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Car Rental Nice to Provence - First Timer :)

Posted by on

We are planning to spend a few days in Nice without a car. We want to then rent a car to travel to and explore Provence, eventually returning the car to take the high speed train to Paris. My question is, what is the best location to pick up the car and where to return it so that I can take the train? I was thinking of picking it up at the Nice Airport and returning to the Avignon TGV Station. Am I on the right track here?

Also I have never rented a car in Europe and know nothing about rental car companies or what I should be aware of. Any assistance is greatly appreciated

Posted by
7304 posts

You are on the right track indeed! Nice airport is a convenient pickup location, and driving is faster than taking the train for most Nice - Provence journeys.
Where are you staying in Provence, though? In some cases, just taking the train to Avignon TGV (direct from Nice, and scenic in parts) and renting there would be more convenient. Especially if you are planning to stay in Saint-Rémy de Provence, which is super close to Avignon TGV.

Posted by
5 posts

Thanks for the feedback! We are planning to drive from Nice to Cassis to hike the Calanques and spend the night, then head to Arles for three nights as a home base. Given this additional info, do you think this is still the best plan?

Any suggestions for choosing a rental car company?

Thank you so much!

Posted by
14 posts

We’ve done that exact same rental combo before. We typically book via Auto Europe, which represents multiple auto rental companies. It’s worked well for us so far.

I remember we had a difficult time finding the rental car return location at the Avignon TGV station, but were directionally impaired, so that could have been the reason.

Posted by
7304 posts

Any suggestions for choosing a rental car company?

Auto Europe is a good place to start! I do not think the really bad car rental cos. (like Goldcar) are at Avignon TGV anyway, so I think you are pretty safe.

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