yipper

On my first trip to Europe I went with my two sisters and one of them bought a VW bug. We were there for 3 months and drove everywhere. Into and out of Rome, Paris, Prague(when it was behind the Iron curtain) up and down the
Alps. It was great fun and my DH and I have been renting cars ever since. It is easy, but I have a few friends who do not want to do this and they also have great vacations.

SalB

In all our driving in France we have never seen road rage! We often comment how in a particular situation if we were at home, someone would be having a fit, but in France, they just go on with life. (We're from near Los Angeles. Road rage is a way of life here.)

Speed: If you stay off the toll roads (the A routes), you will not see high speeds. You will save money and you will see the scenery and if you are lost, you can easily go round a roundabout 4 or 5 times trying to decide which exit to take. (We're very experienced at this!)

Hope you enjoy your trip . . . and don't forget a good map!

elisabet

I drove in France, including Loire Valley region, last summer and can attest to AutoEurope's wondefulness. That said, be sure to read the fine print. We picked up our car in one town and returnes it in another. Although we specifically asked if there would be extra charges for the *open jaw* sort of plan, we were told there were no extra charges. Great! A few days before we left the US, we decided to change our drop-off location to Orleans. Big mistake. Not only is the Europecar office very difficult to find, but there was an extra charge. This charge, only for Orleans and Biarritz drop-offs, had been specified in the very tiny print on the voucher we had, but had only recieved a day or two before we departed the US. Of course, although it took several weeks, Auto Europe honored the original price quote.
That said, if I, who live in arural area and avoid city driving at all costs, can drive in Loire Valley, you can too. No one is more phobic about this stuff than I. It is the cities that are most difficult because the oneways are not marked on the maps.

To read a more complete description of my near *nuclear meltdown* in Orleans, there is a thread about magical moments, where I recounted the whole experience.
Get the Michelin guide. Rent the car. Have a wonderful time!

allanc

Yes, and we really had no problems at all except with the following that will not apply to you:

-driving through the round abouts in England was a frightening experience for a N.A. driver!

-two lane roads often became three lane roads in Italy-constant honking and motorists doing anything to pass-and not caring if it was on the right or left.

You will be fine in France. Just remember the metric. Gas is a breeze, and the traffic signs are pretty well international and self explanatory. Go for it.

mr_go

We rent a car nearly every time, even in Switzerland! I would have it no other way.

As for the Paris/Loire trip...I'd definitely get a car. More so than any other Euro trip I've taken.

Any difficulties you may or may not experience at the car rental facility, parking, buying gas, etc. will be minimal compared to the hassles of training/bussing around the Loire valley. And it will enable you to stay at one of the wonderful little country inns around the area, coming & going as you please, popping in at wineries, etc.

RufusTFirefly

I don't normally enjoy driving, but on our trip to Germany last year, we rented a car for the second half of the trip. Overall, it was pretty easy--we purposely did not rent a car for the first part of the trip because we knew that parking and driving around in Bamberg and Munich would be a pain. However, the second part was almost totally in more rural areas, and the freedom and flexibility the car provided was a joy.

Travelnut

Thanks for the ongoing encouragement... just so we're not glossing over anything, be sure to include any "learning" experiences you had, especially with renting/driving in France.

mamc

We drove a rental car on our first trip to Europe many years ago. I went with 5 college friends and we started in Greenoch, Scotland. We picked up the car and driving out of the lot, the first driver forgot about driving on the left and was immediately hit by a city bus. Quite a memory but no one was hurt and it didn't deter us then (we covered 9 countries in 7 weeks) or since. I think we have had a car for at least part of our 14 trips since. There are some places that provide so much more flexibility with a car and the Loire Valley is a perfect example. If you can, avoid renting cars in large cities and instead, try to pick them up on the outskirts. And make sure you know the signs and have a good map.

Brian_in_Charlotte

One bit of advice: learn how to put the car in reverse before leaving the lot. It took me 30 minutes to figure it out on a Fiat once.

jay

i have driven in france and the uk. the uk was my first try besides canada and mexico. no accidents or mishaps. we have found that the trick (it always helps to ease into things) is to leave town on a sunday or on a holiday. there is less traffic. also have someone you trust navigate. it helps not to have to read a map and drive in unfamiliar conditions. we will be in france for christmas and are leaving paris on christmas day for strasbourg. driving in france is not that big of a deal. renting a car is the way to go. i also have a place to get your rental (not eurocar). they are in maine? we just used them again. email me. we leave for france on wed. but i can email you when i get back.b

eschule

I did. Found it surprisingly easily and saved a ton of time travelling between cities. I was in Italy. Can't comment intellgently on benefits in other countries.

wbowles

We rented in Paris after spending three days touring the city, it worked out very well with no troubles and great flexibility, saving a lot of time on our whirlwind country tour and quite reasonable when you consider the cost of train tickets for the entire family.
Hertz gave us a very nice turbo diesel that saved us a bundle on the cost of fuel as well.
It is interesting to experience the regional differences, from the highly disciplined German drivers to the decidedly otherwise Italian drivers. The big cities of course are much better without a car, but we heartily recommend driving if you have a family and want flexibility.

bigtyke

On our first family trip to Europe, my father rented a car in each country (we flew between countries), renting them in France, Germany, Holland, and Denmark. In each country it was a different model car, each with a different transmission. In two of them, he couldn't figure out how to put the car into reverse. Therefore on two occasions, we had to push the car in order to back out.

Budman

Funny you should mention shifting into reverse. I had the same problem in Ireland. Couldn't figure it out after sitting in the driver's seat for 15 minutes -- I was so embarrassed -- had to ask the attendant. All I could say after he showed me was DUH!!!

laurie_ann

I didn't read all the posts, but consider training out of Paris to a smaller city and renting your car at the train station there. www.autoeurope.com has lots of flexibility. As someone who has raced back to Paris from the Loire Valley, in the dark, down a bus only lane, the wrong way on a one way street, just to get back in time to meet our overnight train to Provence, I can say it is possible to drive in Paris, but I would make a different choice next time. Happy driving!

designergigi

Travelnut,
I just returned from a trip to Sicily where I had a car the entire trip and ferried to the mainland and drove up to Rome. Wonderful sites all along the way!
I have rented a car and driven in lots of countries in Europe. It's rather easy, really. One suggestion I would have that no one has mentioned, however, is to write down the names of all the villages along the way to your destination. When off the autostrade, you will be surprised with fast turns immediately after a host of signs with several villages/cities listed. If you don't know the next village you may be off in the wrong direction. Turnabouts are fantastic, though, and have saved me many times as I repeat the circle just to doublecheck my turn off.
Finally, don't be nervous. Know that you will take a wrong turn or two, but, often that turn will take you into the most charming village or allow you the most incredible vista you wouldn't have experienced had you not made that wrong turn.
If you don't drive a clutch, rent an automatic. Most rentals are with a clutch.
I'll never forget the first time I was in England countryside, I think Salisbury, and met at the breakfast table a poor chap and his family from Chicago. This man had never driven a clutch in his life prior to his rental from Heathrow. His father in law, who was a retired farmer, took great enjoyment from his son-in-law's misfortune!
Enjoy and be safe!

Powell

My first trip to Europe was in 1989. We were on our honeymoon. I was 53 years old. We rented a car and drove on the left side of the road to boot.

If you are a good chauffeur, have some patience, I would rent a car. In later trips we went to France and there you have to deal with high speed but roads are very good.

A car gives you the flexibility to visit Dingle in Ireland, Lourmarin in Provence, etc. If some day, we can not drive, we will just go to Paris and Dublin and "suffer" with that.