We are trying to decide the best way to get to Parpignan from Paris. My husband thought it might be fun to rent a car and take two days stopping along the way. If we did that what would our chances be of finding a place to stay without prior reservations (we are going in June)? We were already planning on renting a car in Parpignan, would there be an incredible %26quot;drop off fee%26quot; renting the car in Paris and returning it in Parpignan when we are ready to leave?
We are traveling with two teenagers so I thought they might enjoy the train (I believe the TGV is the quickest ). I also wasn%26#39;t sure if all of our bags would fit in a rental car. I printed out the instructions to reserve and buy tickets on SNCF, is that the way to get the best price? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Re car rental, contact Autoeurope on their toll free number.
I%26#39;d advise you to reconsider a drive from Paris--way too long for two days. You could train down to Avignon or Montpellier and rent a car.
Driving routes, time estimates:
viamichelin.fr/viamichelin/…MaHomePage.htm
http://www39.mappy.com/
France rail map, schedules, tickets:
…raileurope.com/map_of_europe/france.html
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage…
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As a general rule when renting cars in France, the only additional fee for pickup/drop off is an approximate 20 euro pickup fee when doing so at either an airport or train station. I have never paid a fee for dropping off a rental at a location different from the original one (again when renting in France).
There are just too many variables to suggest a specific plan. If you are time limited I should recommend the train. If you are not time limited and are renting a car anyway, I should recommend driving. The usual web sites offer full itineraries:
www.mappy.com
www.viamichelin.com
In any event if you are driving in France:
1. request a diesel, it saves a great deal of money
2. book your rental before you leave.
3. purchase a good map 1:200,000 scale in book form.
4. the Michelin red guide is the best source for hotel/restaurant info
5. the trunk space in many European cars is very limited as compared to US models.
6. driving the day of your arrival from North America is not recommended. Fatigue is a big concern.
I recommend two nights in route minimum from Paris to Perpignan. There is a lot to see. Here is a thread about A75:
http://tinyurl.com/2dpm3n
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First let me apologize for misspelling Perpignan, I knew it didn%26#39;t look right. Thanks for the replies, great information. We will already be in Paris for 4 nights so jet lag shouldn%26#39;t be a problem. It seems it will take longer than we had thought to get down there, so at this point I am leaning toward the train. It might be best to save the car for day trips around Perpignan.
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How about a combination?
1) TGV to Lyon or Valence (~2 hours) then head cross-country via Le Puy, Millau, possibly the Tarn Gorges and down to the Languedoc coast OR Albi and then Carcassonne to Perpignan.
2) TGV to Bordeaux (~3 hours) then to Pau and along the French side of the Pyrenees to Perpignan.
3) Train (no TGV) to Limoges (~3 hours) then to Oradour-sur-Glane and from there through the Dordogne to Cahors, Albi, Carcassonne and so to Perpignan.
And yes the SNCF site is the best place to buy train tickets but read MorganB%26#39;s guide firtst if you haven%26#39;t already: http://tinyurl.com/qpdef
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