# Just got back from a week in Paris, and Uber there left me mindblown



## nj2bos (Mar 18, 2018)

I just got back from a week in Paris and used Uber a bunch of times to get around the city. Let me tell you, Uber there is a world of difference from the US.

They have your standard UberX, but also "Berline" which is basically Uber black car service, and other options like "Van" for lots of people and "UberGreen" for electric-only vehicles. Interesting options, and a few times when I requested UberX I would receive an "upgrade" to Berline or Green at "no added cost to me" (translation: a Berline driver was also running UberX and just accepted my ping, and Uber pretended it was an upgrade).

But what left me mind blown was the quality of service and cars used for Uber. Virtually every single UberX car is a newer model high-end performance car. I'm talking spanking clean shiny BMWs, Mercedes', Audis, Lexus, and for one ride to dinner my wife and I were picked up in a brand new Alfa Romeo Giulia.

In addition, drivers were all very top-notch, extremely professional, spoke English (except for one) and wore either a shirt/tie or suit/tie. I don't know if it's something culturally about status and prestige, but they take this shit very seriously. In the US, you'd be lucky if your driver has even showered that day.

Best trip I recall was a request for a ride to dinner.. we called an X, follow the car on the map, and suddenly we hear what is obviously a performance car engine racing down the narrow road towards us. Surely it couldn't be our Uber.. yup, a driver wearing a suit in a brand new Alfa Romeo rolls up to drive us to dinner for a mere 7 Euros.

What's interesting is I saw on one driver's Uber screen a bunch of french text that I put into my translate app, and it was an in-app notice for a nice 30 Euro bonus (about $35 USD equivalent) for 4 consecutive rides. So it looks like Uber in France rewards drivers a little more for completing less trips.

My trips:

Mercedes Benz Viano
Mercedes Benz C-Class
Lexus GS
Ford Mondeo (same as a Fusion, fully electric)
Mercedes Benz E-Class
Peugeot 508
Mercedes Benz C-Class
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Audi Q5

I really feel bad for anyone visiting the US from Paris who requests an Uber and gets a 2003 Kia Spectra with four different types of wheels and a broken headlight. Welcome to America, *****es.

Paris doesn't have a trade dress requirement, and a driver told me part of the reason is hostility from cab drivers who regularly protest and are violent towards Uber drivers. Instead, they have a small square city-issued sticker they pay $100 for.

No Lyft in Paris yet. Oh, and interesting fact #2. Had a 20-hr layover in Dublin on my way home so I decided to take an Uber into downtown and get some beers. I opened Uber and while it works there, it is only linked to licensed cabs and you literally just request a licensed city taxi through the Uber app. No fare estimate-- it is meter-based but still paid through the app. Supposedly the Uber app in Ireland has a meter in it and charges you that way. Very interesting.


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## 2Cents (Jul 18, 2016)

It's to make sure they pay their share.


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## 911 Guy (Feb 8, 2018)

Europe and specifically France don't math well.


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## 2Cents (Jul 18, 2016)

911 Guy said:


> Europe and specifically France don't math well.


Not only that but they're payin to subsidize those rides out of investor dollars.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

nj2bos said:


> I just got back from a week in Paris and used Uber a bunch of times to get around the city. Let me tell you, Uber there is a world of difference from the US.
> 
> They have your standard UberX, but also "Berline" which is basically Uber black car service, and other options like "Van" for lots of people and "UberGreen" for electric-only vehicles. Interesting options, and a few times when I requested UberX I would receive an "upgrade" to Berline or Green at "no added cost to me" (translation: a Berline driver was also running UberX and just accepted my ping, and Uber pretended it was an upgrade).
> 
> ...


My guess is that they're trying to expand the business there. Those high rates for the drivers? Go back in about 5 years and see what they are then.


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## 2Cents (Jul 18, 2016)

There was a white Phanthom that picked up at the airport in Orl when fübr first launched.
Of course that was 9 rate cuts ago and now it's .52 per mile paid to the driver so you get what you pay for. (Not a Phanthom)
Doubt Parisians will be that dumb to stoop low but you never know.


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## Mista T (Aug 16, 2017)

Thank you for sharing, always interesting to hear what other cultures are up to and how they are dealing with this stuff.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

You were obviously in an alternate universe.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

Next time in Paris, order UberEats and demand a Quarter Pounder with cheese from McD's.


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## nj2bos (Mar 18, 2018)

Uber's Guber said:


> Next time in Paris, order UberEats and demand a Quarter Pounder with cheese from McD's.


Let me tell you, Uber Eats (and McDonalds) are MASSIVELY popular in Europe. I was in Brussels, Belgium for a couple days as well and saw dozens of Uber Eats scooters everywhere I looked. The riders all had Uber Eats jackets, branded helmets, food bags on their backs with the Uber Eats logo on it. Same with Paris. They all use Vespas and run wild in the streets. Those people do not mess around. Also every McDonalds I saw was friggin packed to the brim, almost all open 24/7.

Different world indeed.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

nj2bos said:


> Let me tell you, Uber Eats (and McDonalds) are MASSIVELY popular in Europe. I was in Brussels, Belgium for a couple days as well and saw dozens of Uber Eats scooters everywhere I looked. The riders all had Uber Eats jackets, branded helmets, food bags on their backs with the Uber Eats logo on it. Same with Paris. They all use Vespas and run wild in the streets. Those people do not mess around. Also every McDonalds I saw was friggin packed to the brim, almost all open 24/7.


