Hi
We will be arriving on an international flight from Australia at CDG airport. We have not yet booked so am unsure which terminal. My questions are-
- we will be staying at a airport hotel after long haul flight before picking up eurolease car the next day from airport. will we have trouble finding our way around the airport??
- will be heading directly to normandy after collection of car. As I have only ever driven RHD vehicles will I have difficulty getting away from CDG. Am I better off collecting the car in some provincial area??
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Hi -
Yes, you will have trouble finding your way around the airport - whether or not you%26#39;re jet-lagged. That%26#39;s why so many folks on the forum complain.
Yes, you%26#39;re better off collecting the somewhere other than CDG. I%26#39;m sure that some of the locals will have good ideas about where to get the car, and they%26#39;ll post for you.
Good luck.
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1. This depends upon the hotel. There is one in terminal 2 (your most likely arrival point) which is an easy walk from the customs exit. There are others very near if not on the airport property with shuttle services available a few steps from the customs exit. There are also a wide selection of hotels in nearby towns just minutes from the airport. In general it is easy to get about CDG airport. The biggest complaint about CDG is usually the long lines for which can form at the detax desk, the check in counter, passport control, and at overcrowded departure gates.
2. You could collect your rental at a distant point but that would only increase the complication of navigating the train system which would probably require you to travel into Paris and out again. CDG is probably the easiest airport in the world for picking up/dropping off a car rental. It is an easy affair to take A1 northbound from CDG and then to points northwest. In the morning hours is the best time to travel away from Paris.
I recommend:
1. You request a diesel power automobile as they are much cheaper to operate.
2. You purchase a detailed road map (Michelin Atlas 1:200,000 scale)
3. To plan your exit from CDG and beyond consult:
www.mappy.com
www.viamichelin.com
Good luck.
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Thanx sarastro
I fully expected delays at the airport. We will pickup lease car from CDG and as you said head north. I am sure that will be OK. We will have the car for 56 days and plan to do 6-7000 kms through France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria. As a longterm user of tripadvisor i know opinion is divided on the pros and cons of driving against public transport. But for me, I love driving and have travelled all over Oz. My iteneray is based on finding accom as a base for 3/4 days, not necesarily in major cities but within access and doing day trips averaging 200kms a day although some days we will not use the car at all ie. in cities which will only be a headache. Do you or anybody else know how much I will pay for diesel and a rough estimate on costs of parking at hotels, %26#39;park and ride%26#39; historic towns, attractions etc.
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Also
I am budgeting on averaging 150 euro a night on accom. Is this possible for myself and wife. We are probably looking at 3 star ( middle of the road type accommodation) in smaller towns with access to bars,restaurants etc. I am guessing that some places will be cheaper and others dearer. I have checked prices on websites and this looks about right to me but unsure of hidden costs, taxes etc.
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Since you asked stumpy:
acl.lu/html/…prix_des_carburants.html
Something useful you did not ask for:
http://www.radars-auto.com/index.php
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By %26quot;leasing,%26quot; do we mean %26quot;renting?%26quot; as in having to return it when you%26#39;re done?
%26gt;1. You request a diesel power automobile as they are much cheaper to operate.
I%26#39;ve rented with Hertz and Kemwel (via Europcar) in Europe. The Kemwel/Europcar deal did not give me what I requested and I was stuck with a diesel, a funny Fiat minivan. It was a bit tall and therefore a bit scary in some parking garages... IMO, CDG should be a good place to collect or return a car. It is such a busy location it means that service will more likely be 24 hours with English speaking staff, if you%26#39;re shy with your French. Returning in provincial locations can be a challenge in both aspects. With Hertz, I%26#39;ve been given obsolete addresses for car returns, only to arrive on spot to have to figure out where the true, new locations are, which brings an additional challenge of finding your way to your next destination without a car...
%26gt;2. You purchase a detailed road map (Michelin Atlas 1:200,000 scale)
These are pretty good, especially if you have a good navigator in the passenger seat. Also great are the GPS navigational assistants like by Nuvi (spelling?). It takes a lot of any possible stress away from the navigator in your car, and provides lots of additional details like hotel %26amp; restaurant locations in any location. However, the Michelin maps are really fantastic at helping you find some extra scenic paths %26amp; always a good back-up incase the GPS system fails (not uncommon). A good companion to the Michelin maps is the Michelin Green Guides for the locales through which you plan to drive.
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%26gt;Do you or anybody else know how much I will pay for diesel and a rough estimate on costs of parking at hotels, %26#39;park and ride%26#39; historic towns, attractions etc.
viamichelin website provides estimates for gasoline costs and for toll road costs (eg French autoroutes).
If you%26#39;re driving in Switzerland, the highways also require a toll if the vehicle does not have the Swiss highway sticker.
In my experience, many of the smaller towns and rest stops along the highways have plenty of free parking. Many hotels outside of big cities have free parking also. Sometimes, they will have a small charge, but also provide gated, secure parking with that (eg 3 euros/night at Hotel St Jean in Beaune) which is a great deal in highly touristed locations. Such high-touristed locations do have a problem of theft and break-ins of autos so the idea of gated, secure parking is a nice one. Other big tourist destinations like Versailles have absolutely no free parking. Metered parking is everywhere.
When you%26#39;re driving along, be sure to keep the doors locked. I%26#39;ve heard news of thiefs coming by on mopeds who will open your doors and speed off with what they can grab from you while you%26#39;re stuck in traffic, etc.
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%26gt;I have checked prices on websites and this looks about right to me but unsure of hidden costs, taxes etc.
French and German hotels charge exactly what they advertise.
Swiss hotels, for some reason, have a list of charges. A relatively tiny tax is charged per hotel occupant, usually less than 1 CHF per person/per night. Kind of odd, but this is what they do. Swiss hotels often include a nice breakfast. German hotels usually provide fabulously hearty heavy breakfasts. French hotels seem to charge extra for almost uselessly small breakfasts, and it%26#39;s an extortional rate at that. You%26#39;re better off going to the next door shops to find food.
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Thanx heaps darthanonymous
When i say lease it is eurolease for new french cars. works out cheaper than hire car. only available to tourists
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