Car rental on way from Paris to Loire Valley

I was in Paris/Loire Valley in April. Rented a car at the airport but you can easily get one at a train station just make sure it has a GPS! It made navigating a million times easier than on previous trips with maps and wrong turns. And as you say, head out of the city where driving is quite easy and not crowded. We have stayed at a homey B&B on several occasions just east of Blois(La Villa Medicis, St Denis sur Loire) can be a good jumping off point for Chambord,Blois and Chenonceau. I have always found it difficult to return a car in Paris--rental places are hard to find and signs are tiny or non existant. We usually return the car at a more rural town and take a train back to Paris. I would also recommend heading to Chartre on the way out of Paris and then to the Loire Valley if you have time.

Thanks for your suggestion. Can I go to the well one more time? If I did go to Chartres from Paris, do you have a suggestion of which train station from which I can rent my car. Also,I and the thought of returning the car on the way from Honfleur and Giverny to Paris, but I do not know at which town on the rail line at which I can drop off my car on route to the airport.

We stayed in the same vicinity as you (Hotel Duo) and took the RER from nearby Notre Dame to Versailles, where we rented a car at Hertz, just across from the train station. It came equipped with GPS. We asked about returning it to a different location and were told the extra charge would be very expensive. We drove from Versailles to the Loire Valley.

Whatever you do, I'd suggest making your reservation before you leave using Auto Europe or Kemwel (both under the same ownership). As someone mentioned, there's no extra charge for a dropoff elsewhere. At least I've never had one in all the years I've rented through them.

This has been very helpful. At this point I am thinking of renting in Chartres where I will stop off to enjoy the cathedral. Does anyone have opinions about the various cars AutoEurope offer? I was thinking compacts. Depending on where you rent, they offer cars such as the city car the Renault Twingo, Peugot 207, or Volkswagon Golf. Some come with diesel but I do not know how many gas stations carry diesel or how the cost for diesel compares to gas. Any thoughts?

I note that the AutoEurope voucher indicates that there is a fee for drop off in another city of 65 Euros + a 39 Euro surcharge for renting at a train station. So how come people say that they have not been charged a surcharge. Is it because I have used the Canadian web site?

I think renting in Chartres is a good plan if you're going there anyway to see the cathedral (which I'd recommend) on your way to the Loire. Train from Paris to Chartres is from gare Montparnasse, which you can reach by metro from your hotel. If not Chartres, I'd suggest Orly, which you can reach by metro and RER from Paris. Diesel is a good choice for fuel economy. It's widely available in France and I believe cheaper than gas. Needs a little more warmup in the morning.

In 2007, we took the TGV from Montparnasse to St. Pierre des Corps (Tours)...... The AutoEurope office is about 50 feet to the right of the entrance to the station - I think there was a Hertz or an Avis office there as well. We stayed in Amboise - about a 30 minute drive from the train station (we got lost leaving St. Pierre.....). We didn't book in advance, but stopped by the AutoEurope counter in St. Germain a few days before our departure. We dropped the car in Beaune - no hassles..... We had a 4 door Toyota Yaris Diesel - great mileage....... For us it worked perfect - driving the countryside from the Loire to Burgundy was really fun, we took mostly D-routes. Didn't use GPS, but had the Michelin Map (Centre) and we had no problems finding our way, heck, even getting a little bit lost was fun!

Pretty much every place which sells Essence sells Gazole - diesel. Often there are two grades of gazole - I always use the normal one. Modern diesel cars don't need to warm up. Mine is 8 years old and starts almost always - except when it is below freezing when I give the glow plugs a few seconds - as soon as I put in the key.

@Nigel, You may need to clarify that "essence" in French for gasoline in this context, not a perfume.

This has been very helpful. Thanks to all of you. In the end, I will skip Chartres (disappointing), get my car in Tours. After talking to AutoEurope, after seeing that a drop off fe was going to be charged, I was told that some companies they use (e.g., Hertz) charges a drop off fee and otehrs (e.g., Europecar) do not. So I changed pick up locations and, voila, no pick up fee. I also was told that the car that you book is not guaranteed, just a car that is similar to the one booked. Thanks to everyone.