Anyone picked up a rental car at Gare de Lyon in Paris?
 

WE're stying in Paris for 4 days before we pick up the rental. Now I'm wondering if I did the right thing by arranging to pick up the rental at the train station instead of the airport. We are familiar with rental lots at the airport and the one at the etoile, but I thought it might be easier in and out at the train station.Either way, we'd have to take a taxi to pick it up.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? We using Sixt, reserved through AutoEurope.

We left cars at gare de Lyon many times it is a good location. I guess it depends which way are you heading. I always try to pick up cars in the city avoiding airport taxes, at the same time I try to choose a location that is convenient to the direction we are heading.
You can always change the location if you feel it is good for you.

Graziella makes a good point about which way you are headed, but the rental car pickups are along the quiet side of the Gare de Lyon. It is a street that is easy to head east on and access is easy via major streets out to the Periphique. I think it's an OK choice.
By the way, make sure you have the taxi take you to the right place for the car pick-up rather than up to the front of the station where most taxis go -- it's a rather long walk down, around, and back to the car rental area.

Could you tell me more about where the rentals are located?

I'm not positive about SIXT, but all the rentals I'm familiar with are along the long south side of the staion. It is sort of a lower level from the main terminal. If faces Rue de Bercy, and the entire long area is semi covered. I've never returned a car there, but have walked by several times. It seemed there was good signage for various returns.

Thanks Patrick, that helps a lot.

Brief update on the Gare de Lyon pick up....NEVER again.

First off, the "Gare de Lyon" location was actually an office building across the street from the train station. We would never have found it had our concierce not given the taxi driver the actual street address from the voucher.

Inside the office building, you had to go upstairs to the offices. No signs anywhere leading to Sixt, and I had to ask at 3 different offices for directions. All the while the hubby was downstairs with the luggage because the escalator had barriers that would not allow luggage to pass.

I found the office, went back down & swapped places with hubby to guard the luggage while he finished the paperwork.

Then the fun began. Sclepping bags, we circled the block 3 times looking for the lot where the cars were stored. No luck. Went back upstairs and after much conversation I learned that there is no lot. All their rental cars are parked on the street. Where ever they could find a spot for it.

So, back downstairs I go to the car he pointed at and naturally the key doesn't work. Aha! Wrong key. Different license number.

Huby went back upstairs this time while I stood in the hot sun with the luggage. The guy checks and says it's not the wrong key it's the wrong car. Hubby says, "You find it and bring it to us."

Long story short, an hour and a half and several passes later to say he's still searching, he finally brings the car and says "Sorry, it was hidden by a truck".

So we start to get in the car and I notice a huge dent in the back. I tell him I want him to sign off on it and he says he will make a note on my voucher (which he kept by the way), when he gets back upstairs. I said not good enough, I want your autograph on some piece of paper on my person. He says not to worry, he'll be sure to make the notation. Again I insisted, so he finally relented and made a note on the credit card receipt.

So we'll see what happens when the bill comes. I'll keep you posted.

You are correct that the offices are not the easiest to find. However, our car was parked in the underground garage below the offices. It sounds like your problems were mainly with your rental agnecy and not necessarily with the general Gare de Lyon location.

Sorry for the problems, but I agree with Michael. This is a problem of having rented from Sixt, not from picking up a car at Gare de Lyon, where some of the major agencies are easy to find and easier to deal with.

Sorry I didn't make that clear, but yes, I agree that it was just the Sixt agency that had the problem. All the other rental agencies had well marked offices and car parks as well.

Linda, your story reminds me of my horrible time trying to find my Avis car at the TGV station near Tours.This should have been easy! There were several large car lots all around, and I had no idea which one to go to - and it was pouring down rain. I was alone, lugging my stuff all around, ready to cry (it was my first time to drive in Europe, and I was nervous enough about that). Anyway, back at the Avis office, someone finally drove me to the car! Now I try to pick up my cars at the smallest towns possible. I will NEVER pick up in Paris.

Well we have picked up a car in Paris many times I guess it depends where like Hertz in Rue Ferdinand this is like near the Av de la Grand Armee is simple and easy .

The Etoile location for Europecar was the easiest by far to get in and out of.....as my husband reminded me 437 times during our odessy at the Gare de Lyon. You can guess who booked the rental :-(

It's been my experience that when leaving paris on a road trip, that if the first night's destination is within a relatively short drive, that it is much easier to just drive out of the city as opposed to a train and then a car rental.

After picking the most convenient location, I suggest stopping by a day or two in advance to get the lay of the land before returning with luggage. I do that consistently just to increase the odds that I can get the car model that I want.

I is very easy to get to the highway from the Gare de Lyon, but confusing to find the rental places, which are in a building which is unmarked when you approach from the street as opposed to going through the station.

Good advice Ron.

The time we picked up the car at the Etoile location worked well for us because our hotel was a few blocks away. Hubby walked over and picked up the car while I finished packing so we didn't have to deal with the luggage thing.

<i> Driving</i> however around the etoile was an entirely differnt experience and one that still makes me shudder to think of. Indy 500 without a crash helmet and burn suit comes to mind.

Actually the fall line of burn suits is now being shown at Galleries Lafayette.

DARN! And I walked right past the Blvd. Haussman store last week. Oh well....there's always next year.

2 things:

1) According to the SNCF website, the following rental companies are located ONSITE at the Gare de Lyon:

ADA - T&eacute;l. : 01 43 47 58 80
AVIS - T&eacute;l. : 01 43 43 14 52
BUDGET - T&eacute;l. : 01 55 78 22 14
NATIONAL CITER - T&eacute;l. : 01 39 38 38 38
EUROPCAR - T&eacute;l. : 01 40 04 90 04
HERTZ - T&eacute;l. : 01 53 46 67 40
MOTORAIL - T&eacute;l. : 01 43 07 08 09

As you can see, Sixt is NOT one of them.

2) For those who have issues driving around the Etoile (one of the world's greatest driving experiences IMO, although sitting in the passenger seat can be nerve-wracking), there is a circular set of streets just before you actually get to the Etoile that allows you to avoid it. Another point re: the Etoile: it qualifies as an unmarked intersection(!), so cars coming from the RIGHT have the right of way. This means that the cars entering the intersection should not yield to traffic already in it - that's the theory, anyway :-)

Hope this helps,
Andre

You know Andre, I think I could deal with that but for one thing...why in the name of God do they not paint lines in the road? How many lanes of traffic are supposed to be on the circle?? Just when you think you've got it figured out, somebody in one of those little bitty cars jumps in and makes another lane and you can't make your turn. I felt like Charlie on the MTA.

Linda,

There is only 1 real rule on the Etoile:
&quot;Si tu freines, t'as perdu&quot;
(If you brake, you've lost)

I guess you broke that rule :-)

Bonne route!
Andre