Transportation help request

You also need an International Driver's Permit which you can get from AAA. It is basically a translation of the license. There are other ways to meet this requirement but this is the cheap/easy one. You won't be asked for it when you pick up the car (probably) but the only time we were every stopped by a cop, we were asked for it.

Most agencies don't charge extra for dropping at a different spot in the same country which you would be doing. We picked a car up at CDG last fall for a month in France and ended up dropping it at Orly for no extra charge. Note that the agencies in Caen close for long lunch hours, so be sure you arrive to pick up the car when the agency (they are right by the train station) is open. Some agencies charge a drop fee, most don't -- find out before renting. Driving across international borders is irrelevant; how would they even know anyway? Dropping across international borders IS expensive.

If you are flying all night to Europe you should not be driving on arrival, perhaps overnight in Caen, see the war history museum there, pick up the car next morning.

Well there are some 7-hour options on that route during the week. But probably you want to drive. You could spend the night in Rouen or Reims if that seems like too much.

You should not have any special fees on those roads.

The first thing to remember is that Nov. 11th is a holiday in France and you may find car rental agencies closed. Friday, Nov. 10th is going to be extremely busy because of the holiday--many people will take it off. Be sure to check availability office hours for both dates. Technically you need a translation of your US drivers licence if the police stop you, but I've never been asked for it while driving in France.

Second, assuming you land at Charles de Gaulle airport on Nov. 10th and want to go immediately to the D-Day beaches in Normandy, you have to consider jet lag, traffic jams getting out of Paris, and driving in France. If you haven't done any driving in France before, I would not recommend picking up your car at the airport. I'd take the RER to Gare St. Lazare and then a train to Caen. Be aware that the trains may be jammed thanks to the Nov. 11th holiday. There are car rental agencies right across the street from the Caen train station. Then I'd drive to Bayeux and spend three nights there to give yourself two full days for the D-Day sights.

The easiest way to get to Bastogne is to drive there--six hours minimum. The new museum on the Battle of the Bulge is excellent. You might also consider hiring a local guide to take you on a tour of battle sites, such as the foxholes for Easy Company from "Band of Brothers" (they're still there). I stayed at the Hotel Wagon Leo right in the center of town--it was a great location and had an excellent restaurant. You should plan on at least two nights in Bastogne.

If you return your rental car to an office in France, you will avoid the extra fees, so I would drive back to a Paris airport and fly to Turin from there. Good luck with your trip.

Didn't you just ask this identical question on the General Europe forum and received many answers?
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/transportation-help-request

yes they did but if you look the first response there directed them to open a question here....

I'm going to give a different perspective as someone who lives in Paris -- the Saturday November 11th holiday will not be a big deal in terms of huge traffic leaving Paris by road or by train (it could however entail the closure of rental agencies that close on holidays). Nor will people really take the Friday -- the French don't move their holidays when they occur on a weekend like we do in the U.S. people with children will have just returned the weekend before from two weeks of school vacations -- there just aren't going to be that many people on the road or on the rails that weekend.

We always take the train from Paris to Turin, in fact I did that yesterday. It takes a little bit less than 6 hours. But of course I'm not starting from Bastogne.

Thank you all for the sage advice and suggestions. Even you, Sam. :)

International license in hand. Car rented.

Europcar advertises 30/day rates on Kayak, then 300 when you're forwarded to their site for booking. No grazie.

Seems that as long as I don't drive like I do at home, I won't end up in the Chateau D'if.

KOT

Jake

If you haven't driven in Europe before note that they do enforce traffic laws like speed laws and it is mostly done by camera. In the US, it is often the norm to drive 10 or 15 miles above the speed limit with the flow of traffic. Do that in Europe and you will end up with an enormous pile of expensive tickets and the rental company will charge you a ridiculous amount for providing your information to the police for EVERY ticket -- at least 30 Euro each or as much as 60.

Also review the rules of the road. There are some quirks. e.g. 'right priority' gives the right of way to people entering from the right even when you are driving on a large road and they are entering from a small one.