Considering renting a car while visiting Paris? Before booking, we recommend that you first consider whether you will really need a car during your Paris vacation.
Here’s why: Paris isn’t a particularly car-friendly place, especially for visitors who may not be used to local customs and road regulations. Traffic is often dense, drivers can be aggressive by many standards, and parking spaces can seem as elusive as Shangri-La, or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So unless you have certain special needs and travel plans, it is probably best to use the metro or other forms of public transport in the capital. These are, in general, extremely reliable and efficient, as well as remarkably safe.
For all these reasons, we generally recommend not renting a car in Paris, unless you have the following special needs or travel plans:
You want to do several day trips from Paris
You plan to embark on several day trips outside of the capital, and cannot or would rather not rely on the extensive rail system. However, keep in mind that trains can easily take you to popular day trip destinations like Disneyland Paris, the Chateau de Versailles, and Fontainebleau.
You or one of your travel companions has extremely limited mobility.
The Paris Metro is not particularly friendly to users who have trouble walking long stretches or climbing numerous stairs. Some stations are well equipped for travelers with reduced mobility and disabilities, but unfortunately they are still few and far between. However, buses can represent a good alternative for some visitors: either the Paris city bus system or the Paris hop-on, hop-off tours can work well for those who find the metro challenging. If none of these options meet your needs, consider renting a car in Paris.
Read related: Is Paris accessible for visitors with limited mobility?
You are staying in a remote area with few links to public transportation.
Even in the outer suburbs, public transportation in the Paris region is generally excellent and reliable. However, you may have found accommodation in a more remote area where you cannot easily travel to the city. In this case, a rented car can be practical, but I advise you to park it at the train station closest to your hotel and use public transport to get there and travel through the center of Paris. I can’t stress enough what a headache finding parking in the city center can be, and even those who are comfortable driving abroad can find road conditions stressful.
Do you still want to rent a car in Paris?
Companies such as Hertz and Avis rent cars from various collection points in and around Paris and at the city’s main airports, Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly.
In addition, since October 2011, a self-service car rental scheme, Autolib ‘, allows you to rent an electric car for short trips around the city. However, a subscription is required, so it’s really only a viable option if you’re going to be in town for a longer period of time (two weeks minimum).
