StephBlack

We will be flying into CDG in late June. We have plans to pick up a rental car at CDG and head to Normandy planning to spend 3 nights near Bayeux at Chateau de l'Isle-Marie. After that we are heading to the Loire Valley and planning to spend 3 nights near Amboise. My question is - upon returning to Paris where we will be staying for 5 nights where should we return the car. I was planning to return the car to CDG and then take a cab to our hotel but I am wondering if there is a better place to drop the car without getting into the middle of Paris trafic?

PalenQ

Paris-Massy-TGV station? On southern fringe of central Paris

StCirq

Montparnasse or Les Invalides.

mari5

We did something similar one year..ending a "circle" in the Loire Valley/Amboise. It's an easy drive from there up to Paris ORLY airport on the south side of Paris. We then shuttled over to the terminal and took the Orly express into Paris. I forget the exact logistics.
Some will say to return the car at Amboise or one of the towns outside Paris and take the train right into Paris. That might be a good option to look into.
Certainly NO need to go deeper into the city traffic of Paris.

NeoPatrick

I'd certainly drop it at Orly before CDG for greater savings in time and money getting into central Paris, but honestly we've rented and returned to several places along the south side of the city itself, and it couldn't have been easier -- so long as you have a map with the location already marked. Most agencies have places around Montparnasse which are easy to get to coming in from the west and using only a couple major streets.
I never "got" the idea of turning in the car in another city (particularly if you're not saving a day of rental fee) and then paying for train tickets into Paris. I guess I'm a little too frugal for that.

PalenQ

I wonder if comparing the cost of train tickets from say Blois to Paris vs

$8/gal fuel costs and predatory autoroute tolls which would be cheaper? and less hassle?

Reisender

We did exactly what mari5 did - turned the car in at Orly then used the Air France shuttle back into Paris. Since you are coming into the Paris metro area from the Loire Valley this makes much more sense.

StephBlack

Thanks for the advise. I think that we will plan to turn the car in either at Orly or maybe one of the returns on the outskirts of the city. There do not seem to be any drop charges for returning to another location in Paris. I agree about the train part - with 4 of us traveling even a short train trip adds up to way more than tolls and gas.

seafox

If you are using Hertz, there is a very easy location to drop off the car right in the city. It is inside the parking garage at the Lovre. travel on Rue Rivoli, turn into the garage marked Carousel Lovre and follow the signs in the garage.. I've done it several times and you avoid all the hassle of getting back to the city from the airports. (it's also very easy to get to from the auto routes....after all you are driving directly to the Louvre - talk about a well marked land mark.....

iris1745

Stephen; Consider returning the car to Versailles. The car return is near the train station and then it's an easy ride into the center of Paris. Iris