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Loire Valley transfer to Paris

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We will be flying in to the Tours Val de Loire airport and renting a car to visit the Loire region for 6 days before going to Paris. Is it better to 1) return the car in Loire Centre, grab a lunch in Place Pumereau then take the train (requires a change in St Pierre des Corps) to Paris, or 2) return the car in St Pierre des Corps then train there direct to Paris, or 3) drive to Paris?

I’d like to spend some time in Tours and Place Pumereau. Should we just do that on a different day during our stay so we can get out easily from St Pierre des Corps (option 2)?

There are two adults and two teenagers so I am also thinking of cost and convenience. Train will cost about $200 in train tickets. We’ve driven in Italy and Spain and I found it generally a pain to drive in big cities. In Paris, we will be staying in the 1e arr. Will it be easier to get there from gare Montparnasse than to drive there and return the car?

Posted by
74 posts

Option 2 is way less stressful. Just did it. Other than some minor construction at the St P station the rental car return was easy. You will not want to drive inside the Periferique (sp?) ring road.

Posted by
2091 posts

I agree. Driving in Paris is a big pain. Option 2 is by far the best and easiest. With 5 days in the Loire Valley you will have time to see Tours. Five days of seeing chateaux would give me chateaux overload, so if you want to see Tours you can day trip there or spend a couple of nights there.

Have fun!

Posted by
9057 posts

I would (and have) return the car at Orly airport rather than getting everyone onto a train at that extra expense. We have never paid a fee for returning a car in another city but of course factor that in when choosing the rental company.

Once at Orly you get everyone Navigo Decouverte weekly passes or Navigo Easy cards (your choice depends on the days of the week you will be there -- the weekly ticket runs Mon-Sun of one week and it always the best choice if it works for your dates). The 14 is accessible and runs clear across Paris and if it gets you near your lodging it would be perfect. If you have to transfer to another line, there will be stairs. there are stops at Madeleine and Pyramides if your lodging is anywhere near there just walk.

Doing this you don't drive in Paris as the airports are not in Paris; Orly works best for the Louvre. You could also get a cab at Orly to your lodging which would cost 45 Euro fixed fare for all 4 of you and luggage. This is cheaper than getting tickets on the metro and having to walk and possibly climb stairs. If you had the weekly pass then it is 'free' as it is included and you have transport for the week -- but if you have to buy a separate metro ticket they are 13 from the airports and so would cost more than a taxi for this trip i.e. 52 Euro for the train/metro and 45 for the cab. No tip required.

Posted by
9 posts

Orly would have worked as we are staying a 5-minute walk from Pyramides, but I have already booked the train tickets! Alas. We will have to get from Montparnasse into the 1er arr. with a guitar no less.

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