Taking a Taxi in Nice

Old movie poster of James Cagney in 'Taxi'

They’re getting better, but taxis in Nice have the worst reputation in all of France (which is why Ubers are so popular here…)

Here are a few tips and things you need to know before you take a taxi in Nice.

Update: to combat their reputation for overcharging unsuspecting tourists at the airport, the city has imposed fixed rates for taxis to and from the airport!  From the airport to Nice the fixed rate is now 32€, to Cannes 85€, and to Monaco 95€… and that fee includes your luggage, and is good day and night. Click here for more on Getting To and From the Nice Airport.

Taking Nice Taxis Around Town

Before you get in, start the conversation with the all-important greeting “Bonjour Monsieur” …this is a small thing, but if you don’t say it the driver will feel disrespected right off the bat, and it’s all down hill from there.

Ask the driver roughly how much it will cost (“Combien ça coûte d’aller à  ___?“), tell him you will need a receipt (“J’ai besoin d’un reçu, s’il vous plait”), and check that the meter is set correctly to day (jour) or night (nuit) or holiday (feries)

If he doesn’t turn on the meter, ask him to please turn it on “Je prefere que vous utiliser la taximetre, si vous plait.“

If the meter is obscured by the driver’s hand near the end of the trip, he is probably planning on overcharging; just ask to see the meter “Je peux voir la taximetre, si vous plait?” and he will know that he can’t get away with it.

Nice Taxi Prices/Cab Fares

For a trip in town, the meter starts at 3€ (the highest in France), then they charge 2.08€/km for daytime Mon-Sat, and 2.60€/km for nights, Sundays, and French holidays, of which there are a lot.  (1 km = 0.6 miles)   There is a minimum charge of 7.30€, but in reality, the taxi won’t want to move for less than 15€.

If you call for a cab the charges start from wherever it is when you call, unless you reserve in advance, in which case they’ll only start charging from the nearest taxi stand, but in both cases means that you could have a hefty charge on the meter before even getting into the car.  The only exception to this is if you are going to the Nice Airport, which now has a fixed rate of 32€ (see update above) , and so they are limited to only charging an extra 4€ for coming to pick you up.

They can charge these prices because there is a shortage of taxis in Nice …in fact the number of taxis has not been increased since the 1960’s (!), thanks to pressure from the taxi union.  This keeps the price of a coveted taxi license astronomically high, currently around 300,000€, and it can only be bought from a retiring driver.  Those that have licenses have fought hard not to increase the number of taxis to meet the demand …they won’t even to allow a license be shared by one driver during the day and another at night, to help relieve some of the pressure. It’s easy to understand why Ubers, private car services, and ride-sharing websites like BlaBlaCar are all becoming so popular.

Tipping:  Up to you… for short trips, usually just round it up to the nearest euro, but for longer trips 2-5% is about right… or tip nothing if it seems too high, which is what the locals do.

Paying:   Most taxis insist on cash; they are technically required to take credit cards, but by some mystery, 90% of the drivers have perpetually broken card machines.  Be sure to check this before getting in, otherwise the meter will continue to run while your driver takes a long detour to find you a cash machine!   Did I mention that more and more people are using Uber these days?

Finding a Taxi

Calling a cab:  The number to call for a taxi in Nice is 04 93 13 78 78 (from a non-French phone, it’s 0033 4 93 13 78 78), and they speak English.  As I mentioned, the cab will start charging from wherever it is when the call comes in, so by the time he arrives to pick you up you could already have a hefty charge on the meter.   The taxi number in Cannes is 0033 890 712 227, and in Monaco 0033 820 209 898.

Taxi Stands:  Here’s a list of list of taxi stands, and you can find the nearest taxi stand with an iPhone or a smart phone using Google Maps.

Moto-Taxis:  If you’re game, taking a Moto-Taxi is another option.  The motorcycles have saddlebag-style metal luggage racks, passenger helmets, passenger gloves, and… full insurance.  Doesn’t really cost less that a regular taxi but is certainly more fun, and with the famous Nice traffic, could be a lot quicker!

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Photo Credits:   James Cagney in Taxi 

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