Getting around Paris with the Metro is quite easy — and cheap too!

However, for those times when you might want to take in the Parisian scenery above ground or just avoid the Metro stairs and crowds, then you might want to use a ridesharing app like Uber.

We’ve taken rides with Uber around the city to help you find the best deals. We’ve listed real prices from trips in the city as well as to and from the airports — both Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) — on all types of Uber.

Read on to discover helpful tips for using Uber in Paris to save on your transportation costs.

More transportation tips for Paris
• 8 ways to save on the Metro, buses and taxis
• 6 budget options for getting from Charles de Gaulle to central Paris
• 10 Money-saving tips for first-time visitors to Paris

---

Using Uber to get around Paris

Uber is legal in France, and it is very active in Paris. However, in 2016, Uber was fined €800,000 for operating an illegal taxi service with UberPOP — a service similar to UberX — in France between 2014 and 2015. Uber has since suspended UberPOP.

Currently, here are the available and legal services that Uber is operating in Paris: UberX, UberPOOL, Berline (French version of UberBLACK), UberGREEN, UberVAN, and UberACCESS.

Price points for Uber in Paris

When traveling within Paris, Uber can be an affordable way to get around the city. Here’s a breakdown of the prices across all the Uber services within Paris for the same trip from Avenue de Clichy in the 17^th arrondissement to the Eiffel Tower in the 7^th arrondissement on a Monday afternoon (5 km or 3.5 miles):

UberPOOL: €9.37
UberX: €13-18
UberGREEN: €13-18
UberACCESS: €13-18
UberVAN: €23-31
Berline: €23-31

The cheapest option: UberPool

As you can see in the prices above, UberPool offers the lowest prices. UberPool is where you share your ride with other guests. For example, if you want to go somewhere by yourself or with one other person, you can call an UberPOOL, and the driver may arrive with one passenger already in the car, or the driver can pick someone else while taking you to your destination.

UberPOOL is the cheapest option because you are technically splitting the full cost of an UberX with the other passengers. If you’re traveling alone or with one other person, UberPOOL is worth the discount. But keep in mind, if you are short on time, you are better off paying for a full UberX because you avoid the detour of picking up other passengers.

Also keep in mind that in the U.S., it costs $1 more to add a second passenger to your UberPOOL, and similarly in France, it costs an additional €1 to add your second passenger.

UberPOOL has a fixed price from both of Paris’ airports to Paris and vice versa. It doesn’t matter which arrondissement you go to or are picked up from, the price will be the same because Paris is treated as its own entity when it comes to airport travel.

Airport price points for UberPOOL

Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris (17^th arrondissement): €32.50 for 2 riders
Paris (17^th arrondissement) to Charles de Gaulle Airport: €31.50 for 1 rider
Paris (17^th arrondissement) to Orly: €32 for 1 rider
Orly to Paris (17^th arrondissement): €32 for 1 rider

Related: How not to blow your budget on a taxi from Paris airports

Worth it for groups and airport rides: UberX

UberX is where you have the whole four-door car to yourself. If you’re traveling with three or four people, then you would order an UberX. UberX is usually at least €4 more expensive than UberPOOL, but if you’re traveling with more than two people, it’ll be worth paying more to have all your party in the same car.

UberX is the cheapest option while using Uber for getting to the airport because most times, the driver won’t be picking up anyone else, so you get the benefit of UberX for the price of UberPOOL.

Airport price points for UberX

From Paris (11^th arrondissement) to Orly Airport: €29-40
From Orly Airport to Paris (17^th arrondissement): €40-54
From Paris (11th arrondissement) to Charles de Gaulle Airport: €37-50
From Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris (11th arrondissement): €36-49

Here’s a rundown of the other Uber option in Pari:

UberGREEN is the same price as UberX but it means that you will be riding in electric or hybrid vehicles. There’s no option to have an UberPOOL with UberGREEN — you will pay the full price of the whole car.

UberACCESS is the same price as UberX and UberGREEN. It means that you will be riding in a car that has wheelchair accessibility. There’s no option to have an UberPOOL with UberACCESS — you will pay the full price of the whole car.

UberVAN has room for up to six people in the ride. It is more expensive than UberPOOL and UberX.

Berline is Uber’s French version of UberBLACK. It offers high-end rides with professional drivers in a luxury vehicle. It is the most expensive Uber service in France.

 

A quick note about other ways to get around Paris

Lyft

For those wondering about Lyft, it currently does not operate in Europe, so you can’t use it in Paris.

Taxis
If you don’t want to deal with ride-sharing apps, a taxi from Charles de Gaulle Airport or Orly Airport to Paris (and vice versa) is fixed at a flat rate. CDG is €50 for the right bank and €55 to the left bank, while ORY is €35 to the right bank and €30 to the left bank.

Have you used Uber in Paris? Tell us about your experience and what tips you use to save.

The post Uber in Paris: How to find the cheapest rides appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Source: Euro Cheapo