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VIDEO: Tourists in Paris warned after couple hit with €247 taxi fare from CDG airport

Two frightened tourists arriving in Paris had a nasty shock recently when they were asked to pay a whopping €247 taxi bill from Charles de Gaulle airport into the French capital.

Published: 12 November 2018 17:13 CET
VIDEO: Tourists in Paris warned after couple hit with €247 taxi fare from CDG airport
Photo: Le Parisien
The incident is certainly one that will make you hesitate about getting a taxi to or from airports in Paris.
 
An investigation has been opened after a video on YouTube which showed a couple of Thai tourists being swindled in an illegal taxi went viral, Le Parisien revealed.
 
In the video you see the unlicensed driver of the “taxi” demanding €247 aggressively in English from his two passengers, a couple from Thailand. 
 
The journey was from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris which in an official Paris taxi can only cost a maximum of €55 after a flat rate fee system for official taxis taking passengers to and from the capital's airports was introduced in 2016. 
 
Meanwhile, the tourists refuse to pay this €247 demanded by the driver leading to a furious response.
 
“Taxis in Paris are very expensive!” he shouts. 
 
READ ALSO: 
 
 
In the footage filmed on November 6th, the situation escalates, with the couple asking to see his professional license before asking him to drop them in front of a police station. 
 
But he refuses to let them out, with the frightened couple eventually paying €200 just so they can get out of the car. 
 
One of the two victims, Charkrid Thanhachartyothin, told Le Parisien: “The doors were locked, and we had all our luggage in the trunk. He did not want to let us out, and kept driving while [supposedly] phoning his company to find a compromise. So, we decided to pay €200 to get out. “
 
Charkrid and his girlfriend returned to Thailand without having had the time to file a complaint but decided to post the video on YouTube anyway to alert other tourists who decide to travel to Paris.
 
An investigation into the incident by the specialist taxi police brigade, known as “Boers” is underway.
 
The driver claimed to be a registered private hire driver however this has since been denied by the association of VTC (private minicab) drivers, according to reports in the French press. 
 
Both Paris airports have official taxi ranks with staff directing passengers into the next available car. However many unofficial taxi drivers hang around airports to try to pick up customers. Passengers are advised to avoid any offers for a taxi from people waiting at arrivals. 
 
Instead you should head to the official taxi rank or use a ride-hailing app like Uber or Chauffeur Privé to reserve a cab.
 
If in doubt, remember that if you're travelling from the Charles de Gaulle airport to the city centre by taxi, you'll pay €55 for a trip heading anywhere on the Left Bank and €50 for anywhere on the Right Bank (see map below). 
 
 
If you're coming in from Orly airport, it will be €30 for the Left Bank and €35 for the Right Bank (see map below).
 
 
However prices will vary and will often be higher if you use ride-hailing apps like Uber and Chauffeur Privé, whose prices can go up due to “surge pricing”.
 

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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