Transporting Your Car to Paris and to the South of France

Don't fancy a long drive but want to take your own car? Put it on a train:

Across the Channel

It's possible to transport your car across the English Channel by ferry, or you can put it on a train underneath it:

Eurotunnel (tel: 0870/535-3535 in the U.K.; 070/223210 in Belgium; 03-21-00-61-00 in France, https://www.eurotunnel.com).

Now the fastest way to get your car to Europe (the Hovercraft option is no more), speeding you from Folkestone to Calais in just 35 minutes, a smooth crossing whatever the weather. Prices start from £45 - £149 one way, but you'll probably be looking at the mid-range. 10 trains a day running every 2 hours between 6am and midnight..

To the South of France

Auto Train/Rail Europe (tel: 08448 484 050 https://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=2950)

The French Auto Train service is the easy way to get you, and your car, to the South of France. Check your car in at the AutoTrain terminal at Paris Bercy station , and enjoy a leisurely journey to one of 12 different destinations in southern France, from the Atlantic coast to the Côte d’Azur:

• Avignon
• Biarritz
• Bordeaux
• Briancon
• Brive
• Fréjus/St Raphaël
• Lyon
• Marseille
• Narbonne
• Nice
• Toulon
• Toulouse

Comfortable, private overnight accommodation and the assistance of bilingual on board travel supervisors. When you arrive, you’ll just have time for breakfast before collecting your car and starting your holiday.

Take advantage of the service both ways, or just one way, allowing you to drive through France at your leisure. If you are travelling to Italy or Spain, the South of France is the ideal starting point.

For UK/Europe Residents: South of France
Select "French Motorail".

For US residents:

Frequently Asked Questions about ferries and cars around Europe: Sail and Drive website

Next page: Arriving and Departing Paris by Boat