Driving in France. Worth the hassle?
 

My wife and I are planning to spend a month in rural France next year and we are condiering hiring/leasing a car. Whilst this will give us the flexibility to meander throughout the countryside at leisure, several guidebooks have listed ominious warnings on the price of motorway tolls, the lack of parking and rampant theft of belongings from parked vehicles. Is this tale of woe as bad as its made out to be? <BR>Your help most appreciated. <BR>Steve <BR>

Is it worth it to have a car for a trip through rural France? Absolutely! We've rented a car on multiple trips, and the reports of vandalism, etc. are unwarranted (except for the rental price, which may fall within the definition of highway robbery). <BR> <BR> The ability to spread a blanket for a picnic in a field of wildflowers overlooking Mt. Ventoux is, by itself, reason enough to have a car (we've done it!). Exploring small villages, Alpine roads, etc. are separate, stellar reasons. The best reason, though, is that you keep your own schedule; staying as long or as short as you like and changing your itinerary because the left fork of the road looks more interesting than the right one. <BR> <BR>It should go without saying that we cherish our memories of France by auto! <BR>

Steve, Of your three concerns, only the motorway tolls has any merit. Other than Paris, as is true of any large city, parking was never a problem in our tour of coastal France and the Loire valley and we never had a problem with theft, nor did anyone we met. <BR>

Tolls are a killer, but if you're planning to travel the by-ways and country roads, the tolls aren't going to really matter. Rent the smallest car you can (gasoline is the real drain on finances) and enjoy yourself. <BR> <BR>We've rented cars everywhere and never had a problem with theft. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Just returned from 2 weeks, most of which was with a car in France. Rented in Toulouse and returned there, then flew to Paris, stayed Paris then rented again and drove through the countryside. The tolls are quite expensive, but so is airline travel around Europe and getting to the smaller places without a car is difficult . I would suggest a combination depending on your itinerary. The actual driving is very easy----I sometimes became impatient with the French drivers because they are docile compared to Italians and Germans. The autoroutes are fantastic and very well marked. You need to as above suggested rent the smallest car with a stick shift. Parking was not a problem in smaller cities---just pay attention to the curb marking and the time limits. Have fun. <BR>

I can understand your concerns, but they are misplaced -- not to worry. Pack along a plastic table cloth. Why? With it, you can cover an items left in the back seat (leave nothing of value in plain sight). Second, it will more than pay for itself when you picnic along the road. Buy bread, cheese, ham, etc. in any town and save a bundle. It's good advice to rent as small a car as the two of you can. Gas prices are high, but so is your mileage. Take the back roads; avoid the autoroutes. We beat the Paris gig by taking the train. In Provence we rented a car in Nimes. In Brittany we rented our car in Quimper. NEVER (if you can avoid it) operate a car in or near Paris. Use their superb public transportation. It will save money and will soothe your nerves. E-mail is you have more questions.

By all means rent a car! You can avoid the exhorbitant price of gasoline by reserving a diesel powered vehicle; diesel fuel is considerably cheaper than gasoline and gives better mileage. Only drawback is sluggishness in attacking the Alps. For a more pleasurable trip avoid the toll highways and travel the "shunpike" routes. You'll see more of France and more charming sights than toll road rest stops. Do be prepared for metered parking in cities that differs from that in the U. S. No individual parking meters, per se, but a machine like an ATM at the end of the block where one buys a ticket to place on the dashboard. <BR> <BR>Stow all valuables in your trunk. Don't leave maps or guide books lying about - they're a giveaway identifying you as a tourist. <BR> <BR>Enjoy! <BR> <BR>

By all means, rent a car in France. As mentioned earlier, tolls are high. If you can rent a diesel engine car, you will find that the cost of fuel is approx. $1.00/gal less than gasoline. This is the case in most countries in Europe. Have fun.

Steve, since you are going to be in France more than 17 days, I suggest you lease rather than rent a car. It is quite a bit cheaper and the CDW insurance, which costs nearly $20 per day, is taken care of. Peugeot and Renault probably have web sites. If not, check ricksteves.com. <BR>

I agree with others who have posted comments. The roads in France are excellent and you'll experience no problems there. Cars are especially good for touring, but I would forget about having a rental in a larger centre where other forms of transportation may be easier and cheaper. As others note, the price of gas is horrendous -- it cost me about $65 Cdn. to fill the tank of the little car I had back in September, and the tolls are very steep too. The trip from Avignon to Nice, a total of 265 kms (roughly 160 miles) was about 130 FFs. The speed limit on the toll highways which are superbly built and can handle speed is usually 130 kms per hour (78 MPH) but you will find you are the only one going that slowly. That can be particularly daunting when you are going through the rugged mountain areas down twisting slopes in company with the big transport trucks. arking in small towns was not a problem, but I spent a week in Nice and our hotel on Avenue des Anglaises did not have a parking lot to which we could go-- most don't. Street parking overnights is reserved for local people only, which meant I had to use the downtown parking garages between excusions in the area. The daily maximum rate is 150FF (about $35 Cdn. at the time) and there is no way you can avoid paying the maximum if you park the car and leave it for more than 4 hours. The parking garages are meant to pack in maximum cars in minimum space so good parking skills are really desireable. <BR>

