Car hire drop off - early Saturday in Tours

Hi Everybody,

We plan to stay in Amboise in late October, we were going to take the TGV from Paris to Tours (on 29/10), then hire a car and drive over to Amboise... so far no problems!

The problem is that we need to get to CDG Airport by 11:00 (for a 13:30 flight) on Saturday. So the TGV leaves Tours @07:52 and will get us there with plenty of time to spare....except the problem is how to drop off the hire car????

Nobody appears to be open until 08:00. Has anybody done an early Saturday drop off in Tours, if so i would appreciate knowing which company will open its doors early - preferably around 07:15-07:30 and near the station!

Thanks in advance,

MrC

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1. Call the rental office and ask about dropping the car off before normal opening hours. If the manager will not or cannot open early, confirm the exact procedure for leaving the car.

2. Drive to CDG. Saturday has limited traffic delays and to drive from Tours to CDG is 3 hours. You remain on the outskirts of Paris, the drive is not difficult. Plan a route here:

www.mappy.com

www.viamichelinc.com

The rental return at CDG is closer to the check in desks than the walk from the TGV station.

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Thanks Sarastro,

1 - Would prefer a known quantity, a company that is willing to open for an early drop off. If i dont get any traveler recommendations then i may have to resort to ringing around and asking in pigeon french.

2 - Have considered this - its a last resort. Traveling on the TGV is part of the holiday experience - and we will not fly into CDG so it will not be a return trip. If we drive back to CDG it will take almost twice as long as the TGV and also incur one way recovery costs and airport drop off taxes.

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Either:

Tours Sa, 01.11.08 dep 08:09

Paris Montparnasse arr 09:25

Continue by Metro 4 direction Porte de Clignancourt

change at -

Paris St-Michel dep 10:09 RER B Direction Aeroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle RER

Charles de Gaulle arr 10:44

or

Tours Sa, 01.11.08 dep 08:50

St-Pierre-des-Corps arr 08:55

St-Pierre-des-Corps dep 9:02 TGV 5440

Marne la Vallée-Chessy arr 10:34

Marne la Vallée-Chessy dep 10:49 TGV 5144

Charles de Gaulle TGV arr 10:59

This should do you fine

http://tinyurl.com/tours-to-cdg

It does mean changes, but it does also mean a drop off after 8.00

Simon

http://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/

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%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;also incur one way recovery costs and airport drop off taxesalso incur one way recovery costs and airport drop off taxes%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

There are no such fees for drop off, only pickup at either an airport or train station.

I have never paid a one way, drop off fee as long as the pickup and drop off locations are both in France. Do you specifically ask your rental company about these fees.

Driving will probably be faster. You can leave directly from your hotel, no need to find the train station and board the train. Upon arrival at CDG, rental check in is not more complex than leaving your car virtually in front of the terminal (at a lower level) with a short walk to the check in desk - luggage carts are also available to help.

I have done this both ways. To do it again from Tours, I prefer driving.

I understand your desire to ride the TGV however, I find no rental office in the area of Tours (including St. Pierre des Corps, the airport, or at the Tours train station) that opens before 9 am on Saturday. The Saturday 8 am opening is only for in town rental offices.

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Most car rental agencies have a letter box where you put the keys to the car when the office is closed, after you have parked the car in their parking area. They will then post the paperwork to you in the following days.

What car rental company were you thinking of hiring the car from, and where, i.e. Tours Centre or St Pierre des Corps?

I just went through the process of making an on line enquiry with Europcar with a 06:00 drop off at St Pierre des Corps, and it said they would open the office early, but there would be a additional charge.

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At the St Pierre des Corp station (TGV for Tours) I dropped off my car with Hertz (which is un-staffed most days like the other rental agencies there) and the key deposited at the the front desk of the hotel next door, as directed by the posted sign.

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checked National, Europcar, Alamo, Avis, Hertz. None opens before 8 am, if they are open on Saturday at all(a few don%26#39;t).

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The Hertz office i was looking at in Tours appears to open @8 on a Saturday, though in Australia this can be code for 8.15-08.30... I will follow up early dropoff - and one way charges - with them.

Rue Marcel Tribut

Address: 57 Rue Marcel Tribut

Tours,

France

Phone: 02 47755000

Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0800-1200 1400-1900, Sa 0800-1200 1400-1830, Su closed

Location Type: Independent Licensee

Thanks for looking into alternative trains, would prefer to have plenty of leeway incase there are any schedule changes, even though an 08:50 train is tempting.

Cheers

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Hi Sarastro,

Thanks for your insight into this.

We may well end up taking your advice and hiring the car from Tours and dropping it off at CDG.

Its the lowest stress option, and will allow us more flexability in the event of any flight timetable changes.

Regards,

MrC

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If you still want to leave the hire car in Tours, change the rental location.

The Hertz agency you have chosen (rue Marcel Tribut) does not allow for out of hours returns. They are also situated right in the centre of Tours. It is easier to hire your car at St Pierre des Corps; it is on the eastern outskirts of Tours, much more accessible from Amboise. It is also the main line TGV station.

Europcar at St Pierre des Corps will open the office for early returns. Both Hertz and Avis at St Pierre des Corps have an arrangement where you leave the key at the hotel Kyriad next door.