SMART cars in Paris?
 

I was going to rent a scooter in Paris but the deposit is too high so now I am thinking about a SMART car rental? I think if I rent a Smart car we can drive around the countryside and explore a little bit? my wife says the cars are to small to do any real driving? Has anyone rented one of these cars? If yes, are they only for the city?

The SMART cars are unexpectately spacious on the inside, they just have two seats and a very small trunk.
So if you´re daytripping with only some baggage you should be fine.

You won´t be able to go much faster than the French speed limit in those cars. They´re shut off (wrong word, but you know what I mean) at about 135-140 km/hour.
And the don´t have a real stick-shift. It´s Tiptronic, you only need to press a button to switch gears.

And you know what: They´re fun! ;-)

Just one more thing:
Traffic in Paris is as bad as they say. The Parisian drivers are crazy!
I personally wouldn´t want to drive there at all (became the navigator and let dh do the driving).

We were in Paris last sept and believe me I know what its like to drive there!
LOL. The scooter would have been fun but
dangerous, so now I think we're going with a SMART car so we can see the outskirts of Paris and countryside.
I have looked at the SIXT.com site and can rent one for only like 35 Euro per day with insurance and 100 free KM

LOL, a Scooter or a Smart...one is enclosed :D
I love Smarts and if my husband had his way, he would have one here! I think you would be fine, if you are adept at driving in France.
I get nervous in such a small car on highways where the other cars are larger and fast, but that is me. I see them all over the city, parked on sidewalks, etc..and I have seen them on the highways ..Have fun!

I will try not to park on a sidewalk LOL. I Reserved a SMART4 for May 23 to May 25. I can't wait, I think it will be a blast.

Jeffwill4you,
Saw a funny "driving in Paris" guide at www.petiteanglaise.com. It's a hoot and has useful information for you. As for me, I'll be in Paris in May while you're driving, so I'll take care not to step off the curb in front of you!!!

Jeffwill4you,

Have a very fun time driving that little Smart; would love to do so myself, but not in Paris.

The Smart 4 is not the really small car with only two seats; its a newer and slightly larger version, that seats 4. If you want the smaller one, check to see that that is the one you are getting.

smart cars are ideal for daytripping. we've rented them in italy and they are great, easy to handle, and run on fumes only from petrol.