dckozak

Thought some of you would like a primer on a trip out of Paris if you have a long layover. We did this trip over a long 81 hour Paris layover which, coincidently, include Armistice day here in France, the end of World War 1.
I hired a car via the Web for 2 days, website Rental Cars and Car Rentals from Rental Cars.com . I booked from the USA and payed in USD 111.30. Did not book hotel ahead of time. Car was picked up from Alamo rental near the RER at Point Maillot, Paris. My FO rode shot gun on this trip, sharing the cost (pain). we hired a GPS at 10 euro per day. It wasn't needed and created some problems on the way out. On this itinerary, save your money. I had expected to get hit with a big "pickup tax" by the rental co. but was surprised it was included. I think, for France, and how late we booked, it was a good price. Maybe not by
American standards, but my assumption was it would be more. The cost of travel was not in the rental. Read more.
Google map the route. Its all highway and can be reached in about 3 hours. Really a no brainer. THe worst is traffic departing Paris and returning. Everything else is like any highway driving you would do at home. well signed and nor problems getting to or from. Tolls. THis a toll trip, expect to pay about 19 euros each way!! Save the money on the GPS and you got a freebie one way
If you leave early enough, you'll be there to do some sight seeing on arrival day. I suggest you try to get out of Paris as early as possible to maximize this. If you know your going to do this a couple of days (weeks) ahead, do a good internet read on WW1, Verdun, and associated history. It will help your planning and understanding. We stopped by the Visitors information in Verdun, asked questions, picked up the local tour maps and, at the suggestion of a website dedicated to WW1 touring, bought a IGN map at the tourist office for 11 euros. Probably a good investment. I would add, I wish I had bought or copied/printed a historical trench map. I think it would have helped with some off road investigating. The main touring of Verdun is outside of town. You could have taken a train (no info here) and there is a "hop on hop off" bus tour. I would suggest this for a solo traveller who only intends to do a quickie day trip. The car allows a lot more options if you really want to do the area right.
I won't bore you with too much detail, do your homework and you'll know where to go. Figure 6 to 9 hours in the north Verdun area for a proper look around. Verdun, unlike the Somme battlefields, has a lot of preserved trenches and craters. Also as you might expect, many memorials and many, many cemeteries.
Due to fading light, we finished day one around 5. If you go at a better time of year you'll get more in to a later hour. Most sites that had pay to visit parts, closed around 4. It is probably later in the summer. Still there is a lots to see outside of common tourist stops. We "off roaded" with our rental frequently. It paid off in finding gems off the beat and track. We stayed at a hotel on the edge of town called "F1". It cost 33 euros and has got to be the Ryan Air of hotels. You can spend more but why bother, its a bed and shower (out in the hall for the shower and toilet).
The second day we continued with and finished up the Verdun portion and than road tripped to see sites along the front south of Verdun. More time, energy, or planning may have improved this part of the trip. Suggest doing so if you want the "whole" Verdun experience. We did stop where the line sat static on the Woevre side of the hills. (see tour maps from the visitors center).We drove as far south as Saint-Mihiel. Beware, if you tour on a Sunday, eating is problematic. Suggest you buy sandwhiches in Verdun before leaving. Most of these towns are really small and I would guess have little to offer during the week; on Sunday, forget about it!!
Returned back a little earlier than I thought we would, we were back in the hotel by 7:30. Traffic around Paris...well it you got to ask, you've never been.
Fueled twice, once near Verdun on the way out again at the last station on the A road (highway) before reaching the peripherique around Paris. Total cost for fuel, 60 euros. Between tolls and fuel 100 euros. Travel distance 750 kilometers.
This would be a better trip in the spring or summer, although it might cost more for the car and hotel. Temps on our trip were in the upper 50's to lower 60's. Some rain in the AM but it always seems to clear by the end of the day. Bring shoes suitable for mud if you can. It you really want to go off roading, hire something more suitable than we did. Never got it stuck but we could have. Did give it a bath before returning so as not to shock the rental co. This is a good, easy road trip for anyone interested in WW1 history. The Somme region is closer and there is more English guides but the Verdun battlefield is more intact, even 96 years later. The Somme is good, and like Verdun, very sobering, but you'll mostly look at (well kept) cemeteries and memorials. To do either (especially the Somme) well and relate to the field of battle and understand the tactical aspects of this war, you need to do some detailed homework.
Any questions or thoughts post or PM.

contrails

Wow, I just now saw this posted from a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the great writeup!

I will file it away for possible future use! If not the destination, then at least the act of renting the car and getting in and out of Paris.

UAL T38 Phlyer

Verdun is the most powerful and emotional war memorial I have ever visited.

The central monument has a basement, with windows just above ground level. Inside, one can see bones filled to the ceiling....found by locals, and unidentifiable.

Nearly a million casualties, and the front never moved more than three miles in 9 months (as best I remember it).

It makes you think.