Car rental for day trips outside of Paris

[vjmatty]

We are spending a few days in Paris at the end of our cruise. Since this is not a first time visit, some of what we would like to see, such as Fontainebleau, is outside the city.

 

I've looked at private tours as well as using the metro but neither is appealing from a cost or time/convenience perspective. While I have no desire to drive in the city, I wouldn't mind picking up a car at Orly for the day to drive south and return it on the way back, avoiding downtown Paris if possible.

 

Has anyone done this before, and can you tell me if there are any pitfalls to consider with this plan? We are staying at the Hilton near the Arc de Triomphe.

[moyaroo]

Driving in the city is really not so bad, it is parking in the city that will kill you. It would be more convenient for you to get your car near the Arc de Triomphe and drop off same place. On the other hand a more convenient jumping out of the city point for Fountainebleau would be the Gare du Lyon, but they have a surcharge (at least for some) (Orly ditto with surcharge). I have long advocated that the best way to enter Paris is from the east traveling up to the Arc and around then down the Champs Elysee to the Concorde, but you may not want to try that :-)

[vjmatty]

Driving in the city is really not so bad, it is parking in the city that will kill you. It would be more convenient for you to get your car near the Arc de Triomphe and drop off same place. On the other hand a more convenient jumping out of the city point for Fountainebleau would be the Gare du Lyon, but they have a surcharge (at least for some) (Orly ditto with surcharge). I have long advocated that the best way to enter Paris is from the east traveling up to the Arc and around then down the Champs Elysee to the Concorde, but you may not want to try that :-)

 

Around the Arc???? You mean that rotary with the 20 or so roads coming into it and no lane markings whatsoever?

 

Lemmetellya.... I've driven in Boston, Manhattan, Monte Carlo, Florence, Montreal.... hell I've even driven through Dublin where it's all backwards, and even I wouldn't dream of tackling the Etoile De Gaulle :eek:

 

Hadn't thought of Gare du Lyon though, maybe that is a better option than trekking it all the way down to Orly by train. Especially since I was only planning on getting a 3-zone metro pass for any travel we do within Paris.

[moyaroo]

It really isn't bad! I found the Concorde to be a bit more daunting and it has markings. But the sheer elegance of the thing just calls to me every time I am there. Now Buenos Aries is another issue. I would drive in Florence or Rome or even ::GASP:: Naples before BA.

[Hlitner]

We agree with Moyaroo. Normally we avoid driving in Paris because parking is such a pain. But if we want to drive outside the city we have no problem renting within the city and getting out in a hurry. We will generally rent at a train station that is closest to the main road we want to take out of the city. No need to drive on the Champs Elysee or other busy city streets. It makes little sense to rent at Orly or CDW since you have the expense and time spent getting out to the airport. We do disagree with Moyaroo about driving in Rome and Florence because of the ZTLs which can get you a hefty fine if you take the wrong turn.

 

Hank

[moyaroo]

We do disagree with Moyaroo about driving in Rome and Florence because of the ZTLs which can get you a hefty fine if you take the wrong turn.

 

Hank, Didn't say that I would drive in Florence or Rome, just that I would before I drove in BA!

[vjmatty]

Luckily there was so much traffic in Florence that the ZTL's weren't a problem.... as long as there was a car in front of me going the same way, which there always was, I did ok. GPS didn't hurt either ;)

 

Still, nothing was worse than Monte Carlo, where a delivery boy on a vespa tried to cut us off on the left while I was making a left turn...... though he seemed to be more worried about the food he was delivering than himself.

 

As for my dilemma, it looks like there is actually an Avis a few blocks from the hotel, and according to Google driving directions, getting out of town is relatively easy going east, not even requiring me to circle the Arc.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=34+Ave+De+Villiers+17Th,+Parc+Monceau,+75017+Paris,+France+(Avis+Location+Voiture+Paris)&daddr=Fontainebleau,+France&hl=en&geocode=Fdni6QIdxEcjACFHsOiRIZGjVg%3BFYyd4gId5zopACmBrbr2i_PlRzGQWoxow4ILBA&mra=ls&sll=48.899935,2.347984&sspn=0.102013,0.293198&ie=UTF8&ll=48.875554,2.300949&spn=0.051031,0.146599&t=h&z=13

 

60 Euros for the day.... much cheaper than a private car and driver.

[vjmatty]

:o Sorry.... getting out of town going west, then south.

