Why you might prefer to collect your vehicle from France Motorhome Hire if you fly into France.
If you are flying into France for your campervan trip, your requirements are a little different from those arriving by car. You are not able to bring the “kitchen sink” with you these days when you fly so must ensure that everything is already included in your hire package.
Many hire companies exploit your situation by providing all the equipment you need but only at an absurdly high cost. They know you cannot arrive with everything you need and are unlikely to want to buy it all when you get here so they kindly rent it or sell it you for a really extortionate fee.
Some motorhome hire company web sites offer you an attention grabbing low price that looks attractive at first glance but when you add in all the things that you cannot really do without, you usually find that everyone’s rates add up to about the same. Vital things such as roadside breakdown insurance (it costs a small fortune to have a motorhome recovered from the motorway if you have an accident or suffer a mechanical problem without this insurance), bedding, table and chairs for al fresco dining, bike rack, crockery, cutlery or cooking utensils are routinely offered as “optional extras” – even though you can’t really do without them!
France Motorhome Hire have many long term hire visitors from overseas so we deliberately equip our vehicles with everything you need from freshly laundered bed linen and towels through to an outdoor table and chairs. Your vehicle is totally ready to just head for a supermarket to collect some provisions then set off on your trip. Most importantly of all, our prices are FULLY INCLUSIVE – you won’t suddenly find that the essentials have not been included in your package.
When it comes to collecting your vehicle, France Motorhome Hire’s depot is brilliantly located too for a stress free pick-up. Although we are not based in Paris (our depot is 80 miles south of the city), many clients choose our location over collecting a motorhome in Paris, at the airport or in the city suburbs.
Many experienced travellers will tell you that it can be a tough challenge to rent a car to visit Paris so why on earth would you pick up a motorhome there! And, If you do opt to collect your vehicle from a “Paris” depot, it may not actually be in Paris (so you will still need to get to the depot) and will probably still have all the adversity of driving in the dreaded Parisian suburbs.
Some hire companies will offer to bring your motorhome to you at a station or airport but this really adds to the pressure and stress of becoming accustomed to a large, new vehicle. Often it is near impossible to park close to the airport terminals so you have to move off quickly before you have had a chance to work out where the indicators and windscreen wipers are!
The routes that take you around or away from Paris can be pretty terrifying too. Routes that lead to Charles de Gaulle airport are often frantically busy, difficult to follow and some would say downright dangerous – especially if you are driving an unfamiliar vehicle.
Here is the advice about renting/driving in Paris from some impartial travel advice web sites:
- Wikitravel says “You may prefer to rent from a location not situated in Paris proper. Driving in dense traffic in Paris and suburbs during commute times can be especially strenuous. Be prepared for traffic jams, cars changing lanes at short notice, and so on”
- About.com says: “The thought of getting behind the wheel during rush hour in Paris is just too intimidating. Reading French road signs while trying to comprehend the local’s driving style can be quite stressful”
- Travel.aol.com says: “Driving a rental car in Paris can be a wild, and if you’re not careful, dangerous experience. Your attention is necessary at all times because the speed at which the traffic flows and unforgiving nature of local drivers!”
Some might consider it a fun challenge to start a motorhome trip in Paris but the more relaxing alternative is to book a vehicle from France Motorhome Hire, hop on a local train and travel an hour and twenty five minutes into the countryside to start your trip driving on deserted roads within easy reach of the autoroute network and stunning countryside. If you can spare the odd night you could even explore the wonderful local regions of The Loire Valley or Burgundy without ever needing to go anywhere near a congested road or autoroute.