Driving in Europe
[In continental Europe, remember to stay all the way to the right, as in the US]. Driving in anything other than the right lane is for passing only. That is one of the major reasons the autobahns in Germany (with unlimited speeds) have a lower accident rate than the US interstates. If only we could get Americans to observe sensible driving rules. Instead, it is "do it my way" and who cares if it impedes others.
Bob Sheldon
Reading, PA   USA   09/29/02

Driving in Europe
Just got back from three weeks in British Isles and Ireland. Drove about 1000 miles (for the first time). Thoughts:

1) Get a firm location of where exactly to pick up and drop off your rentals. Signs are not always obvious at these sites (ex. Holyhead, Rosslare)

2) Look at roundabout exits like a clock (usual exits are at 9,12 and 3 and use your turn signals

3) avoid driving down the east side of Loch Ness unless you have: lots of time and guts

4) We leased a Vauxhall Omega 2.2 (once by upgrade) a great car!

5) On British motorways (M roads), stay all the way to the left and watch the locals pass you on the right at 90!
Doug & Barb Mehling <email>
Sandusky, Oh   USA   09/28/02

Navigation Systems in Italy
Inspired by Marsha from Houston, I looked to rent a car with a computer navigation system. It seems the perfect thing for a first-time driver in Italy. However, I had disappointing experiences with Hertz and Sixt, and have not found a car with this system. The car will be picked up in Venice and returned at the Fiumicino airport. The Hertz site, which would have tested the patience of a Zen master, offered the Neverlost system as an option, but only on the reservation confirmation did they report that it was not available at this site. At Sixt it was offered as an option but they warned it may not be available. A prompt email reply from Sixt said navigational systems are not in any of the Italian-fleet cars. (The Hertz site's email query system had crashed.)No other companies I researched offered a system. If anyone has advice on where to rent a car with that, I'm all eyes.
Tim Tumlin <email>
Oak Forest, IL   USA   09/24/02

driving in italy
a few years ago we flew into geneva and rented a car, then drove to italy. Big mistake. Cars coming from the other direction kept giving us the "go home" sign. When we stopped for 10 minutes for ice cream our tire was slashed. Went to get a new tire, standing a few feet from our car and our camera case was stolen from the back seat. Luckily the camera was under some jackets, but they did get all our film from pompeii. Would recommend renting a car in italy when traveling in italy, and buying an italian newspaper to set on the dashboard.Would definitely not rent a car in switzerland to drive into italy.
judy hoffmann <email>
westlake village, ca   USA   09/20/02

Car rental in Europe
We recently returned from a European trip where we rented a car for a week from AVIS through Auto Europe. We picked up the car in Vienna and returned it in Munich. As far as we could tell, we were not charged any amount beyond the quoted price when we booked the car. The AVIS staff in both locations were very courteous and helpful. Neither of us is employed by AVIS or know anyone who is. Given some of the negative experiences people on this site have had with AVIS, we just thought we'd let you know we had a positive one.

  USA   09/18/02

Great experience w/l'il Fiat
I just got back from 2 weeks in Germany and had a great experience. I don't drive but while visiting some German friends they suggested we rent a car. I was the one paying so I got it in my name. I was surprised at how cheap it was — only E160 for three days, including insurance and everything else. In three days we drove 1000 km on only ONE tank of gas! The car was a Fiat Punto and it was a great little car, although my friend complained she could "only" get to 155 kph on the Autobahn. BTW, the other reason I rented the car even though I wasn't driving is that German drivers need to have had their licenses 5 years to rent a car, while for some reason Americans can get one without problem. My other friend from Germany had never even learned to drive. I don't drive but I do know how.
Wendy Darling <email>
Atlanta, GA   USA   09/16/02

Europcar Delivers
In my original note below I complained that Europcar charged me for Insurance that I didn't request. Today I received a fax from Kemwel with Europcar Denmark apologizing for the misunderstanding and stating they will refund the insurance. I am impressed with Europcar and will now rent a car from them again.
Scott
OR   USA   09/03/02

Normandy highways
We rented a car in Bruges, Belgium and drove through Normandy. From the border to Caen, we paid just over $20 in tolls. The coastal highway is little used and is in fantastic condition. The suspension bridge at Le Havre is beautiful and worth a picture. You can get to where you want to go in Caen if you follow the signs on the periferique, the beltway around the city. It's much easier than driving through town. However, it jams up at rush hour, so plan to be away from Caen during that time. If you're planning on Mont St. Michel, be aware that there's major construction that has closed the highway heading north to Bayeux beginning in Avranches. Head for Countances instead.
Dawn
Cottage Grove, MN   USA   09/03/02

Europcar
Watch out when you rent a car from Europcar in Copenhagen. When picking up my car I clearly told the agent that I did not want insurance since I had insurance through Visa. As soon as I told him this he had me initial two spots on the contract. I thought I was initialing that I was taking responsibility for the insurance. This wasn't the case. When I returned home, I had $200 charged to my Visa account for Insurance.
Scott
OR   USA   08/29/02

Maps
We used Rick's Best of Europe and Through the Back Door books to plan what to see. Also his sketches are great for finding little areas when trying to locate them on the bigger maps. We bought a AAA 2002 Europe map. It was almost as good as the Michelin but a little hard to follow when you had to change pages. We were able to plan and negotiate the country side easily. You really need to buy a city map of the major cities. I didn't and really had problems getting thru Berlin, Copenhagen, Munich, and Amsterdam. Paris was beautiful and exciting to get lost in! I survived the circle around the Arc de Triumph!!
Doug <email>
Youngsville, NC   USA   08/20/02

car rental in france
We rented a car in Versailles to avoid driving in Paris. Had a great time driving around Normandy. Dropped it in Cherbourg to pick up a ferry to England. Hertz was the only rental company operating in Versailles that did not gouge us based on it being a one-way rental dropped at a different site). CAUTION: the Hertz web site stateside gave outdated hours for the office in Versailles. We arrived to find it closing 30 minutes ahead of anticipated, so we had to kill 2 1/2 hours waiting for them to reopen after lunch. This with 2 kids and all of our luggage, having taken the train out from Paris. However, the happy ending was a free upgrade to a Mercedes from the cheap wagon we had booked, after I complained about the hours of operation confusion. It would be worth e-mailing the local branch shortly before your rental date to confirm hours for both your pick-up and drop-off. Also, try to rent a diesel as the fuel is much cheaper that gas in Europe, you get great mileage, and it is readily available at every petrol stop.
mark <email>
mahtomedi, mn   USA   08/16/02

