Hi all!
I know there are a ton of threads on this topic, but having not been to Paris before I'm having trouble distinguishing which drop off locations work best for the direction I'm coming from. We are taking a train to Rennes, picking up a car there, driving to MSM and through Normandy. Our last day we will be leaving from Honfluer and going to Giverny and then on to Paris where we will fly out the next morning. I originally had planned on dropping the car off in Rouen and taking the train to Giverny and then on to Paris, but given the train schedule and the opening hours of the gardens at Giverny, it means we would have to drop off the car around 1:30 to catch the train and make it in time. It seems as though we would have a lot more time in Honfluer and feel less rushed if we could just drive to Giverny. I don't think there are any convenient drop off locations between Giverny and Paris, so this means driving in to Paris. I would love your input on how convenient / inconvenient this will be. Also, where would be the easiest, least stressful location to drop off in or around Paris if coming from Giverny. I should also probably note that we will be dropping off on a Sunday evening. Thank you in advance!

Amanda

Presumably, you'll need to drop the car off at an affiliate of the rental car agency you picked it up from, so that's your first hurdle. Your second is dropping a car, any car, off on a Sunday, when most rental agencies are closed. Your best bet, IMO, would be to drop it off at an airport, where agencies are likely to be open.

The three principal train station agencies that are open 7/7 are Gare Montparnasse, Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord. Normally they are open until at least 11pm but perhaps just 10pm on a Sunday. There are key drop boxes when the agencies are closed. What is important in your case is where you are planning on sleeping Sunday night. While Gare Montparnasse is the closest station when driving in from Giverny, it might be foolish to leave a car there if you are going deeper into the city.

Leaving the car at the airport would just increase the expense of going into Paris as well as taking a lot longer.

I would just drop the car off at the airport, presumably CDG and spend the night at the airport before you fly out the next day

That's exactly what I was thinking, mjs.

Consider driving into Paris on a Sunday when traffic is much calmer than weekdays.

I don't think it would be foolish to leave it at gare Montparnassel, as they aren't going to need it in Paris. If that's the easiest place, and I suspect it is, it would make sense to me instead of driving into the center of Paris and trying to get to some other station, and then STILL having to take a taxi to your hotel, probably. It sounds like the OP doesn't even have a hotel in Paris yet, anyway, they could book one nioght at a hotel within walking distance of gare Montparnasse and then take the AF bus to the airport easily if they wanted. I take the RER from that area myself as I usually stay in MOntparnasse, but I stay on bd Raspail usually, and then take the metro one stop to Denfert to get the RERB to the airport.

In the other hand, it isn't really harder to drive to Gare de Lyon, you just go around the peripherique more anyway, and then get off on that road along the Seine to Gare de Lyon.

I probably would have said Porte Maillot would be the easiest place to drive to from Giverny, but the car rental companies there are closed on Sunday. That complication of day really limits options.

If leaving from CDG the next day, I would drop the car at Gare du Nord and stay there, where you can find absolutely every category of hotel -- and don't believe those people who say that the area is grimy; they haven't been there in years. You can get to CDG the next morning on the RER B in just 30 minutes and not worry about any traffic.

But if an early flight why not just drive to CDG return car and stay in one of gaggle of hotels near the airport with shuttles to terminals.

I like to keep it simple at the end of a trip. I would rather have a leisurely day at a comfortable pace, not worrying about traffic delays and not checking my watch. So, I suggest you get to Giverny when you get there and stay until it closes. Have dinner somewhere in Giverny or nearby, then drive to CDG, turn in the car and check into a hotel at the airport.

FWIW, we stayed at the Pullman Hotel at CDG last year. Very comfortable room, great breakfast (not included as I recall). I used the sauna in the spa, and there's also a pool and fitness center. It didn't feel much like we were in/near Paris, but it was very comfortable and convenient.

En route to CDG from Giverny one could easily stop by another Giverny - this one once a mecca of van Gogh fans as well as other Post-Impressionists (called a 'reaction to certain elements if Impressionism') like Cezanne and Seurat. Also on a main river, Auvers however is different than Giverny however in that there is no single house or garden the center of attention but the whole village and things like the hotel where van Gogh and others gathered and where van Gogh shot himself in his tiny room that has remained as was.

Nice thing is that throught the village there have been posted copies of the artists' works done here right in the place they painted them - like van Gogh's famous Sunflowers field - still as is - where some say he foretold of his imminent suicide attempt in the brooding clouds, etc.

There is also a 'chateau' or really large villa that has in it exhibitions of Impressionists' lives here - such as last I know a replica of the train car van Gogh and others came here in from Paris.

Anyway I think, without looking at map, it would be on the way probably between Giverny and CDG, driving up the Oise River Valley. Could make a full day and end up at CDG not far from Auvers.

AUVERS-SUR-OISE

https://www.google.com/search?q=auve...w=1503&bih=738

It is easy to drive to CDG especially on a Sunday. I would enjoy my day and return when you are ready, hotel close by for flight next day.

There is no traffic in Paris on Sunday except in the late afternoon when everyone is returning from the weekend. I assume you will be using A13 from Normandy which reaches Paris at Porte d´Auteuil. Montparnasse would be the closest station at which to drop off your car. The gas station at Montparnasse is closed as Montparnasse prepares for a massive renovation. I´d check on line maps for an alternative fill up locations as well as the exact drop off location.

A13 can backup Sunday afternoon as A13 approaches the périphérique. An alternative, with no traffic, is A14 through la Défense, continuing along the avenue de Charles de Gaulle and the avenue de la Grande Armée. It´s one long street and returning a rental anywhere along this route would be very easy. Traffic is minimal to non-existent, even on a Sunday afternoon/evening.

There are two concerns using A14: the toll (8€) and the tunnel. The A14 tunnel passes under la Défense, it´s 5km long, and it can confuse your GPS when you pop out on avenue de Charles de Gaulle. Just have an idea where the rental office return is as your GPS mapping may take to minute to reorient itself. There are several métro 1 stations along this route if you decide to take the métro to your hotel. There are also a number of bus lines. Note: the Arc de Triomphe is at the end of avenue de la Grande Armée and if you haven´t found the rental return by then, you can just arc around and make a 180. Here´s you change to really live like a local.

Alternatively, you can take A14 to A86 to A1 and easily reach CDG if you wanted to stay there you last night.