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Car or Train Paris, Reneve and Pontarlier

Thank you for any assistance. Six adults will spend 4 days in Paris and go to the very small village of Reneve to visit friends, we will be there 4 days and then go to Pontarlier 4 days and then fly home from Geneva.
After reading other posts, my initial plan of renting a van at Orly as we leave Paris has changed. Now I think we might take a train to Dijon and rent the van there, dropping it off at French section of Geneva airport. But if there are pretty routes to Reneve (near Mirebeau) then maybe my initial thought is best. We want to have 2 people do the driving, can someone confirm if a US driver’s license is sufficient, or do we need an International Driver Permit? It’s all very exciting!

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With 6 adults, the train is expensive, and given that large rental vans are rare, that's another argument in favor of an Orly rental. Even the A6 motorway to Dijon is fairly scenic, certainly the nicest of the major routes out of Paris.
Vans aren't good at keeping luggage out of sight so I would avoid planning scenic stops. Also, make sure to pack light! A 7-seater minivan has minimal luggage space when 6 people are in it, and the back row often isn't fit for anyone taller than 5'8. You might be better off with a 9-seater (but still not a lot of luggage space so beware).

As for the permit: I believe you need one unless your license is in French (e.g. a Québec or New Brunswick one).