We are planning to pick up a car at CDG later June (good idea?) and travel thru the Loire(suggeston for base?) for two days and then for 2 days in Biarritz (parking?) then to San Sabastian for 4 days (parking?) day trip to Bilbao (train or bus?) we have another week for where ever which we will probably decide then.The car we have now is $300 w/ 1700 km and then 22cents a km (Budget). I've been told we will not have enough "free miles" and will end up paying plenty. Also to rent a diesel (?). Are there reasonable options for dropping off a car and training back. Please great suggestions. I know parking can be as expensive as some breakfasts in hotels - who pays 16e for breakfast? First time south of Paris. Will hotels/ apts be in high demand in June / July ? Thanks Fred/Seattle

You may want to rethink your plans regarding driving. I don't know where you got the quote on the rental car, buy you should check Auto Europe before making a reservation. Also, if you pick up the car in France, then you'll have to drop it off in France or pay a steep drop-off fee.

Have you considered talking to a professional? It might help.

I never pay 16E for breakfast... you can always find a cafe close by for half or less and you don't need to eat in the hotel basement! ;^)

Wow - you have a long/heavy driving vacation ahead of you. Any reason you chose to drive diagonally across France with a brief 1 1/2 day stop in the Loire??? Have you checked driving times on www.viamichelin.com???

I'll offer the same suggestion as Robert - rethink your plans regarding driving. If you want to get to Biarritz - take the plane of TGV there.

Stu Dudley

Fred,

Do your homework and you can get a much better deal on a Car. When I rent a car in Europe for vacation travel, my first stop is a online blog called flyertalk.com and search for available rental car discount codes. Search the internet, try and find a valid coupon code and use it. The least you need is unlimited mileage on the rental car.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/car-r...-partners-392/.

If you don't want to use a coupon code, Hotwire.com has good deals on European car rental, usually substantially cheaper than the published rates and you can chose unlimited miles.
Just hope you can drive a manual because they are always cheaper.

I was lucky enough to get a Volkswagen Passat Diesel on my last trip and drove it throughout France. I drove one previously on a trip to Germany. Plenty of vroom, even on the autobahn, and an all around nice car. Very easy to find fuel, nothing like in the US. Diesel is the cheapest grade in Europe.

I've rented out of CDG twice for vacation travel and would strongly suggest buying or renting a GPS system. The first time I rented the GPS, then bought a Garmin Nuvi with US and European maps. You can buy a model 275 on Amazon for $169 preloaded with US and Europe maps. If not, rental is about $20 a day.

I've never seen a reasonable option for dropping off a car and training back. If you are not flying home out of CDG, better off using the train the entire way.

I stopped in Blois for two nights when visiting the Loire. Beautiful city with lots of sites including a great Chateau of its own. Easy drive to other Chateaus in the region.

In Jun/Jul, hotels will be expensive and may be hard to find.
As mentioned earlier, use viamichelin.com to plan your route and find and reserve hotels before hand. Check prices on Expedia.com and I've had luck reserving on the Best Western website. Sounds funny, but stayed in a Best Western in Normandy (Bayeux) and Carcassone and enjoyed them both.

Good luck, have fun, and watch for toll booths.

Fred - At least take the TGV direct from CDG to Tours (St-Pierre-des-Corps) and pick up the car there. This will put in the Loire. You'll avoid a lot of driving and the hassle of getting out of the airport. Then, consider Amboise as your base.

I've used Avis when I've rented (Budget one time) and had good service and good rates (and some good siscounts, AARP, AAA, etc. The time I used Budget I save maybe 2 euros a day but the car had less standard equipment, so no real savings.
I get my cars now from a purhase/return program (but there's a 21 day minimum and you have to pre-order) so I'm always picking up the car at CDG--and I would agree with Jeff about NOT driving around Paris. That's the one bad thing about getting a car at the airport.
If you can get a diesel model, so much the better. You can't tell they're diesel, quiet, clean--but more economical. When you buy fuel in France, try to get it at a hypermarche (supermarket) as the price is up to 10 cents less per litre..which can save a lot over a long trip. When you get to the pump sometimes they call it gazol.
You can't use your credit cards at any of the stations, they don't have the necessary chip in it.
Hope it's a great trip!

>>You can't use your credit cards at any of the stations, they don't have the necessary chip in it.<<

Slightly misleading. You can use your CC if there is a booth with an attendent who will process your CC. There is generally an attendent when the hypermarche is open - not Sundays usually, and sometimes not at lunch. If there is not an attendant - your chipless CC won't work on the automated pumps.

Stu Dudley

Wow, Fred, that's quite an expedition, and it doesn't sound like much fun at all IMO. Some random thoughts:

I've never heard of a rental car that's paid by the km. Sounds like exactly what you do NOT want for this kind of trip. Call AutoEurope and get a fixed price.

Yes, get a diesel (you'll almost certainly end up with one anyway, as most European cars are diesel). You'll get far better mileage that way. Just be sure to fill it with gasole and not unleaded or your expedition will come to a quick halt.

Don't drop the car off in Spain and train back to France. The drop-off fee could cost you $500.

I would suggest St-Jean-de-Luz over Biarritz unless you surf or gamble.

I'd seriously rethink this plan. The particular route you've chosen isn't all that attractive on the main roads, especially once you get down around Dax. And you can easily fly or take the train to Biarritz and begin your trip there. You could do the Loire Valley after returning to Paris, or maybe find a train route that takes you back through the Loire and do a second car rental.

Not sure about your itinerary - but any car rental should be unlimited miles - paying anything for mileage is a fool's game. And agree that dropping off in a different country will always be a signficant charge (usually several hundred dollars). Since you don;t know where you want to end the trip why not return to France an drop the car there to save the charge - before training back to Paris?

Or fly into Paris and out of Nice (open jaws flights cost no more) and drop the car there.