Leasing a car in Europe
Just returned from 10 weeks in Europe. Leased a car from KEMWEL — a new Peugeot 406, stick shift, A.C., unlimited mileage, full insurance coverage — for $26 per day. The key is to check out all the leasing companies for their specials. KEMWEL beat AutoEurope all to pieces this time. All leases must be for at least 17 days, and the longer you keep the car, the cheaper it gets. Gas is expensive (I drive fast and averaged about 30 miles per gallon). Tolls eat your money in Italy, Spain, and France. But you have no choice if you need to make good time. Watch out for radar speed traps in smaller towns (30 kilometers per hour in some spots) — they pull you over and you pay on the spot! Driving gives one so much more flexibility. You can explore so many more out-of-the-way spots. Serendipity is wonderful!
Jinx Hoover <email>
Austin, Tx   USA   08/15/02

Sixt car rentals
Sixt car rentals has partner rates for different airlines and hotel companies. While I was searching their site, I found that they have special Hilton Hhonors program rates. I called to inquire and those rates are much cheaper than the regular online rates - at least in Italy. The rentals come with unlimited kilometers, theft protection insurance, CDW and VAT included. Just be sure to ask for a faxed confirmation to take with you so there is no way there can be an error in the charges. They were the best rates I could find from any car company.

San Francisco, CA   USA   08/14/02

Renting from Autoeurope/Driving in Italy
We leased a new Peugeot through Autoeurope for 21 days driving in Italy and Switzerland. Everything as promised. This is the 2nd time we've used Autoeurope, and would definitely rent/lease from them again. And yes, driving in Italy can be a challenge, especially when many roads go off at odd angles and the pointing arrows on the town signs could be pointing at several different roads! Helps if the driver can appreciate that the navigator is doing the best possible given the circumstances! Whenever we asked for directions in Italy, we always got lots of help from the friendly Italians, including maps drawn on napkins and other passersbye pulled over to confer with the original questionee. So don't hesitate to stop and ask, even with limited English.
Mary Rankin <email>
San Anselmo, CA   USA   08/09/02

Information on European Driving
I believe in knowing BEFORE you go, and if you want to know EVERYTHING about driving in Europe, check out the Moto Europa internet site. It covers renting, leasing, street signs, borders, fuel, etc. It has either general information or country-specific information for anywhere you could possibly want to drive. You can find it at : www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/guide.html Happy Motoring!
Kristen <email>
Raleigh, NC   USA   08/08/02

Beware of Avis Padding Your Bill with Insurance and Extra Day Charges
We are writing to warn other tourists of two problems we have had with Avis Rent A Car. The first problem occurred when we picked up the car in Angers, France. When asked if we wanted the Collision/Damage insurance, we said, "No," explaining that we had this insurance through our credit card company. Since we understand rental-car agents sometimes try to make customers believe credit cards do not cover damage to the automobile, we had in our possession the pamphlet issued by Visa, which states the following: "What if the car rental company insists that I purchase their car insurance? Call the Program Administrator. . . . If you are outside the United States, call collect at 1-410-581-9994."

The Avis agent did not argue this point; what she did was far more subtle. She circled a half dozen spots on the contract which we were to initial, but instead of circling the box indicating we did not want the Collision/Damage insurance, she circled the one which stated we DID.

Avis's response when we contacted them was that legally we didn't have a leg to stand on. We had, after all, authorized the charge for the Collision/Damage insurance. Granted, we should have taken a much closer look at what we were initialing, but we never expected to be "scammed" by Avis, a company we have dealt with for years, but never will again, nor will be encourage our friends to do so.

Now to the second problem with Avis. We had arranged to pay the rental fee with seven Rail Europe vouchers, but Avis credited us with only six, then charged us an extra day. Fortunately, we had Rail Europe to back us up — that indeed we had paid for seven days, so Avis has agreed to credit us for the extra day. Had we not further questioned the charges that appeared on our Visa bill, we would have been stuck with about sixty dollars over and above the insurance we said we didn't want.

We are through fighting with Avis. However, we wanted to describe in detail our problems as a warning to others. Be very, very careful about your dealings with Avis. Have each and every charge explained to you before you collect the keys to your rental car.
MD & JD <email>
Westerville, OH   USA   08/02/02

15 Countries of driving
We just returned Monday from 24 days of driving in 15 countries of Europe. Crazy? Yes, but it was fun! Karren, Ken K. and Steve Z. are right on the mark with what they say. Roundabouts are fun with a good navigator and knowing which big town is in the direction you want to go. This works for the major highways also. 160KM after the first day in your vehicle becomes second nature. However, traffic will really give you stress if you are not careful. Sundays on the Eastern Autobahns of Germany, going North and South, are really crowded with drivers avoiding the toll roads of France.

France had too many tolls. Germany had alot of construction. Just like here in the US, just be aware of what is going on around you. Paris was a dream. The other drivers were very polite! Germany is the only place I really had road rage and had to just stop driving.

We saw so many wonderful places. Like a box of chocolates, there too many wonderful surprises along the way. Rick's maps were really good for finding things that were small on the big maps. The next time we go, it will be with a Rick Steve's Tour and let someone else do the driving!!
Doug <email>
Youngsville, NC   USA   08/02/02

first day tip
Driving on our first day off the plane was a big mistake. After an uncomfortable flight on which we got no sleep, we landed in Glasgow and had to drive to Oban. Exhaustion, right-hand drive on the left side of the road and narrow roads were a nightmare. We felt lucky to make it alive. Next time we'll wait a day before picking up the car!

