Car Rental Paris

With a little planning, driving in Paris is a great way to get around the city. The vast ring road that is the Boulevard Périphérique circles the city, with numerous junctions leading from it to the different ‘quartiers’.

Initially it may seem a little chaotic, but it’s still by far the best way to reach different parts of Paris without the traffic of the center.

You can discover the main driving rules in Paris and France online, but the main ones to bear in mind for driving in the city itself is that the speed limit in built-up areas is 50km/h (around 30mph) and 70km/h (a little over 43mph) on the Périphérique.

Outside of the center, the freeways are called ‘Autoroutes’ and these A-roads often have tolls to pay. You can find out more by speaking to our local staff.

Cell phones and headsets for phone calls are illegal in France, and seat belts must be worn by all occupants of your car. The city also has a number of one-way streets in operation. Your best parking option is to use your hotel parking or a paid car lot.

Arteries of autoroutes travel in all directions from Paris. Reims is only a couple of hours away, north-east on the A4, and its Gothic cathedral is a thing of wonder, stretching towards the clouds.

Head north-west to Rouen on the A13 – this Normandy town also boasts a stunning cathedral as part of its gorgeous medieval quarter.

West on the A10 and A11 will take your through Chartres and on to Le Mans, while staying on the A10 takes you first to Orleans, and then Tours, Poitiers and on to the west coast.

Tours is perfect for a day trip, with its 30 street markets, while Place Plumereau in the center has beautiful half-timbered townhouses.

The big tickets

If it’s your very first time visiting Paris, you’ll probably want to tick off all the main attractions. Start with the city’s icon itself, the Eiffel Tower.

Standing 1,050 feet tall, Gustave Eiffel’s elegant masterpiece is a huge draw, so reserve tickets online to skip the intimidatingly large lines. You’ll speed to the top in a lift for an unparalleled view of Paris.

Don’t ignore the lower floors though – the 1st floor has a fine restaurant called 58 Tour Eiffel, with food served in a picnic basket. From time to time an ice rink also opens on the 1st floor, one of the most unique skating venues in the world (sometimes it’s vanilla-scented too, just to be even more Parisian about it).

Head up another floor for a macaron bar and an even better restaurant, Le Jules Verne – expensive, but romantic.

Climb the 284 steps of the Arc de Triomphe and you’ll be able to see the 12 avenues spreading out from it. Commemorating Napoleon’s victory at the battle of Austerlitz in 1805, it was completed in 1836.

Sitting at its base is the symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commemorating those who lost their lives in more recent battles.

Entry is free to the remarkable Notre Dame de Paris, where construction began in 1163 and finished in the 14th century. You’ll have to pay to access the bell towers, although the step-only climb is well worth the effort for an amazing view of Paris and the leering gargoyles.

The Sacred Heart of Paris

The cobbled streets of the Montmartre district retain their ramshackle charm despite the onward march of tourism in the area. Street artists vie to sketch your portrait and musicians can be found performing on many corners.

At the district’s peak is Sacré-Coeur. Ascend to its dome and enjoy yet another stellar view of the city, as well as of La Savoyarde – the largest bell in France.

Art Attack

The Louvre packs them in all year round. If you want a glimpse of the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, be prepared to wait in line and compete with the crowds to soak up all its subtle nuances.

There are arguably greater works to see here though, including the Venus de Milo, Rembrandt’s Bathsheba at Her Bath, incredible Mesopotamian winged bulls from 700BC, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave and Delacroix’s stirring Liberty Leading the People.

If the crowds are too much, you might find the Musée d’Orsay more accessible. Inside a gorgeous old railway station from the height of art-nouveau, it’s peppered with Rodin sculptures and a comprehensive range of work by Impressionists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir.

The food of France

Paris is renowned for its incredible palaces of fine food, places garlanded with awards and where you’ll have five members of staff waiting on your table. But Paris has always been fiercely democratic, so you’ll find plenty of unpretentious brasseries and boulangeries here too.

The street food renaissance has landed in Paris, with food trucks dotted around the city and street markets opening up to new tastes. Head to Big Fernand on Rue Faubourg for bulging burgers made from Charolais beef topped with Fourme d’Ambert cheese.

There’s so much more of this fairytale city to discover, and car rental in Paris will allow you to explore it all, as well as venture into the charming French countryside.