Paris 3 days and then to Burgundy for 2 weeks: Car?
 

We are arriving in CDG and staying in an apartment for three days before heading to a gite in Burgundy
Our dilemma is how to arrange for the transportation. We know that we will need a car in Burgundy but have been advised not to bring one into Paris.
1) Will the transportation shuttles bring us a private apartment in Paris?
2) Do we then trek out to the airport to get the rental?

Thanks in advance

You can just grab a cab at the airport to get to the apt. As for picking up a car there are a ton of rental offices IN Paris. Just check for your best rates options and pick an office with a straight run tot he peripherique to get out of town. (Paris traffic is really not scary - unless you are very easily intimidated.)

Yes, but instead of a shuttle, just take a taxi. It will be much the same expenditure and a lot more certain.
Why not take the train to Burgundy and rent the car there.

We are in France now, just left Burgundy. We took the train to Dijon, where we picked up a car through Eurocar at the train station. It was very convenient, and the route out of Dijon is not too complicated. It was a quick drive to the village outside Beaune where we stayed.

You can also take the train to Beaune, but I decided against this because I believe it involves a change in Dijon.

Burgundy is beautiful, and a car is really necessary to get out into the gorgeous countryside.

i like the idea of getting the train to Burgundy and renting the car there.

somewhere like Dijon which you can get to on a direct train would be a good idea. most large french stations have at least one car rental office like Avis or europcar.

There is an advantage to getting the car in Paris: one can visit Fontainebleau, or Vaux-le-Vicomte, or Sens, or Auxerre if the gîte is in the southern part of Burgundy, on the way to the gîte.

The car can be dropped off in Burgundy and there is a TGV that goes to CDG.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...57623316531799 and the next ones.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...57622755059630 and the next ones.

Take the TGV to Dijon - much less stress than driving out of Paris. If you want to visit Auxerre - take the train there instead of Dijon (we didn't think much of Sens). You could even take the train to Troyes - which is a "gem" that we really enjoyed. Lots of interesting buildings & non-art museums. Troys in the AM & Auxerre in the afternoon would be a great day on the way to the gite. Both Auxerre & Troyes have car rental offices at the train station.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

Picking up a rental car in Dijon is ideal to tour Burgundy but in our case we over the age for renting cars in France so makes things more difficult.

Two years ago we loved our leisurely drive from Paris, where we rented a car near the Periphique to Beaune with leisurely stops along the way. As Michael suggests I wished w e'd known about Fontainebleau, but we loved our lunch in Avallon.

Where is your apartment in Paris?

Cornelius, not to pry, but how old are you? My dad was renting cars in France when he was 80, maybe even older.

At any rate, if driving out of Paris makes you nervous, take the train to Dijon. But driving in and out of Paris really isn't that bad. I'd rather do it than drive in and out of DC.

Hirk,

A cab will be about 55E.

Take the train to Dijon - www.voyages-sncf.com

Get your car there - www.kemwel.com

Enjoy your visit.

Is this your first time in Paris?

((I))

Thank you everyone, we are staying near Semur en Auxois so we will check out the suggestions. It is not our first time in France but have only stayed either in Paris or Provence, not a combination of city and countryside.

Thanks again.

St Cirq
My husband is 80 and I am not too far behind....we were told few years back that 75 is cut off point.
Guess that means stay home! Oh no not us.

Thanks again

By the way I was curious and looked at a couple of car rental agencies and there is no upper age limit.

rkirch - I wrote a photo report about spending 2 days exploring Burgundy based in Semur-en-Auxois and you can see photos and descriptions of some of the nice places to visit and scenic country drives you'll find near Semur if you want to have a look:

http://tinyurl.com/6wtm6u5

You can have a look at this thread for a list of tourist office websites for the most notable towns and villages in Burgundy plus info about châteaux to visit and wine:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...-Burgundy.html