First time Car Renting Newbies in Tours, France: HELP!

The RER is the Paris suburban train system. There is direct TGV service from Gare Montparnasse to St-Pierre-des-Corps which is just outside Tours. The Auto Europe site shows service right by the station. I expect that's where most agencies have their cars. If your credit card provides insurance coverage in France, you can decline CDW coverage. For total peace of mind, buy super CDW insurance. Call the Auto Europe US toll-free number if you have questions. You'll need to present your regular driver license. While an International Driver Permit isn't required in France, it's a good idea to have one. It's a translation of the essential information on your license into eight languages. Buy it at your local AAA office. If you book ASAP (up to three months allowed) at voyages.sncf.com (in French) or tgv-europe.com (in English), you can get a Prem's fare as low as €15.00 for Paris to St-Pierre-des-Corps. On the tgv-europe site you want to avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site which doesn't offer discount fares. First, choose Great Britain as your country of residence. Second, choose to stick with tgv-europe or you'll be bumped to the UK Rail Europe site. Third, choose France as your ticket retrieval country. You be able either to print your own tickets or to pick them up at any SNCF station in France.

Reserve the absolute smallest car you can...typically those sell out faster and you have a better chance of the car not being available when you arrive to pick it up thereby giving you an automatic upgrade. Go over that car with a fine tooth comb pointing out and DOCUMENTING even the tiniest scratch/ding. Find out how to open the gas tank cover, turn on the headlights/windshield wipers, etc BEFORE you leave the car rental facility. Make sure it has airconditioning. Return to the same place you rented or face a stiff 1 way rental off charge. Try try try to get a diesel - you'll save a lot on fuel. Hopefully you can drive a stick because you'll pay extra for an automatic. Either get a GPS or buy local driving maps once you arrive in France. Absolutely make sure that your CC will cover all insurance for you. If it doesn't you can be held accountable for a hefty deductible. Be ready to pay tolls tolls and more tolls. Fill up the car before returning and KEEP your gas receipt. Personally a rental car is just a headache to me, and I would much rather take public transport if at all available. Hopefully you've thought all that through.

Tim's point about documenting every scratch and ding before you drive away is a very good one. So long as you drop off your car in France and not in another country you shouldn't have to pay a fee for a one-way rental.

A few more thoughts. Unless you're in a hurry, avoid the autoroutes (freeways). You won't have to pay tolls and the scenery probably will be better anyway. You may pay a little more for Michelin maps if you buy them now rather than waiting until you get to France. However, it may help your planning if you can plot some routes well in advance. If you give us your general itinerary by car, I'll suggest some specific detailed maps that cover where you'll be driving. Yes, rent a small car, but not one so small that you can't keep all your luggage safely out of sight when you're away from the car.

If you have an Amex card you can purchase the car insurance that will cover you for about $25 . I rent all the time and it is no different than any rental car company here. None of them are to be trusted:) They always want more money out of you. I however love having a car especially to explore the countryside and I rent all the time and have many times in France. All with no problems, other than the time the steering fluid leaked out and I had to have the car towed... a taxi picked me up and took me to get a new car. I typically rent from either Budget, Hertz or Avis so I feel like I can speak to someone here about my rental, and they have always given me a good price...I shop the internet till I find the cheapest and then keep searching till I depart. If I find a better rate I will cancel the first one. Definitely get the IDP. Only $15...why worry? Also, a small car is nice, but not so that you are cramped. I have driven a 9 passenger van around France twice and although parking is a challenge, it always is. Train travel vs. car travel is always a personal preference... but is apples and oranges. Trip by train is not the same as trip by car. If you want a road trip to explore the countryside you need a car. GPS helps, but I have done it lots of times without. I would suggest taking your own loaded with European maps so you are used to it. Plus, its probably cheaper. I have a Garmin. Be sure to buy a little quilt at a wonderful French Market to throw in the back of the car for an amazing picnic along the way.

I did the same two years ago - TGV from Paris to Tours, picked up rental car, tootled around the Loire valley and dropped the car off outside Paris (at Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy train station). It worked great, easy driving, easy suburban pick-up and drop-off locations, no tolls because we stayed on small roads, no drop-off fee. The Tours car rental agency we used (Avis, booked through AutoEurope) was just to the right as you walk out the front door of the train station. We arrived early on a Sunday, and Avis didn't open until 4:00, so we took the light rail into Tours town centre (TGV is in the suburb St. Pierre des Corps). Walked around, had a fabulous 3-course meal, went back to get our car, checked into a great little hotel in St. Martin le Beau and did the nighttime walk of the Chenonceau grounds. Highly recommended. The indoor tour the next day was pretty claustrophobic, but the night walk was fabulous.