Car rental locations Paris to Normandy

1) Train Paris->Caen
2) Pick up rental car in Caen
drive drive drive
3) Drop rental car in Caen
4) Train Caen->Paris

What Tim said. After time in Paris, we took train from Paris to Caen, picked up car at Enterprise, drove around Normandy and Loire Valley for a week, and dropped off at CDG (the evening before an early-morning flight, stayed at the Ibis right at the airport.)

We did what Tim has suggested for you. It was so easy and Auto Europe is right out the front door of the train station. If you have a chance we found Deauville and Honfleur to be delightful.

We are making a loop that puts us back in Paris. We could take the train, but I think it would be better to leave and return from a convenient location in Paris. I'm just trying to sort out where that might be. I will look into your suggestions, though, since you had such good luck with it!

Why is it necessary for you to depart/return the car in Paris? Have you ever driven in Paris? Is this your first time in Paris?

There are two of us traveling from Paris to Bayeux to Mont St-Michel to St. Malo and back to Paris. If we train to Caen or Bayeux, then we will have to backtrack to return the car. Plus, we want to stop in Giverny enroute and perhaps stop along the way at the abbeys near Rouen. I am open to taking the train, but it would mean skipping the abbeys. As I said, it could work, but not what I planned.

No, I have not driven in Paris before, and the travel forums range from, "No big deal, not much different from any other big city" to "Big hassle". I've driven with others throughout Europe so am familiar with roundabouts and narrow roads. BUT, I have a healthy respect for the potential confusion of driving in Paris. That is why I am seeking the optimal location for the easiest access if we continue with the current plan.

You don't have to backtrack. There are no extra charges for an open-jaw auto rental inside of France.

But I don't think driving from Paris is such a big bad deal, either. I'd avoid rush hour though.

Still the trains are great, so worth considering.

Thanks very much! We traveled around Scandinavia on trains last summer and it works beautifully. I'll look into it!

There are no extra charges for an open-jaw auto rental inside of
France.

That depends on who you rent from. Hertz did indeed charge me a drop-off fee last year when I picked up at CDG, and left it at their office in Cherbourg. This year I'm just taking the train to and from Bayeux, and picking up and dropping off my car there.