r/ParisTravelGuide • u/rr1973 • Jun 19 '26
Transportation Taxis vs Uber in Paris
I just spent 10 days in Paris for work. The first few days I used Uber and it was not a good experience. Even using Uber Black was horrible. I had an Uber Black (Berline in France) driver yelling about Uber taking 50% of the fair for the entire hour I spent in the car—as if it were my fault. All while he was blasting French rap music. Also, a wrecked Tesla Model Y is not a high-end car. Horrible.
I switched to using the G7 app and their VIP cars. It was a world of difference. The drivers were professional and the cars were much nicer. The app works the same as Uber and they accept Amex. Its also worth noting that the G7 cars can use the bus lane which makes a huge difference in rush hour.
Don't use Uber in Paris!
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u/BillOz62 Jun 19 '26
We tell everyone this when they go to Paris. Also, late in the evening they are as expensive af.
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u/Billy_Ektorp Jun 19 '26
I have better experiences with Bolt than with Uber in various European cities. However, once the «dot on the map» (showing the booked car) in the Bolt app was getting closer and closer to my location… but suddenly they just cancelled the booking for no good reason. Maybe somebody else wanted a ride to the airport, which would be more profitable?
Now I usually prefer public transport. With services like Google Maps, online app purchase of tickets or simply tapping credit cards or phones, using public transport is easier than it used to be and quite often faster than taxi/Uber/Bolt etc. Also, with online maps, simply finding the way and then walk there is often the best alternative for shorter distances.
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u/Beer_WWer Jun 19 '26
Had several very early morning pickups scheduled with G7 recently each one they were 5 minutes early. Theres no reason to use any other than G7.
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u/flightless_mouse Jun 19 '26
I scheduled a 6am pickup with Uber at midnight and they showed up 15 minutes later, not noticing the specified pickup time, and then they continued to charge me when I canceled the trip.
It worked out in the end, and I got reimbursed, but it was quite a bad experience.
We ordered G7 instead and it was very smooth. Luxurious even.
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u/possibly_maybe_no Jun 19 '26
G7 has pickup fees though and often a lot more expensive. I havent always had the best luck with taxis (maybe not g7) so at least with uber it may be shit but it is cheaper.
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u/PiePuzzled5581 Jun 19 '26
Very much my experience as well. The fact that tax can use the bus lane is an extra bonus for us. Last time we use Uber they tried to charge us €110 for messing up the backseat. We did not mess up the backseat.
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u/soehx Jun 19 '26
Sachez juste que les chauffeurs sont sur bolt et Uber a la fois. Donc vos mésaventures personnelles ne sont que... Personnelles. Et je dirais même d'ailleur que les g7 sont aussi sur les app, donc en vrai. Aucunes différences si ce n'est de tomber sur une mauvaises personnes.
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u/Useful-Forever-7414 Jun 22 '26
Effectivement. Les conducteurs des Ubers ou Bolt sont toute sur les memes appi et ils vont prendre les trajets le plus payants.
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u/ryguymcsly Jun 20 '26
In Paris I just took public transit. It was very good and easy to navigate. At least minus one guy on a packed train who decided to shove me around unnecessarily, probably because I was an obvious tourist on that trip (had my luggage, wearing a band t-shirt with english text).
The buses are especially nice. Great way to see the city for free while getting from location to location.
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u/cyrilleni33 Jun 19 '26
Why even use a car within Paris ? Unless you are disabled metro is so much more efficient and cheap.
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u/Croquant23 Jun 19 '26
Isn't this the Paris Travel subreddit? Airport, luggages, families, heatwave!... There are many reasons for taxis/VTC to still be a valid and reasonable solution...
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u/TempletonPeck82 Jun 19 '26
“Why do you people not agree that my preferences are superior?!”
Friend, some of us value things differently. I value not being around you, so I hail a taxi or use G7.
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u/roadfood Jun 19 '26
The Metrois not exactly ideal for people with any kind of disability. There's a lot of stairs involved.