On the positive side, driving was great for the rest of the trip. We booked through auto europe and they were terrific. When we dropped off our Ireland car at Shannon airport, Avis overcharged me, insisting that the deposit I had paid to auto europe "had nothing to do with them". Since they take your credit card number when you pick up the car, there was nothing I could do. Auto europe refunded the charges with no questions asked after I got home. They were great!
Joanna <email>
Louisville, KY   USA   07/30/02

Driving in Italy
We just returned from northern Italy. We picked up a car (that we had arranged with a travel agent before we left) from the Budget./Sixt agency at the Malpensa airport outside of Milan. Although we had worried about driving in Italy, it turned out to be quite simple and a convenient alternative to trains. We drove from Malpensa to the mountains north of Torino. Later, on a whim, we rented a car from a Hertz agency in Trento and drove to the Riva del Garda area and surround. This was one beautiful day of driving! The Italian road signs (at least in the north) are easy to follow and they direct you to all the towns within the vicinity of the highway (a map is a necessity of course - which you can buy in Italy and is more accurate than the one we purchased at a book store before we left.) All in all, it was a very positive experience driving in northern Italy. Just stay away from major cities!
Margaret Payne <email>
Morris, MN   USA   07/28/02

Ireland Driving
Driving in Ireland is so simple that even three girls from Texas could do it and we had a blast making our way around the country. I would recommend driving here for anyone. I was a little nervous about driving on the left, but once I got the hang of it, it's a breeze. Just make sure you know where to look for the street signs; they are usually not on the street corners, they are up on the side of the buildings. Once I figured that out, I was zipping through the cities like a pro.
Sara <email>
Houston, TX   USA   07/28/02

Driving in Germany
Before driving an unfamiliar car out of the parking garage, acclimate yourself to the "cockpit". Adjust the seat, mirrors, radio stations, and find out where the release button is for the gas tank. I went to refill the gas tank and could not figure out how to open it! The manual for the car was in German and too technical for my language capabilities so I had to ask a gas station attendant for help.
Kyra <email>
Anchorage, AK   USA   07/27/02

Timing is just right this year!!
I have rented many times in Germany and France. Even if they are an American Company, it is just not the same! Just know your stuff, insurance etc.. I always drag a rental car rep. to the car to show them any damage and mark it on the form with their signature. Use your Credit Card with its insurance, it will save you a lot! Now if you need a new car, check into Bmw,Mercedes,Saab or Volvo. This year it is a new Volvo, they give you great incentives, 2 RT tickets, 1 night stay in Radisson. Best of all you save about 8% on the car over US msrp. Check out the websites.
cj <email>
lake tahoe, ca   USA   07/23/02

Driving in Austria and Germany
Austria is generally easy to drive in but Salzburg is impossible. In the old town there is a pedestrian zone closed to traffic, multiple mountains and the streets are poorly marked. German freeways are easy, but fast. Just don't drive on the freeways after school gets out - July 20 this year. Freeways turn into parking lots,
Barry <email>
Edmonton, AB   Canada   07/22/02

Driving Adventures
We've recently returned from my fourth European vacation and we've rented cars each time. I live by Rick's advice to be militantly optimistic. Whatever happens is part of the adventure. This year every time I took the wheel we ended up in the wrong country. Now the very nice border guard who held up traffic and moved barriers so I could turn around at the Polish border is one of my favorite memories.

I was very nervous about driving in the Czech Republic, but we had some lovely drives through beautiful rolling countryside. Another favorite memory is the well dressed gentleman in Prague who jumped in his own car to lead us to our hotel and then argued with the police to allow us to park.

The important things to remember when driving in Europe is to have a navigator to watch both the map and the signs, allow plenty of time and consider city driving a temporary insanity that leads to a lifetime of stories to tell. My husband would add learn the basic traffic words. He spent a good portion of our first Germany trip wondering where the town of 'Ausfahrt' was. It means exit.

This was the first year we also used a railpass. Our most rested days were spent on the rails. Next time we're using the car less and the train more.
Karen <email>
Springfield, MO   USA   07/20/02

Driving Tips
Italy The autostradas are great except for the disparity in driving speeds. The Fiat in the right lane is doing 60 kph while the Audi in the left is doing 180. Be aware of this when passing. On the country roads you will never see road numbers so your driving directions from ViaMichelin become useless. On roundabouts you will see signs with 6 to 8 towns as you encounter each intersection. Just go around a few times until you find the one you want (in the Dolomites where the town names are in German and Italian is even more confusing).

Remember if you are following signs to the "Centre" you will encounter a couple of forks without a sign where you will have to guess. Due to some bad guessing I had to endure an hour of frantic driving in Florence. As for Rome, take Rick's advice and park for free in Orvieto and take the train ($18 RT).

Do NOT try to park in LaSpezia near the train station because you will not find any (or the parking garage Rick mentions) and the locals won't/can't help you. Catch the Cinque Terre train in Monteroso or Levanto instead.

Learn the sign for "dead end" so you don't have to drive your stick shift rental in reverse up a narrow alley around tight cornors.

