Thinking of visiting London, renting car drive/ferry to Normandy, and then driving country roads to Barcelona Spain in mid October. I do not speak French. I am thinking that time of year I do not need to plan a specific route and book hotel reservations. What is or who can advise me on developing a fun plan ? Two of us are in our late 70s. This would be a no-brainer in the USA. .... ! Maybe too much with language barrier, etc. GPS savy.. an alternative would be to drop the car in Normandy and train to Paris and then train to Barcelona. We have never seen the Pyrenees. Flying to Marrakesh from Barcelona.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10322 posts
Bringing a right-side drive car onto the Continent to drive isn't a good idea. You'll also have high drop charges if you pick up and drop off in different countries.
Posted by
Minneapolis
1243 posts
Hi Samuel. Your trip sounds great. Just visit London, then easy train to France (Paris or Lille or other choices), then either right away or when ready, rent your car in France. No worries about language barrier; English is widely spoken in France. Driving back roads of France is great. Do note that France is a large country - you don't say how much time you have. A leisurely trip as you describe might take several weeks. If this would be a no-brainer in the US, it will be almost as easy in France, and more interesting. Go for it!! Start by going to viamichelin web site and put in some practice destinations to get an idea of driving times in France and how you might map out an itinerary. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10322 posts
If you are going to meander, check into leasing a car instead of renting. Check autoeuropr.com or rensultusa. But don't pick up in England. And you can be in the European Schengen area 90 days without a special visa.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32253 posts
I'd suggest amending the title of your thread, to more accurately reflect the subject. Just listing the word "Sam" means nothing and some forum contributors might not even open the thread.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15658 posts
For short-term rentals, check prices. There may be surcharges for drivers over 70 or over 75. There are usually very high fees for returning a car in another country. Plan to pick up and return the car in France. So it's best to take the Eurostar train from London to Paris, then either rent the car when you leave Paris or take a train to your first destination and rent there. Eurostar tickets go on sale 4-6 months in advance at high discounts. The sooner you buy them (no changes, no refunds) the less you'll spend. If you have several weeks, you could meander through France and have a few days in the Pyrenees. If you only have 10 days, and the Pyrenees and Normandy are at the top of your list, then plan for 2-4 days in Normandy after Paris, then train or fly to the south and pick up a car. You may even want to take the train from Paris to Barcelona and then rent the car.
Use viamichelin.com to get an idea of driving times and costs (gas, tolls).
Posted by
Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada
776 posts
I opened just cause my name is Samantha.....LOL