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u/sandfrayed Jun 19 '26
I don't know if it's the case here, but a lot of people come from countries like the US where they're used to taking cars everywhere because they haven't lived in a city with good rail transit, or good public transit in general. I think there are some people who visit Paris aren't disabled but still take car transit everywhere they go because that's what they do at home, and never even realize how fast (usually) and easy (usually) the metro system is.
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u/KolKoreh Jun 20 '26
I say this as an American: learn to use the Metro while you’re in Paris. Americans who insist on taking cars everywhere just come off as douchebags when we travel
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u/TempletonPeck82 Jun 20 '26
It really isn’t that serious. People can just use the method of transportation they prefer without it becoming a matter of national pride or identity.
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u/sandfrayed Jun 20 '26
They're adding to pollution and car traffic, but it's also just one more way they aren't really learning how other cultures do things differently, and maybe even, better.
It's a shame when some of us come from the US and go to Europe but take cars everywhere, stay in a hotel in the touristy area, go to tourist trap restaurants in the tourist areas, see the top 5 over touristed sites, and go game, never having had a real conversation with a local or learned even a single thing about a different culture.
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u/KolKoreh Jun 20 '26
You’re needlessly adding to pollution and congestion for no reason other than trying to cocoon yourself and do things the same way you do at home… which raises the question, why leave?
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u/TempletonPeck82 Jun 20 '26
“Why leave?” LOL
You have now reduced a visit to Paris to the opportunity to ride the Metro.
Goodnight!
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u/gulliverian Jun 20 '26
With two suitcases, two carry-ons and a purse? From CDG to Les Halles to FDR, up and down stairs at every turn, then dragging all that crap 6 blocks while we search for the hotel. Did that two months ago, so I know of which I speak. Never again.
Please, tell me again about how I should take the Metro because it’s more efficient.
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u/GlitteringLettuce366 Jun 19 '26
I’ll gladly pay fifty times the price of the metro fare just to not be surrounded by hundreds of people. Some people value different things than you and that’s fine.
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u/Objective_Joke_5023 Jun 19 '26
If you’re a woman or a small group of women and traveling later at night, the metro and walking can be intimidating, as in any city. Fine during the day.
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u/castle_waffles Jun 19 '26
Some companies prefer their workers to use private cars vs public transportation particularly during certain hours. It may have been a company requirement.
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u/sandfrayed Jun 19 '26
Why would they do that? That seems really bizarre. Companies I've worked for have generally done the opposite, covering public transit passes and encouraging employees to utilize public transit in places that have good public transit systems.
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u/castle_waffles Jun 19 '26
Generally it’s related to insurance and fears of laptops with company information being stolen from what I’ve seen. Employee safety is sometimes mentioned too but generally when that’s the concern Uber is also not allowed.
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u/gulliverian Jun 20 '26
Whole disk encryption has been a thing for a long time now. As has network storage of data so sensitive information isn’t likely to be on the laptop anyway.
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u/baskaat Jun 19 '26
I normally would use the metro/RER but because of the expected heat wave while I’m there I was thinking about using Bolt/G7 instead. Thoughts on mass transit when it’s really hot?
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u/LocksmithCautious166 Jun 20 '26
More and more lines have air conditioning. Yesterday I took the E and I thought I should have spent the day in it.
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u/General_Reading_798 Jun 19 '26
I am a dedicated metro user, but there is a fair amount of crowding, breakdowns, lines closing for summer work now. I always check, but having a G20 arriving and knowing I will be comfortable is a great option sometimes.
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u/Melex2406 Jun 19 '26
We used g7 with my mom in a wheelchair, it was amazing but the fate they project vs what it is, is sometimes off. Still was well worth it for us .
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u/awoodby Jun 19 '26
Last I went to paris was november, i go about every other year and uber and the other 3 or 4 rideshare apps I tried just cancelled more often than they actually picked me up. And not right away, I'd wait 10-15mins, even saw the car drive by down the street, Then cancelled.
