Car Rental from Southampton to Normandy Question

[tenmile]

We are planning to spend 3 days in Normandy after our cruise to attend some of the D Day commemorative activities. Our original plan was to rent a car in Southampton, drive to Portsmouth to board a ferry to Caens, then return in reverse order, returning the car in Southampton before going on to London for a few days. Does anyone know if you can rent a car in Southampton that has the driver's seat on the left for right lane driving in France? Is there convenient car rental near the ferry port in Portsmouth that is open on Sunday? Are there charges for driving a car rented in the UK in another country? Are we better to wait and rent the car once we get to the port near Caen? :confused:

Thank you for any and all information you can share.

[John Bull]

I think you're going to find it difficult & expensive even to find an agency that'll allow you to take the car abroad.

 

A much better bet is .................

If you already have a rented car in the UK, return it in the UK - to Portsmouth if that's possible.

 

Book a coach ride http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx from Southampton coach station to Portsmouth International Port. They run roughly every hour. Journey time 45 mins, fare about £4.

Alternatively take the train to Portsmouth&Southsea or Portsmouth Harbour, no need to book but it costs a little more & you'll need a taxi ride to the port. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

If you have an early start & a late crossing, there's a left-luggage facility at the International Port so consider taking a taxi to Portsmouth's historic dockyard & ships, or Southsea's Solent waterfront with its D-Day museum, adjoining small but free Southsea Castle & other attractions. A very worthwhile & interesting day, & as a major player in the D-Day landings it ties in very well with the theme of your trip.

 

Most years there's a summertime choice of traditional car ferry (6 to 7 hours) or hydrofoil (3 to 4 hrs). Reliability of the hydrofoil is uncertain in fickle weather. Cabins on the ferries are cramped & basic but en-suite - you won't need one for a day crossing, but a night crossing on a reclining chair or sprawled across a bar sofa isn't the most restful way to start your trip. Whichever you choose, the cost of two foot-passengers will be way less than taking a car.

 

The ferries port at Ouistreham, about 6 miles from Caen. There's a ferry's coach transfer from the port to Caen rail station - I think there's a charge but it'll be minimal. There are several car rental agencies very close to the rail station, google for the choices. Bear in mind that, like in the UK, cars are normally manual shift so be sure to specify automatic if that's what you want.

You'll want to tie your arrival time in France with the renter's opening hours or book a hotel in Caen or in Ouistreham (quite a wide choice for such a small but attractive town), or you'll be spending the first night sleeping on a park bench :D

I'm fairly certain there are no rental agencies in Ouistreham itself - I recall websites leading me up some blind alleys when I searched some time ago. You might find a meet&greet agency but the shuttle to Caen & the locations of Caen agencies mean that's a pretty pointless exercise.

 

At the end of your trip, there are excellent rail & coach services from Portsmouth to London. Use the links near the start of this post, but for afternoon trains to London (except sundays) book on https://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx which offers exceptionally cheap deals on a limited number of trains

 

Hope this helps, to me its the obvious way to do it.

 

JB :)

Edited March 9, 2016 by John Bull

[LondonTowner]

I think you will find that the car hire company will not allow you to take the car to France. Even if it did I think it would be expensive as they would charge you for doing so.

 

No, British car hire companies do not hire out left hand drive cars as it would not be economical as the car would probably hardly ever be used

 

I would take Brittany Ferries as a foot passenger from Portsmouth to Ouistraham (Caen) and hire a car there.

[sddsddean]

As far as I know, if you rent in the UK you will get a right hand drive car. I've never heard of any rental firms not doing this.

As far as charges go, this page from Avis website may help

http://www.avis.co.uk/drive-avis/car-hire-services/additional-cover/continental-cover

I can't remember if the port side rental offices are open on Sunday (JB will know!), but it looks like you would have to go to Southampton Airport anyway to get a car that Avis would let you take abroad. It might be better to bite the bullet and go as a foot passenger to Caen, though of course this will leave you with luggage issues!

Have a quick google of 'car hire in uk to take abroad'...there are links to firms who do it and a few pages of 'advice'.

