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Car Rental vs.Train : Caen to Annecy

My husband and I are first time travelers to France this coming October. We are thinking of renting a car in Caen, driving down through the Loire Valley to Annecy. We would leave the car in Annecy and then taking the train from there to Paris for our departing flight. I know we should have flown into one city and out of another, but as it is our first trip to Europe and we are learning as we go. :)

Wondering if anyone has experience in renting in one town and dropping the car in another town? We would need to leave the car in Annecy on a Sunday when the rental agency is closed. I have reached out to one of the rental agencies to get their feedback as well. We're hoping for the freedom of a car rental to get from town to town and not have to rely strictly on trains as it seems that we'd have to go back up to Paris and then head back south for the route through France we're hoping to take.

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
160 posts

Which car rental company are you planning on using? We've used Europcar several times throughout our numerous travels and have always been pleased by the selection of vehicles, professional staff, and value. I know there's a Europcar in Annecy because we rented from there when we drove to Chamonix and on into Switzerland. You can book online in U.S. dollars. Their webpage will give you the days and hours of operation. Fair warning...Autoroutes in France are expensive. Awesome, but expensive. Youtube "paying autoroute tolls in France" to see how they work and which lanes accept cash or chip cards.

Have a great trip!

Posted by
16895 posts

Picking up and dropping off in different cities of France is no problem, but since you have to leave the car after hours, it's a good idea to take photos of the condition it was in when you left it. Or perhaps you'll buy relatively comprehensive insurance. It looks like drive time and train time to the airport are similar - roughly 6 hours.