Best place to pick up rental car in Paris (that avoids Paris traffic)

You could take a fixed price taxi to Orly and pick up the car there.

You’ll want an estate car, with a large trunk. Or a minivan. A small SUV won’t fit that much luggage.

I rented a car from Hertz Location De Voitures - 27 Rue St Ferdinand - Porte Maillot HLE. It is right near the periphery road (1–2 blocks?) and from there it is much better driving than anything downtown.

I recently spent a week in France. I picked up my Hertz rental car at Massy-TGV and returned it at Porte Maillot. There were pros/cons to both locations. The pro of Massy-TGV is that it is far on the outskirts of Paris, and I was very easily able to get on a highway from there, avoiding any Paris traffic craziness while I was getting used to driving in France. (We were headed to Chartres.) A con of Massy-TGV is that our car driver dropped us far short of the actual train station, and we had to lug our suitcases 20 minutes from where he dropped us to the station. So if you opt for using the Massy-TGV Hertz, make sure your cab driver actually drops you at the train station.

Another con of that station is that they the options for automatic cars were limited. We were able to get one, as I had reserved, but I was a little discouraged when I discovered it was a hybrid and didn't know if I'd have trouble figuring out that aspect of driving the car. But I didn't want to try to ask for a fully gas-powered car after I'd heard the staff say Orly was the only nearby Hertz location with a number of automatics.

We returned the car to the Hertz at Porte Maillot. It was good in terms of minimizing the need to drive in congestion in Paris and also being fairly close to our hotel (although 2 miles in Paris can still equate to a 20-minute drive). The downside of the Hertz at Porte Maillot is that it was hectic, and there was only a small place to park the car. The streets around the Hertz location are narrow, and the office is at a busy intersection.

If I had to do it all over again, I would use the Hertz at Orly OR use the one at Massy-TGV again, but only by making sure the cab driver dropped us at the correct place.

All, we were able to find a vehicle that meets our needs. We will get a fixed price taxi from our hotel to Orly to pick up the car.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It is much appreciated!

that sounds like a good result - glad it working for you

I'm glad you worked out your transportation. If you have a chance, drive down and visit the charming village of Chedigny.

DougMac, thank you for the suggestion. The town a d gardens look amazing!