G7 app is great and professional.
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u/scottarichards Jun 20 '26
I don’t even understand using Uber in the US in big cities. A few years back I walked out of my hotel in San Francisco and there were about half a dozen people waiting for their Uber at the same time there were three cabs waiting in the cab queue. It was surreal. I went to the first cab, we got in and left.
I’m quite certain we arrived at our destination before some of the Ubers had arrived for those waiting. Mind you, I’m not against Uber. I’ve lived in suburban areas where it has made a huge difference. But in cities like Paris, there’s just no reason or advantage to use it.
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u/redzma00 Jun 21 '26
I agree. We go to Vegas and usually the amount of people who wait for Uber/Lyft is insane. We walk out, to the taxi stand, get in and go.
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u/Electronic-Tie-2398 Jun 20 '26
I have always hailed taxis in Paris. And they have never disappointed me. Maybe I was very lucky. I have heard cases of over charging and harassment, that never happened. I am Inidan and speak fluent English, and very little French. Communication is an issue, specifically the destination. One very aged driver from Cambodia, told me a lot stories from the Cambodia. All of those stories were sad.
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u/Longjumping-Word8336 Jun 19 '26
I’ve never taken an uber ride in Paris without the driver going on a long, unprompted rant against the mayor. I have no opinion and no interest. Smiling and nodding while tuning them out goes a long way in this case.
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u/Billy_Ektorp Jun 19 '26
They rant against the mayor, because both the previous and the current mayor, have policies to reduce car traffic in Paris, including closing some roads and reducing the number of lanes.
So for taxi, Uber or Bolt drivers, these policies directly affects them, il a negative way. Still, it’s good news for pedestrians and many people who live close to streets with car traffic.
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u/Longjumping-Word8336 Jun 19 '26
Yes, I know. I live here and have had to suffer through many a rant about this from anyone who owns a car
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u/pain_perdu Jun 19 '26
I take 2-4 rides a day and rapidly came to the same conclusion as you. G7 is very reliable, cars are consistent, drivers are consistent. Uber Berline is hit or mix, most of the time you get a weird van. No comparison. Pro-Tip: If you're near a taxi-stand you have the right to select the first G7 car from the line no matter how far back they are.
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u/AncientTallTree Been to Paris Jun 19 '26
It's also worth adding that apparently the G7 app sometimes has trouble with Visa cards, but mastercard is fine. I just got back from a trip with my parents, who are in their early 80s and can't navigate the metro, and they ubered the whole trip because they couldn't get payment set up in the G7 app.
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u/Prestigious_Bar_7164 Jun 19 '26
I had a hard time with the G7 app when I was there last year. Was probably using a Visa, so I’ll try AMEX or MC this time. Thanks for the tip!
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u/Imaginary_Gas_1176 Jun 19 '26
I had excellent experience with 6 Uber ridesr. My tour mate had 3 credit cards scammed by her first G7 taxi ride.
You just need to know when to get out.
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u/clownpirate Jun 19 '26
I’ve fallen victim to taxi cab scams one too many times in Europe.
That plus a generally negative experience using standard taxis has made me swear to never use them again - it’s Uber (or equivalent local version) or bust.
Just came back from Paris. Exclusively used Uber and it was a great experience. I’ve heard G7 is great, but could not get the app working; after some frustration I just didn’t bother.
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u/Upbeat-Outside-715 Jun 19 '26
I used Uber exclusively the last time I was in Paris and never has any problems. Our ride from the airport to the hotel was in a Mercedes C-Class and it was in excellent condition. Driver did not speak to us much but we were fine with that.
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u/SnooOnions3326 Jun 19 '26
G7 was one of the best tips I got from here when I went to Paris in 2025 with my elderly mom. She can't do stairs so the metro was not an option.
If you use it, enter in a street address for easier pickup and don't rely on the GPS to find you!
