Rental cars for a family of 5?

Search for a 7 passenger vehicle so you have the space for you and your stuff.

It will be spendy and depending where you are a challenge to find parking.

@Joe32F

Any ideas what companies typically carry those?

Looking to rent from Disneyland Paris area to head to Normandy and MSM.

Try looking on the Auto Europe site.

CJean:

Thanks, didn't have any luck.

As Joe said above— you likely will need to upgrade from a car to a larger vehicle or your luggage is not going to fit. You can try the consolidator RentalCars.com which is owned by the hotel booking company Booking.com. RentalCars cuts deals with the larger car rental companies and often includes some or all of the required insurance coverage with the rental.
I strongly recommend picking the vehicle up outside of Paris as driving in Paris is not for the uninitiated. Orly Airport is a good location outside the city, www.RentalCars.com.

@Kenko:

If we’re heading from Disneyland Paris to Giverny and then down to the Normandy area, is that close enough to the problem areas for uninitiated Paris drivers?

That should be fine.

Once you get out of Paris, the driving is pretty easy. Inside Paris it's rather insane. I remember driving terrified around the Place d'Etoile and yelling to my wife to quickly take a picture of me driving past l'Arc de Triomphe before we crashed! We didn't end up crashing, luckily. These days with turn-by-turn directions on GPS with phone data, it's much easier to get around driving than it used to be.

I might suggest you contact Autoeurope for a quote. They are based in the US, have toll-free numbers from France, and can help you anytime you have a concern, even during the rental. Autoeurope has rented cars to Americans in France for decades, and I have never found anyone cheaper. However, their greatest appeal is in their service and when things go south, you are going to want assistance quickly and someone who speaks English. You are going to need an SUV or large van, luggage is likely to be your greatest concern. Check road tax fees and additional driver fees, which are typically not included in quotes. If you are traveling one way, not all companies charge a drop-off fee, something else I might check.

There is absolutely nothing difficult about driving in Paris. The reason people should avoid it is only because parking is expensive, sometimes difficult to find, and rush hours can be slow, but with a known speed limit of only 30 kms, things do not happen very fast within the city limits anyway.

If you want to travel from Disney, A4 from the east, to Giverny/Normandy, A13 to the west, the direct route is right though the center of Paris, or more accurately, the périphérique, the ring road around the city. It would likely be easier to take A86 to the south of Paris, or alternatively, A104 (la Francilienne), the most outer loop around the city. You should ideally decide which of these 3 possible routes to take on the morning you depart, as traffic conditions can change hourly. I use Waze when driving in France, mostly for traffic information.

We’re a family of 4 and have rented several cars in Europe. You might be able to get what they call an estate car. This is like a station wagon. We had one for 3 weeks and we were able to fit two big checked suitcases, 2 carry on suitcases and the various day bags. This will ONLY work for 5 if you stick to carry on bags only. There’s no way 5 big suitcases will fit. Don’t forget you’ll probably have 5 day bags too. The car we had was an Opel Insignia wagon, if you want to look at videos.

Our next trip, we will have 6 people in a 7 seater minivan. I already know we’ll be squished with luggage and everyone will be limited in what they bring. I rented using AutoEurope. Plug in your dates and places and they’ll show you options. You want to look for 7 seat van, not a 9 seat van. A Ford Galaxy, VW Sharan or similar. Some places call them people movers, not minivans. The requirement that is an automatic may make it harder to find. You may be forced to pick up at the airport, where there are typically more options.

@ Tocard: “There is absolutely nothing difficult about driving in Paris.”
Really?
Maybe you’re thinking of Paris, Texas.
In the French capital, which has a metro population of more than 11 million people, there are no marked traffic lanes, a non-grid street pattern that tends to disorient drivers who are not familiar with radial street patterns dating back to the Middle Ages, very narrow streets built before the automobile was invented, little street parking— all of which has resulted in an avalanche of advice from both the Parisian government and from experienced drivers who recommend Paris’ fine public transit system because they know that driving a car in Paris is problematic. It’s no surprise driving is difficult for tourists, but even Parisians complain about driving conditions in the city. In fact, the City of Paris has acknowledged that severe automobile traffic congestion has reached a critical mass, and is choking the streets of central Paris. So much so, in fact, that the city has decided to ban non-essential vehicles in central Paris ( including most of arrondissements 1, 2,3 and 4) beginning in 2024.

