Would love any advise..2 couples starting in Paris ( 4 nights there in an apartment adice ?) Want to drive down to Chamoniux, stay 2 nights, then down to Cianta Terra, onto Tuscany, and some how cut across to come up the France side into Bourdeax finishing back in Paris to fly out of. Just want to take it as it comes but would love any info re the route and best way to do it. Looking at 4 weeks and this will be Sept 2011. Basically want to see Paris, Mont Blanc, Tuscany, Bourdeax. Would love any advice or anyone who has done this... Best Regards
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
First of all, you're not going to fit in one of those thirty bucks a day cars, so you'll need to go to a full-size one at about seventy-five (I'll take a small one for three people, but even if the third person packs as light as we do, the other seat is still full of luggage, purses, lunch sack, etc.). Unfortunately, the larger car isn't the answer either since you'll still be overflowing with the stuff above, go for a van (the seven passenger type rather than the nine if you can find it). You're looking at a hundred and a little bit per day, but when you spread the differential cost over two couples, it only works out to about five hundred bucks for the trip. It's worth it since you're going to drive a couple or three thousand miles and spend a lot of hours in it - - you'll need room to spread out. Others wil blah, blah, blah about small streets, parking places, etc; but I've done it - - you might have to flip the mirrors in every once in a while, but otherwise it's not an issue. The fuel differential between a big car and a small van is trifiling when spread over two pocketbooks. I THINK, I've driven the acess road to every CT town, but never in a van, but I've seen trucks on every road, so it'll work. (I'd probably stash it at La Spezia, however, and use the train unless you only want to see a couple of the villages.) You're going to have to stash it again for Florence, probably (as you would any other vehicle), but you can get as close as anybody else in the hill towns.
Posted by
pearson, fl., U.S.
6 posts
We just returned from 24 days all in Sept. 4000 miles which included all those points. We started in Amsterdam then to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice It., Zermatt, Chamonix, French Riviera, Paris and back to Amsterdam. We love driving, stayed mostly on back roads and it was a ball. Absolutely no problems. Times (as mentioned) to pull mirrors in. This is second year in a row. Enjoy. Small rental (Opel Corsa) barely large enough. Dollar Rent a Car both years, Positive experience.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Having done similar trips, I totally agree with Ed's comments and I can specifically recommend the Renault Scenic. Plenty of room for 4 plus luggage, comfortable & easy to drive. 4 of us just spent a week in one driving around Provence. It's widely available from rental cos. in France. Get a diesel, the mileage isn't bad at all.