Why on earth would you drive from London to Paris instead of taking the train to Paris and renting a car there - with the steering wheel on the side you need for the continent (!!!) - and not needing to try to park in Paris. And why drive all the way back north instead of flying open jaw?

And while congratulations seem to be in order, don't you mean "we'll" spend a few days in Paris, not "I'll" spend a few days...

The fastest normal drive from Heathrow to the motorway exit for Paris CDG is about 4-5 hrs. Like millions of Britons driving to the Continent every year (and millions of Continental lorries delivering here, because we don't share America's bizarre and illegal delusion that you can ban trucks from countries you share a free trade area with), I find my car's "wrong-handedness" almost trivial.

The fastest route involves booking a Eurotunnel ticket(Heathrow to the Tunnel toll booth is almost always 90-120 mins): prices vary immensely according to time of day and when you book. It's usually about half the price, about 90 mins longer and IMHO a drastically greater pain in the rear end, to take the car onto a ferry from Dover (google Channel Ferry). But by ferry you get a great view of the White Cliffs. London-Paris by car and tunnel is possibly the world's most scenically boring journey.

In your case, though, you have either to:
- prewarn yor hire company, and pay a significant insurance premium, or
- use the Hertz le Shuttle service, where you take your UK car onto the Eurotunnel shuttle, drive it off at Calais and get it replaced by a French car.

All of which said, there are excellent reasons why holidaying Britons, or Turks delivering Italian tomatoes, drive the whole route. They don't apply to someone who'll find that a plane to Paris will cost an enormous amount less, and get you onto the motorway outside CGD several hours faster, than the paperwork-rich option of driving between the two airports.

Renting a car (or cars) for part(s) of your route makes sense -- but driving from London to Paris to Italy and back to London in a rental car makes next to no sense.

How long do you have for this trip? Trains and/or planes will be easier/faster/cheaper for some legs. Hopefully you are talking at least 5 or 6 weeks to cover all that territory.

Why not book a flight from Heathrow to Paris? Even if you allow several hours between flights you will still be in Paris before you would if driving

Makes substantially more sense than arriving off a long haul flight, hiring a car, driving to the Channel, taking a ferry / Eurotunnel, find the steering wheel is now on the wrong side of the car, that you hire costs have doubled because you are taking the car abroad and then drive to Paris.

Sorry this plan is probably the most stupid idea since someone suggested driving the length of the UK twice in 8 days as a "holiday".

Just take the Eurostar to Paris and pick up a rental car at Gare du Nord.

It is no big deal to drive Heathrow - Paris other than heavy traffic, LHD v RHD and the cost of getting the car across the channel.

If you are certain that you want to drive, look at one of the ferry comparison sites. I've used Norfolk lines (cheaper and not significantly further from Paris) and gives you the opportunity to grab a meal during the crossing.

I would suggest, however ...............

Take the underground to central London, rest for 1 night in a hotel, then take the TGV from St Pancras to Paris and rent a car there.

Drop offs are relatively cheap within countries, but very expensive across borders.

Travel light and check out Ryanair or Easyjet for a cheap flight back to London from Provence, Paris, Italy, etc

Peter

Thanks for the responses. I had originally planned on driving from London to Paris because I wanted to experience driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Traffic is not a major concern for me as I drive 45 miles each way to work everyday here in southern california. I'm used to the 405 parking lot in the morning.

With that said, I actually found very cheap flight on Lufthansa directly into CDG so I will go with that and skip London this time.

I will still go with a rental car though. Is Sixt a good company to rent from?

Wouldn't it be a good idea to get some sleep first?

Sixt is fine, but check the options proposed by www.autoeurope.com or one of the other consolidators as well. All of those place provide the cars from the major companies but are regularly about 40% cheaper than booking directly.

Unless you have some relevant places to stop on the way, I should take the train to Avignon and pick up a car there (I too recommend Autoeurope). Train tickets are cheap if purchased in advance and you´ll have more time available to be where you want to be.

In either event, consider leaving the car in Nice and taking the train back to Paris on the return. Europcar, Sixt, Citer, or just about any company except Hertz or Avis will not charge a one way drop off fee as long as the pickup and drop off are in France.

For train tickets:

www.tgv-europe.com

Driving in the French countryside is a joy but do not even think about driving around in Paris. I am also a person who is accustomed to heavy rush hour traffic but I will never, never again drive in Paris. Public transport is faster, easier, cheaper and much more enjoyable.

How long is your trip???

This is actually really important missing info.

My trip is about 16 days. I'm picking up the car when I leave for Provemce from Paris. Is it easy to drive in Italy? I had no problem driving in Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria. Anything unique for Italy?

Italy requires an International Driver's Permit, a translation of your license easily available at AAA/CAA if you're in North America. Driving in northern Italy isn't bad, just the occasional suicidal passer on a blind curve.

So now you're picking up the rental car as you leave Paris. Where do you plan to drop the car? There's usually a significant charge for dropping a car in a foreign country.

And where do you plan to go in Italy? You don't want a car for any of the cities or for the Cinque Terre. A car is great for driving the hilltowns of Tuscany and Umbria.

