Taking a taxi or a chauffeur-driven car (VTC) during the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics

Taxi drivers in France hold a parking permit that is displayed on the vehicle. This authorisation is linked to a geographical area in which the taxi is entitled to work.

Taxis can be identified by a luminous sign on their roofs that reads "taxi" and the name of the commune in which they are based.

Taxis must be fitted with :

• an illuminated sign on the roof indicating "taxi" and the name of the commune in which they are based,
• a taximeter, a counter that calculates and indicates the amount to be paid. The dial on the taximeter must be legible to passengers.
• a printer, connected to the taximeter, to print out the fare for the passenger, specifying the price to be paid;
• a payment terminal, in working order and visible to the passenger, enabling the passenger to pay the fare by bank card.

To take a taxi, you can :

• hail a taxi on the street
• wait for the taxi in a taxi queue, often found in stations and airports,
• book a taxi by phone or via an app.

Calculating a fare is regulated in France. It can only be calculated using the taximeter. This meter calculates the fare on the basis of the distance travelled and the duration of the journey. It displays the fare at the end of the journey. However, the regulated fare is not compulsory, and taxis can always offer a discount on the fare.

Flat-rate fares have been introduced for departures from and arrivals at certain airports. This means that the price is known in advance (excluding baggage, passenger or booking supplements).

More information Airport packages -Taxis: prices applicable from 1 February 2023 | Service-public.fr

You can pay with cash or credit card.

Taxis are obliged to accept payment by credit card regardless of the amount of the fare. When the fare is €25 or more, the consumer must receive a summary bill before payment.

• First, contact taxi company in writing. Retain proof of your correspondence.
• If this effort proves unsuccessful, proceed as follows:

- If you live in France, you can receive assistance from a consumers’ association, whose contact information is available on the DGCCRF’s website. You can also report your problem with the hotel operator or the rental property owner on the SignalConso platform.

- If you live in another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centre for your country can assist you. Visit the ECC Network website for its contact information.

- If you live in a non-EU country, contact the embassy or consulate of your country in France or report your dispute on the websiteeconsumer.gov, via the complaint form or contact the members of consumersinternational.org.

A red sticker must be affixed to the corner of the front and rear windscreens.

To book a VTC, you can phone the VTC company or use its app.

VTCs must always be booked in advance. They cannot be hailed in the street or parked in a taxi rank. In the vicinity of a station or airport, they may only wait for a customer who has made a reservation up to a maximum of one hour before pick up (if the plane or train is delayed, this time limit is extended accordingly).

The price is set freely by the operator. In practice, transport operators belong to several platforms that set the price of their journeys.

The price may be known at the time of booking or calculated after the service has been provided, based on the journey time and distance travelled. Some platforms allow consumers to choose between these two methods of calculating the price. When the cost of the journey is €25 or more, the consumer must receive a summary invoice before payment.

• First, contact the VTC company or the driver in writing. Retain proof of your correspondence.
• If this effort proves unsuccessful, proceed as follows:

- If you live in France, you can receive assistance from a consumers’ association, whose contact information is available on the DGCCRF’s website. You can also report your problem with the hotel operator or the rental property owner on the SignalConso platform.

- If you live in another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centre for your country can assist you. Visit the ECC Network website for its contact information.

- If you live in a non-EU country, contact the embassy or consulate of your country in France or report your dispute on the websiteeconsumer.gov, via the complaint form or contact the members of consumersinternational.org.