Maybe you’re thinking of Paris, Texas.

Kenko - Do you really think that condescending remarks strengthen your arguments, those of someone who has admitted that non-grid street patterns disorient him?

I have already submitted that there is little on street parking, and becoming less as the mayor continues her campaign to promote bicycle traffic in the city. There are however numerous underground garages with thousands of parking places. Not sure why you find stop signs an absolute necessity. Either you stop at red lights or you yield to cars on the right, which is the law throughout France, not just in Paris.

Paris does not have any rules for drivers that are different from those found anywhere else in France. Experienced drivers should have no difficulty with yielding to the right, navigating roundabouts, avoiding right lane passing, and understanding speed zones not specifically marked with numbers. Inexperienced drives might indeed find these concepts challenging, and understandably would want to be careful. However, the paranoia that surrounds the idea of driving in Paris as being fundamentally different from driving anywhere else in France is baseless.

Have you looked at the Renault Espace, a mini-van, on AutoEurope ?

Coming from Disney, I would choose the most outer route to swing around the Paris area to the north, but as Tocard said, keep your eyes on all three. Sometimes hooking onto the periferique is fastest, but sometimes it's a parking lot.

As for driving in Paris, the one problem is when you get stuck behind a delivery vehicle or, as we did last time, a garbage truck. And sometimes the gps doesn't keep up fast enough in tight quarters --but they always reroute to get you to your goal.

Does the family of 5 consist of 5 adults or are there children? What type of luggage will you be bringing? I've found that the number of bags a car is listed as being able to carry is less than it actually can, I suspect this is to prevent any compaints if people bring too much luggage. Most saloons will be able to fit at least two full size suitcases and a couple of smaller bags, an estate would fit more. If the party isn't all adults then 5 people should comfortably fit in an average saloon with 3 passengers in the rear seats.

We're traveling to France shortly and have rented a car for our family of 5 (3 children). My husband is a car guy and settled on the compact class booked through Auto Europe. Our confirmation states "Puegot 2008 or similar". He assures me this will have more than enough room for 5 carryon bags plus personal items.

From Disney to Giverny, I would steer clear of the "Périphérique" at all times: daytime traffic is always dense, the rules of the road are unusual, and Porte de Bercy (where you would join it from Disney) is a nightmare to navigate. Outside of rush hour (7.00-9.30 / 17.30-19.30), the northern A86 route, followed by A15 to Cergy-Pontoise and exiting at Magny-en-Vexin (exit sign says Vernon), is both relatively stress-free (if busy) and easy to follow. The outer A104 / N104 has a bit less traffic but is harder to follow.

The peugeot 2008 may accommodate 5 carry-ons however there's no guarantee of the make and model you'll receive. I've been caught out before when I received a 'similar' car to the one I booked only to find out the boot space was a lot smaller. For 5 passengers and their carry-ons and personal items I would not opt for a compact car, I would look at a large saloon.

the biggest problems with the Périphérique, in my opinion, for people not familiar with it, it is the biggest highway I know of which doesn't have a yellow diamond, meaning that people joining the Périphérique have the right of way over those already on the highway - confusing to newbies - which means that the slow lane (for much of it there are only 2 lanes) keeps slowing down. The lanes are narrow and there is PLENTY of traffic most of the time. Also the entry and exit ramps are very short - think Cross Bronx Expressway in the 1960s (last time I drove it was around 1973 - maybe it has improved since?)...

Our family size: 2 adults, 2 teens, and 1 tween

We'd prefer to get a private transfer, but heaven help they're nasty expensive.

We have used a site called gemut.com to help us with car rentals in Germany, France, and Ireland in recent years. Super helpful people people and I always get a good rate.

As noted, you have to be aware that rental agencies don't actually set aside a specific vehicle for you. You are reserving a "class" which could consist of several options, which may or may not work for you.

