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1st night in France

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We arrive at CDG at 7:30 a.m. for 2 weeks in mid October. We will be renting a car for most of our trip. Our itinerary is Giverny, Chartres, Ambois, Sarlat, ending in Paris for 2 nights. (We've been to Paris several times, but not other parts of France) My question is what to do that 1st day, without going to Paris? Should we get our rental car and drive to Giverny or is there a interesting area on the way to G to stay and rest? I know the gardens will not be as colorful as other times of the year, but we appreciate the structure of a garden, as much as the flowers that are blooming.

We are experienced travelers and our MO is to keep with local time when arriving; go to our lodging, walk, eat and go to bed at dark. By doing this we have beaten jet lag (mostly). We could do our itinerary in reverse, except we have tickets for the DaVinci exhibit on our last day.

Thank you.

Posted by
3122 posts

Despite the conventional wisdom that it's risky to drive after coming off a transatlantic (probably redeye) flight, I could see the value of getting your rental car at the airport and driving to Giverny. Renting from the airport means you'll have a good selection of rental companies and cars, and you'll be located right by the major highways.

Will you be landing at CDG or Orly?

Posted by
6888 posts

Besides Paris there is not much of interest between CDG and Giverny that doesn't involve a significant detour and/or parking hassle - there is La Roche Guyon and its amazing castle, but that's just 5 miles from Giverny.
As for the drive, it is short enough to be "acceptable" after landing; by the time you are on the road rush hour traffic will have subsided.

Posted by
12172 posts

Paris is great for walking. I normally spend that first day in Parks and strolling along the Seine. If you drop into anything, make it a short visit.

If you must drive on day one, it's better to drive from the airport to Giverny than from downtown.

Posted by
7661 posts

Have you been to Versailles? Take the RER from the airport then to Versailles. You can walk from the station to the Palace

Posted by
61 posts

Thanks for the responses. We decided to get a car at CDG and drive to Giverny. From there, we will head to the Loire and Dordgone Valleys, finishing the trip in Paris.

Posted by
3122 posts

Since you'll be driving from the north of France to Loire Valley, here are a couple of tips.

If you take the A28 south, there's a large rest area at Alencon. It's a good place to use the restrooms, buy gas, get a snack, stretch your legs.

Going through LeMans, the A28 and A11 / A81 run together for a mile or two. It's easy to panic thinking you've gotten on the wrong highway. Follow the signs for Bordeaux and you'll be headed south toward Tours.

Depending where in the Loire Valley you're going, be aware that in Tours there are one or two exits that are deceptive, i.e. they will put you on a very slow, unscenic city surface street instead of the Autoroute. The Autoroute signage (as in the above example of Bordeaux) is oriented to major cities where the route ultimately would take you. Look at the map ahead of time to be familiar with the big cities on the route & direction you're going to want.

Posted by
61 posts

Thanks for the tips epitd. We will be traveling to Ambois, so will check the map.

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