The production hired a stunt driver to maneuver the tiny Fiat cab around a hairpin turn for one of the exterior shots in Rome. The turn was so tight that the stunt driver couldn't manage it, even after several takes. Roberto Benigni asked if he could try it and pulled it off perfectly on the first take.
In New York where Giancarlo Esposito's character is trying unsuccessfully to hail a cab, the crew was worried that one of the real cabs passing by might stop for him and ruin the take. But just as it was written in the script, none of the cabs would stop.
The two street sweepers who yell at the cab in Paris were real street sweepers. They approached the crew while they were stopped to reload the camera and recognized Jim Jarmusch. He was so pleased that he gave them a small part in the film.
Cinematographer Frederick Elmes said that the best thing about shooting overnight in Paris was that the bakeries would just be opening as the crew wrapped every morning. So he could cap of his work day with a cup of coffee and a fresh pastry.