Driving in Germany is a breeze. Everything is well marked and the autobahn is not as scary as the stories in the states would lead you to believe. The most surprising thing for me is how friendly the Germans are (do not let the exterior fool you). We got lost in Fussen due to some roadwork and stopped at restuarant to get directions. The owner told me to follow him. He jumped in his Mercedes and drove 3 miles to lead us to our destination. Another time we were dumped off the A320 and had problems following the "deviation" signs. We were stopped in the middle of a fork with conflicting signs when a gentleman stops and asked us if we were headed to Saarbruken (as best as my high school German could tell). I answered "ja" and he led us 15 minutes through town back on the A320 past the construction.
Ken K.
Houston, TX   USA   07/17/02

More cheap cars in Brussels
I'd always thought that renting on the spur of the moment was horribly expensive, but my recent experience with Sixt at Brussels airport proved me wrong. I just showed up and was able to rent an Opel Astra for two weeks for about €450. Brussels has some other places to rent cars that are even cheaper; you can get a small, basic car for as little as €13 a day. It pays to shop around (the Yellow Pages is good for this).
Peter
Brussels,    Belgium   07/17/02

Avis Charges Collision Damage After Contract Period Expires
I rented a car for 2 days in Salzburg. This was part of Eurail SelectPass-Drive ticket. I made train and car arrangements through the RailEurope web site advertised on your program. I opted for an extra rail day (4 days) and 2 car rental days. I requested picking the car up on a Thursday afternoon at 4PM at their in-town location near the main train station. (The airport was the other more distant location.) I brought the car back less than 2 days later as contracted, (Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM) to the same location. Knowing that the in-town Avis office closes at Noon on Saturday, when I picked up the car the Avis people showed me where to park it upon returning. The location shown was an unsecured parking spot in front of their office. Basically on the street. I was then to drop the key into the key slot. I did everything precisely as requested.

When I returned home to the 'States I received a letter from Avis in Vienna claiming there was 200 Euro worth of damage on the car. Because I had opted for the collision insurance, I was only being charged the 75 Euro deductible. The letter included a photo of the "damage". It appeared the car had been "keyed" (scratched with a key on the drivers side door) about 10 inches long. Believe me, when I returned the car there was absolutely no such damage to the vehicle. I would have noticed the vandalism as it was on the driver side door near the lock.

I complained to Avis and after 3 weeks they E-mailed their reply. They claim the renter is responsible for the car until it is checked in. Therefore, I was responsible for the car in their recommended unsecured lot, all Saturday night, all day and night Sunday and Monday morning. Since I flew back to Philadelphia on Sunday morning I was apparently still responsible for the car while flying back and while I slept at home Sunday night!

I probably didn't need the collision insurance but bought it because I hadn't checked if my own auto insurance or credit card coverage was applicable. If you get the collision insurance, don't drop the car off after closing, even when you use their recommended location and agreed upon time. They have your credit card imprint and they're in control.

I wonder if I hadn't purchased the collision insurance whether the car would have been damaged? From the photo they included (a close-up), it wasn't even obvious that the damage was on the vehicle I rented. Is this some sort of scam? "Foreign tourist gets the redundant collision coverage... drops car off after hours... perfect!... provide nondescript photo of "damage"... charge foreign sucker 75 Euro deductible to their credit card...Sorry you're responsible."

Knowing I was returning the car after hours, shouldn't the Avis people have at least warned me that I would be responsible for the car the following 2 nights while it was parked on the street. I would have taken the car to the airport had I known. I guess that's too much customer "service" for Avis to provide. I won't be using Avis ever again at home or abroad until they correct this situation.
Ed K.
Philadelphia, PA   USA   07/16/02

No truck and construction days in Italy's Autostrda.
My wife and I found out one way to beat the truck traffic in Italy is to drive on Sundays on the Autostada. Construction work also seems to be shut down. It was like that all the way from Venice to Rome.
Ernie and Diane Malick <email>
Olympia, WA   USA   07/12/02

Driving advice
The Renault Autodrive is a great deal. We paid about $33 a day for a new car, unlimited miliage and zero deductable insurance. This was for a 4-door 1.6 Clio w/ air and CD. It a great deal and I would do it again. Driving in Europe is pretty easy. Just know the next town in the direction you are heading. I loved the roundabouts and the lights that blink before they change. Driving on the autobahn is fun, especially Sunday when trucks aren't allowed. Don't enter Germany from Austria without filling your gas tank or your pay alot more. The gas in Slovenia and Croatia is much cheaper, but both have too many toll booths. I would rather buy the vignette and be done with it, like Austria does. Watch out at traffic lights because it is easy to pull up past the light so that you can't see when it changes. Always be aware that a motorcycle can be passing you at any time. There are few if any road signs in the Czech Rep, so be forewarned. They have large trees a foot from the road, so don't screw up or your dead. In Switzerland, you don't have to buy the sticker if your only going to be there a day or two. The secondary roads are very scenic, and not crowded at all. I wasn't going to buy a vignette for 2 days. Austria, at least has 10 day vignettes.
Steve Zavocki <email>
Lewisville, TX   USA   07/03/02

Munich Europcar
Avoid Europcar in Munich. I can't stand those people.I've rented from them twice and twice I've had to argue with them. Our Audi got stuck in Vienna and they did absolutely nothing for us.

CA   USA   07/02/02

Driving in Cyprus
Have you ever drove in Cyprus? Get on board now. The highway is so much better than 15 years ago when I first visited Cyprus. Now, you can get from Larnaka to Pafos in much less time. However, the streets in some of the older villages have not changed. But that adds charm to the area. Also, like England, you drive on the opposite of the USA. I am still struggling with this thought everytime I drive a car "stay on the left!". Also, park is very limted, so sometimes you have to create your own parking space. But beware, you can get tickets very easliy! Nonetheless, there are now Jeep safaris , so grap a jeep & lots of water and discover the Island of Aprodite! Susan P. Iowa, USA
Susan P.
Iowa City, IA   USA   06/29/02

Car rental from SIXT
We highly recommend the SIXT Rental Car company in Germany - they are the predominate rental agency in that country and have a lot of locations and low prices. We used the http://www.e-sixt.com/ web site to reserve a car which we picked up in Frankfurt and dropped off in Berlin (no advance payment is required, just print the confirmation and hand it to the agent on check in - they will honor the price). Our car was to be a midsized wagon (Opel Vectra, manual) for 332 Euros (double to include full insurance) for 9 days, but with a little extra chatting with the agent I was upgraded to a brand new Audi Quattro, fully loaded, with navigation system and automatic transmission (a $50,000 car if purchased in the states) for the same price. Our experience was great with both the car and with the SIXT company. (a couple of tips: it is important to point out any dings and scratches ahead of time, since they inspect things pretty closely when you return the car, and watch out for whether the vehicle uses gas or diesel fuel - you don't want to pay for a ruined diesel engine).
Les and Robbi Pennington <email>
Kenmore, WA   USA   06/28/02