Unless you somehow drill down to a specific rental location and a specific agent who can reserve that specific vehicle for you.

So it sounds like the consensus might be that, due to our family size, a rental car might not be a wise plan.

Not at all. They are saying not to rent too small.

You asked about minivans and I gave you the name of a model.

There are lots of vehicles that will work for family available at autoeurope. I rented one for six people from them a couple of years ago. We had 5 adults and 1 child and it worked out for us though it would not have if we all had large pieces of luggage. The challenge you may have may be that the pick up location that will work for you may not offer the size vehicle that you need. We picked ours up at CDG and had many choices but I don't know what is available near Disney.

I highly doubt that a Peugeot 2008 will fit 5 carryons plus 5 day bags in the cargo area. Take a look at some videos and note the cargo area. It has a cargo cover so you probably won’t be able to fill it to the brim. If you bring softsided bags, you might be able to make it work by using the space underneath the cargo area. On a trip to Costa Rica, we rented a small SUV and 4 carry ons fit perfectly in the back with just enough space for day bags n top. No way a 5th suitcase would fit.

The thing you need to consider when renting cars in Europe: What if your luggage doesn’t fit and there are no other large automatic vehicles available? Can your kids hold suitcases/day bags on their laps for hours? Most people want small cars in Europe (unlike the US), so don’t assume there will be an abundance of cars available. And if there ARE other cars available, expect to pay $$$ to upgrade.

So it sounds like the consensus might be that, due to our family size, a rental car might not be a wise plan.

No, as I said you'll need to look at a larger vehicle. You mentioned minivans, some European sites might refer to them as vans (in the UK a van is a commercial vehicle for carrying goods) or people carriers, these tend to seat 5 or more passengers however there is often a sacrifice in terms of luggage space. Your best bet would be an estate car, you'd fit your five passengers in and have room for all your luggage.

Cars in Europe are smaller than what we see in the US.
Even the same make and class of car is usually smaller in Europe compared to a comparable model in the US. But where the difference is really apparent is in the trunk. On a trip to Britain with three other family members, I rented an intermediate car thinking there would be ample room in a vehicle larger than a subcompact or compact car. That was not the case at all. The car didn’t have enough leg room for the driver or those in the back seat, and the trunk ( the “boot”) was barely able to fit just the 4 small roller carryons. Only after several attempts to find the right configuration, and then jamming the carryons into the trunk, were we able to slam the trunk shut.

my car is a 2016 Honda Civic 4 door hatchback. There are three seatbelts in the back, but somebody needs to be smaller for all 3 to be comfortable.

I recently returned from a drive into the Continent with a large carryon and a smaller carryon and a manbag cross body for the laptop. The larger bag just fits flat and long, the smaller one just fits on its side with room to squeeze the manbag in between the small bag handle and the lip of the boot. Enough left over room for coats and two pairs of shoes.

No way you'd fit 5 carryons in there.....

It is tough if you are limited to an automatic. Most of the classifications below van/mpv are going to include cars that are going to have too little luggage space. But most of the van options are going to be manual. I would search 7 seaters or van categories paired with automatic transmissions. The Sixt site lets you search for a 7 seater with automatic, but it is going to be a premium vehicle. You can also submit a price quote to Gemut. The form has an option for automatic and you can specify the number of passengers. Try putting 7 passengers and automatic and see what response you get. We got a manual van in June for a party of the same size and age breakdown, and Gemut was the cheapest option I could find.

If automatic is absolutely necessary and the van options at Sixt or elsewhere are too pricey, you could try an estate vehicle and specify automatic. But make sure it is not a compact wagon like the Ford Focus. You will need one of the larger models.

I met a family of 5 today, traveling by car through Portugal.

I asked how they - and all their bags - fit.
Answer: 2 cars.

Plenty of families in France, even in "Europe", have three children. RENAULT ESPACE.

https://www.caradisiac.com/renault-espace-nouvelle-gamme-pour-la-fin-de-carriere-193661.htm

mais oui, c'est vrai .. .... for a trip to the shops or the seaside, but they don't fit the family in and all the luggage for an international vacation without a little squeezing....

