Rental Car Suggestion for Stress-free Car Trip from Paris to Giverny/Normandy Etc.

I have rented form the Porte Maillot Hertz office. It is close to the periphery road, so it is relatively easy to get out of town. That being said, I would make sure they give you very specific instructions for the quickest way to the highway when driving out of their lot to make sure you don't get turned around and have to backtrack. However, I'm not sure I would bother to go from CDG to Porte Maillot just for a rental car. I would think it would add significantly to your time getting out of the city. The one time I did it, I had spent the previous night in Paris.

I don't find driving from CDG to Normandy difficult, but there is likely to be lots of slow traffic until you are heading out of the city proper—especially if your arrival put you there during rush hour. If you drive after an overnight flight, don't underestimate how much jet lag can dull the senses. if one person is driving, it is imperative the other person be an active co-pilot to keep you awake and look for signs, etc. It is not the time for that person to catch up on their sleep.

I have never been to Versaille or rented an automatic So I can't comment on those two things.

Note that if you take the A13 highway from CDG or Porte Maillot to Giverny, which any GPS will likely suggest, it's a toll road operating on a "Freeflow" system. There are no toll booths, instead, cameras record your license plate.

The website sanef.com allows you to pay online within 72 hours of driving on the A13. Failure to pay within 72 hours will result in a €90 fine, which can be reduced to €45 if paid within 15 days. This fine will be sent to the rental company, which, as usual, will apply an administrative surcharge.

Check the sanef official website:

https://www.groupe.sanef.com/en/anticipate-tomorrow/free-flow

With a rental car, you can specify the date and time you traveled on the A13.

Is your itinerary set? We did the same trip, but in reverse. We took a train from CDG to Saint Pierre des Corps and picked up our rental car. From there it was an easy 30 minute drive to Amboise, our first stop. We take driving on jet-lag day seriously - this was easy. We drove from Giverny back to Paris to drop the car off, at what I thought, was the outskirts of Paris. Mistake! If I had to do it again I would drive from Giverny to Mantes les Jolie, drop the car there, and take the train into Paris. If your itinerary is set, you could still do this in reverse. I just wouldn’t underestimate driving with jet lag.

Thank you all!

Gigi8, I really like your idea of doing the trip in reverse. Did you find this to be a stress-free trip? I like the idea of taking the train to St. Pierre des Corps station and driving to Amboise. I also appreciate your suggestion to drop the car at Mantes les Jolie and taking the train back to CDG and staying at a hotel near the airport the night before the flight.

Any other suggestions you or anyone else can add to this trip itinerary? Was it easy to rent a car near St. Pierre des Corps?

It was easy enough to rent via St. Pierre des Corps -- multiple car rental agencies right at the station. However note the hours of operation. When we traveled in October, most closed at 6 PM; our SFO-CDG flight landed at ~330 PM, and the TGV from CDG to Tours arrived just a bit late, at around 6:30 PM. So we had a night in Tours and I took a cab to the train station the next day to begin our journey through the valley. We took the train back to CDG from Tours (after a big loop through the valley) so it was an easy drop off. Also all the agencies have tiny lots so make sure you have a reservation

I rented at car at CDG and drove to Giverny and the other places you plan to go. It was not difficult or overly stressful to drive from CDG to Giverny. Plan to study up on road signs in France before you go and learn a few words you may see on road signs. It's more stressful on a freeway in California. The main consideration is the danger of you driving after a red eye flight. Why not spend the night in Paris, then rent the car from CDG and drive to Giverny the next morning? I used CDG to pick up the car because I was coming in on Eurostar later in the afternoon and many other outlying locations have limited hours of operation. I also felt like the airport had more car choices should there be an issue with the car you reserve. I dropped the car at Orly which was easier than CDG. Good luck!