Route Planner for Europe
A pretty good route planner for several European countries can be found at www.map24.com (all languages). A good German-only one is at www.web.de
Andreas <email>
Frankfurt,    GER   06/26/02

Cheap Rental Cars/Navigational System
Sixt (www.e-sixt.de) have got the lowest rental car rates (Smarts from €39, BMW 3-Series from €66 per day). Also note that all Mercedes cars (from the A-Class to the S-Class) come with free Navigational System!
Andreas <email>
Frankfurt,    GER   06/26/02

Driving in Ireland
My first driving experience in Europe was in Ireland. The round abouts are easy to get used to. Driving down the wrong side of the road is easy to get used to. But, be aware that once you get off the main highways and onto the country roads, anything can happen. The roads are as narrow as a queen size bed and there's a mini-van barrelling its way towards you. It's rather hair-raising. If you're renting a car, try and get one with fold-in side mirrors so as to avoid hitting something you wish you didn't. After a day or so of gripping the wheel and holding my breath every time a car went by, I got used to it and had a blast.
Jonathan <email>
Seattle, WA   USA   06/26/02

It's not on the map!
Those using online routing services (viaMichelin, Shell GeoStar, Mapblast and the like)will find that the software has yet to be updated with the re-opened Mont Blanc tunnel, and instead are routed either to the Frejus tunnel or the Gotthard tunnel. We're driving from Geneva to Milan and keep getting sent what seems to be out of the way, and everything I've researched about the tunnel says that it's open and better than ever.
John <email>
Cincinnati, OH   USA   06/25/02

car selection
Rental agent advice (UK & maybe elsewhere) Robert at Avis in Bath, England specifically cautioned me about alloy wheel damage and that it would be checked closely at check in time (at another site). It seems as though EVERY 2-lane highway in rural UK has a curb (about 12" from your right front tire). This means that any turn around, move to the shoulder to allow a lorry to pass, etc. can easily involve wheel damage. I consider myself to be very luck to have gone >1300 miles without nicking the wheels. Do yourself a favor and get a car with hubcaps — if they are damaged, replacement cost is far less than the wheels. Also, get a small car as they are narrower, usually. Be very aware that many European cars have a very big pillar behind the back door which limits visibility severely. It's just one more thing to be aware of. If the front of your car looks a bit low to you — it's too low for those back rural areas that Rick is so fond of and is so great at finding. Our Alfa 147 was too low for what I put it through. (too many scrapes) My car was turned in with "no damage" — lucky me roger in wichita, ks
roger harms <email>
wichita, ks   USA   06/19/02

Navagational System
We just returned from 17 wonderful days in Italy. We rented a car from Hertz for 1 week for $325 with unlimited mileage and a $0 deductible for everything...theft, collision, etc. What no one told me and I never see mentioned here is that the car (a Nissan) had a navigational system. This is one of the greatest inventions ever for the traveler. Our teenage son programmed it to speak English. We went everywhere without getting lost. It speaks to you in a female voice; we named ours Gina. Our stress evaporated, we laughed as she took us through towns and announced we had reached our destination. We had no idea the car would have this feature, but we will always ask for it from now on if we are driving in a foreign country. It would be worth whatever you had to pay extra to get it. We figure we saved hours of sightseeing time because we were never lost and drove straight to the sights, not to speak of the stress we eliminated. It was our best vacation ever.
Marsha <email>
Houston, TX   USA   06/18/02

Car Rental
Rental Cars....we did very well with EuropeCar (see WEB site) and rented from US before leaving. Our car was there, though finding the rental office in Florence took some time (take a cab)..... We thought the interesting commentary on driving in Italy was the requirement that we buy theft insurance....they should just build it into the price.... We had no trouble with stealing from the car or any other difficulty....of course we did not drive in Rome or Florence, but only in small Tuscan/Umbrian towns.
Dennis Rizzo <email>
Mount Holly, NJ   USA   06/12/02

Driving in Italy
When we went to Italy last month friends said "Oh- you're driving in Italy. It's supposed to be so horrible and dangerous." NOT!! Of course we come from the North East where driving is a combat sport, so the adjustment to Italy (from NYC) was minimal - learning that there is not enough time to read all the signs on the posts telling you which direction to your destination before you whiz past by at highway speeds (have a navigator who can speed read). Drive as though you are late for an appointment and you'll sdo fine. Besides, it's on the correct side of the raod anyway....
Dennis Rizzo <email>
Mount Holly, NJ   USA   06/12/02

Driving a fullsize car in Spain
Be careful if you rent a fullsize car in Spain. They are not the easiest to drive on narrow streets in old parts of town. It's even worse if you go down the wrong street or have to back up. Parallel parking in Spain can be a problem. On the open road, people will tend to go over the speed limit or somewhat under it. Passing is sometimes done close to zones where it is not permitted, or is imprudent. It's better just to slow down until the road ahead is clear. Morocco is much worse with passing. Don't go too far in an intersection in Spain that you can't see the signal, which for the first driver is a 4" red-and-green fixture. And make sure you know which direction you will turn. Recently freeways are being constructed and some parts are already in use, contrary to many maps that you buy. So directions can get a bit confusing at times. It is the most traumatic for those driving in Spain not used to such driving conditions.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA   USA   06/09/02

