driving in france and car rental questions

Amy... I have driven all over Europe and do have to admit the Italians are some of the most impatient I have encountered, and it can be a bit unnerving, especially given all the motorcycles. I consider France to be a much easier place to drive. Given the area you are going I would definitely suggest the car for the freedom it will allow you. I now take a GPS, but for years just followed road signs and used maps. This just makes it a bit easier, but you still need a paper map, just in case. I always go directly to the car rental company. I check out the prices on Priceline, then pick the cheapest. Usually Hertz, Avis or Sixt. There are some stresses involved in driving, but there are also stresses with taking a train as you schedule is dictated, and there is no pulling over on the side of the tracks to have a picnic in that amazing lavender field you just spotted. It's always a tradeoff, but I would not worry about the driving given you live on the east coast. I am always more nervous riding with someone else than I am driving myself. I just do the same thing in Europe as I do in the US... if I am going too slow because I am enjoying the countryside, I will either let impatient drivers pass me, or I will try to pull over so they can get around me. Have a great time.

On balance , I would agree with Terry Kathryn's post . The only thing I would add is in reference to French drivers as they differ from Italian drivers . In general I found French drivers somewhat more easy going in general , with the exception being the Riviera and particularly The Moyen and Haut Corniches above Nice and Monaco . I recently read that in addition to a French or Italian drivers license , they are required to have a degree in proctology , if you get my drift !! But ,all kidding aside , driving in in France was low to no stress . I also agree that a GPS is ( combined with a good map ) a very useful tool . My recent trip to France and 2,000 miles behind the wheel was the first time I used one , and even with a good map and super navigator ( my better half ) , it helped make things much easier , particularly in getting in and out of towns and cities . Also , as Terry Kathryn said , having the freedom to pull over at a whim and savor a moment is wonderful . I can still taste those Burgundian Gougeres while pulled over near a farm down the road from the Abbey of Fontenay .

I have driven in France on 4 different trips and find it to be quite easy. I especially like driving on the N (National) and D (departmental/county) roads, which are well maintained. Except near the bigger towns and cities, there is not a lot of traffic on these roads and you get a good view of the countryside and small villages. However, the French drive fast and you can be tooling along for miles and all of a sudden find someone on your back bumper - the French like to tailgate - just maintain your speed and after awhile, the other driver will pass and you'll be alone on the road again. The Autoroute is also easy to navigate, but there are tolls on most stretches of it. The are good for getting from Point A to Point B quickly and for getting through the big cities, if you can't go around them. All that is needed is a good map and a GPS can also be helpful, but keep a map handy, too. It is best to reserve your car before leaving the US. I've used EuropeCar. Also, rather than driving into Paris, arrange to drop the car off at a town outside of Paris - EuropeCar has offices in most towns - like Chartres or Reims, then take a 60-75 minute train trip into Central Paris. Just check a map of your route and choose a town on the route that is an hour or so outside of Paris.

If your trip is ending with some days in Paris then it might make sense to drop the car earlier, and take the train right downtown Paris, but if you are flying out when you drop the car just drive directly to the airport. It's not that hard... just follow the signs the same as any airport in any big city.

City traffic in France is more organized than in Italy, and there are far less 2-wheel motorized vehicles there. Driving on the countryside is mostly easy and pleasant. There are many speed traps, but speed limits are ostensibly posted and a good GPS will have the limit displayed on screen as well. Something I highly recommend is to go to ViaMichelin website and take a look on their maps and see routes that they pick as "scenic" (with a green mark along the route line). Those are usually good picks for roads worth the drive on itself. As for adjustment for driving, the 3 major issues to take note in France are: - the concept of city limit (with the sign indicating you are enter it) and the blank 50km/h it entails - no right turning allowed on red light
- roundabouts (preference is for those entering a roundabout by default, but most have a yield sign that gives preference to those already on the roundabout) Driving from Grenoble to Paris via the Loire will cross some great scenery. You can take a small detour through the Limousine area, usually off the radar for most visitors.

We picked up and returned the car at CDG. Easy in and out. Peripherique was a little crazy but outside of that it was incredibly easy. We did Brittany, Normandy and Loire valley. Loire was very easy. Our family loved the rest areas. They are very family friendly and seem to be every 20-30 Kim's or so. We used Autoeurope and got a VW Touran which had loads of room and got 50 mph! Hope this helps.

I've driven in France and Italy quite a lot. I find driving in France to be not too different from here where I live in the Los Angeles area. On "freeways" they tend to be far more civilized than drivers here are - people seem to work together with a set of unwritten rules to keep traffic flowing. In cities I've experienced far less impatience and "road rage" type behavior than here as well. On country roads people will pass you if you are going slower than they want to but not in an angry get-on-your-tail-and-then-speed-around-you kind of way...they simply drift around you and go on their way. Italy, on the other hand...yikes. Although I do drive there it's not a relaxing experience to say the least. Very different from France! Don't hesitate at all to drive in France! It's so nice to be able to explore at your own pace and find great little towns and villages that are off of the train lines, stop in at farms to buy honey or cheese, and eat at little places that you happen upon. Enjoy!

Having driven in France for over 20 years, one bit of advice I would give as to differences from the US is that on multi-lane highways, don't drove in the left lane except to pass. That's theoretically the rule on US highways, but drivers rarely pay attention. But in France, drivers almost never just cruise along in the left lane. I do find French tailgaiting to be infuriating at times, although it seems to have gotten a little better the last couple of years. And in the US, if someone tailgated me as close as they often do in France, I'd be a little worried about their intentions, but in France, they're just waiting until they can pass.