We will be renting a car in the Netherlands, travelling to Normandy and then staying in Paris for a few days before returning to the Netherlands. We really don't want to drive in Paris. The best option that I've been able to figure out would be to park the car in long-term parking at CDG for the duration of our stay in Paris. If anybody can advise us of any problems with this option, or has any better ideas, I'd appreciate the help.

I've searched the site and found a few threads on this issue. Many of the responses advise the questioner to drop off the rental car. This isn't financially feasible for us -- we have to rent and return in the Netherlands (our base for 3 months), the dropoff cost would be prohibitive ($250 from Autoeurope), and then we'd have to take the train back (4 people). All in all, it would cost roughly three times as much as keeping the car.

Vital stats:
Leaving from/returning to Arnhem area;
Travelling to Ste. Marie du Mont in Normandy(between Cherbourg and Bayeux);
Staying in Paris in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (arriving on a Tuesday, leaving Friday).

Thank you in advance for your help.

Dear Jean,

Have you priced the cost of just doing the trip by train on www.sncf.com?

Ira,

Yes. We thought about renting a car for the Normandy part of the trip alone, but the cost of the train (for four people) added to the rental car was a lot more than just the rental car for the entire period. More than doubled the cost, if I recall properly. We do want a car in Normandy, since we'll be staying in a small town and would like to explore.

Help????

jeanm,

Driving in Paris is not all that bad, not nearly as bad as in Amsterdam or even in major German cities. Paris has big beautiful boulevards that make it easy to get around. Boulevard St. Germain is one of those.

Do you have a hotel yet? Call and ask where you can park. Some city hotels have limited enclosed parking for a fee. There may be a parking garage near the hotel. Otherwise, available street parking would be a minor miracle depending on the time of day you arrive. CDG parking would probably be expensive as is all airport parking. Then you must carry your luggage, board the RER, transfer to a Metro, and haul your luggage to the hotel.

If you don't have a hotel yet, mention that in a reply here and you will probably get recommendations on the forum. I recall driving to Paris twice many years ago. I parked on the street both times, once on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the other time in front of a café in the 6th. If you park on the street do it on a busy well lighted street. Window busters love foreign license cars parked on back alleys, as a friend of mine discovered.

Jeanm, I can simply think of no other options. There may be some park and rides but the one and only one I have seen in the burbs was not secure for overnight parking. I cant think of any place I would want to leave a car outside of Paris for several days other than the airport. At least the airport parking is designed for that and is secure.

Long term parking at CDG is 12 euros per day but the website does imply that it fills up. That wouldnt surprise me as I have had problems finding parking in the covered parking attached to the terminals. If long term parking is full then regular parking is 22.50 / day.

As hopscotch pointed out, it isnt really terribly difficult to drive in Paris. Certain times of the day are to be avoided because of traffic but thats about it.

Hi jean,

Have you asked your hotel if there is parking nearby?

www.mappy.com and www.viamichelin.com will give you driving directions within the city.

We've rented an apartment on rue Mazarin; I can certainly ask the rental agent about parking. (I'm the planner, my husband is the driver; I'm trying to spare him unpleasant anticipation, even if the actuality wouldn't be so bad.)

Thanks to all.

Unless it's inconvenient, that long term rate at CDG will be cheaper than what you'd pay at a garage in the city, anyway. They are usually around 17-22 euro per day in Paris center.

However, there are indeed parking garages all around cental Paris, and if there is not need to be at the airport, I would find it worth the convenience for an extra 10 euro a day to park near my hotel.

There are public garages at place St Sulpice (20 euro per day) and at 169 bd St Germain (22 euro per day); each has about 600 places. I think those are best for you, but you can view all public garages with opening times, rates, and info on www.infoparking.com Some only take regular subscriptions, so be sure they have a daily rate listed.

Stay in one of Accor Hotels many nice hotels on paris periphery and park your car for free and not have to drive into Paris. www.accorhotels.com. Nice modern hotels usually close to metro/RER stations for easy transit into Paris. Stay on north side for easy access to route to Amsterdam.

Well, it's a beautiful, sunny, almost-warm day. Met my husband for lunch and informed him that he'd be driving in Paris. On a day like this, what could upset anyone? so he took it well. The part where I said "And you can say that you drove on the Champs-Elysées!" didn't really help, though.

Apparently there's a private parking garage/area/something on rue Mazarine, according to the rental agent. That's what she recommended. I did look on parisparking.com, which I had eschewed before because it's in French -- but I'll be darned if it wasn't that hard to hit "St. Germain-des-Prés" on the scroll bar. As Christina pointed out, it looks like there are some public parking garages nearby, in case rue Mazarine doesn't work out.

And I have indeed checked out the route on Michelin. Many opportunities to take wrong turns. Well, it's a good thing that my husband likes roundabouts. Maybe even I'll get used to them, since our small city is putting in a couple.

Speaking of the small city -- PalQ, my first thought had been to stay outside the city. But then I thought that it was more important to plan the trip around providing my kids with more urban, and urbane, experiences than they have in our small city. So we rented the apartment -- and the die is cast, since we've transferred up-front money to the agent already.

All right, it wasn't for the kids. It was for me. I was the one who wanted to stay in the city!

Thanks again to all.

jeanm...

So how did you find parking and driving in Paris?

I'd really like to know how you got on. In 2 weeks I am driving from the UK to France in my own car (so rental/train is not an option) and we are staying for a few days in Paris before going on to Normandy. I have been considering parking at CDG or Orly, but although the long-term is cheaper than in the city, adding on the cost of 4 return RER tickets makes parking in the city the cheaper option.

Did you park at bvd St Germain and was it OK, easy to find, etc? I am told there is a carpark for around 20/30euros a day on rue Monge where we are staying.

Anyway, any advice from someone who has done it would be appreciated. Most threads on this subject advise against taking a car anywhere near Paris! Look forward to hearing from you...