drchris

I am preparing to book our last few days in France and am obsessing about how to spend those last precious hours before we say good-bye to France. Sadly, we are unlikely to return as we have so many more places we want to see and our time to see them is becoming more and more limited.

We will arrive in Colmar by noon on day 22 and will spend 2 nights there, visiting Colmar and nearby villages on the Route du Vin, with perhaps a quick look at Strasbourg. I am trying to decide whether to spend the last morning in the Colmar/Strasbourg area and drive to CDG (5 hrs 40 mins according to Michelin) to turn in our rental car and spend the night at the airport before an 11:15 flight home the next day; or try to make a quick stopover to see the Cathedral in Reims or take a quick peek at Nancy if that is "doable."

Comments on this? Suggestions for a place to stay in the Colmar area?

Also, recommendations for an inexpensive hotel at CDG would be appreciated. We just need a place to crash before the flight so we don't need anything fancy. We will be flying home on United if that makes a difference in terminals.

Thanks!

drchris

Sorry for the mention of Chartres in the title. After I looked at the driving time from Colmar to Chartres to CDG, I ruled that out.

Would a day trip from Paris to Chartres by train consume an entire day? We have been to Paris before and don't plan to revisit all of the "must-sees" but want to re-visit a few places we especially enjoyed and reminisce about a much more youthful time in Paris!

Andrew

Have you considered dropping the car in Strasbourg and spending the last night there, then taking an early TGV train directly to CDG? I see there is such a train (random day in April) that gets you into CDG at 8:45 for example. That might be cutting it close, I guess; I have no idea if this train is generally on time or not. I'm usually OK with arriving two hours ahead for international flights from Europe back to the US, generally, though I don't check bags anymore.

You could also drop the car in Strasbourg and train back to CDG the night before as well. The TGV takes only about 2.5 hours. Not sure why the estimated drive time is 5:40, but it is a high speed train (took it from CDG to Strasbourg last year).

I stayed years ago at the Sheraton directly at CDG (using Starwood points) and that was super convenient; I walked from the hotel lobby right to the departures terminal. I have no idea if the hotel is expensive or not, as I used points, but it was a decent place, and it couldn't be more convenient.

kja

"Would a day trip from Paris to Chartres by train consume an entire day?"

I think that depends on what you want to do while in Chartres! If you just want to see the (magnificent) cathedral, a half day would probably be plenty. if you want to visit its delightful market, stroll through it's old town, and/or visit the Musee des Beaux Arts, it could take the better part of a day.

rosemaryoz

I would suggest Strasbourg deserves a bit more than a 'quick look', and the cathedral in the centre is very majestic. I am worried that if you do all that moving around to get from place to place, you will chew up too much time in transit, not enough time relaxing and enjoying it. Andrew's suggestion of taking a late TGV from Strasbourg to CDG is a good one. But I would go the night before the flight, just in case! My sister stayed at the CDG Sheraton (located right at the TGV Terminal, as it happens) twice last year and said it was excellent.

RonZ

Why do all this driving when you can dump the car an take a train to Paris? We always spend the last night in town at our usual hotel, vs at the airport. That means you get up one hour earlier.

bilboburgler

I like the idea of giving Strasbourg just the dying hours of a late afternoon visit. The medievel core (not the only bit worth visiting but the main bit) will be more pleasant at that time after most of the tourists have left. Then TGV to Paris (on time of course)

drchris

Thanks for the suggestion of dropping the car in Strasbourg and taking the train to CDG. I've begun researching that possibility this morning and it only costs a little more than driving. We have been hesitant to drop the car off somewhere other than the airport (where we pick it up) as there is a drop-off fee of 65 Euros (if I recall correctly) but it might be worth the cost for the extra hours in Strasbourg and to decrease the hassle factor of returning the car at the airport. The only thing about relying on the train is the possibility of a strike, which we did encounter in Italy. How far in advance are they usually announced and how long do they typically last?

I am too anxious about the possibility of missing my flight to wait until the day of the flight to get back to Paris. When leaving Rome last May, we found out at the last minute that our flight home was so delayed that we would miss our connection but were offered an earlier flight, and because we were in Rome, were able to get a taxi and rush to the airport.

Andrew

I haven't rented a car in France in a long time. Elsewhere in Europe, I've seen one-way drop charges occasionally advertised when you drop in the same country but it depends on the country. I never paid a one-way drop fee when renting in Slovenia, Croatia, or Czech Republic.

I've heard of train system strikes in Europe, but they do seem to be announced in advance. I guess in that case you'd need to change your plans near the last minute and return the car at CDG after all. Just keep an eye on the news while you are traveling, I guess.