We will be renting a car in Caen in middle May for two weeks and do not want to drive in Paris when we are there. Is it better to drop the car off in Amboise and take a train to Paris or drop it off in Chartes? If Chartes, how do we get from Gare Montparnasse (train from Chartes) to Gare de Lyon (location of our hotel in Paris for one week? Or should we take the car to Gare de Lyon and drop it off there? Would it be better to drop the car off at Amboise and take the train to Gare d'Austerlitz? Thanks, Dorsey
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Amboise and Chartes are in the wrong direction from Caen, unless you're planning on driving to the Loire from Caen. From Caen, I'd drop in Rouen or simply go to Charles de Gaulle airport. Easy to get to and no extra charge to drop at the airport. Then you can get into Paris by RER.
Posted by
OP
Centennial, CO
189 posts
I'm sorry, we will be driving from Caen to the Loire Valley for 4 days vising castles. Our last two nights will be in Amboise B&B and need to know where the best place to drop off our car. Dorsey
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Gare Austerlitz is much closer to your hotel area, Gare de Lyon, than is Montparnasse, so it would seem better to drop the car off and take the train from Amboise to Austerlitz and then a taxi to your hotel. There is no metro route that does not involve a change of trains and with luggage you'd want to avoid that.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I think this is a good plan, but can't say which is better. If you have time to stop in Chartres and at least tour the cathedral, that argues for Chartres. If you could return the car a day earlier in Amboise, because you are staying there and won't need it any more, and could save a day of rental fees, that argues for Amboise.