motivation55

Hi My wife and I in our early 40's are planning our trip to The Loire Valley, where we are staying in Chinon. We are needing some advice. We are thinking of coming from Paris by train but it is on a Sunday and can't find a car hire open in the Loire Valley on Sunday. Can you please suggest where to catch the train to where we can hire a car on a Sunday, or do we need to hire one from Paris?

nytraveler

You should hire one from paris. The drive out of the city is not complicated - just be sure to pick a rental office near the Peripherique so you are on city streets a limited time.

There may be an rental office open somewhere on Sunday but I don't now off hand.

StCirq

Probably nowhere except at an airport, and even then it will be iffy. Car rental companies like most other things in France are simply closed on Sundays. If you rent from AutoEurope, or are renting from a French company and can call them and speak French, you may be able to arrange for someone to come meet you and open up the office for you (for a fee), but I wouldn't count on it.

PalenQ

why not just take the train to Chinon and chill the day there in that neat city and rent a car on Monday?

St-Pierre-des-Corps station does not have car rentals on Sunday? The mainline station in Tours. Guess you've checked on that?

train to Chinon via TGVs to Tours then regional train to Chinon though schedules on Sunday may be minimal to Chinon that is.

PalenQ

Yes on Sunday you can leave Paris Montparnasse at 10:40 and in about three hours be in Chinon - change in Tours to a railway bus. check schedules at www.bahn.de/en - the German Railways online schedule site that is so easy to use. for lots on French trains check www.seat61.com- great info on discounted tickets Paris to Tours and Chinon; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Leisurely pick up your car on Monday in Chinon.

Mimar

Or pick up your rental car at Orly Airport, SW of Paris. It's easy to get to by public transportation and only the slightest detour from your route. There are several rental offices there: Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz. I did a trial run at Europcar and it didn't reject a Sunday pick up.

PalenQ

With discounted train tickets it could be cheaper and easier to get to Chinon than with a car - figuring gas used and the very high tolls on French autoroutes - again trains do it in about 3.5 hours all told - getting to Orly Airport takes about an hour or so from Paris - picking up the car takes time - there may be airport and Sunday surcharges, etc. And you'll only miss a boring drive thru the flat Beauce (France's bread basket with miles of farms and little else) on a busy autoroute - taking side roads would take forever, literally.

But if you want to drive from Paris Mimar's suggestion of Orly is a good one as it is well on the way out of the Paris traffic.

motivation55

thank you all for your excellent suggestions and follow up. PalenQ i think we will indeed take the train to Chinon and relax for the day. Thanks so much for your time table etc....

PalenQ

Thank you! You'll love having the rest of the day in lovely Chinon and hit some wineries right in town!

Prost!