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I think that Taxi fares on Paris are fixed: http://www.taxis-de-france.com/professionnel/tarifstaxis.htm So it is quite estrange what you are telling. Maybe it was a pirate taxi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation)?

It was almost certainly a pirate taxi.

I guess my point was that using the same app I use in London and knowing that I'm not going to get ripped off in a strange* city was quite nice

* that's strange as in unfamiliar ;-)