 

Simon

[Lutèce]

Even if a rental firm were to allow taking the car out of the country, would it comply with French vehicle regulations? Having to adjust headlight direction, carrying the obligatory high-vis jacket etc??

 

OP has also asked on the French port of call board and says he's arriving on Sunday at 19.00. My advice would be, spend Sunday night in Caen and have a pleasant stroll round the old part ( perhaps visit the café where Piaf used to live) a relaxed dinner and pick up the hire car in the morning.:)

[LondonTowner]

Lutece

 

We take our British car to France very often. The stickers for the headlights are cheap and I'm sure the car hire company could supply the high viz jackets and road triangles.

 

As you say, much easier to take the ferry and hire a car in France. I didn't know Edith Piaf had lived in Caen.

[John Bull]

 

OP has also asked on the French port of call board and says he's arriving on Sunday at 19.00. My advice would be, spend Sunday night in Caen and have a pleasant stroll round the old part ( perhaps visit the café where Piaf used to live) a relaxed dinner and pick up the hire car in the morning.:)

 

//........ I didn't know Edith Piaf had lived in Caen.

 

I didn't even know that Caen had an old-town. :o

Caen was the pivotal location in the days after D-Day, so it was fiercely defended by the Germans and bombed to oblivion by the Allies.

 

Can I presume, tenmile, that your cruise ends at Southampton on sunday 5th June?

If so, you won't be able to make early-morning ferry sailings that day. If it ends the previous day, then you have those early-morning options.

 

I don't see a ferry arriving at 19.00 (7pm) on the sunday, the 14.45 (2.45pm) from Portsmouth arrives 21.30 (9.30pm)

 

Especially if I've read the timetable correctly & the ferry arrives at 9.30pm I'd be more inclined to overnite in Ouistreham, a pleasant & laid-back little seafront town. And dine on the ship - it'll arrive just as restaurant & hotel kitchens are closing.

 

Or take the overnight ferry on sunday evening (leaves 10.45pm), giving more time in Southampton or Portsmouth. Only the better outside cabins are unsold at £85 but overnite on the ferry avoids a hotel bill. Arrives Ouistreham 6.45am - after disembarkation formalities & the shuttlebus you'll be at Caen rail station by about 7.30 - time for a coffee & croissant before the rental depots open at 8am on the monday.

 

Via Le Havre isn't a better option - the only ferry is the overnight, with much the same timings & costings as for Ouistreham, and adds an hour to your journey time in France.

 

And timings of the Poole to Cherbourg route don't suit your needs.

 

But Portsmouth to Cherbourg is a possible option. Cherbourg is less than 30 mins further from the American cemetery than Caen, and with US D-Day locations like Ste Mere-Eglise and Pointe du Hoc on the way..

The Portsmouth to Cherbourg hi-speed service (hi-speed is on this route for 2016) departs Portsmouth 3.15pm & arrives Cherbourg 7.15pm. That means an overnite in Cherbourg & a car rental from there on the Monday morning.

 

So, three to choose from

- Portsmouth to Caen sunday 2.45pm - 9.30pm

- Portsmouth to Caen, sunday 10.45pm - Monday 6.45am

- Portsmouth to Cherbourg sunday 3.15pm - 7.15pm

 

Popular weekend for those ferries, so don't delay.

In particular you may find the overnite cabins sold-out if you delay, leaving you with just the afore-mentioned quiet room of reclining chairs or the most comfortable place you can find in a bar.

JB :)

[Lutèce]

Yes I know about headlamp stickers etc from when we used to live in the UK, but it seems a huge amount of hassle when picking up a French car would be so much easier

 

Iknow there's not a lot of Vieux Caen, but there is the chateau and the quartier Vaugeuex is worth a stroll. Piaf spnt part of her childhood there.

 

I would agree that it would probably be easier to eat on board and stay in Ouistreham, where we have overnighted many times before and after crossings.