Driving in Itlay
My husband and I spent two weeks in Italy this Spring and highly recommend driving. We shopped on the internet and found the best value for us to be National Car Rental (Maggiore). Be sure to make your reservations from the US before you leave and if you're flying into Rome don't pick up your car at the airport. Use public transport while in Rome and when you're ready to leave pick up your rental car at the termini (train station). At the end of your trip you can return the car to the airport in Rome at no extra charge. The car rental return at the airport is in the parking garage, about a 5 minute walk from the airline check-in counters. Be sure to check with your credit card company to see if CDW is offered for Italy. Also check with your auto insurance company to see if you're covered, we have State Farm and when I asked our agent he laughed. Italy is the one country they won't cover. Credit card company said no way too. We discovered the rules of the road are simple. What is behind you does not matter and show no fear. Stop signs translate at best to our yield signs. Autostrada's are great if you want to make time but they are pricey. Driving in Italy can best be discribed as precision chaos, it works!
Sandy <email>
Germantown, MD   USA   06/09/02

Driving in Europe
I have taken several auto trips to Europe. Driving in the countryside is great but driving in large cities can be stressfull. It is best to park your car there. Also, when trying to find your hotel pay a taxi driver to lead you there. For about $10 they will easily get you to your hotel. It beats getting lost for hours.
Gary Miller <email>
Frisco, TX   USA   06/06/02

driving in France, Germany, Belgium
I just got back from two weeks in Europe. We (four of us) drove the entire time, and had no problems. Paris was a bit dicey, and I wouldn't drive there again unless I had to. But the N and D routes, along with the Autoroutes were fine and if you keep your wits about you, you'll do fine. I especially enjoyed touring the French countryside in Normandy around Bayeux. I can't wait to return.
Fred Berger <email>
Remington, IN   USA   06/05/02

Driing in the U.K.
I don't drive when I visit the U.k. because I'm chicken to try to drive on the left. (No offense, Britain, it's not that there's anything wrong with driving on the left; it's just the opposite of what we Americans are familiar with). So I've traveled by train & bus, and I was very amused to see a sign at the driveway of a visitor's center at Loch Ness, Scotland that reminded travelers, "Drive on the left!" Apparently half the car accidents in the U.K. are caused by foreign visitors who forget what side of the road they're supposed to be driving on.
Peggy
L.A., CA   USA   06/04/02

france toll roads
In france, it costs quite a bit of money to drive on the toll roads, with a toll booth every 12 or so miles. However, instead of saving a bunch of coins for your trip, all the toll booths take credit cards!
jim <email>
dunkirk, md   USA   06/04/02

Driving in Portugal (May 2002)
Drove from Lisbon to Fatima on the toll road without a problem. A couple words of caution if you're a first-time driver on that road, as we were. Unless you intend to flagrantly disobey the posted speed limit (not advisable since fines are payable on the spot), stay to the RIGHT. I drove the posted 120kph speed the whole way and seldom passed anyone. Watch your rearview mirror very carefully and often if you decide to pass anyone. High speed drivers seem to appear out of nowhere. The service areas on the toll road are good rest stops — for food, drinks, snacks, restrooms, gas, etc. If you don't like the smoke filled environment, some have picnic tables outside.
Dennis & Lila <email>
Springfield, VA   USA   06/03/02

Driving
I agree with Poster Harry. We recently returned from three weeks in Italy, most of it spent driving in Abruzzo and Tuscany. My husband did the driving, and he enjoyed it. As for the Autostrade, we used it twice and each time there was a live person at the tollbooth to take our credit card. Very simple. Driving through the mountains and hills of Tuscany can be a little scary at times, especially when you're the passenger, but having a car gives you all kinds of freedom. We didn't have to drag our backpacks everywhere, we got to stop on the road to take some pictures or have lunch, and we were able to choose towns we would stay in or skip. We're planning to do the north of Italy next year and rent a car again. I would not recommend driving in the big cities like Rome since it's pretty wild and parking spaces are just about nonexistent. Otherwise, if you've driven in places like New York City, the NJ Turnpike, etc., Italy isn't much different. We found Italian drivers to be very courteous, more so than in the U.S. in our opinion.
Joanne
NC   USA   06/01/02

Another scam by the car rental agencies
Watch out on renting a car in the UK. There seems to be a new scam every year to increase revenue. This past year it was Alamo's and National's new policy for third party liability. Third party liability had been to that time included in the basic rental policy. Now some of the car companies are charging 3 GBP to 10 GBP per day! The CDW you have on your credit card or have bought in advance from a trip insurer does NOT cover any damages to another person or auto. You must have third party liability insurance to rent a car. It doesn't seem to be possible to purchase any of this type of insurance from a US insuring agency. You might add this to the long list of extra charges, i.e. daily licensing fee(95pence per day), VAT(17.5% of total rental), airport pickup fee.(10-30 GBP).....
Gerry Smith <email>
Harriman, TN   USA   05/25/02

Driving in Europe
I've rented cars the past two summers from Hertz and used AAA discount for 10% off. This year I checked with my discount store membership (ex. Costco, Sam's Club) and received a 25% discount!
Karen Morris <email>
Marietta, GA   USA   05/22/02

Lease through auto-france - affordable!
I just booked my short-term lease through auto-france for July. For 25 days, we're paying $560 for a Peugeot 106. That includes CDW, tax, everything! I know the car is tiny but it's a great deal. Despite gas prices, I think that for 2 people, we will pay less to lease a car than to take the train between Italy, Germany, and France.
A. Martin <email>
Eugene, OR   USA   05/21/02

Driving in Germany a pleasure!
We flew into Frankfurt am Main in February 2002, and rented a vehicle to tour the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, as well as see Luxembourg for a couple of days. We found Germany (and Lux) to be a very good places to drive. Unlike the growing "anything goes" of the US cities, we found the Germans to still have old fashioned rules, and courtesy, which I miss these days. You travel the speed limit in the right lane, and use the left lane to pass only. There is no passing on the right side. If you are hanging out in that left lane the vehicle behind you will blink lights or otherwise indicate that you need to move to the right. It is just good commonsense! It was very enjoyable driving. And, our own GPS was a very great navigational tool that we carry with us. We had the latitude and longitude of Frankfurt in it and it helped us navigate as the map we bought had lots of "new to us" German towns and villages. The map was necessary, but the GPS made quick decisions easier as it always pointed towards Frankfurt. Nice to travel in unfamiliar territory and not worry about getting lost. Would do it again!
Jann <email>
Baltimore, MD   USA   05/21/02

