driving outside of paris
 

My friend and I are planning on renting a car just outside of Paris for two different day trips. One, to Rouen; the other to Reims.Thinking the best thing is to take the train just outside of Paris, renting a car, and off we go.Wondering what car rental company will have the easiest train station location, what city, as well as the best rate?The Rouen day will include the coast/Honfleur. Reims would include a drive down to Troyes. Any comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

You can easily get the train to both Rouen and riems, and having a car wil be no advantage when you get to both those places.

If you want to tour round, make a few nights of it, and get your monies' worth out of the car!

Good luck!

Hi M,

Any city that is connected to a train station doesn't warrant a car.

((I))

It's not going to be cost-effeective to do two day-long rentals. You'd probably only be able to do that with some French car rental outift, which is a lot more expensive than arranging it in advance from the States through AutoEurope or some similar broker/dealer. And that Rouen/Honfleur/coast day is likely to take up so much of your time you'd be paying for two days' worth of rental anyway.

I think you should rethink all of this. Spend time in Paris and then rent a car and spend time outside Paris. AutoEurope is always a good place to start for inquiries about prices and availability at various locations - but there's really no need to take a train somewhere else just to pick up a car. It's not going to be significantly less unnerving to drive out of Chartres or Rouen or Amiens or Beauvais or anywhere else than it is out of Paris.

Thanks very much for your opinions.We are in Paris for 3 weeks and were thinking that Rouen/Honfleur and Reims/Troyes would be fun daytrips.Is it just as silly if we rent just outside of Paris and drive around the countryside/coast?We love to drive in California and thought it would be a fun day.Your suggestions are most helpful-if we don't mind spending the money, what's the most efficient use of time?

Pick up Michelin map 237 which shows Paris and Reims and Rouen.

I'd rent a car at Gare de Lyon for the trip to Reims. You can get onto autoroute A4 not far from this train station, and this way you won't have to take a train out of town first.

We've rented a car from the area between Porte Maillot and the Arc de Triomphe off Ave. des Ternes. There are alot of car rental companies here, and you don't have to drive through the center of Paris to leave the city. This may be a good spot to rent a car for your day trip to Rouen and Honfleur instead of leaving the city first.

Orly is also a possiblility.

Have a great time! I also love to drive around France so I understand that, but having been to these areas you may want to spend 2 days in each spot. Why not keep the car longer and connect the two trips?

Thanks for the map reference.I know,I've thought about spending more time in the outer cities;however,we've paid a pile o'money for our apartment in the St. Germain de Pres so we're not wanting to spend more $ on nights elsewhere.which auto companies can you recommend at lyon and the arc area?

I've used both Hertz and Budget, but you need to check many, because the daily rate can really vary from company to company. Many people recommend AutoEurope, but I haven't been finding any lower rates with them. Also note the times they open and close, because that is really going to limit the time you'll have. I don't think they stay open very late, maybe 7-8 p.m.

For convenience, if you want to pick up a car at a train station atside Paris, Avis rental through the French rail company, SNCF, is best because the offices are at the train stations. Also, there are no office-hour constraints. Any time a train arrives, you can pick up a car, from the station master if the office is closed.

Any chance you might consider cutting the Paris apt. rental a little short? I love love love Paris but two weeks in Paris and one roaming the countryside to your hearts content might be an option. Cruising through Normandy with stops in Deuville, Trouville, Honfleur... It wouldn't hurt to ask the apt. owner to shorten the contract...

The price of a rental car and a week of lodging in the country wouldn't cost any more than your St. G apt for a week.

BTW, I'm nosy. Would you post a link to your Paris apt.? I love looking at other people's choices. Here's mine for this summer's trip... http://www.private-paris.com/grenellesalon.htm

One thing to know about AutoEurope is that the charge for a 2-day or 3-day rental is identical.

thanks for the tips - apartment is already paid for so no cutting the trip short. love knowing that avis has cars at the sncf stations - perfect. website for our apartment is www.chezvous.com we are staying in the Gigi for 2 weeks, then 2 of us are going home, so we're moving to the smaller Bisou. these are both in the 6th district, which is how the site is organized.perhaps in hindsight we would have stayed out of the city that last week, but i'm trying to work with what we've got.
autoeurope is not cheap at all - so far avis and hertz directly seem to be the same price and easier. anyone familiar with a place to park the car outside of the city rather than returning it to the company, only to rent another two days later?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity. I like the Chez Vous website especially how they give several photographic angles of various rooms. I also like their neighborhood information. Much luck in your adventures!

In July '05 we rented a car from AVIS (St. Sulpice) for $70. We arranged the car the day before we needed it and then were free to leave Paris as early as we wished (the office doesn't open until 8:00 am) on our travel day.

They also allowed us to drop off the car to the St. Sulpice underground parking lot after they closed (8:00 pm) and then return the followiing day to process the paperwork.

Have a terrific trip.

I am veryn excited about the apartment. Chez Vous came highly recommended. Not bargain digs, but splitting the cost made it more affordable. The website really makes you feel like you get to see every inch of the apts!
Re: the avis post - how was it driving to/from the St. Sulpice station? That sounds fabulously convenient to our location, granted the rental is more like 90 euro now, but the convenience sounds awesome.

90 euros for one day? I reserved a car from AutoEurope today for the upcoming Friday-Saturday-Sunday, and it is 90 euros for unlimited mileage, insurance included.

yep, it's the same with avis, 3-day minimum.

Well, then you might just save some money by popping into some car rental place in France when you get there. I've had to do that unexpectedly a couple of times and paid about $50 per day for unlimited mileage with all insurance included.

is there any chance you remember the name/location of that car company? ;-)

I have had fun reading these post and I am so excited about a last minute spring break to Paris with my friend who has never been there. We plan a few days in Paris and a zip down to Provence then back up to Paris to send our school kids home. We have a few days left and would like recommendations for a train ride north or west. I am a painter and looking for quaint & beautiful and fun. Any ideas for a day or two north of Paris?