"Plenty of families in France, even in "Europe", have three children. RENAULT ESPACE."

But do these families travel with a lot of luggage? From my experience with seeing the amount of luggage that my fellow Americans travel with that Espace will not do the trick for a family of five on an international trip. Recently, at SFO, I saw a family of two parents and two children who were getting ready to board and the amount of stuff that they were planning to bring into the cabin was mind boggling and they had already checked three bags.

The Espace has 8.7 cu ft ( 246L) of cargo volume-
-https://www.autoevolution.com/cars/renault-espace-2019.html#aeng_renault-espace-2019-18l-tce-4control-7at-7seats-225-hp

For comparison a Toyota Sienna has 33.5 cu ft of cargo volume ---
https://www.toyota.com/sienna/2022/features/mpg_other_price/5402/5409/5411

Here you go: https://www.europauto.ca/en-ca/info-support/car-rentals/passengers-luggage-capacity-in-vehicles
It's a list of various cars, their US and European counterparts and how many people and how much luggage each car holds.

@joe that's comparing third row up vs third row down.
And we piled luggage on empty seats and between rows, and somehow fit in a picnic cooler and a grandparent or two.

I'm BAAAACCCCKKK....

Assuming we can find a vehicle that will hold our family.
How tricky is it for an American to drive in France? Rules/laws similar?
NOTE: I don't anticipate much driving in the city, more out in the country (perhaps to Normandy or some Chateaus).

Ricks travel tips/ transportation section is a good place to start learning about European driving: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/driving-europe-tips

Don't overlook the resources suggestions. Driving isn't difficult when you know what you're doing and follow the road rules. We drove all over western Europe for 3 years while living in Germany and never had an accident or traffic ticket.

Ricks travel tips/ transportation section is a good place to start learning about European driving: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/driving-europe-tips
Don't overlook the resources suggestions. Driving isn't difficult when you know what you're doing and follow the road rules. We drove all over western Europe for 3 years while living in Germany and never had an accident or traffic ticket.

Thanks!

It is not particularly tricky. The roads are good and well-signposted. Off the top of my head, there are four things to be aware of:

• roundabouts are everywhere. You may or may not be used to them depending on where you are in the US.
• when there is no yield/stop sign, the car coming from the right at an intersection has priority even if it comes from a minor road.
• no passing on the right on the freeway.
• there are automated speed cameras. Usually signposted, but sometimes signage is ambiguous.

To balso's list I would add:

• Learn the principal traffic signs (should be easy to find online) so you know when you have priority and when those entering from the right have the priority.

• Speed limits in France are largely standardized by road type, location (i.e., in a town or not) and weather conditions. Accordingly, speed limit signs, while present, are not as numerous as in some countries because the French authorities believe everyone driving should know the speed based on the factors listed above. Best to learn that ahead of time rather than learn how to pay speeding fines after the fact.

• On rural roads, a road may have a nominal speed limit (based on road type and location) of 80 or even 90 km/h (depending on département), Especially in Normandie, with narrow roads, agricultural equipment sharing the road, blind curves due to roads being lower than surrounding fields, etc., one would have to be reckless to go that fast in some locations.

• Tailgating is a French pastime. Just let them pass when the opportunity arises-- don't be intimidated into driving faster than you feel is appropriate. Better to have such drivers ahead of you rather than on your rear bumper.

• Lastly, to amplify balso's note about looking for a yield or stop sign, it's actually easier to see (and possible to see from farther away as one approaches an intersection) if there is either a solid line (indicating a stop sign) or a dashed line (indicating a yield sign) painted on the road approaching from the right. If you seen either of those, you'll eventually see the stop or yield sign as you get closer to the intersection. Lacking a painted line on a road at an intersection, chances are extremely high that there is no stop or yield sign and cars entering your roadway from the right generally would have priority over you (unless what looks like a "road" is actually a driveway or an entrance to an agricultural field).

one of the fun things about driving on the faster roads in France is working out when it is raining significantly. You'll need to know because the speed limit will drop 20 kph. So 130 to 110, 110 to 90. I can never decide if it is heavy enough to slow down or light enough to resume. I observe this in the French drivers too, some will come flying past in a rain, some will slow as soon as there are a few drops on the windscreen.