 

I need more coffee.:rolleyes:

[TLCOhio]

You've gotten a good range of reactions and suggestions from Hank, Ginny and moyaroo. I've driven several times in and around Paris, plus Rome, London, etc. Much of the driving also depends on some degree of "luck" as to traffic, weather and construction. It is all possible!! Maybe, hopefully. As noted, if you can avoid parking in main Paris, that lessens a large part of the challenge. Getting out to Orly involves some hassle by public transportation to pick up a car. So picking up your car at a central Paris place has some key advantages.

 

South of Paris are two "super stars" to visit and consider. Below are some notes of both of these very interesting and historic places. Both are grand palaces and have great gardens:

 

FONTAINEBLEAU is one of the largest French royal chateaus. It is located 34.5 miles south of Paris. The palace is the work of many French monarchs, building on an early 16th century structure of Francis I. The building is arranged around a series of courtyards. The city of Fontainebleau has grown up around the remainder of the Forest of Fontainebleau, a former royal hunting park. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, began to transform Fontainebleau into a symbol of his grandeur, as an alternative to empty Versailles, with its Bourbon connotations. Napoleon hosted Pope Pius VII there in 1804, when he came to consecrate the emperor, and again in 1812–1814, when he was Napoleon's prisoner. With modifications of the château's structure, including the cobblestone entrance wide enough for his carriage, Napoleon helped make the château the place that visitors see today. At Fontainebleau Napoleon bade farewell to his Old Guard and went into exile in 1814. Fontainebleau was also the setting of the Second Empire court of his nephew Napoleon III.

Their website, but only in French:

http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr

 

VAUX-LE-VICOMTE, a baroque French chateau located near Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris, was built from 1658 to 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s finance minister. This grand estate was the most influential work and most elaborate and grand house built in Europe in the mid-17th century. Architect Louis Le Vau and landscape architect André le Nôtre worked together on a large-scale project for the first time. Their collaboration marked the beginning of a new order: the magnificent manner that is associated with the "Louis XIV style" involving a system of collective work, which could be applied to the structure, its interiors and works of art and the creation of an entire landscape. The garden's use of a baroque axis that extends to infinity is an example of this style. The château was lavish, refined, and dazzling to behold, but these characteristics proved tragic to its owner. The King had Fouquet arrested shortly after the famous party on 17 August 1661, with Molière's play 'Les Fâcheux. The celebration had been too impressive and the finance minister's home too luxurious. The King seized Vaux Le Vicomte, had his minister jailed and had its team of artists design what would be a much larger . . . the palace and gardens of Versailles!

For more info:

http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com

 

For some options for Paris and nearby bus/coach tours, you can check at:

http://www.pariscityrama.com/en

 

Below are a few sample visuals for what's there at these two fascinating, but very different, places displaying France's great architecture, design and gardens.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 29,700 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Fontainebleau has a great Royal history with spectacular interiors, etc. First, are the horseshoe-shaped stairs from which Napoleon bade farewell to his Old Guard and went into exile. Next is Napoleon's dramatic and large library; then an example of just one interior gallery/hall.:

 

 

 

 

 

Vaux Le Vicomte was a spectacular inspiration for what would be the glory of Versailles. Here is its front view, then looking towards its gardens in the back and finally a view from the gardens towards to the back of the palace.:

 

 

 

 

 

[vjmatty]

Wow! Thank you for those incredible pictures Terry... I was considering Vaux-Le-Vicomte but wasn't sure if we would also have time to visit Barbizon as well as the Chateau Fontainebleau. It depends on how quickly things shut down in the afternoon. I am sure the chateaux close around 5 or 6pm but maybe the shops and restaurants in Barbizon would be open later into the evening... I wouldn't mind having dinner there before coming back to the city. The car rentals at the train stations all seem to stay open until midnight so we would be in no hurry to return the car.

[TLCOhio]

Wow! Thank you for those incredible pictures Terry... I was considering Vaux-Le-Vicomte but wasn't sure if we would also have time to visit Barbizon as well as the Chateau Fontainebleau. It depends on how quickly things shut down in the afternoon. I am sure the chateaux close around 5 or 6pm but maybe the shops and restaurants in Barbizon would be open later into the evening... I wouldn't mind having dinner there before coming back to the city. The car rentals at the train stations all seem to stay open until midnight so we would be in no hurry to return the car.

 

THANKS for the kind comments on my pictures! It's all there, real and true. No trick photos.

 

On hours and timing, Vaux is open from March 19th to November 13th, 2011, from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm, last admission at 5.45 pm. On Chateau Fontainebleau, the château is open every day except for Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. From April to September : 9.30am – 6pm (last admissions at 5.15pm). From October to March: 9.30am – 5pm (last admissions at 4.15pm).

