Renting a car in France
 

We are landing at CDG and spending 8 days in Paris. We don't want a car in Paris but are we best to return to the airport to pick up our car for the rest of our holiday or would we be smarter to do this at some other point outside Paris? Ultimately we must return to CDG to fly home.

You can arrange to pick the car up in Paris, thus saving the airport pickup charges (currently around 29 euros) and taxes, and drop the car off at CDG when you return for your flight. There is at least one rental car pickup office/location near Gare Montparnasse in the 15th. From there it is an easy exit south out of the city. Check with Auto Europe, Avis, Hertz, etc., regarding their locations.

Driving out of Paris is not a problem, although I would avoid a car pickup near the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l"Est. The rental agency will be able to tell you how best to drive out of Paris depending on your destination.

I guess that depends on where the rest of your holiday is. We spent a week in Paris and took the train down to Provence and picked up our rental car there. I'd looked into driving but in the end it proved less expensive and more relaxing just to take the TGV. If you want to look up mileages, driving times, toll and fuel costs, go to www.mappy.com. That way you can do a comparison of driving all the way vs. a bit of train travel.

Agreed. Where will you be driving to?

We plan to drive to the Alsace area and make our way to Holland where we are meeting friends 10 days after leaving Paris.

If driving east, pick up the car at the Gare de Lyon.

>We plan to drive to the Alsace area and make our way to Holland..<

Why not rent the car in whichever town in Alscae you will start from?

I didn't realize that there are pick up charges at CDG. Another piece of important info!