Car Rental Gare de Lyon
 

As usual, looking for advice
OK, I am traveling via TGV from Avignon to Gare de Lyon on 4 July. Final destination is Rennes, Dinan. If I get train tickets for two, it will run 170 euros and take 2.5 hours. If I rent a car, which I will need for the 7 days in Rennes, it will cost around $220 for the week but I need to drive out of Paris to the Peripherique and then on to Rennes, about 3.5 hours. I am leaning on renting the car since I will need the car anyway. The problem is driving out of Paris on Saturday. I have driven in Paris, it is a challenge. I will have my GPS. So my question is, using AutoEurope or EuroCar is there rental station close to the Peripherique that will allow easy pick up going and drop off upon return?

There is a direct no-train-change TGV that goes from Avignon to Rennes - departing at 9:14 & arriving at 14:50. Have you already booked another Avignon to Paris schedule?

I expect that the Gare de Lyon & perhaps much of Paris will be a traffic mess on Sat July 4 - I think that's when the French schools let out.

Stu Dudley

Two tickets on the 9:14 Avignon to Rennes is 224E.

Stu Dudley

Stu
Unfortunately, we have tickets on the 0958 to Gare de Lyon purchased months ago at 70euros for 2. It looks like the most cost effective solution is the rental car. Once on the Peripherique, I should be OK. It appears that the route from Gare de Lyon to the Peripherque is the most direct of the rental sites. I am hoping that Saturday traffic will be moderated.
Thanks for your input.

From the Gare de Lyon it is fairly easy to get to the closest périphérique, which is east of the station. You would get on it just before crossing the Seine.

It will be relatively easy to enter the périphérique from near Gare de Lyon, orbit around to Port d'Auteuil and exit onto A13.

Some might suggest Port Maillot and A12 but the tolls are slightly higher this direction and possibility of making a wrong turn as you traverse through la Défense and beyond is far greater than simply taking A13 from the start.

Driving out of Paris, particularly from Gare de Lyon is no big deal. You just take the quai de Bercy to the <I>périphérique intérieur</I> and you will quickly arrive at the <b>A6b</b> at Porte d'Italie (direction: Orly - Lyon). After 15km there will be an exit for the <b>A10</b> (direction Bordeaux - Nantes). You stay on that until you reach the <b>A11</b> which will already have Rennes on the sign. You follow that until you exit on the <B>A81</b> which will take you to Rennes.