 

In the summer on Saturdays, Vaux has later hours and does a special candlelight spectacular tour/schedule. We didn't do Barbizon, but you can make a nice day of things in this area. Below is one more picture on the interior for Fontainebleau and its palace crown room where the King would sit and receive visitors.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 29,700 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

One of the many interior rooms for Fontainebleau is this palace crown room where the King would sit and receive visitors.:

 

[catllar]

For what it's worth, we lived in Paris for three years and my OH came to the conclusion there are two types of driver in Paris: Killer or Victim. Up to you to decide which you want to be. That said, the experience is something you can tell your grandchildren! Go for it - live a little - just don't expect anyone to cut you any slack!

[Hlitner]

Luckily there was so much traffic in Florence that the ZTL's weren't a problem.... as long as there was a car in front of me going the same way, which there always was, I did ok. GPS didn't hurt either ;)

 

.....

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=34+Ave+De+Villiers+17Th,+Parc+Monceau,+75017+Paris,+France+(Avis+Location+Voiture+Paris)&daddr=Fontainebleau,+France&hl=en&geocode=Fdni6QIdxEcjACFHsOiRIZGjVg%3BFYyd4gId5zopACmBrbr2i_PlRzGQWoxow4ILBA&mra=ls&sll=48.899935,2.347984&sspn=0.102013,0.293198&ie=UTF8&ll=48.875554,2.300949&spn=0.051031,0.146599&t=h&z=13

 

60 Euros for the day.... much cheaper than a private car and driver.

 

We are a little confused about your ZTL comment. ZTLs are special zones in certain Italian cities (i.e. Rome, Florence, Pisa) that are marked with signs (sometimes hard to see). If you happen to drive inside a ZTL without authorization cameras will normally record your license number. Eventually they will trace the car back to to the rental company and the rental company will eventually add a hefty charge (usually more then $100 per offense) to your credit card. If there is a car in front and behind and you follow them into a ZTL you will still get fined! We are pretty familar with the ZTLs but they still drive us crazy.

 

Hank

[vjmatty]

I was under the impression that ZTL's were more for residential areas or alleys for the purpose of delivering to stores. We followed the GPS that the rental company gave us instead of using our own, and stayed on the main roads where there was a steady flow of traffic. The rental company also never said anything about ZTL's so maybe their cars were all authorized?

[Hlitner]

I was under the impression that ZTL's were more for residential areas or alleys for the purpose of delivering to stores. We followed the GPS that the rental company gave us instead of using our own, and stayed on the main roads where there was a steady flow of traffic. The rental company also never said anything about ZTL's so maybe their cars were all authorized?

 

ZTLs are simply Limited Traffic Zones and has little to do with deliveries. In some cities such as Florence they are very large areas intended to limit the traffic in the central core or high tourist areas. In Pisa it is primarily used to limit the traffic and on the street parking near the Tower....which does help the local residents who can then find their own parking. About the only time a non-resident can drive in these restricted areas is if a tourist (for example) is staying in a hotel or B&B within the zone and needs to get to the hotel. In those cases you need to have the hotel telephone the local police and give them information including your car license plate number and your reason for being in the zones. There are some Italians who will tell you the ZTLs are simply a moneymaking scam...but others say it is very necessary to control traffic.

 

There is also a similar restricted zone in London, England in the so-called "City."

Hank

[vjmatty]

Ah, well maybe then I was just lucky because we did drive to Pisa after driving to Florence and so far nothing has been charged to the card. Though I do recall there being a lot of permits on the windshields of the car that I didn't understand their purpose, so maybe that was why I didn't trip any violations. :confused:

[Arubamoose]

We rented a car in Paris for a trip to Fontainebleu, Mt. Ste. Micheal and all the way to Lascaux to see the caves.

 

We rented from Hertz at the Louvre office. When we went to pick up the car - the office was closed. It was a Sunday. When I made the reservation I made very, very sure in person (through my daughter who was spending as semester abroad study at the Sorbonne) that they would be open on Sunday. Well surprise. We wound up going to Gare Lyon to rent. They tried a bait and switch with us on pricing. We didn't budge and we won.

 

Getting out of the city was not a big deal. Getting to Fontainebleu was easy enough considering driving in the rest of France was interesting to say the least!

 

So just be careful if you are renting on a Sunday.

[vjmatty]

Thanks for the tip... we are renting on a Friday, from Avis at Gare du Lyon which looks like a pretty easy hop onto the highway. I made the reservations online but also just sent an email directly to the local office confirming their hours. :)