Driving in Italy
Driving in Italy is not as stressful as you would think. We had a 4-day rental at the end of our trip after having seen Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre, etc. There are some features of the Autostrade that I wish would be emulated in the US: (1) Strict lane discipline - slow traffic to the right, pass on the left, and stay out of the far left lane unless you're passing (or flying). As long as you watch your mirrors you can pass with ease. (2) Toll booths EVERYWHERE take credit cards! Just pull up to the "VIA Card" lane, insert the toll ticket into the slot, then insert your credit card into the same slot. In five seconds your credit card comes back out and the machine says "Arrivederci!" and you're on your way.
P.D. Henry
PA   USA   05/18/02

driving a car in Spain
We rented a car for 1 week to tour around Spain. We took Rick Steves advice and paid thru the nose for the insurance, lost damage theft. Well worth that reassurance. Car theft is big business there even for the locals. The roads are wonderful and well marked for routes. I only wish we had roads/highways like they do. One does not need to know if they are looking for a route number East or West only what is the next big city you are headed to. BUT once you are in town, very difficult to get around when the street names are tiny pasted on the sides of the buildings and narrow 1 way streets. The garage parking for hotels we found to be no more than $7/day and free garage parking at the major shopping areas. Too reasonable not to opt for! Driving was a pleasure in Spain! Courteous but fast!
C Gottlieb
Binghamton, NY   USA   04/28/02

driving in europe
brussels: some of the most out-of-control drivers i've seen anywhere, and i cut my teeth in los angeles traffic, then trained full-time in seattle-bellevue for 20 years... get OFF the main highways and onto the back roads... some of the most beautiful scenery cannot be found within miles of that highway... you might get somewhere more quickly, but you sure won't see the country... take time to understand your car, especially in the UK... find out what ALL the knobs and dials are for, and if you are driving a manual transmission, do NOT be afraid to ask how to get the car into reverse... some of the newer models have an interesting quirk for reverse, and asking at the counter will save you the embarrassment of a phone call from the boondocks later... no matter where you are driving, but especially where the left is "right", take time to understand how big your car is, how maneuverable it is, how fast it can go in an emergency, how SLOW it can stop in an emergency... you never know when the practice will come in handy... and, for those of you thinking of panicking when you drive on the left, don't... just go a bit slower, watch the guy in front of you, take your time... you'll be ok in a minute...
caren <email>
st leonards on sea,    uk   04/24/02

I-95 Atlanta
I agree with Brenda - you better know where you're going. One slight clarification, though. The roads in France (and Europe) will generally list a city that the road actually passes through.
Rudy Maxa
Washington, DC   USA   04/23/02

Directions in France
When driving in France, realize that they do not usually mark road signs with "north, south, east, west." They basically list a distant city in the general direction you are going. For example, if the French did the road signs for I-95 and you wanted to go from Baltimore to Washington, DC, you would see a sign that only said "I-95 Atlanta." And you would say, "But I don't want to go to ATLANTA!" Make sure you have a REALLY detailed map and study what cities/towns that are somewhere in the general direction you are heading.
Brenda Kibler <email>
Monkton, MD   USA   04/23/02

Driving in Spain and Portugal
We just returned from out first time in Spain and Portugal. We rented a car for three weeks at the Madrid Airprot. We used Autoeurope for the contract but actually rented from Avis. We puchased a Michelin map prior to going and used www.viamichelin.com extensively before going. The web sites in Rick's book were invalueable when locating hotels. Due to commitments at various locations at different times we ended up driving 5000 km's. The only place we had a concern was in the White Hill Towns, inparticular Arcos. The streets there were so narrow that we only had about 1.5 inches of clearence on each side of the car. Rick Steves mentions this concern but not until the end of the chapter. It should be noted in a more prominent place in that section of his book. We found the drivers relatively easy to get along with although they are very aggressive when passing. Also, speed limits and parking rules do not seem to mean anything to the locals. All in all a very good experience.
Bob Lundell <email>
Edmonton, AB   CA   04/21/02

Navigational Systems (GPS Systems) in German rental cars
When driving in Germany, a country with no general speed limits on freeways, you need a good German car. at www.e-sixt.de you can rent Mercedes C-Classes or 3-series BMW's for about 120 euro a day. If you call them after you made your reservation and ask them for a car with Navigational system in 99% of all cases you actually get one - needless to say that a Mercedes or BMW navigational system speaks English, French, German and other languages.
Andreas <email>
San Diego, CA   USA   04/14/02

Driving in Great Britain
There was one huge, HUGE problem I did not prepare for when driving in England. It was backing out of a driveway. Both times I turned my head over my right shoulder, and looked up the road, saw no cars, backed up and was almost killed twice by vehicles cruising from the other direction. Under regular "forward" driving conditions, I easily handled all turns, roundabouts, and driving conditions. I constantly was alert and aware of left side driving. But when backing up, I totally went to old habits and watched the wrong side of the road for on coming traffic. STOP AND THINK WHEN BACKING!!
Eric <email>
slc, ut   USA   04/10/02

Get Smart!
If you're feeling adventurous, try renting a Smart. A Smart is basically a motorcycle with four wheels; it's tiny, but can be parked absolutely anywhere, and gets great fuel economy. On a recent business trip to Brussels, I rented a Smart cabriolet to take advantage of the exceptionally nice early-spring weather. It wasn't cheap (€50/day), but it was a nice way to work on my tan. And I even caught some trendy Europeans casting sidelong glances at me as I toodled around in it. (Or maybe they were laughing — hard to tell!)

