Most firms don't allow 21yr olds to hire a car. Some hire firms do allow you to take the car abroad but this has to be agreed on before the rental starts.
Paris can be a bit of a nightmare if you aren't familiar with the roads. Though driving on French motorways is much pleasanter that negotiating the crowded British ones.
Have you thought about flying to Baden Baden in Germany with Ryanair, it's just across the border from Strasbourg?

I agree absolutely with you Judith! Paris is a driver's version of hell - and Strasbourg isn't that good either (my son learned to drive there so I'm only glad that it was him not me!!).

You could always fly to Basel and take the train - see Basel Airport's website on how to get from the airport to the station - or fly into Paris and take the TGV from Paris Est ... only 2.5 hours!!

Strasbourg has great bus and tram networks, and as parking is also very difficult to come by, I'd strongly dissuade you from driving!!!

Paris not for the in-experienced

The Baden Baden ideas good

You NEED a credit card to hire any vehicle abroad and do a search someimes expensive one work out cheaper after extras added so be careful

I doubt you'll be able to hire a car if you're under 25.

luci

luci HT Mod Posted:

I doubt you'll be able to hire a car if you're under 25.

OOPppss missed that You're right Luci

21 if youre French 25 all other nationalities

Aah, don't forget that French people drive along the wrong side of the road. It really makes a LOT of difference! The best way to gain experience of Continental driving is buying a cheap car and taking it from Poole or Weymouth to St Malo via the Condor Ferries. Brittany is the best place to start getting acustomed to the mad continental traffic.
Agree with Judith - Baden Baden is a lovely place to see.

johnbrown wrote

Aah, don't forget that French people drive along the wrong side of the road.
It really makes a LOT of difference!

No John Brown they drive on the other side of the road - but yes it does make a lot of difference as we are used to using our RIGHT eye to judge distance from the kerb/white line and they use the left eye which is not as dominant

The best way to gain experience of Continental driving is buying a cheap car chopped

Actually I disagree and you MUST be fully comphreensive insurance covered over here to drive abroad on your car insurance

With a right hand drive car you end up "driving in the gutter" (a phrase a lot us use when caravanning over there) which actually doesn't help although it's actually lulls you into feeling safer I have driven like this for 16 years and so far not had an accident but I've broken down a few times

We have just returned from Charente Maritime where we hired a car for a change. From La Rochelle Airport (a brand new Fiat Punto diesel - only 10km on the clock) and found it very difficult to drive for the first 150km judging the centre of the carriageway

Brittany is the best place to start getting accustomed to the mad continental traffic.

Got to agree with Brittany
but the continental traffic is far less mad than the M1 on a Friday and the Autoroutes are so empty

we do it every year and find the south -particularly Cote d` Azure - very stressful. This year, though, it was much easier with Satnav which sorts out the big problem of getting the correct exit on the roundabouts at the speeds they drive.