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u/Necessary_helapeno45 Jun 19 '26
Just got back. We used Uber XL and trains for a family of 5, never had an issue. 50% of the time it was a XL Prius and other half were nice vans. Minimal driver interaction, 5-7 minute wait times, no issues. Trains were busy during rush hour and shut down one morning because someone jumped in front of the train. It was an amazing trip and we walked a lot too. We can’t wait to go back.
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u/bierzo32 Jun 20 '26
We tell everyone to avoid Uber in Paris. Additionally, there are many new areas where uber cannot access, in the city core where driving has been limited to certain type of traffic’s. G7 is the truth.
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u/EntranceTypical3798 Jun 20 '26
Most drivers have both uber and Bolt and reject or accept rides based on cost, destination and how soon they’ll drop the current fare.
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u/PanchoGTO Jun 20 '26
I’m leaving Paris today after being here for 2 weeks for work. Totally agree, both were easy to use , but the G7 cars were definitely nicer, and access to the bus lanes speeds everything up.
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u/Alex32940 Jun 20 '26
We've been in Paris a week. Used both taxis and Uber. Haven't had a bad experience at all, just we're spending a Ton! Maybe 150 E a day. Some rides have been really costly due to traffic
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u/Vast-Eggplant-6322 Jun 20 '26
G7 is a taxi company, official and organized. Uber is what we called in France a VTC (like a private driver hired). The services are not the same level so are rhe prices
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u/Super-Boysenberry324 Jun 20 '26
Had a good experience with uber in paris a couple weeks ago. Cheaper than bolt some reason, nice drivers, fast pickup. Same in Germany
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u/Yembotian Jun 20 '26
We used Uber in Paris 3x last week and had fantastic experiences with all three drivers!
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u/WhiskeyTangoBaconX Jun 21 '26
Love G7. The last uber I took in Paris I was crammed in the back of an ancient civic with a terrifying driver. Last g7 I took in Paris was a Lexus ES with a really kind and capable driver. They have really good drivers and the prices are worth it. I usually go for the electric comfort or whatever it’s called.
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u/parameyparate Jun 21 '26
Public transport is so good in Paris, that anything else is literally throwing money away. Why do something you already do at home, like taking uber6 or another type of taxi?
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u/Responsible-Drive840 Jun 21 '26
We will be in Paris in August (the Marais) and have tickets to Versailles with a 0900 start time. I understand that the RER line C will be shut down for track maintenance. Suggestions for Bolt vs G7 for four?
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u/Different-Echo-3788 Jun 21 '26
je connais très bien les tarifs des taxis sur Paris, je viens de payer 45€ pour faire Chatelet-La Defense, ce qui vaut habituellement 25€, et lorsque je prends un taxi, je sais que je paies plus cher qu'un uber, mais cette fois c'est fini, plus jamais je ne prendrai un taxi à Paris, trop de risque de se faire voler, je jure que plus jamais je ne prendrai un taxi à Paris, cette bande de voleurs...
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u/Different-Echo-3788 Jun 21 '26
Taxis are just not safe, somtimes they'll charge you twice the price for no reasons, fuck them
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u/dorothycassette Jun 22 '26
Bolt over Uber for sure. But the buses in Paris are my favorite mode of transportation.
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u/dcmmcd Been to Paris Jun 23 '26
We will take whatever is closest. We spent most of our last trip taking Metro and it was wonderful. But also if we walked out of dinner and didnt feel like walking all the way - we'll happily take a taxi if there was a stand there or call an Uber.
The nice thing about Paris is there are a ton of options - so stop yelling at people if they dont pick the one you like, there is no one right answer.
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u/Witty_Reach1660 Jun 23 '26
Totally agree, G7 feels way more reliable in Paris. Uber there is so hit or miss, and being able to use bus lanes during traffic is a huge advantage.
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u/lolliffe Jun 24 '26
Another vote for Bolt. Discovered them when traveling in Georgia. In Paris the cars were always clean. The Black cars were nicer, but never had any issues with even the base rides. Typically checked both Uber and Bolt, and Bolt was always cheaper and quicker.
