Parking in Paris
We will be in Europe for a month and we have a rental car. We will be staying 3 nights in the Latin Quarter and of course we are not thinking of driving while in Paris. But we are not sure of a convenient place to park. Can you suggest where?
Thank you, Connie
Connie
Cape Canaveral 3/9/13
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You might check with where you are staying for recommendations.
http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/inspiration/ideas/Park-and-ride-Paris/
lists some park and ride locations, which is what you'll probably have to do. if you hotel has parking you could park there, but that still requires driving into the latin quarter which isn't something i'd want to do. plus hotel parking in paris is seriously expensive.
Why park and ride when you can park and walk?
There's nothing hard about driving in and out of the Latin Quarter, it's just streets.
There are underground lots all over the place, just look for the white P on a blue field.
There's two or three that I can picture just east of the Saint Sulpice metro station.
Figure on about twenty-five euro a day.
I know that you live life in a fearless, eXtreme!! Bourdain-esque manner, Ed, but for most people driving in central Paris is to be avoided, not anticipated.
regardless of the old and tired argument about how driving in central paris is totes easy/a nightmare, one good reason to park and ride is cost. p&r tends to be free or very cheap because the city is trying to ENCOURAGE less congestion on their already congested streets. so unless they want to pay $100 for parking - wow, that pays for a great meal with wine at a few places i love! - you can just park and ride in.
Here's what driving in large European cities feels like for the uneXtreme
Thank you so much for your help. I think a park and ride outside of the city sounds wonderful. We are on a budget so paying $100.00 for parking is not what we want. Now we want to find an easy park and ride. Any suggestions?
If I was a criminal, I would consider those Park and Ride lots as easy pickin's...
Well imagine most park and ride lots are secured or supervised, but also, most people leave nothing in car worth stealing,, its not like when you are travelling with a car filled with your luggage and just stop at a site, where a thief might assume there is stuff inside to steal..
I guess my next question is about the RER stations outside the city. We will be arriving from the Netherlands so I am assuming we would look North and Northeast. Any suggestions?
We are staying at a small apt. so no parking at where we are staying. Thanks for the help
I'm still waiting to see where the free ones are. Or even the cheap ones that wind up being a wash when you toss in the price and time of a commute. Or even somebody who's actually driven in Paris a couple of times and thought they'd taken their life in their hands.
Ed everyones experiences are their own, and your feeling on a the subject may not be invalid, but neither are other peoples. My father grew up in Paris, lived there from birth to 32 yrs old. Learned to drive there etc. When he goes back, he does not choose to drive in Paris, we parked outside Paris, took RER in ( there is no commuting back and forth, you leave car there for length of visit) . He is perfectly capable of driving in Paris but doesn't like it, and he hates dealing with parking, glad you enjoy it though.. don't think my dads less experienced then you are, but each person has their level of comfort. Why does it bother you ?
Why pay rental on a parked car. Why don't you turn it in and pick up another when you're ready to leave.
Good point Bets, esppecially since you will pay for dropping it off in different country then the one you rented in.
We have a car rental for a month and we have a wonderful deal so turning it in is a bad idea. Now please someone help me with parking off of the RER line. Or another parking lot. thanks.
I've driven in pretty much every difficult city in the US, yet I've never experienced anything as traumatic as driving in central Paris the few times I've had to pick up or return a rental car there. I'd avoid it at all costs.
Connie,
Here is another list with a map that shows the different P&Rs. I suggest you look at them and see what looks good to you.
As I noted before, many of them are free.
http://en.parkopedia.fr/park_and_ride/paris/parking/