Coach Rental Across France

Coach day trips from French cities

A day trip works when every stop has somewhere for the coach to wait. Fix the parking at each stop before you fix the timetable.

Leaving from Paris

Inside Paris, a coach stops only to set down or pick up, with the engine off. A longer wait needs one of the 468 coach parking spaces and a PASS Autocar. Paris Centre, the 1st to 4th arrondissements, is a limited traffic zone: a coach may start or end a trip there but not drive through.

Since January 2025, only coaches rated Crit'Air 1 or 2 may run in the Grand Paris low-emission zone. Older coaches are barred between 08:00 and 20:00, seven days a week. The zones remain in force, but Parliament may change them, so check the rule shortly before the trip.

Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior
Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior

Coach parks at the big sights

At Versailles, coaches park only on the Place d'Armes or at the Trianon crossroads in the park. At Giverny, they use the Parking de la Prairie, about five minutes on foot from the group entrance; setting a group down on the road is forbidden. In Lyon, coach places are free but cannot be booked, so arrive early at the busy ones.

Rules organisers should know

  • In Paris a coach may stop without a permit only to set down or pick up passengers, with the engine off; the Ville de Paris provides 56 on-street coach set-down and pick-up places
  • Since January 2025 coaches in the Grand Paris low-emission zone need a Crit'Air 1 or 2 sticker; older coaches are barred from 08:00 to 20:00 every day
  • In Lyon, coach parking places are free of charge and cannot be booked, and tourist coaches may enter the Presqu'île limited traffic zone freely from 06:00 to 13:00

How far one driver can go

One driver can drive up to 9 hours in a day, stopping for 45 minutes once 4.5 hours have built up. A D-Day trip from Paris and back is about 560 km, which is a lot to fit in. Staying overnight in Bayeux keeps the driving short. From Tours, a day taking in Chenonceau, Amboise and Chambord is about 200 km.

The drive times listed on this page are car times in light traffic. A coach is slower, so add time to each leg.

Organisers ask

Can the coach drop us in a village centre for lunch?

Often not. At Saint-Paul-de-Vence, coaches park on chemin des Trious and may not set down on the road. Check before you choose the restaurant.

Do we need to book Giverny?

Yes, for groups of 20 or more. Monet's house and gardens open from spring to early November.

Can a day trip cross a border?

Yes, for example from Nice to Monaco, or from Strasbourg into Germany. German cities have their own environmental zones, so check those as well.

Cities

Vehicles with a driver