Oh, yeah?....Well, I bet nobody ever ordered or delivered a Quarter Pounder with cheese.


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## Merc7186 (Jul 8, 2017)

Dear nj2bos , were glad you enjoy your Uber experience abroad. We at Uber really want every passenger to feel welcomed and enjoy the same level of service quality whether here or overseas. Your input is valuable in helping uber achieve these goals, so we are going to institute new driver pay cuts in Paris, so that they can no longer afford those nicer luxury vehicles and ties.

Lower Pay = More Earnings

Dara


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## Westerner (Dec 22, 2016)

With what Uber pays all one can expect is a ride from point A to point B, nothing more


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## Terri Lee (Jun 23, 2016)

nj2bos said:


> for one ride to dinner my wife and I were picked up in a brand new Alfa Romeo Giulia.


You type this like it's a good thing.

The back seat is tiny.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

nj2bos said:


> I just got back from a week in Paris and used Uber a bunch of times to get around the city. Let me tell you, Uber there is a world of difference from the US.
> 
> They have your standard UberX, but also "Berline" which is basically Uber black car service, and other options like "Van" for lots of people and "UberGreen" for electric-only vehicles. Interesting options, and a few times when I requested UberX I would receive an "upgrade" to Berline or Green at "no added cost to me" (translation: a Berline driver was also running UberX and just accepted my ping, and Uber pretended it was an upgrade).
> 
> ...


From what I've read Uberx in France is not the same as in the US. Uberpop in France used to be the equivalent of Uberx in the US.

Uberpop used regular unlicensed (no taxi/transportation license) drivers and was outlawed by the government in France.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/ventur...berpop-service-following-eu-court-ruling/amp/

Uber is now required to use professional licensed drivers in France and a few other European countries.


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## superfuber (Nov 17, 2018)

It's funny, every place I have traveled recently has not had uberx at all; Cancun - nope, Italy - nope, Spain - nope, Japan - nope... I am surprised they got it approved in France, must have bribed the politicians big time!


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## ng4ever (Feb 16, 2016)

France is awesome!


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

nj2bos said:


> Let me tell you, Uber Eats (and McDonalds) are MASSIVELY popular in Europe. I was in Brussels, Belgium for a couple days as well and saw dozens of Uber Eats scooters everywhere I looked. The riders all had Uber Eats jackets, branded helmets, food bags on their backs with the Uber Eats logo on it. Same with Paris. They all use Vespas and run wild in the streets. Those people do not mess around. Also every McDonalds I saw was friggin packed to the brim, almost all open 24/7.
> 
> Different world indeed.


Many McDonalds are popular hangouts in other countries cause they dont have one every 5 miles like us lol. KFC also lol


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

Been to Paris a couple of times myself. The taxi drivers there are assholes.....there is no other definition for it. Ordered a taxi at 500 AM to go to CDG (pre-Uber days) and when the car showed up at our hotel, the driver got into a fsit fight with another taxi driver who was parked at the taxi stand out front. Using my pigeon French I figured that the dispute was over who should be driving us. While they were dragging it out, we got into another cab that pulled up.

Didn't use Uber on the last trip (2016) because we basically took the Metro everywhere. You know the metro, it's like that 100+ year old tunnel like thing Musk thinks he invented last month.....LOL !!

Having said that, those high end vehicles come in much lower levels of trim in Europe, with far fewer options, and at much lower prices than what is sold in North America. I remember back in the late 70's on my first military posting to Germany getting in a Mercedes taxi cab and wondering who really won the war.

Did you bring back a yellow vest as a souvenier ?


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

nj2bos said:


> I just got back from a week in Paris and used Uber a bunch of times to get around the city. Let me tell you, Uber there is a world of difference from the US.
> 
> They have your standard UberX, but also "Berline" which is basically Uber black car service, and other options like "Van" for lots of people and "UberGreen" for electric-only vehicles. Interesting options, and a few times when I requested UberX I would receive an "upgrade" to Berline or Green at "no added cost to me" (translation: a Berline driver was also running UberX and just accepted my ping, and Uber pretended it was an upgrade).
> 
> ...


french youngs don't have cars... 50 and up crowd buy cars in France


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

By the beginning of next summer Uber drivers will reduced to picking up passengers on bicycle here in the U.S., and they’ll be cheap Walmart special bikes.


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## Jerseyguy72 (Aug 15, 2016)

Maybe we need to kick our game up a notch?
Nah!


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

911 Guy said:


> Europe and specifically France don't math well.


Lol, this comment is dumb enough to actually break the internet.

Europe "doesn't do math well" ??? Shirley, you cannot be serious.

Euclid
Newton
Einstein
Charles Babbage
Alan Turing
De Fermat

Etc etc etc etc

In international student assessments of 2015, the good ole US of A was beaten in math by Europeans from:

Switzerland
Netherlands
Denmark
Finland
Belgium
Germany
Poland
Ireland
Norway
Estonia
Slovenia
Sweden
France
United Kingdom
Czech Republic
Portugal
Iceland
Spain
Luxembourg
Latvia
Malta
Lithuania
Hungary

and last but not least

Slovak Republic.

You Yanks make a great steak dinner, and _some _of your music and movies are pretty good. But in terms of edyoocayshen in basics like math and science.... you're near the bottom of the pile.


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## Robert Larrison (Jun 7, 2018)

...and the driver smelt like soap.


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