Any suggestions renting a car in Nice and dropping off in Avignon? Or if not Avignon, another city in that vicinity where we can catch a train to Paris? Is it as easy as the U.S. do a one way rental?
Hi Sig. Yup, that would work fine. Just go to Hertz, Avis or other web sites and you will see choices. For more info, see 'How to Rent a Car in Europe' in the Travel Tips section of this web site. But don't be intimidated by all the info. Renting a car in Europe works great; your plan sounds good. Enjoy your trip!
You should be fine. Note that many of the car rental places are at the Avignon TGV train station which is not the train station at the city center. It's also the station that has the nice 2hr39min train run to Paris. Not sure when you are going but I'm seeing some 49Euro fares in mid-September if you buy now.
Book WELL in advance. Last time I did a "last minute" one-way rental due to a cancelled train, it cost me 75 euros at Hertz for a two-hour ride in a roller skate with a roof!
Also check AutoEurope (http://www.autoeurope.com) and Kemwel (http://www.kemwel.com). They're both brokers, and I've used them for France car rentals for 20+ years. One-way rentals have never been a problem.