Just back from 4 weeks driving in Italy and France. Assuming you are american you will have no trouble with left hand drive cars but be aware of speeds on motorways. Can be very unnerving. Do NOT pick up a car in Paris unless at airport- the Paris Periferique, the main highway around the city is a nightmare during the weekdays. Avoid the motorways. The backroads are great and by using them you will avoid the Germans who only use the motorways as their driving speeds do not allow for obstacles such as curves, etc. If you wish to stay in a gite or a flat, each French village seems to have a Tourist Bureau who will assist you in finding short term or long term accommodation. Have a great trip.

I have hired a car in France four times in recent years.I have driven from Paris to the Loire valley,Normandy and the north, and this year, we drove all through Provence and up through the Alps into Italy. I have never had the slightest problem with anything. People in the country are absolutely delightful, you could not possibly achieve the same trip without a car.I also found that drivers were very patient and courteous, and believe me, sometimes I was very trying - there are a few different road rules. Take the same precautions as you would anywhere - lock stuff in the trunk so it's out of sight and get a car with good locks. Don't drive in Paris, it's only for people with a death wish. I collect the car at the airport. One last thing - get Michelin maps on a very large scale - some of the signposting in France is weird.Even my husband,who is a truly gifted navigator, has trouble. A very nice US journalist saved my sanity in the Loire by sending me off to buy large maps. Michelins are available in all book stores and newsagents and tourist shops.You will have a great time.Good luck.

I have rented cars in France many times before and have found it a marvelous way to travel -- especially if you want to see the smaller towns and villages, many of which look as though they've been picked out of a fairy tale and placed by the side of the road. To find most of these places, however, you will have to deviate from the tollways and take secondary roads. But this is not bad; you save the tolls, which can be quite high, and the roads are good and well marked. The only thing you will have to get use to are the traffic circles. Just make sure you yeild the right of way, if you don't have it, and stay on the outside as you go around until you find the arrow directing you to where you want to go. <BR> <BR>I would rent a diesel car if I were you, but nothing smaller than a Renault Cleo. Anything smaller and you won't be able to fit your month's worth of luggage in the car. In addition, get yourself the Michelin Red Book on France for your hotels and restaurants and a good quality road map. Travel books on places like the Bastides, for example, which are French fort towns, are equally valuable.

Please rent or lease a car. The flexibility is a luxury that has no price. Besides a lot of exageration, France and Italy are wonderful to visit by car, I have done it with our family many times. Bon vayage.

Louis, I thought that in the roundabout (traffic circle) you head immediately for the center and go round and round until you figure out which of the 8 roads connecting you want to take. I always yield, and haven't gotten killed yet, but I'd like to know if I'm majorly wrong here. Thanks!!!!!

The only way to see rural France is by car. We have safely completed two driving vacations of France and wouldn't do it any other way. The only parking problem we had was in Florence. A driving trip around France is a must. <BR>

Donna: No. You're not wrong; you're majorly right. You always head for the center, but I thought I would make it easier for those who haven't been through one. Of course, there are supposed to be signs before you get to the roundabout that shows a graphic layout of the circle and which exit you need to take. This makes it a lot easier to drive through one. Unless the exit is immediately after the one you enter, you go to the center and maneuver your way around to the outside. But sometimes this is not so easy to do; however, the French seem to be a forgiving lot if one doesn't quite maneuver the right way through the circle.

Louis and Donna, I don' think you are suppose to head to the center. If you do that at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris you may never get out of the circle. You should stay on the outside of the circle watching the cars entering the circle in front of you because they do have the right of way in France.

I'll just add that while driving alone around the Loire Valley, I really had no significant problems. BUT, I was honked at twice, cursed once, received a rude gesture, and was rather violently rear-ended while sitting stopped in traffic in Tours. I'm a southern California native, so I know how to drive (and fast), but the French weren't all that tolerant of a tourist in their way. By the way does anyone know what Renault makes their bumpers out of? There should have been significant damage, but not a scratch!

Dayle, I think they breakout the rubber bumpers for Americans .... <BR> <BR>Are you sure they were french drivers??? <BR> <BR>The only accident I was ever involved in was in the Loire valley .... Chambord parking lot, actually, when a German tourist got confused driving a camper van and shifted it into reverse instead of 1st and backed right into me. I can't begin to tell you how much fun that was. The french policeman didn't speak english or german. The German only spoke german and, of course, I only spoke english. <BR> <BR>I don't recall what type of car I had rented, but it didn't have a rubber bumper ... this one fell off and the hood also popped up.