparently the minimum fare is 5.50 and he was taking his tip was shouting at us to take the metro the next time.
We were afarid to get into taxis after that as the ones we met were so agressive.
While our French is limited a simple explanation rather tha shouting would have sorted it out.
Was it just us or what has other people%26#39;s expereince of taxi drivers been?
Next I obviously did not check the food situation at CDG. With airports wanting travellers to check in 2-3 hours before boarding we decided to go to the airport check in and have our lunch.
What a mistake. We moved into the satelite are to find out that the restaurantwas closed. Moved on towards the gate as there was a sign for bar/snack bar. If you have to go to the airport early go to a food store in the city and buy some good food.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; Apparently the minimum fare is 5.50....If you have to go to the airport early go to a food store in the city and buy some good food.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
The official Parisian taxi minimum fare (regardless of the distance or amount registered on the meter) is 5,20 €uro. So adjust your perceptions (or perhaps misperceptions) of the situations you encountered accordingly.
Anyone who expects good food at airports, probably still believes in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
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KDKSAIL are you having a bad day ?
All I am saying is we did not know there was minimum fare and was pointing this out to others who may not know. The point of this website to help fellow travellers not %26quot;experts%26quot;
Get yourself to Dublin airport. There is great restaurant there.
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Casa, I take it you were departing from CDG1 given you mention the satellite area?
CDG1 is amazingly limited in its facilities for an international terminal - made worse by the renovations which shut so much of the ground floor shopping area. The structure also limits the availability of services given that each arm of the octopus seems to have a small range of small kiosks out at it%26#39;s tip - thus splitting the businesses up into numerous tiny outposts with limited merchandise.
We have had lengthy discussions on this forum before about CDG1 and the unfortunate inadequacies of what must have seemed like a fantastic, futuristic design in the 1950%26#39;s for coping with today%26#39;s traffic. Yes, I agree, particularly at present, if departing from CDG1 it would be wise to bring a packed lunch given the length of time one has to spend in airports these days!!
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I don%26#39;t think you were badly ripped off but you obviously didn%26#39;t know the deal with them and perhaps a little pinching was going on by some of your drivers...
One thing passengers arriving at CDG should know is to NOT go with some of the %26#39;independent%26#39; drivers hanging out just ahead of the door where you queue for the Taxi Parisien....These guys can really clip you or worse...Go all the way out and get on the taxi line and take a Taxi Parisien...
You will pay from the point of departure for the taxi driver when a taxi is called to a specific point...10 euros means driver must have been in a LOT of traffic or came from a distance away...Perhaps the resto has favorite drivers?...who knows?...One way to avoid this is to walk a ways to a taxi stand and grab one there...Most taxi rides in central Paris are under 10 euros...and like all humans making a living, they do not like those %26#39;petite routes%26#39; which take up a lot of time and make them very little money...
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casa40 sorry to hear your bad experiances with the cab drivers in Paris ..The wife and i never took any taxi%26#39;s while in Paris in September only the Metro now glad we didn%26#39;t. Most Parisians we met were very friendly.. As for %26quot;KDSAIL%26quot; he is very knowlagable about Paris but can sometimes come off very arrogant(too bad).. As for airport never eat much there mabe a coffee or pop...
Safe Travels ...Jimmy
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Casa40, I too, have had many disagreeable encounters with taxi drivers here in Paris, and I agree that they can be extremely agressive when asked to explain a fare.
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I want to know more about the %26quot;great restaurant at Dublin Airport%26quot;. Obviously that%26#39;s for another TA board, but I%26#39;ve flown out of Dublin on numerous occasions and never found anything other than typical overpriced nasty airport food.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;KDKSAIL are you having a bad day ?
All I am saying is we did not know there was minimum fare and was pointing this out to others who may not know. The point of this website to help fellow travellers not %26quot;experts%26quot;
Get yourself to Dublin airport. There is great restaurant there.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
No...not at all. Simply trying to cut through some of the potential CONFUSION that your report might have created. In one example you cited a taxi driver charging only the 4 €uro metered fare and in another you cited that evidently 7,50 €uros was not enough for a 5,50 metered fare...this when the officially posted, MINIMUM Taxi Parisien fare is 5,20 €uro---regardless of the time, distance or actual metered fare.
As for eating at Dublin Airport...a quick glance at the options available doesn%26#39;t appear to offer more than the usual %26#39;cuisine de aéroport%26#39; offered almost anywhere else in the world. It%26#39;s always possible that Dublin might be the exception to the rule...but I%26#39;d bet a three-legged horse to win the Irish Derby at Curragh before I%26#39;d bet on that.
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When you order a taxi to advance to pick you up you have to pay for trip to taxi stand/location to your hotel or restaurant.
I always have les taxis bleus pick me up to go to airport when I have luggage and there is 8 to 12 Euros already on the meter when I start my ride.
Terminal 1 has (had ?) a decent restaurant on the top floor of the building.
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Casa40, it is typical to be charged for the driver%26#39;s journey to your pickup point if you either reserve or call for a taxi. That%26#39;s just how it is. However, the driver who got irritated because you gave him 5 euro didn%26#39;t realize that you didn%26#39;t know there is a minimum fare. That was an unfortunate incident but you learn as you go on.
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