Taking a taxi or a chauffeur-driven car (VTC) during the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics
To get around during the 2024 Paralympics in France, you are considering taking a taxi or chauffeur-driven car (VTC). How can you identify them? How much does a taxi or VTC journey cost? Find out all you need to know in this article.
Taxi
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.
Beware of fake taxis! During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, some drivers without a licence might offer to pick you up at the airport or the train station. Any solicitation from the taxi is prohibited. To avoid any problems, only choose vehicles with a taxi green light on.
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.
To find an available taxi nearby, you can use the free governement service le.taxi, le registre de disponibilité des taxis
Beware of operators who use generic taxi keywords on search engines ("taxi", "taxi à Paris", "taxis airport" etc.) and who operate without authorisation.
Good to know: a taxi can’t request a minimal distance to accept the fare.
In Paris, taxis will be able to pick you up or drop you off within the blue and red security perimeters. Within the grey perimeter, only people with disabilities will be able to call a taxi.
A driver may refuse to take you in the following cases:
- if you are clearly drunk;
- if you are accompanied by an animal (except guide dogs, which must be accepted);
- if your luggage cannot be carried by hand (except wheelchairs);
- if your clothing or luggage is likely to soil or damage the interior of the vehicle;
- if you are going to a location outside the pick-up zone (for example, for Paris taxis outside the Hauts de Seine (92), Seine Saint Denis (93) or Val de Marne (94) departments).
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.
The minimum of the fare is always 8€. The final price may be rounded up to the nearest euro cent.
Flat-rate fares have been introduced for departures from and arrivals at certain airports. This means that you know the price in advance (excluding baggage, passenger or booking supplements):
- Between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris right bank: 56 €
- Between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris left bank: 65 €
- Between Paris-Orly airport and Paris right bank: 44 €
- Between Paris-Orly airport and Paris left bank: 36 €
Taxis can’t charge you extra costs for the wheel-chair of a passenger with disability. Parisian taxis are not allowed to charge extra for luggage either, including airport fares. However, they can apply an extra fee of 5,50€ from the 5th passenger on board.
If you booked a taxi from a distance, the taxi may start calculating the fare before picking you up, so that the fare takes into account the distance covered to reach your meeting point.
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.
Below 25 €, the consumer must explicitly request a bill to receive one.
Yes, you can find around 1000 taxis in Paris that are adapted to persons of reduced mobility. For more information:
- Taxi PMR parisien • Paris je t'aime - Tourist office (parisjetaime.com)
- • Paris je t'aime - Tourist office (parisjetaime.com)
Good to know : guide and assistance dogs are allowed in all taxis.
- 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.
Taxi-boats on the river Seine
For the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a new river shuttle service is available in Paris. This taxi-boat navigates on the Seine and connects the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, every day from 2pm to 6pm, in a journey of around 20 minutes. Each boat can carry up to 6 people.
The journey costs €145. This price can be split between the 6 passengers. To use the water taxi, you need to book online at least 24 hours in advance.
Chauffeur-driven car (VTC)
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).
Please note: all forms of soliciting are prohibited! In stations and airports in particular, never accept to be picked up by an individual who illegally offers you a transport service claiming to be a VTC.
In Paris, VTCs will be able to pick you up or drop you off within the blue and red security perimeters. Within the grey perimeter, only people with disabilities will be able to call a VTC.
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.
Yes. You can find a list of specialised transport companies in Paris here: Paris Tourist Office - official website • Paris je t'aime - Tourist office (parisjetaime.com)
- 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.
Advice if you take a VTC
- Look at the ratings and reviews of the driver you're thinking of booking.
- Request your ride from a safe location.
- Wait in a busy, well-lit area, or indoors if you can, until you receive notification that the driver has arrived.
- Check that you're getting into the right vehicle: Check the car's model, license plate and driver's photo against the information given in the application.
- Ask the driver who he's picking up, without giving your name.
- Tell a friend or family member where you're going, or go in a group.
- Choose the back seat on the passenger side.
- Most apps offer dematerialized payment, so don't pay in cash.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.