Wanted: Opinions on Car drop location, in town or at airport?
Dec 13th, 2006, 07:59 AM
#1
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Wanted: Opinions on Car drop location, in town or at airport?
I'll be driving by myself. I'm booking a hotel in town for my last night in France. In foreign countries, I'm usually the navigator, NOT the driver. Which one is easier, return to CDG or return to Gare du Nord? My hotel will be with near Luxembourg or St. Michel RER B line.
Dec 13th, 2006, 08:21 AM
#3
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I'd ditch the car before I get back to Paris (if I'm reading your post right you will be elsewhere then get a room in Paris for the last night). Take the train back to Paris for your last night and reserve a hotel that will be easy to take a taxi/metro/bus to CDG for your flights.
I picked up my car at a train station (Montparnasse area) and it was a b*tch to get out of Paris and onto the peripherique. When I returned the car to the airport a week later I must have missed a turn and as I don't speak or read French it was just a mad and stressful hunt for a place to drop the car. Driving through France was easy though.
I picked up my car at a train station (Montparnasse area) and it was a b*tch to get out of Paris and onto the peripherique. When I returned the car to the airport a week later I must have missed a turn and as I don't speak or read French it was just a mad and stressful hunt for a place to drop the car. Driving through France was easy though.
Dec 13th, 2006, 08:54 AM
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If you're used to driving in big cities in the US (i.e. NYC, Washington, Boston), then you shouldn't find driving into Paris that difficult.
However, <b>make sure</b> you ask where the parking lot for the rental office is. It's usually at some garage nearby, which is NOT specified on your rental agreement or their rental agent's website.
There's usually an extra charge for renting a car at CDG. Not sure about dropoff. So, maybe dropping it in the city can save you money (plus the time and money for going back from CDG to Paris, if not extra day of rental and parking).
However, <b>make sure</b> you ask where the parking lot for the rental office is. It's usually at some garage nearby, which is NOT specified on your rental agreement or their rental agent's website.
There's usually an extra charge for renting a car at CDG. Not sure about dropoff. So, maybe dropping it in the city can save you money (plus the time and money for going back from CDG to Paris, if not extra day of rental and parking).
Dec 13th, 2006, 09:09 AM
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Ira, Hi!
I don't know yet where I'll be coming from. I made a separate post asking for opinions about the Atlantic Coast vs the Loire Valley. I'm taking a French course (www.lepoyenval.com) near La Roche Sur Yon. It ends on Saturday. My flight out is on Thursday from CDG (I'll have already spent 9 days prior to the course in Paris with my niece and nephew!) I had planned on renting a car at the end of the Paris portion to drive to my class, and then take afew days to explore.....something? I will book the last night in Paris and take a train to CDG.
Any ideas?
I don't know yet where I'll be coming from. I made a separate post asking for opinions about the Atlantic Coast vs the Loire Valley. I'm taking a French course (www.lepoyenval.com) near La Roche Sur Yon. It ends on Saturday. My flight out is on Thursday from CDG (I'll have already spent 9 days prior to the course in Paris with my niece and nephew!) I had planned on renting a car at the end of the Paris portion to drive to my class, and then take afew days to explore.....something? I will book the last night in Paris and take a train to CDG.
Any ideas?
Dec 13th, 2006, 09:51 AM
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We returned a car once to Hertz at Gare du Nord, and we will NEVER do that again- and we are fairly intrepid city drivers.
It is way easier to return a car at one of the airports.
If you decide that you must return your car in town, I agree with rkkwan- make sure you know exactly where the car drop-off location is.
When we returned our car at Gare du Nord my husband had to pull up to the station and double park while I ran inside and then had to stand in line to get directions to the parking garage (unmarked, of course) where the rental cars are returned.
And the traffic was crazy around there--It was NOT fun!
It is way easier to return a car at one of the airports.
If you decide that you must return your car in town, I agree with rkkwan- make sure you know exactly where the car drop-off location is.
When we returned our car at Gare du Nord my husband had to pull up to the station and double park while I ran inside and then had to stand in line to get directions to the parking garage (unmarked, of course) where the rental cars are returned.
And the traffic was crazy around there--It was NOT fun!
Dec 13th, 2006, 09:57 AM
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I would think you could return it to Orly, which should be easier to get to than CDG from where you'll be. What's more a taxi from there will be around 25 euro or less and take about 20 minutes to your place between St. Michel and Luxembourg. Returning a car at Orly is really a breeze.
