I am planning a trip for my mom and aunt and I to Paris next month. we are staying in the 8th aroindisment. we would like to rent a car for a day and take a trip to see the d-day beaches and museum.
What is the most convientnt location to pick up a car rental for this trip?
The airport maybe or a train station. Please let me know your opionions!!
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Firstly, I shall qualify my comments by saying that I have never tried to visit Normandy as a day trip from Paris. Secondly, it%26#39;s good that you are trying this in the one month of the year with the most daylight because returning to Paris in darkness will not make it any easier. Thirdly, trips like this (one day car rentals) can be very pricey.
I recommend finding a car rental near your hotel and avoid the train station/airport pickup surcharge which can be 35€+. This and the 10€ road tax fee are not always included in price quotes so asked detailed questions when renting to avoid surprises.
The 8th should be a good place from which to start as reaching the Périphérique (freeway loop around Paris) is straight forward. You%26#39;ll need to find Porte d%26#39;Auteuil which is the gateway to A13 which continues to Normandy. Most likely you%26#39;ll enter the Périphérique somewhere near Porte de Champerret (exactly which entrance you use is not important). Orbit counterclockwise on the Périphérique (going south) until Porte d%26#39;Auteuil and your on your way.
It%26#39;s not really as complex as this may sound. Once you map out the route you%26#39;ll see its straight forward. What will be more difficult is doing all of this in one day. I might recommend you take care of as much of the rental paperwork as you can the day before because you will not want to waste time with this step.
Of course returning is the reverse process but you%26#39;ll need to find an rental office that stays open late, or park the car at a garage in Paris (there are actually a good number of parking garages in Paris) and return the car the next day.
I do not recommend a distance this far from Paris as a day trip. The logistics are too overwhelming for many people. Those who do day trips of this nature from Paris tend to combine train tickets with a car rental which will of course can add to the over all cost. The train to/from Bayeux is a popular choice. Many just consider these expenses as vacation overhead.
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So glad to see this post, and thanks for the advice! I am going to Paris in Novenber with my sister-in-law, who wants to do the trip to Normandy, and I can see we definitely need to take a train, a tour (van?), or spend the night around Normandy--especially in winter. There could be rain as well as early nightfall. Any recommendations out of the 3--private car but overnight, van tour, train? And do you have any idea how long the trip is--miles or hours? Thanks for your input--this was great to know!
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Keep in mind that in northern latitudes in November, darkness falls as early as 5 pm. If it%26#39;s a cloudy day as well, available time for sight seeing is sharply reduced.
I believe the best approach is to make this a two day trip minimum, either driving from Paris (arguably the cheapest and most flexible option for 3 people) or taking the train to Bayeux.
There are bus companies that provide tours but I, perhaps unfairly, do not recommend them. These impersonal, cookie cutter operations do not appeal to my sense of adventure or exploration.
There have been many posts about places to stay and possible itineraries so a quick forum search can put a great deal of valuable information at your fingertips in seconds.
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A day trip would make for an extremely long day... That said, last year we stayed in the 8th and picked up our rental car here:
Hertz
Paris, Porte Maillot
27 Rue St. Ferdinand
We had to take the metro one stop from our hotel and walk about a block and a half to the location. Best part was quick access to the A13 and avoiding the Etoile traffic (just barely).
We also arranged to return the car to Orly, where we were catching a flight to Venice.
It%26#39;s generally true (in the U.S. as well as Europe) that prices are better picking up in %26quot;local%26quot; rental locations since the various airport / concession charges are excluded. However, it%26#39;s often okay to RETURN to the airport location without extra fees.
For our trip we drove early from Paris to Bayeux and spent the entire next day exploring D-Day sites. Drove down to Mont St Michel for the night and spent most of the next day back on the Normandy shore. If we did it over again we would have spent two nights in Bayeux.
Good luck!
J
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If there is anyway you can stretch this to a two to three day visit, you will enjoy Normandy much more. The area is more than just D-Day beaches. Also, a 3-day car rental is much more economical.
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Sammyfloyd, Beeks 919, and others on TA convinced us to get a rental car and spend 2-3 days in Normandy. Best advice we have received in a long time. We had a great time in and around Bayeux, driving to Mont St. Michel, D Day towns and beaches after picking up our rental car across the street from the Caen railroad station. Nothing could have been easier and a GPS makes it a breeze. We returned 3 weeks ago and and have been missing Normandy since the day we left. Trains to and from Caen/Paris are easy as well. Don%26#39;t short yourself visiting Normandy in only one day. You%26#39;ll regret it.
oprah44
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While a day trip is technically possible, I would recommend against it. I would suggest spending one night in Normandy... I would take an early train to Caen, rent your car, see the Caen Memorial, and see some sights that day.... Linger at some interesting places (Coleville-sur-Mer, Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach) and enjoy the countryside... You don%26#39;t have to check your watch every 5 minutes, or yell at your Mom or Aunt to %26quot;pick up the pace...%26quot; After all, you will have a charming B%26amp;B to spend the night....
Wake up early, have a hearty breakfast, then drive out to Sainte-Mère-Église, see the Airborne Museum there, go to Utah Beach, or Sword, Gold, or any place that captures your fancy.... after all, you have most of the day.... See what interests you, then head back to Caen to return your car and catch the last train back to Paris....
In 2004, we took the train to Bayeux where we rented our car and spent 8 days in Normandy.... fantastic..! Train leaves from the Gare St.-Lazare, headed toward Carentan....
Now, here are some points to consider... you%26#39;ll have to decide if they are possible or worthwhile... You will have to extend your trip by a day, or sacrifice a day in Paris... also, for the trip, I would pack an overnight bag and keep your Paris hotel. Yes, you will be paying for a night in Paris you%26#39;re not actually there.... but the rewards of spending the night in Normandy will make it very worthwhile... I can recommend an excellent B%26amp;B south of Bayeux near Villers-Bocage, that Oprah44 can vouch for.....
Oprah44... thanks for the compliment...! And sorry, your longing for Normandy will remain... going on 5 years for me... Can%26#39;t wait to go back!
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