Drop off point for Avis in NW Paris

Where are you coming from? Where are you staying? What time of day are you arriving? How much luggage is in the back of the car? Will a metro station work just as well as an RER station?......Here's a wild guess: you're coming in from Normandy on the N14. After crossing the river, but before the peripherique, you'll be on Ave Charles de Gaulle. Get on the parallel small street that parallels the boulevard. Just before (less than a half mile) the peripherique, there an Avis place on the right. The Les Sabions metro station is just across De Gaulle. Metro 1 will take you into the Marais (there's a stop at St Paul).

Thanks, Ed for the advice. We plan to leave the Caen area early a.m. visit Giverny, and then drop off the car after 2 p.m. It seems some drop off sites are closed for a couple of hours mid day. We thought St. Germain-en Laye would be a good drop off site, but could not find an Avis drop off site there. We had planned to approach the city on A13, but it looks as though we could transfer to A14. Do you know the name of the street?

Just a few additions to answer your questions. We are trying to travel light, so will have two stashable carryons and our personal carryons (maybe a few souvenirs). Will the Metro accommodate those? We don't want to ruffle the feathers of local commuters who might be traveling at what would seem to be rush hour. Our hotel is the Relais fu Marais at 76 Rue de Turbigo.

No problem with the carryons you describe. You will not be the only ones carrying bags, and some will be carrying more.

You'll be fine on the metro. The N14 and the A13 are the same road, I've always thought.....Ave Charled De Gaulle after you come out of the Defense Tunnel. The Avis spot I found was at 99 Ave Charles de Gaulle ... picture two wide streets separated by a big median, then a smaller, parallel street on each side separated from the big mess by a smaller median. You just need to get over to the little street on the right as quickly as possible since there might not be a cut-over once you spot the place. I've forgotten the address by now, 99 or 100 probably was the street number, but I ran a google street view to check it and the Avis sign was clearly visible....unlike some other spots I looked at. (There's another one down in the Marais, but you'd kill me if I tried to explain how to get into that area from the west...then worm you way into an underground garage with traffic going the wrong way. :))

We've rented from the Avis location at the railway station in Versailles. It was easy to get to, and you can get on the RER at the same location. (If I remember, it's the A14 from Giverny, then you get off on the A13 to drop down to Versailles.)

We rented a car from Budget/Avis at Les Sablons. It is right across the street from the Metro. We also had our 21"carryon & backpacks & had no problems on the metro. The office is not far from the perimeter and driving away from Paris to Honfleur was no problem. But when we were returning from Chartres, even though we had allowed an extra 30 min, the traffic was heavy and we barely made it back at the appointed time. You may want to allow an extra hour to avoid being charged for an extra day. We found this location easy to manage.

Sorry Ed & Edwina - 99 Ave Charles de Gaulle is at the Les Sablons metro station - I should have been more clear. Anyway - we found it easy as although Ave Charles de Gaulle is a wide ave with a median in the middle, the Avis office is on what might be called a frontage street for businesses that runs along the Avenue. It's easy to cross with your suitcases to the metro entrance since there's little traffic. When we looked at it on Google maps before we left, we did not notice the frontage street but we might have seen it if we knew it was there. Hope this makes some sense. Good luck & have fun!!

To make it clear, Carol's 'frontage street' is my 'little street on the right'. She talks better than I do.

Carol, I'm having trouble finding Les Sablons on the map. Is that a town, village, or Metro stop?? Google maps did not help with this one. IF picking up the car in Versailles, which location is closest to the RER: 24 Rue des Chantiers or Chartiers Railway Station? Thanks so much for all your advice.

Carol spelled it right, I didn't. We're both talking about the same place. At the Arc, the Champs Elysees changes names to Ave Charles De Gaulle. Follow De Gaulle NW, after it crosses the peripherique, the Les Sablons metro station is about a half mile further. Forget Versailles, you're coming into town on a straight shot, making no turns. It will be a piece of cake. Also, you won't have to change trains at Montparnasse as you would coming from Versailles since Metro #1 goes straight into the Marais from Les Sablons. Edit...I looked up your hotel address, that ain't in the central Marais, but no problem. Make a change from Metro #1 to Metro #11 at Hotel de Ville and go two stops to Arts et Metiers and walk up Tubigo a couple hundred yards after you hop off.

To all who took the time to send very generous and helpful advice on this matter: Considering that we are senior citizens, do not like "big city" driving, will be driving an unfamiliar vehicle, with signage in a different language, we have decided on a middle of the road (pun intended) solution. We'll take the Eurostar train to Paris, then the intercity train to Vernon, where we'll pick up a car and later drop it off there, which will also afford us the opportunity to visit nearby Giverny. This plan will force me to conquer my claustrophobia, which rivals my fear on flying on the "fear meter". Thanks so much for helping others to enjoy their travels and avoid problems. In the future, I will try to do the same.