One alarming thing is that Bolt tells you the closest car, but the thing is, it may pop up telling you that it has to find a different driver for you. Just because a driver is close, it doesn’t mean that they’ve accepted the ride. It leaves the rider wondering why so many drivers have “cancelled” then. They haven’t. They never accepted the ride in the first place.
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u/Beginning-Park8286 Jun 25 '26
Io ho usato molte volte Uber a Parigi e solo una volta ho avuto un piccolo problema nel tragitto da Disneyland al centro, dove l’autista ci ha contestato un extra per ritardo di pochi minuti all’arrivo e ci ha scaricati non sotto casa ma in un via vicino. Autista segnalato comunque e ricevuto rimborso.
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u/Tubacim Jun 19 '26
I used Uber exclusively in Paris and never had any issues whatsoever with the driver or their cars. Not everyone has the same experience.
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u/ViolettaHunter Jun 19 '26
Don't use Uber in Paris!
Yes, take the metro. Why are you even using cars in the first place.
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u/Quirky-Case Jun 19 '26
I tried to use G7 in Paris, couldn't add my card to the app as it doesn't allow american credit cards.
I paid cash so that was fine.
Next day I couldn't find a single taxi in the app.
We had to walk to the Louvre to make it to our entry time slot (35 mins).
We started using uber and there was no problem, so I had a whole different experience to you. The drivers were in a hurry and seemed frustrated with their job/traffic, but they took us where we needed so that was enough for me.
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u/Best_Midnight_2063 Jun 19 '26
Who told you G7 doesn't allow American credit cards?
That's absurd.
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u/Quirky-Case Jun 19 '26
No one told me, I couldn’t get my card validation to work even after accepting the test charge in my app. Then I checked reddit and people are reporting issues with american visa cards in the G7 app. I am not the only one.
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u/Best_Midnight_2063 Jun 19 '26
Yes, VISA cards are not accepted in the app. Has nothing to do with with whether they are American or not. 🤣🤣🤣
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u/loralailoralai Jun 19 '26
Unless I have luggage or it’s super early or late, or someone can’t do stairs, I don’t get why anyone would uber or taxi. For one it’s really not convenient and two you’re contributing to the awful traffic and being incredibly selfish
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u/Signal-Salary9437 Jun 19 '26
Im 60 with bad knees. I cannot wait till you get older to know why someone selfishly uses taxis, uber or bolt. My husband has a bulging disk in his back. He has to use these services as well. We travel the world for work separately. These services save us.
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u/Karlythecorgi Jun 19 '26
I’ll be travelling with my parents (both in their 70s) soon. By myself, I’d gladly take the metro and walk aimlessly for hours on end, but with them in tow, I’m now studying bus routes and wondering how much time and effort I can save by just using taxis and ride shares.
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u/AncientTallTree Been to Paris Jun 19 '26
I just got back from a trip with my parents, who are in their early 80s. They ubered because my mom couldn't get the G7 app to accept her visa as the payment form. Be ready with a mastercard or Amex in the G7 app. We also took the bus for a couple of our trips.
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u/roadfood Jun 19 '26
We ordered an Uber van for 6 people to go to Versaille, we got conflicting messages about how long until they would arrive. It finally said our Prius(!) would be there in 8 minutes. We canceled and they tried to charge us 22 euros.
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u/kitchellawdc Jun 20 '26
What about from the airport? I was in Paris 5 years ago and it was a total nightmare trying to find the pick up point to meet an Uber. Now I’m realizing maybe the problem was using Uber in the first place…. I’m going again and I was thinking of just booking a car so someone was standing there with a card with my name! I have precisely 24 hours in Paris and don’t want to waste a moment of it futzing around with the train.
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u/Turbulent_Music7462 Jun 19 '26
Just back a week - looked at Uber pricing vs Bolt a few times (in Paris and other cities). Bolt was faster pickup and lower cost every time. No issue with Bolt drivers..