I'm sure it has to do with visibility because there are different signs for aquaplaning, fog, or water on the road.

I must be doing something right because I've never had a French ticket. I'd love to understand though...

@Nigel, the rain speed limit applies whenever the road is wet, even after the rain. 130 becomes 110, 110 becomes 100, 90 becomes 80, the rest is unchanged.
Automated speed cameras do not enforce it.

Thick fog brings it down to 50 on all roads - and you'd be crazy to go faster. It is a fairy common occurence (mornings especially) in Burgundy, Normandy, Brittany away from the coasts, and the Garonne river valley.

Hi balso,

I'm curious about your reference for the suggestion that reduced speed applies whenever the road is wet. Not arguing with whether or not it's a good idea -- just curious about the authority. When I read the applicable section of le Code de la Route, it refers to "En cas de pluie ou d'autres précipitations..." (In case of rain or other precipitation...) -- it does not refer to roads being wet.

Here's a link to Article R413-2 and here's the relevant section:

II.-En cas de pluie ou d'autres précipitations, ces vitesses maximales
sont abaissées à :

1° 110 km/ h sur les sections d'autoroutes où la limite normale est de
130 km/ h ;

2° 100 km/ h sur les sections d'autoroutes où cette limite est plus
basse ainsi que sur les routes à deux chaussées séparées par un
terre-plein central ;

3° 80 km/ h sur les sections des autres routes mentionnées au 3° du I.

It would seem that if this requirement applied simply when the road was wet, Section II of Article 413-2 would begin with something along the lines of "Lorsque la surface de la chaussée est mouillée par la pluie ou d'autres précipitations..."

As Nigel notes, it's a bit of a gray area so I would appreciate it if you have an authoritative reference that might help clear it up.

Your quoted text is the authoritative source. I was familiar with the wording on signs which typically say "par temps de pluie" = "in rainy weather", which is ambiguous. In any case, only mobile speed checks can enforce it, and they are rare.

thanks balso and Sammy ...

as you say, the signs are the masters of ambiguity and confusion. It isn't just the cars with UK/GB on the back that react differently....

I have automatic headlights and automatic wipers. My general method is usually to start to look around when the wipers come on intermittently, and then if the lights come on in the daytime or wipers come on full time I slow down, or go with the traffic if they all slow down. Again, fairly vague....

Update: I am having virtually no luck finding a vehicle that holds 5, is an automatic, AND will hold 6-7 pieces of luggage(5 carry on and 2 mid-size).

Good luck, but you have too much luggage or too many people for a lot of French cars and you can't get rid of the people so you may want to try to get down to only carry on luggage. But if you can't, you can't. You are not traveling long distances. Perhaps, the teens and the tweens all hold a carryon in their laps for the drive between Disney and Giverny and then Giverny and Normandy. Where are you going after Normandy? Have you considered going to CDG to pick up your vehicle and returning it there? You could take the train from Disney and there may be cars available at CDG that meet your needs.

please don't put luggage on laps. Luggage is not light. It is not secured. If you were to have a crash or even an emergency stop, you now have large heavy lumps which keep travelling forward until they hit something. Maybe the back of the front seats. Maybe the windscreen. Maybe the back of your heads.

I've been to too many accidents where loose missiles in the passenger compartment have killed.

I'd have couples bring big suitcase for them and then carryons for the others. Any European car is not going to fit luggage for 5 people.

And yes, please don't hold suitcases on laps. In the event of an accident the luggage may go flying and hit someone in the head.

I agree with Heather above: 5 carry-on, especially hard-sided, are very challenging to fit anywhere ! 2 larger bags and 2 carry-on duffels have a bigger chance to fit in the trunk of an estate car or SUV.
No bags on laps. Small bag between legs (on the floor!) ok in a pinch, but that's it.

