Hello Everyone,
After our stay in Paris we will be picking up our lease car at Orly airport and continuing on our way to Amboise. I would like to purchase a small icechest to keep with us for the next portion of our trip, which will be 10 weeks. Does anyone have any recommendations where would be the best place to purchase a small ice chest?

I know it's kind of a strange question, but if anyone can answer strange or unusual questions it's all you Fodorites. Thank for your help...once again!

Michele

Go to an Auchon...they have everything!

One thing we've done before though is to bring a soft sided ice chest with us in our luggage from the states. Something to keep in mind is that ice isn't always readily available. You won't find ice machines at hotels as we have here in the US.

I had much better luck purchasing a couple of "blue ice" blocks and asking hotels etc to freeze them for us.

Margy

Hi margyb,
Thanks for your reply! Where is Auchon? Is that a grocery store? Is it near Orly, Amboise, somewhere in between? Great info about the ice, didn't know that. The blue ice idea is great. Can I purchase those at Auchon also?
Thanks,
Michele

Auchan is a chain of super/hypermarkets. There are other chains like Leclerc and Carrefour. They are in out-of-town locations, usually near autoroute exits, and indicated on maps and signs as 'centre commercial' (shopping mall). They are easy to find and all provide a large, free parking lot. Good place to stock up on essentials and picnic food, drinks etc, as prices are among the lowest.
Ice (glace) isn't normally available in hotels (except perhaps those with large transatlantic trade), but can be bought in most grocery stores and many service stations. Blue freezer packs can be bought cheaply but must be frozen first, and not all hotels have facilities for doing that for guests - no problem in B&Bs or small, family-run places.

Here's a map with Carrefour locations:

http://tinyurl.com/6uy4kb

Auchan store finder:

http://tinyurl.com/7pjvmx

Hello Alec and ParisAmsterdam,
Sorry so long to reply...couldn't log in at home! Thank you for your helpful replies. I will look up the locations and find the ones along our route. Again, the Fodorites come through!
Take care,
Michele

Finding bagged ice in Europe, is definitely NOT common like it is in the U.S.

It's not finding the ice chest that will be hard, it's the ice!

A very handy type we found at Carrefour; it plugs into the accessory outlet, most hatchback rentals have one in the back of the car, so it is out of sight,with this type, you do not need to continually search for ice. Does a great job of cooling or heating, has a selector switch, works best if items are cool before putting in chest.

Very nice insulated bags are sold at Picard (the frozen food chain). We always buy a couple to transport our Picard goodies back home.

Hello,
Thanks everyone for the help. I guess I never even considered that finding ice would be a problem.

It goes to show you that sometimes you just don't know what you don't know!

I will definitely keep this in mind as we pick up food supplies for each day. We will be staying in a mix of hotels, B&Bs and apartments (which obviously will be the easiest).

Again, thanks everyone,
Michele

The best way to get ice in France is to visit an outdoor market and ask the fishmonger to give you some from the stall. That's about the ONLY way I've ever gotten ice in France.

One year we bought our ice chest at a René LeClerc hypermarket, the next at an Auchan. You shouldn't have any trouble finding what you want.

Several years ago I found in a catalog a "cool bag". It is made of plastic and some sort of "space" foil and folds flat to fit in a suitcase. When I couldn't find ice, we'd stop in a grocery store and get a packet of frozen vegetables to put in with juice boxes and cheese and yogurts. The veggies were in plastic bags so there was no water floating around the bag at the end of the day.

One of my nephews was appalled at the "waste of it".

Apparently ice is much more readily available nowadays as are plastic ice chests, so that is probably a better way to go.

Most places that sell cool boxes (as we call them in the UK, in French they use the term "glacière&quot will sell cool packs too, those little gel filled blocks that you freeze and then use to keep food cold. Just ask your hotel or B&B to put them in the freezer for you overnight.

I've done this plenty of times and never had a problem. Generally much easier and less messy than ice!

Hello and thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. Love the frozen vegee idea if necessary. ParisAmsterdam, those were great websites to find the Carrefour and Auchan stores along our route. I've got them all mapped out.

You have all been very helpful as usual. My post should have been titled: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ice (in Europe), But Were Afraid to Ask!
Thanks again,
Michele