 

I've also asked the OP on the French board if they could specify dates, times and sailings:)

[Bob++]

You say that you plan to visit London after France. I suggest that you arange with the hire car company to return the car to Lyon, from where you can catch the Eurostar train direct to London (You have to leave the train at Lille Europe for check in, security and immigration checks)

[John Bull]

You say that you plan to visit London after France. I suggest that you arange with the hire car company to return the car to Lyon, from where you can catch the Eurostar train direct to London (You have to leave the train at Lille Europe for check in, security and immigration checks)

 

' morning, Bob.

 

Lyon?????

The OP is only visiting Normandy, & Lyon is way down south.

Do you mean Lille?

 

Yes, back to London by Eurostar would be an alternative to the ferries.

Returning the car to Lille (or Paris), then Eurostar direct to London - if there's not a heavy one-way rental fee.

Or probably better to return the car to same-location (Caen or Cherbourg), then direct train to Paris, and Eurostar Paris to London.

The choice between ferry to Portsmouth then train to London, or train to Paris then Eurostar to London, would be a matter of crunching the numbers and the timings.

 

BTW, tenmile, you seem to have an aversion to public transport.

In the US its normal to go everywhere by car & few people take the slow and infrequent Amtrack. But in Europe public transport is very different, very much better, and used by folk in all walks-of-life, including tourists.

 

JB :)

[tenmile]

Thank you everyone (especially John Bull) for your helpful and thorough advice. Our ship does arrive in Southampton on Sunday, June 5, and you are right--I erred in the arrival time of the ferry to Ouistreham--should be 21:30(have looked at too many ferry schedules!). We are taking the advice of many of you--spending the night in Ouistreham and then going to Caen early Monday morning to get the car.

No, we have no aversion to public transportation! We are renting the car for flexibility (we have been to Normandy before). The couple with whom we are traveling has not been to Normandy.

The return trip via train is a good suggestion that we have not considered. It would be the best and most convenient choice for us since we are going to London and have hotel reservations beginning the evening of June 8. However, the couple with whom we are traveling is flying to Dublin on June 9, so they were considering returning to Portsmouth, spending the night in Southampton on the 8th, and then taking the National Express bus to Heathrow the next morning. Perhaps taking the train to London would be more convenient for them as well?? I will look at train schedules.

I appreciate all the advice and information you have shared. I am learning!:)

[sennen]

You cannot rent a car in the UK to take to France but you cant rent a Motorhome ie small vw ect these can be rented in the UK and taken to Europe and come with all the things needed to vist france. I have checked the prices and they dont not charge a lot more to vist france than to use them in the UK.

[Bob++]

' morning, Bob.

 

Lyon?????

The OP is only visiting Normandy, & Lyon is way down south.

Do you mean Lille?

JB :)

 

oops - Yes I meant Lille and yes - a direct RER train from Caen to Paris, a short taxi hop to Paris Nord and then direct to London via the Channel Tunnel would be a better option and save the car rental fee. If the timings were right, they could park their bags at Paris Nord ('consigne automatique' in French) @ around €10 and do a hoho tour of Paris.

[John Bull]

I think you've chosen the best arrangements out-bound. :)

 

Public transport-wise, I queried your wanting to drive to Portsmouth & take that same car. But having been to Normandy you'll know that once there a car is essential to get round the D-Day sights.

 

Returning to London, you'll need to consider costs, timescale & luggage - off the top of my head I can't advise between ferry to Portsmouth plus train to London, or train to Paris plus Eurostar to London. And partly that'll be down to personal preference. But certainly they're the top two options.

 

Your friends returning to Ireland...........

If they choose the ferry to Portsmouth they don't need to make the long haul to Heathrow for a flight to Dublin.

Most days there's three flights from Southampton to Dublin with http://www.flybe.com/

This is a no-frills airline, so be aware that pricing is fluid and that they need to run a dummy booking to find the total cost including add-ons. Southampton is a small & friendly one-terminal airport. It has a rail station, but no National Express coach service.

 

JB :)

[tenmile]

Thanks JB. I passed the Dublin info to our friends. We have decided to return from Caen to London via train. It is more time efficient and will cost less:).

[Bob++]

Thanks JB. I passed the Dublin info to our friends. We have decided to return from Caen to London via train. It is more time efficient and will cost less:).

 

Looks like a good plan. The train journeys will also add another dimension to your trip.