Late-Night Transportation

The métro runs until 12:40 am Sunday through Thursday; however, there is service on Friday night, Saturday night, and nights before holidays until 2:15 am, when the last train on each line reaches its terminus. After that, you can try a cab, but it can be extremely difficult to find one after midnight or anytime when there's a chance of rain. Taxi stands are plagued with long lines of prospective passengers waiting for a limited number of vehicles, and even calling one on weekends can be a frustrating exercise. Following serious protests by Paris cabbies, the city government has been trying to crack down on smartphone car-hire services, like Uber and its French counterpart Chauffeur Privé, with varying degrees of success. For now, though, these are still thriving; apps can be downloaded at www.uber.com/cities/paris and www.chauffeur-prive.com, respectively. As long as you're in the Wi-Fi zone, cars usually arrive in less than 10 minutes—and drivers will go anywhere in or outside Paris without sizing you up first and deciding whether they feel like it. Another alternative is the Noctilien, the sometimes rowdy night-bus system. And if you're having a lot of fun, you can always wait until the métro starts running again at 5:30 am.