My train will arrive Paris Gare du Nord around 4pm. Trying to get a car to Orleans/Blois the same day. Is it wise to rent it at the Gare du Nord station or find an alternative rental office outside Paris?
Thank you!
Posted by
Paris
7301 posts
Is it on a weekday or at the weekend?
At the weekend, I would just rent from Gare du Nord. You do have to drive across a good chunk of Paris to reach the A10 highway to the south-west, but there are no traffic issues, just "big city driving".
On a weekday, by the time you deal with the proceedings at the car rental office and pick up the car, it could be close to 4.30-5 pm, and you could start to hit rush hour traffic (unless you're in the middle of August)...
In that case, when you arrive at gare du Nord, you could hop in a RER B train towards Massy Palaiseau, and after this 40 minute ride, pick up a car at one of the offices at Massy TGV. You will be right at the start of the A10 highway.
Orly airport is another option that people often suggests, but access is more complicated (a taxi would be ideal), and traffic would be worse.
Last but not least, you could cross Paris by metro line 5 and take the train from Austerlitz to Orleans or Blois if your destination is within those towns, then rent a car the next day if it's not a Sunday.
EDIT: saw your other threads, seems that you are also considering offices in Orleans: if they are open when you need them, it is the best option vs. renting in or near Paris.
Posted by
OP
36 posts
Balso, thank you for these suggestions. It's a weekday, and not in August. I'll check out Massy TGV.
About the Europcar location I found in Orleans, it is actually in Olivet, 30 min local tram ride away from Orleans Gare de Fleury-les-Aubrais. I wonder if it is a location not frequented by tourists so that when I pick up the car they might not have an automatic transmission car ready for me as reserved via AutoEurope, or its staff don't speak/understand English. Are these concerns valid thus should I stay away from this rental car location?
Posted by
Paris
7301 posts
There are car rental offices at the train station in Orleans (Orleans Centre, NOT Les Aubrais): Avis, Sixt, Europcar. Don't go to Olivet, it sounds like a hassle! If for some reason Olivet is the only option, then I'd rather rent in or near Paris.
Posted by
OP
36 posts
I searched Europcar's own website for locations in Orleans. Only this location in Olivet showed up. No other location is found at either train station.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7886 posts
Is St Pierre des Corps TGV about the same distance from Blois as is Orleans?
Posted by
OP
36 posts
Unfortunately I can't find availability at Massy TGV. Does moving to Gare de Lyon make it better than from Gare du Nord to go to Loire?
Posted by
Paris
7301 posts
Are you stuck with Europcar? There are other companies available.
Otherwise: yes, for the drive to the south, Gare de Lyon is much better located than Gare du Nord. From Gare du Nord, take RER D for 2 stops to Gare de Lyon - there are escalators, so luggage should not be an issue.
You'll be very close to the Quai de Bercy, which takes you out of the city without driving on city streets. You will hit traffic on the Paris ring road (Périphérique) and towards the A6/A10 junction, but the drive to Orléans isn't that long.
Posted by
OP
36 posts
I selected Gare de Massy TGV location in Auto Europe, but it found no car at all for a weekday 11am pickup and return.
Would Orly airport be even better than Gare de Lyon?
Another option under consideration is to train to Chartres and rent a car the next day since we are also interested in the cathedral. Europcar does have automatic transmission cars for reservation through Auto Europe at Chartres during our dates. But since it is not a big city, could it happen that they don't actually have an automatic transmission car to give us as reserved when we go to pick it up? In this case we'd be stuck because we don't know how to drive a manual car.
Posted by
Paris
7301 posts
Orly is slightly better than Gare de Lyon for the driving, but getting to Orly from Gare du Nord is more of a hassle (RER B to Antony, followed by Orlyval shuttle train, or a 38€ cab from Gare du Nord).
The Chartres idea is a good one. Automatic cars are less scarce than they used to be, so the likelihood of you not getting one despite booking one seems very low to me, but I have no firsthand experience at Europcar in Chartres.
By the way, Auto Europe does not work with all car rental offices of a given brand, which could explain the lack of availability. Feel free to book directly with a car rental company. You lose Auto Europe's hotline service, but the major brands are serious companies; I would not worry too much.