I could really use some advice on how best to get around France during an upcoming trip of three weeks (Sept 19. - Oct 9.). My husband and I will be alone for the first week and then be joined by another couple for weeks two and three. Here is the basic itinerary:
Days 1-4 arrive CDG airport and stay in Paris (near the Arc...)
Days 5-7 leave Paris and travel to Loire Valley for 3 nights (Chinon, Descartes, Blere or Blois -- B%26amp;B at one of these places to be confirmed tomorrow)
Days 8-13 meet friends in Marseille and travel to and stay at B%26amp;B in Aix as a home base for day trips
Days 14-20 leave Aix and travel to Bailly Romainvilliers in the Disney-Paris area -- not to visit Disney, but that is where our time-share is located - use this as home base for day trips
Day 21 fly home from CDG
From what I have read/researched so far we will definitely want the use of our own car while in the Loire Valley, while in the Provence area, and while staying at Bailly Romainvilliers. Would it be best to rent a car before leaving Paris and keep it until we depart France? (This would, of course, mean driving from Tours to Marseille and also from Aix to Bailly Romainvilliers.) Or is it best to rent different cars in separate increments and use the trains for the long distances? If the one-time rental is preferred, what is the drive like from Tours to Marseille and then from Aix to the Disney area?
Thanks in advance for you help.
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As a function of cost, by far the cheapest option would be to rent a car when leaving Paris and return it to the airport when departing France. Each time you pickup a rental, you incur separate road taxes and possible surcharges for automatic transmission options or surcharges for a train station/airport pickup. With one rental, costs per day decrease and fees are paid only once.
The disadvantage is the time it takes to drive from each of your chosen locations. From Tours to Marseille plan on driving 7 hours non stop via available autoroutes. Actually, the train itself will take from 6 hours to 7+30 long to reach Marseille. You may confirm these times here:
www.viamichelin.fr
www.voyages-sncf.com
From Aix-en-Provence to Marne-la-Vallée, the TGV is approximately 4 hours, the drive about 7 hours (again non stop).
Some might think it easier to take the train in spite of the higher, possibly much higher overall transportation cost. Others might like the simplicity, cost savings, and flexibility of have a car for the entire trip.
If you decide upon a car for the entire period, other considerations come into play; lease vs. rental, gas vs. diesel, stop overs en route and handling fatigue while driving long distances.
I have driven all of these roads at one time or another and prefer the flexibility of having my own car but you will be covering a great deal of territory and you%26#39;ll need a good sized vehicle to accommodate 4 adults and their luggage.
The rest is for you to decide.
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If you have a car for the full period, you could take advantage of it to include some en route sights. The drive from the Loire to Aix-en-Provence is indeed a long one, but it%26#39;s not much out of your way to use the A75 / E11 rather than the viamichelin/google alternatives, and travel over the Millau bridge - with the added advantage that the autoroute is toll-free. I think it%26#39;s a bit slow for a short stretch near Montpellier, but driving over the viaduct is worth it!
Returning to Paris, you could take a detour off the autoroute - or consider an overnight stop if your schedule can flex a bit - to see the vineyards in Burgundy.
I think there is a car lease arrangement available for non-EU residents which could be worthwhile for a longer rental.
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