Will we need a car??

Driving in France could not be easier. They have great roads. We fly into Paris , stay there for a while, go to Orly and pick up our rental car, and we are off.We have driven to the Alsace region, but we really like Burgundy, and then we usually go down the A6 to Provence.You can, of course, take a train to these areas, but I must tell you that you will be missing the very essence of the small villages , and the beautiful countryside, the vineyards, the canals. We take our own GPS.. it really could not be easier. We picnic on the back roads of Burgundy, nothing beats it.

To get into the countryside and away from the larger towns, you need a rental car. It's easy to reserve through Autoeurope to pick up once you're in the region you want to visit.

I have not traveled in rural France, so I can't say for sure, but all of the "self-appointed experts" say you need a car. Well, all of the self-appointed experts say you need a car for Bavaria, particularly on the Romantic Road. They are wrong. I've traveled extensively in Bavarial without a car, and last October I traveled on the Romantic Road without one. It was easy. It just takes some planning. Yeah, a car is more convenient, IF you find planning inconvenient, but using public transportation can save a lot of money. Before I would rent a car, I would thoroughly check the public transportation option.

Instead of asking if you need a car, ask where are the websites that show you how to avoid needing one.

You will spend more money to have a car.

You do not need ( nor would anyone likely recommend) a car for Paris, but as noted a car would be nice for rest of France.
If you want to avoid the autoroutes, which are easy enough to drive, but lack scenery really and of course involve tolls, , then the Narional roads , which are the secondary highways, and are free, are a lovely way to wander around.

If you really do not want to drive, then you could just take a train to another city and stay there for a few days, but you would miss out on the small villages and towns in surrounding area . .. there likely is some sort of bus or train service to some of those places, but the as one would expect the smaller the place the less frequent the service .
I think in Alsace that Colmar looks nice, haven't been there myself though( yet)

Exploring some of the smaller rural towns in France is a bit difficult by public transportation, so I would recommend the rental car. France is also one of the easiest countries in the world to navigate by automobile (outside of the cities, of course).

No, it's not required. But, you will probably see less, and spend more time doing it.

As a side note, unrelated to the above: A few years ago I spent eight days in Burgundy. I took the train and also visited many remarkable rural destinations not served by public transportation.

Here's the catch: I was on a bicycle. If this is for you I recommend it highly.

Assuming, though, that cycling is not your thing, I think the answer to your question depends on what you and your boyfriends really want to see and do. Burgundy is particularly rural and neither region is completely served by rail or bus. That may entail sacrifices. On the other hand there may be van tours you can take and you can hire a private guide to take you almost anywhere.

I do think that renting a car for a few strategically chosen days of your trip will greatly extend your reach without greatly deforming your trip in other respects.

Good luck figuring it out!

Kim,

Whether or not you'll need a car depends to a large extent on where you want to go. You definitely won't need (or want!) a car in Paris, as the Metro and RER will take you just about anywhere. For the Alsace / Burgundy region, it will depend on where you want to go. What is the duration of your trip?

If you're just going to be visiting major cities in the area, then rail or Bus transport should suffice. That will be a bit less complicated than having a car, as you won't have to worry about parking and other concerns. However, if you're planning to "get off the beaten track" and visit smaller villages (not well served by public transport), then a car is the only way. A GPS unit or a good Map (or both) would be highly advisable.

I normally use a Car for short term use to visit specific sites (which I did on a trip to Normandy on my last visit there). Since I travel "solo", a Car is not usually a cost effective transport option, so I plan accordingly.

Happy travels!

Having visited many of the smaller towns and villages in this region, I can report that many are not served by rail (or the station sits far from the town center), and bus service can be spotty. So yes, it is very difficult to explore this region without a car. Also... for some reason, eastern France contains many GPS dead zones (I have no idea why), so if you don't have a device, I wouldn't spend the money on one for this trip alone. But all the roads are well marked, and if you can read a map, you shouldn't have any trouble navigating.