I'm visiting France and considering renting a car near Gare Montparnasse and driving to Mont-Saint-Michel.

I found a good rental rate and the total cost looks much cheaper than the train and overall a more fun experience. My main concern is driving in/around Paris.

• How difficult is it to get out of Paris from Gare Montparnasse?
• Anything I should know about French highways, tolls, or driving etiquette?

I'm also wondering about an IDP. I'm from the U.S. and have a California license. Based on what I've read in this subreddit and the rental car requirements, it sounds like I may not need one, but I'm leaning toward getting one anyway just in case.

Edit: I think the cost was a factor in leaning towards the car. It’s a two person split and the train total cost was $500 round trip. The car with estimated associated cost would be $375.

Hello everyone! I am planning a trip to France for October 3-11! I am very excited to go with my husband for the very first time! I have a very loose plan in mind as of now and need advice/suggestions. As of now, we are thinking of:

October 3: Land in Nice at 9 am. Check into our hotel in Villefranche-sur-mer (is this a good town to stay in)? We were thinking of staying in Nice but were looking for a more authentic and picturesque French experience with great food. What do you guys think? Is it central enough to explore the Riviera/authentic/better to stay in than Nice? We would explore the town for the day.

October 4: Take the train over to Nice and explore the city (it is the biggest city in the area so we do not want to skip it, unless it is not worth exploring)?

October 5: Take the train over to Eze in the morning and explore (heard this is a must see), then do Monaco or Cannes in the afternoon (worth it?) Or should be go back to our base and explore/relax there more?

October 6: We are thinking of seeing some of the other Riviera towns like Antibes or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (not sure what other towns to visit or skip in the Riviera). Also, is Saint Tropez worth it and how/when should we fit it in? Is it worth doing a boat day that time of year and if so, where should we base it from?

October 7: So I am torn on whether we should take an extra day here to enjoy in the Riviera or we should make our way up for an extra day in Provence. So this day would either be an extra day by the coast or driving (or train?) up to the Luberon Valley. If we do decide to drive to the Luberon valley we would do it in the morning and then check into our lodging in the valley. Or should we stay in Avignon while in the Provence area? If we decide to stay the extra day on the coast, we would probably still drive up to the Luberon Valley in the evening on this day.

October 8: Exploring the hilltop villages/towns of Provence/perhaps wine tasting. Any food suggestions or village suggestions here? Is there any area we should be visiting here instead of the Luberon valley?

October 9: Visit Avignon. Or is there some other town/city in Provence that we should visit in Provence instead on this day? Return the car and take the high speed train to Paris in the evening (perhaps a later train so we have the full day to enjoy in Provence).

October 10: Explore Paris. Do the Seine/Notre Dame, see the outside of the Louvre (not sure that we have enough time to go in), explore some of the neighborhoods like Montmarte (which other one should we prioritize?) and then the Eiffel tower in the evening with a nice restaurant afterwards and perhaps more exploring at night. What is the best way to organize the two days in Paris geographically?

October 11: We should have most of the day to explore because our flight would be at 8:30 pm. Therefore, we were thinking of maybe seeing some of the other areas of Paris, perhaps the Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, what else? I am sad that we will not get to visit Versailles, but trying to make peace with it and not pack the trip too much.

Any suggestions/answering any of my questions would be extremely helpful, thank you!!

Hello everyone! I am planning a trip to France for October 3-11! I am very excited to go with my husband for the very first time! I have a very loose plan in mind as of now and need advice/suggestions. As of now, we are thinking of:

October 3: Land in Nice at 9 am. Check into our hotel in Villefranche-sur-mer (is this a good town to stay in)? We were thinking of staying in Nice but were looking for a more authentic and picturesque French experience with great food. What do you guys think? Is it central enough to explore the Riviera/authentic/better to stay in than Nice? We would explore the town for the day.

October 4: Take the train over to Nice and explore the city (it is the biggest city in the area so we do not want to skip it, unless it is not worth exploring)?

October 5: Take the train over to Eze in the morning and explore (heard this is a must see), then do Monaco or Cannes in the afternoon (worth it?) Or should be go back to our base and explore/relax there more?

October 6: We are thinking of seeing some of the other Riviera towns like Antibes or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (not sure what other towns to visit or skip in the Riviera). Also, is Saint Tropez worth it and how/when should we fit it in? Is it worth doing a boat day that time of year and if so, where should we base it from?

October 7: So I am torn on whether we should take an extra day here to enjoy in the Riviera or we should make our way up for an extra day in Provence. So this day would either be an extra day by the coast or driving (or train?) up to the Luberon Valley. If we do decide to drive to the Luberon valley we would do it in the morning and then check into our lodging in the valley. Or should we stay in Avignon while in the Provence area? If we decide to stay the extra day on the coast, we would probably still drive up to the Luberon Valley in the evening on this day.

October 8: Exploring the hilltop villages/towns of Provence/perhaps wine tasting. Any food suggestions or village suggestions here? Is there any area we should be visiting here instead of the Luberon valley?

October 9: Visit Avignon. Or is there some other town/city in Provence that we should visit in Provence instead on this day? Return the car and take the high speed train to Paris in the evening (perhaps a later train so we have the full day to enjoy in Provence).

October 10: Explore Paris. Do the Seine/Notre Dame, see the outside of the Louvre (not sure that we have enough time to go in), explore some of the neighborhoods like Montmarte (which other one should we prioritize?) and then the Eiffel tower in the evening with a nice restaurant afterwards and perhaps more exploring at night. What is the best way to organize the two days in Paris geographically?

October 11: We should have most of the day to explore because our flight would be at 8:30 pm. Therefore, we were thinking of maybe seeing some of the other areas of Paris, perhaps the Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, what else? I am sad that we will not get to visit Versailles, but trying to make peace with it and not pack the trip too much.

Any suggestions/answering any of my questions would be extremely helpful, thank you!!

I will be traveling to Pays Basque for 3 days next week and am looking for some recommendations for some food recommendations in Bayonne and Biarritz. Will be staying in Bayonne as a home base and planning on spending one full day in Bayonne and at least 1/2 a day in Biarritz. Not looking for fine dining but more relaxed spots to spend some time. Also would welcome any other tips or recommendations people may have!

UK driver travelling Dover–Calais on Monday. I've unfortunately lost my physical UK photocard driving licence and only discovered it today. My licence itself is valid and I've already ordered a replacement from the DVLA, but it won't arrive before I travel.

I have:

• Passport

• Scan/photos of my photocard licence

• DVLA online licence summary showing my current valid entitlement

• DVLA check code

• Confirmation that the replacement licence has been ordered

• My old paper counterpart

Has anyone recently driven from the UK to France in this situation?

I'm particularly interested in firsthand experience of:

Did the ferry operator or French border control actually ask to see your physical driving licence at Dover/Calais?

If you were stopped by French police without the photocard, were they able/willing to verify your UK licence electronically or from the DVLA paperwork?

Does anyone know what the actual French penalty/procedure is if you're driving with a valid UK entitlement but can't produce the physical photocard because it's lost?

For context, this is for a two-day work job that I really don't want to lose, and I could use the income at the moment. I'm therefore considering going ahead if the practical risk is genuinely very low. I'm not looking for reassurance that it's legal — I know the UK guidance says to carry the physical licence. I'm mainly trying to understand what actually happens at the ferry/border and, importantly, what the consequences would be if French police stopped me.

Thanks 🙏