road trip to paris

bhaisab

planning a drive to paris with a group of lads and need some tips

firstly, can anyone recommend a car rental firm that will cover driving in europe and 4 drivers

plus where to stay in paris... i'm guessing in the suburbs and get the metro into city... also will need parking



plus any other tips would be useful... like someone pointed out we need to have breathalyser kits and hi-vis jackets in the car.


thanks bhaisab

Bob_the_Saver

If ever there was a list of places it was better not to drive to Paris would be near the top. Do you really need to drive?

angelil

You are right that staying in the suburbs then using the metro is the best option! Driving in Paris is hell on wheels.

A very good suburb to stay in is Levallois-Perret. It has 3 metro stations of its own (coincidentally, on line 3!) and is a 20-minute walk from the 17th arrondissement as well. Parking on the street can be slightly perilous but it does have plenty of underground parking too. Being a town of its own, this also means it has plenty of shops, cafes etc for entertainment and for picking up essential food and drink. There are quite a few 2-star hotels but I wouldn't know where to start in terms of recommendations (having lived just outside Paris for four years, I haven't had much call for hotels! ).

bhaisab

yep... needs to be a road trip

even though after working out costs & effort prob be better to travel by train of lowcost flights

the lads get a buzz from driving

Bogtrotter

bhaisab wrote: »

yep... needs to be a road trip

even though after working out costs & effort prob be better to travel by train of lowcost flights

the lads get a buzz from driving

I'd echo Bob the Saver's advice. I've only driven in Paris once, these days I take the train. Incredibly congested and stressful, parking scarce and expensive, best avoided.

Drive down the Champs-Elysees and round L'Arc de Triomphe you'll definitely get a buzz. Maybe something akin to the buzz you'd get playing russian roulette or grizzly bear wrestling .

signol

Do any of you own a car? Renting in the UK is not cheap, especially for topup insurance (that you'll definitely need if driving abroad for the 1st time).
There are plenty of cheap hotel chains dotted around the suburbs - look here for a list:
http://eurapart.com/budget.html
I've stayed in F1, Etap, Premiere Classe, B&B, all are adequate (F1 has shared bathrooms).
Look also for ones near RER stations, the suburban trains that cross the centre of Paris.

Hope this helps

signol

Bob_the_Saver

bhaisab wrote: »

yep... needs to be a road trip

even though after working out costs & effort prob be better to travel by train of lowcost flights

the lads get a buzz from driving

Ah yes the buzz from the Priorite a droite rule. nothing like it.:eek:

No too much of a problem in Paris though, but this is a popular pastime throughout the year.


http://paulfromparis.com/2010/01/07/car-burning-in-france/

So check that insurance!!