We’ll be in Europe for 30 days total, so we cannot only do carry on…only in my dreams. :)

We’ll be in Europe for 30 days total, so we cannot only do carry on…only in my dreams. :)

I will be the 1st to offer that I have done 28 days with a carry-on ( 21" roller bag and a 20 liter backpack)
Unless you have some special needs, that require special items, it is not just 'dream' to travel for 30 days with only a carry on as your primary bag.

I will be the 1st to offer that I have done 28 days with a carry-on ( 21" roller bag and a 20 liter backpack)
Unless you have some special needs, that require special items, it is not just 'dream' to travel for 30 days with only a carry on as your primary bag.

Yes, we’ll have medical supplies and two in our family over 6’2”, so clothes are a bit bigger. :)

It can be done even with two people who are 6' 2". My husband is 6' 4', I am 6', our daughter is 6' and our son is currently 6' 8" and let's not talk about how big our shoes are (LOL). In 2017, when my daughter daughter was at 19 and at her full height and our son was 11, we traveled for 6 weeks in Europe with each of us having a carryon. In 2020, we stayed in New York for 8 weeks with only carryon luggage. For a 30-day trip, you have to be planning to do laundry at some point in time so just plan to do it more frequently. That being said, if you can't get to less luggage and can't find a car/van, including at CDG, I guess, it's time to rethink the rental car thing. One thing to consider is that I have found that I can fit more luggage into a rental car than is usually suggested, especially when we are traveling with some soft sided luggage or if the vehicle has a hatch and not a trunk. You can't just throw the stuff in the car. You need someone to pack the trunk the way really good cashiers pack the bags at Trader Joe's.

It’s the medical supplies for a month that will also take up room. But, to your point, yes, we’d love to travel with just carry ons and backpacks, but who knows if that will work.

Take a look at the Packing Forum and RS Packing Light tips for hints on how to cut back on the bags.

Packing Forum: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing

RS Packing Light: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light

I'm a solo traveler, now age 76, with a few medical necessities and no one to depend on but myself to schlep my luggage. For years I have traveled soft-sided, carry-on only -- plus a personal item (cross-body bag or packable backpack). If I can do it, each person in your group should be able to manage their own luggage, no exceptions.

My trips are typically 5-6 weeks. I pack for a week no matter how long the trip. I do laundry along the way. Sometimes that's sink washing in the room. Sometimes it's self-service at a laundromat (my favorite for cultural reasons).

Sometimes it's sending it out or dropping it off to be done for me. I have never had to fill out the little hotel forms and pay outrageous prices. There's always been a better alternative.

Each person can coordinate their travel wardrobe, pack light and do laundry along the way. The potential laundry costs will be much cheaper than getting a vehicle big enough to carry a lot of luggage.

Personally, I have 3 soft-sided 2-wheeled, 4.5 pounds empty, rolling carry-on bags. This year for my 5-week trip to the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales, I used the one with the smallest capacity, 38 liters. Why? Because of the more efficient international design that made it easier to pack. I got it at a good price during an REI sale.

I used my Osprey Ozone Wheeled Global Carry-On.  50x36x23 cm, 19.5x16x8 in. 38 L. 4.5 lbs, 2.05 kg. 

If you go to the Packing Forum, you will find lots of discussions and opinions about packing, but there's no question that the more you take, the more expensive it can be in many different ways. 😉

Update: I am having virtually no luck finding a vehicle that holds 5,
is an automatic, AND will hold 6-7 pieces of luggage(5 carry on and 2
mid-size).

You need to find a 7 seat vehicle where you can fold the 3rd row down. There are plenty of vehicles in Europe that are big enough for 5 and luggage (my family of five fit comfortably in a 7 seater Renault Scenic with the 3rd row down). The real limitation for you is the automatic transmission requirement. Most of the vans for rent are manual.

Did you try the Sixt option I mentioned earlier in the thread? They advertise an automatic V class Mercedes van that would be more than sufficient for your needs. I picked a random 30 day window next summer and it gave a daily price of $121. While that is not cheap, it is better than the rate for many of their smaller SUVs. If they have availability for your travel dates, I would jump on that since the alternatives are few and far between.