I rented a car in Amsterdam in September and dropped it off in Paris and paid a huge extra fee. We are going from Paris to Germany in August and wonder if it makes sense to take a train just over the border and then rent a car in Germany before traveling to see Heidelberg, the charming towns along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg and then flying out of Munich. Any recommendations as to how to do that most efficiently?
Posted by
Berlin
3008 posts
Avoid cross-border car-rentals - not only for costs, also for regulatory topics such as emission stickers.
You can take the train to Cologne or any other German city and rent a car there for drop-off anywhere in Germany. It gives you more freedom to travel your own speed and preferences.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8022 posts
I agree with Mark. It will be much better to avoid the extra fees by taking the train from Paris to Germany and renting there.
FWIW, I've used AutoEurope to rent cars in Germany both times I've been there, and have always had good service and prices.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
The Romantic Road is just one many sightseeing routes for car-tourists in Germany. It is heavily "marketed" and probably the best known route to tourists from other countries - and the most crowded in summer. Because you are coming from PARIS, there are some additional routes you might consider.
There are direct ICE trains from Paris in the morning that travel via Strasbourg, FR and will get you across the German border in 2.5 hours to Karlsruhe. There are also TGV trains to Strasbourg (1.75 hours) where you catch a local train across the border to Offenburg. Autoeurope (Europcar, Enterprise) and others have rental outlets in these towns. But before charging off to Heidelberg, you might want to check out this segment of Germany's "Half-Timbered-House Route." The first link (in German) lists all the attractive old world towns on the left side - with a map on the right showing Karlsruhe, Offenburg, the driving route, and Heidelberg further north.
My suggestion is to pick up a car in Offenburg and work out a travel plan that hits some or all of the towns on this route on your way to Heidelberg. AND... I would also visit Esslingen and Tübingen, two wonderful towns that have not joined the route association.
After Heidelberg, you are heading to Rothenburg, right? Well, don't ignore all the nice places that lie in between on the German Castle Road, which runs from, west to east (and eventually to Prague.)