Paris car rental on Sunday

I had the same dilemma for a trip from Paris to Normandy on Sunday about 10 years ago, rented a car at Montparnasse train station, and as you have surmised driving out of the station and on Paris streets was a nightmare. Once was enough, never did anything like that again. Logistically, at least at that time, Montparnasse was in a physically appropriate area of Paris to get out of the city to the west, but maybe your research will yield a better option than the one I had. Good luck...

I’ll state the obvious. While not convenient, the airport rental car facility will be open.

I’ll state the obvious. While not convenient, the airport rental car facility will be open.

Assuming you mean CDG? Not a bad idea, and at least you can. get out of the airport more easily than out of central Paris, and although you have to get "around" Paris, it is on the highway system. What you don't want to do is drive on the city streets in Paris.

Along these lines, I wonder if renting a car at Orly would make sense? I never considered it when I did it, but that would seem a better starting point for the getaway to Normandy...

You can take a train directly from Paris (St Lazare) to Bayeux on Sunday at 10:59 am, then explore Bayeux and pick your car up on Monday.
As for renting at CDG, my recollection is that upon leaving, you are very quickly in the countryside, not on any Paris ring road.
And it is not automatically, universally, inevitably instant terror to drive in Paris. It is for some people, but not for others. It's just big city driving in my opinion.

Driving in Paris was only terror for me back in 2004 when the street I was on took me into the traffic circle at the Arc de Triumphe. Once was bad enough, but it happened a second time that same day. That was the last time I drove in Paris.

@JoJo - yes I was referring to CDG airport.

As an aside, we have no problem driving in Paris. It’s no different than driving in SF, or any big city, imo. We actually enjoy driving around the Arc.

My first thought was a rental car from Orly or CDG. The problem with Bob’s idea is you wouldn’t have a car in Bayeux that day to explore the area. You could only do the city by foot, that’s a fun way to spend the day but your time is very limited.

Either CDG or Orly are good possibilities.

Rent car through SNCF and it will be available: https://www.sncf-connect.com/train/services-train/train-avis

If you’re going to Normandy, you take A13 which starts from the southwest corner of Paris. CDG, on the opposite side of Paris, would be my absolute last choice for pickup locations. There have also been some recent stories referencing rental pickups at CDG requiring a same day arrival by air to qualify for a rental. ORY has much easier access using A86 to reach A13, but it still is not an ideal solution.

For me, there is only one logical solution, pickup at Gare Montparnasse. From there, all you have to do is head south to the Périphérique, orbit west to Porte d´Auteuil and join A13.

Before we panic about driving in Paris, consider two facts:

1. The speed limit in Paris is 30kms, under 20 mph. You’ll be moving at a snail’s pace.
2. Sunday morning, there is zero traffic in Paris. None. You will be all alone driving the short distance from Montparnasse to the Périphérique.
   

Renting from Gare Montparnasse, you’ll be westbound, past Montes-la-Jolie before you could have reached ORY.

Driving in Paris on a Sunday morning is a joy (unless there's a marathon or something). Renting a car at Montparnasse, it is a straight shot down rue Alain / rue Vercingétorix to the ring road (Périphérique) at Porte de Vanves, and on to the A13. One thing to be aware of: the Périphérique has no merge lanes to speak of, traffic on the highway's right lane is supposed to yield to oncoming traffic.

Last fall we arrived at CDG from the US, spent a few days in Paris, and then returned to CDG to pick up a rental car with no issues.