Travel by car in France

We always use AutoEurope, based in Maine and easily reachable by telephone prior to departing the US. They can handle all the arrangements. You might consider using the high speed TGV Paris to Nice or Monte Carlo rather than driving, once you've spent time in Normandy. Advance tickets for 1st class are a bargain if bought well in advance. We love driving in Europe but like you, never in the cities.

The concept is sound.

The only thing you'd need to do is look at the two French rentals. If they're short enough, the daily rate will come out to be higher. Conversely, a longer one would have a much lower daily rate. If money doesn't matter, fine. Otherwise, what I'd do us do Paris first then leave for Normandy and keep the same car all the way down to the border.

Unless you're going to run through Switzerland and back into France or something, the drop point for a train to Milan is going to be Nice.

George suggested AE. They're my choice of last resort unless they clearly have the best deal, even then I hold my breath. I rent cars in Europe several times a year, AE only gets about ten percent of my business for a slew of reasons.

I second George's suggestion about checking with AutoEurope. We've used them many times with no complaints, including some complicated arrangements like what you're proposing. The other similar operation, which some of my friends have used and liked, is Kemwel. More than once, we've used Nice as a pick-up or drop-off point for a car. One of the big companies has offices next to the main train station. I do suggest, however, that you get a figure for just keeping the French rental and paying the drop fee vs getting a new Italian rental. We just did a France/Italy trip, and the rates for Italy were unbelievably higher than those for France.

I spoke to someone at Autoeurope last night and he was quite knowledgeable. We don't want to go as far south as Nice before heading across the border towards Milan. The agent told me that we can drop the car at the train station in Charmonix which would be great except the train trip to Milan requires at least one train change. I'd like to drop the car at a train station that offered a direct trip to Milan. I'll work on that today. He also said that the drop off fee for leaving a car in Italy that was not picked up there is 600 euro. I thought that seemed excessive but he seemed to know what he is talking about. I'll do some more research before deciding what to do. It would be wonderful to keep the car for our drive through Italy, not have to move our luggage around, and have the convenience of stopping wherever we want. Anyone know what train station offers a direct trip to Milan from the French border near Charmonix? Perhaps that doesn't exist.

Here's another idea that might work if you haven't already made flight arrangements.

Rosalyn makes the point of the price of rentals in Italy - - it's not so much the cost of the car as it is having to pay for the cdw on top that adds up. I try like the dickens not to rent a car in Italy for that reason. Instead I rent somewhere else, drive all over Italy, then take the car back to the country in which I rented it. In this case the credit card covers the insurance for the whole period without question. However, if you drop the car in Italy, you must have paid for the cdw for the whole rental period (not just the projected time in Italy) - - effectively doubling the cost of the car.

Bottom line: Dawn to dusk, you can drive from Rome to Paris in a really mean day in September. Other French airports are obviously closer to Rome.

I have always used AutoEurope and have been happy with them. I'm renting cars for the trip I'm taking in a few weeks and have some information for you to consider.

• It's true that the longer the rental period, the less cost per day. The 4 day rental I have in England (automatic transmission) is only a few $ less than my two week rental in France (manual transmission). The automatic makes the rental in England more, but the length of the rental in France makes it much cheaper per day.

• Which rental company makes a difference. In France, Europcar charges an extra €40 to pick a car up at a train station. I imagine they charge the same at an airport. Hertz doesn't have that charge, but they charge €65 to do a one way rental. I'm picking my car up in Paris and dropping it in Avignon.

How long will you have the car for Normandy?

Barbara , Answering your query about rail service from Chamonix to Milan - Mont Blanc Express leaves from the main station in Chamonix ( there are two ) goes via Martigny , Switzerland to Brig , Switzerland - change at Brig for an EC train to Milan via the Simplon Pass ( Italian border station is Domodossola ) . The section of the ride from Chamonix to Martigny is particularly beautiful going through the Trient Gorge .

Unless you're using the car for more rural areas and small towns after Paris, then you don't need it on the way to Italy. For a direct TGV train ride to Milan, without connections, you can catch the train in France at Paris Gare de Lyon, Lyon St.-Exupery, Chambery (not Chamonix), or Modane stations; TGV runs 3x/day; tickets may be cheaper if purchased ASAP for September. You can also fly from Paris to Milan on Easy Jet for $60-130 in September.