If Italy is just Rome, Venice and Milan a car will be more of a liability (parking!) than an asset. Would make more sense to drop the car in France and take trains and planes for the rest of the trip. I've also read some anguished posts here from people fined for driving in the wrong parts of Italian towns - although that's more often Florence.

As I feared -- you are talking 2 weeks (16 days but two of those are probably travel days).

I think you seriously need to re-think things just a bit. And ESPECIALLY if your honeymoon is right after the wedding.

After all the festivities you will fly over night to Paris and then want to see Paris, Provence, Rome, Venice, and Milan -- by car. This would be difficult if you used trains/planes everywhere and next to impossible by car. Plus what will you do w/ the car in Rome and Venice?

This is a 3+ week itinerary.

Once again, thanks for the replies.

Well I did Paris, Zurich, Munich, Salzburg/Bavaria in 11 days a couple years ago all in a car. Especially when I have only so many vacation days and would like to see these places on this trip. Need to be a bit of touch and go. I'm not worried about time. As for the car, I will pay for parking at the hotel. Did that on the last trip as well. Wedding is already done so honeymoon is not immediately after.

I rather not go through the hassle of catching a train. Lugging around luggages on and off the train/plane. Making sure I'm connecting to the right train or getting off at the correct station. I am ok with paying a little more for parking at hotels but have the car at my disposal.

It seems like the most difficult city will be Venice but I also found parking lots in Mester where you can then ride the bus onto the Island.

I haven't rented the car yet so I will look a bit more at train schedules, but it appears for now car is still the best bet. Consider a wife who wants to look good where ever she goes. She won't be able to pack light. Dragging two or three large roller bags around train station is not too appealing to me.

>>Consider a wife<<

That was rather my thought. What does she want to do?

Paris, Zurich, Munich/Bavaria/Salzburg are much closer together and linked by, I suspect, better roads with better drivers. Even a journey like that in 11 days would be a severe test of relationships with anyone I know, and what you're proposing is a much greater challenge. You'd be in the car more than you'd be out of it.

If she's worried about looking good wherever she goes; won't pack lightly; and plans to have you rent a car under improbable circumstances because she has 2-3 large roller bags, I think I'd re-consider the wife. At least try to talk some sense in to her.

We are to fly into Heathrow since the plane tickets are cheap then rent a car from Sixt and drive down to Paris.

Apparently you do not intend to stay in London. That said, you might find that using Heathrow is a false saving after factoring in the cost of getting to Paris by whichever means you choose.

Has anyone addressed the actually NEED for a ar IN Paris????

I did not notice that you had changed your flight plan.

As for a rental, try Kemwel or Autoeurope. If your credit card will carry the CDW with no deductible, choose their "basic" rate. I think that you will discover that it is cheaper than any other rate. If you plan to pick up and return the car in Paris, you might avoid the extra RR station or airport pick-up fee by choosing a downtown location. What ever the quote, it will include the VAT but not the daily road tax, pollution tax if you rent an automatic, and the above mentioned pick-up fees. If doing a one-way rental, check that there is no charge for that. Once you have browsed the various web sites, you might want to discuss your needs with a representative at Kemwel or Autoeurope (same person if you ask).

I would like to mention (while not necessarily recommending it) that millions of visitors to Paris survive with their cars: French tourists, German tourists, Belgian tourists, Swiss tourists... etc. Actually many people from much farther away drive to this part of Europe on holiday. I see tons of licence plates from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechy, Bulgaria, etc. Do these people use their cars to drive around Paris once they have arrived? Some do, some don't.

But people who always arrive on a plane or who always arrive by train should probably not automatically assume what is best for them is best for all other travelers.

Yes, people do drive in Europe, but sometimes there is not as much to actually be "seen" en route, as you would enjoy getting there by train, and then renting. Sights from the autoroutes in France are not always "charming". Why so much driving? This is also a honeymoon. I would trade 3 hours visiting on the TGV to Avignon from paris for 8 hours driving in the car, putting in tolls, and stopping at the rest stops on the autoroute. The other 5 hours could be having a great dinner and turning in early.
Just because you "can" drive doesn't mean it is the best way to see the most things.

Agree with kerouac; I like driving, even in Paris, London, Amsterdam. Much easier to drive if you have luggage. Though I would not drive from LHR to Paris after arriving from the US; I'm glad you changed that.
Provence, Rome, Venice, Milan, Paris would be too much in two weeks for me, but it's doable. I would take out Rome since it's much further south, and maybe include two nights on lake Como (instead of Milan - or maybe just a day in Milan for shopping). Drive through Switzerland from Como on your way back to Paris.

I'm picking up the car when I leave for Provemce from Paris

As far as the original post is concerned, I think that the discussion about having a car in Paris is moot.

Well said, Kerouac

Further plan change. I'm taking a train to Provence. Picking up a car in provence. Hitting Rome, Venice, then stopping off at Lucerne for one night on the way back to Paris from Venice. I found parking at Mester for the few nights at Venice.

What is a must see of Provence?

BTW, I will miss Monaco Grand Prix by two days! Quite disappointed. Would it be a good idea to swing by to check out the area while driving from Provence to Rome?

Are you considering staying in Mestre or just leaving the car there? Staying in Mestre is not a good idea, you want to stay in Venice proper, not on the outskirts.

Kay