Dec 13th, 2006, 11:25 AM
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Hi....If I understand it correctly you are returning to central Paris just so you can leave from CDG the following day. CDG is some distance from the city. There is no need to drive into central Paris to return. If you are flying from CDG, find a B&B or hotel near the airport. You will have just a short distance to drive.
Dec 13th, 2006, 12:16 PM
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Since you are planning to rent the car to drive to the class are there any particular sites on the way to the class location that you might need the car to see?
Would it be possible to take a train to somewhere near to where the class will be held and rent (and return) the car there before heading back into Paris?
Would it be possible to take a train to somewhere near to where the class will be held and rent (and return) the car there before heading back into Paris?
Dec 13th, 2006, 12:36 PM
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In May-June 2004, my husband and I had rented a car in Amsterdam and returned it at CDG in Paris. It was our first trip to Europe, and in some ways we weren't as prepared as we would have like to have been.
We knew we were supposed to return our car to CDG, but weren't exactly sure where. We weren't too worried, because at the airports in the US it was usually pretty easy to locate the car rental return drop off locations. We had brought a book of French road signs, and it implied that "car rental" signs would say "voigtes" on them. So we had planned to just drive around the airport looking for a sign that said "voigtes" or "Hertz", since we were using Hertz for our rental car.
To make a long story shorter, it turned out that we needed to know the Terminal at the airport where Hertz was located (Terminal 2f). Once we found that out and headed into the terminal, we found the signs that we had expected to see for Hertz. If you want to read more, you can check out our trip report for that day at:
http://prestopnik.com/honeymoon/04_05_29.php
My advice is to get as much information as you can about exactly where to drop off the car.
We knew we were supposed to return our car to CDG, but weren't exactly sure where. We weren't too worried, because at the airports in the US it was usually pretty easy to locate the car rental return drop off locations. We had brought a book of French road signs, and it implied that "car rental" signs would say "voigtes" on them. So we had planned to just drive around the airport looking for a sign that said "voigtes" or "Hertz", since we were using Hertz for our rental car.
To make a long story shorter, it turned out that we needed to know the Terminal at the airport where Hertz was located (Terminal 2f). Once we found that out and headed into the terminal, we found the signs that we had expected to see for Hertz. If you want to read more, you can check out our trip report for that day at:
http://prestopnik.com/honeymoon/04_05_29.php
My advice is to get as much information as you can about exactly where to drop off the car.
Dec 14th, 2006, 06:36 AM
#14
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To NeoPatrick - great idea re: return to Orly. The only reason my brain was stuck on CDG is that's where I'll probably be picking up the car. However, I'm going to research picking it up from Orly.
To those who suggested a place near the airport, there were several threads debating just that and I've chosen to spend my last night in the City. My flight is not until 10AM, which leaves plenty of time to procure alternate transport should a rail strike occur!
To those who suggested a train to my class and rent later: I'm still mulling that over. I have one day between the departure of the young folk and the beginning of my class. I've done a lot of research on getting to Mont Saint Michel. Getting there is not the problem. Getting from Mont Saint Michel to my class IS the problem due to the train schedules not running as early as I need.
Therefore, I thought I'd have a car to be able to toodle around where my fancy takes me, and to have at hand at the class in case I need transportation. But I am open to suggestions, since I only have the Paris portion and the class nailed down right now!
Thanks.
To those who suggested a place near the airport, there were several threads debating just that and I've chosen to spend my last night in the City. My flight is not until 10AM, which leaves plenty of time to procure alternate transport should a rail strike occur!
To those who suggested a train to my class and rent later: I'm still mulling that over. I have one day between the departure of the young folk and the beginning of my class. I've done a lot of research on getting to Mont Saint Michel. Getting there is not the problem. Getting from Mont Saint Michel to my class IS the problem due to the train schedules not running as early as I need.
Therefore, I thought I'd have a car to be able to toodle around where my fancy takes me, and to have at hand at the class in case I need transportation. But I am open to suggestions, since I only have the Paris portion and the class nailed down right now!
Thanks.
Dec 14th, 2006, 07:32 AM
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Since you've already spent plenty of time in Paris before your classes, I don't see why you need to spend the last night in Paris again, with a 10am flight the next morning.
Return the car to CDG the night before, get an airport hotel (there are plenty, and you can try Priceline - I got the Hilton for US$100). No need to rush the next morning. That's what I would do.
Return the car to CDG the night before, get an airport hotel (there are plenty, and you can try Priceline - I got the Hilton for US$100). No need to rush the next morning. That's what I would do.
