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Report on how renting a car worked for us for Normandy and the Loire

Posted by (Northern Colorado ) on

We are just back from France and debated and read and posted on this forum trying to decide how best to see Normandy and the Loire. We were coming from visiting our daughter in London so here’s what we ended up doing.

We took the Eurostar from London to Lille. We rented a car at the train station in Lille. It was then a straightforward and easy 4 hour drive to Bayeux. Why Lille you ask? Lots of car rental options, easy to pick up at the train station and easy driving out of town. Plus we had never been in that part of France and enjoyed the drive. We didn’t need to do anything in Paris this trip either. Bayeux was marvelous and we had no difficulty driving or parking there. After 4 nights there for D Day tours etc, we drove 3 hours to Amboise. Again, easy driving, lots of convenient gas and restaurant or rest area stops along the way. We really liked having the car to get to Chenonceau and Chambord. We then returned the car at CDG the night before flying home. The drive around the Paris periphery on a Sunday afternoon was chaotic and stop and go traffic but not much worse than Denver traffic on a bad day.

Final thoughts - gas prices are high. We put $143 in fuel in with two stops for gas for this trip. Credit card easily used at the pump. Tolls are HIGH. We spent $90 in tolls for this trip. Again, tap and go with the credit card at each plaza. Easy

You have lots of options with trains to Paris and then to Normandy. Renting a car in Normandy. Trains to the Loire etc . But we enjoyed the freedom of the car this time and just going when and where we wanted. Cost wise probably not the cheapest option if that is your biggest priority. The highways were in amazingly good shape, the canola fields were in bloom and the sun was shining. The open road wasn’t bad.

Posted by
1254 posts

Yes, yes, yes! We did the reverse returning our car at Lille train station after our time in Bayeux and other parts of Normandy. Having a car was so convenient; and I still marvel at the amazing road conditions; being so well maintained. And like you, we enjoyed the blooming fields and sunshine. Glad you had such a great experience.

Posted by
419 posts

"High," is, of course, a matter of opinion. I personally don't find road tolls that high, considering what one gets for them.

The price of fuel in France carries a 60 percent tax. That money goes to things such as the nation's general fund, local governmental funds, transport and mobility infrastructure funding, as well as other things.

Both the original post and the initial response commented on the good condition of French roads. These factors aren't unrelated.

I recall the last time I drove south out of Chicago after landing at O'Hare. The condition of the roadway was incredibly poor.

France is what I consider a higher tax, higher service society compared to some nations such as the U.S. As with many things in life, you get what you pay for.

Posted by
4185 posts

Thanks for the report. I rented a car for Normandy trip in 2018 and did not rent one in 2022. I enjoyed the freedom that came with the car but managed okay without one, too. One of the advantages of a car for me was that it broadened lodging options. In 2018, a friend and I stayed at a B&B in the countryside that was housed in an old stone barn that had been converted to a 4-room B&B with a super nice common area. It was a very pleasant experience.

And roads? Yeah, far better than what I have here in my southern US city where the residents have never seen a tax -- regardless of how helpful to the community -- that they didn't despise.

Posted by
2004 posts

Sometimes renting a car is the best thing to do in certain areas like Normandy, Loire, Dordogne. You can move about more freely when public transportation is less available or the times are not convenient. Sounds like a great solution for you even if tolls and fuel were a little more than you are use to in the US. I like hearing about the Lille option for a car rental when coming from London. Thanks.

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