Another bonus for us Americans is that all Smarts have automatic transmissions. But be forewarned: if you're a speed demon, you'll be very frustrated. And of course, it's a two-seater with very limited luggage space. But if that suits your needs, and you want a fun, eye-catching way to get around, see if you can get a Smart.
Peter
Seattle, WA   USA   04/08/02

Naples driving is sometimes sport with changing rules
Driving in Naples is challenging enough under ideal conditions but if compared to a sport, such as football, then driving at night is the equivalent of the Super Bowl. To play, one should know his opponent. It is important to understand that the Italian driver is an aggressive competitor, an artist behind the wheel. For him, the journey is a creative experience. We Americans are simply operators of switches and pedals.

The equipment covers all types of rolling stock. The night driver will encounter everything from horse-drawn carts to high-powered macho-man sports cars. The lighting will vary from none at all to halogen headlamps that can burn the hair off a water buffalo. In between are all sorts of motor scooters, Fiats, Mercedes and large trucks traveling at a mind-boggling variety of speeds.

There are few rules that you can depend on and the game could be called "Anything Goes a la Autostrada." Players may enter or leave the playing field at any location and without warning. While concentrating on the BMW closing in from behind at warp speed seven, the careless driver is likely to fuse with an unlighted hay wagon. A particularly distracting (and annoying) tactic is the continuous flashing of headlights to say, "Move aside, I'm coming through!"

But, arriving safely home after a night on the road does give one a feeling of accomplishment. Hopefully, we will all be more defensive and safer drivers when we finally do return to the United States.
Charlie Sapp
San Francisco,    USA   04/05/02

Nervous breakdown
I missed a turn on the autostrade and decided to go straight through downtown Florence, at 9 am on a weekday. DO NOT do this. I have never strung together so many profanities at one time in my entire life; my nervous breakdown was actually quite comical in hindsight. I swear to God there were cars pointed in eight different directions, all about two inches from my car. I turned around ASAP and got back on the autostrade and went the way I was supposed to go. Driving in the countryside an on the highways is no big deal in Italy; but stay out of the cities unless you have a death wish.
Scott <email>
Louisville, KY   USA   04/04/02

parking in rome
A few years ago we rented a car for our 2 week trip to italy, which included 3 days in Rome. We managed each night, with a bit of maneuvering, to find parking near our hotel (a four star near the train station). This summer, however, we've decided to park the car in a garage for the 3 days we'll be in Rome. I guess we'll head straight for the Villa Borghese parking garage, though we can't seem to find out much about it, or people who have used it for more than a day.
ellen craig <email>
toledo, oh   USA   04/04/02

After being inconvenienced in two countries by transport strikes (rail, bus, ferry), I can see why Rick's TV programs show him driving a VW camper on his travels. Maybe next time I'll brave the crazy speed-freaks on the roads over there too!
Carol
CA   USA   03/27/02

CDW insurance waiver
I checked my credit cards to see if the collision damage waiver was primary or secondary to my regular car insurance. My United Airlines credit card was the only one that is primary-meaning my regular car insurance company would not be liable or notified of any accident in Europe. The United card stated the CDW is secondary in the US, but primary in Europe. Saved us two hundred dollars on a three week rental in Spain.
Linda
Seattle, WA   USA   03/24/02

Thanks to this website, I found http://www.viamichelin.com/ & used it to plot out four days worth of driving around Northern France. The directions were almost always spot-on & having the route planned out in advance really helped. Toll roads in France are pricey & gas isn't cheap either, but I'm still a big fan of renting a car anywhere in Europe. Nothing gets you off the beaten track faster or easier than a car! You're not trapped by train & bus schedules either. In the big cities, I always use public transit. But the countryside is best explored by car (& then foot ;-).
Trystan
San Jose, CA   USA   03/22/02

driving
take the train!! stress level is less and you don't spend your vacation sitting in a car- sometimes renting is inevitable — have a navigator to look at map, negotiating urban paris can be easy or a nightmare if you are driving and navigating both — beware of tolls — from caen to paris approx 10 euros unless you start jumping from one toll road to other — a86 connecting two paris toll roads is about 2 miles long and after paying 2 or 3 euros per booth, you get popped for 6.80 euros — bottom line caen to senlis was about 18 euros — then add 1.10 euro per liter ( cars have approx 50 to 60 liter tanks and you will find public transport a bargain and faster **also learn international sign for car return or allow an extra hour to learn the system when you go to the airport
jim <email>
dallas, tx   USA   03/20/02

Re: Protect your rental car
Good suggestions. I also always remove any rental car stickers attached to the windows. Europcar - aside from in the UK - seems particularly prone to putting a big sticker on the back window emblazoned with their name.
Colin <email>
Walnut Creek, CA   USA   03/19/02

Renault Auto Lease
We leased a Renault 5 passenger minivan from Renault last year for a 3 week trip through Germany and the Czech Republic. This worked very well for 4 adult passengers who had packed reasonably light. This was also one of the few larger cars that we could obtain to enter the CZ, at least in early 2001 when we were making our plans. Renault reps were very accomodating with both pickup and drop off locations and times. Note that in Munich, you will need to taxi to the reps office, the cars are not at, or near, the airport. (This was made clear from their material prior to our arrival.) We flew home from Frankfurt and the rep there let us leave the car at our hotel and he picked it up from there. I would recommend the leasing arrangement for a trip 3 weeks or longer.
Marilyn Hannemann <email>
Big Rock, IL   USA   03/19/02

Stop Signs optional?
Well Rich was either wrong or given to gross understatement. Stop signs are not only optional but so are RED LIGHTS and ONE WAY streets. We just drive areound Naples and then a week in Sicily. Boy is that place crazy. Rick did say that the further south you go the more intense you get. Boy you got that right. Still I am not sure if one can say that Italians are not good drivers — they just have extremely bad habits and manors. I have never seen such chaos, but yet order does seem to arise from it-Maybe Adam Smith was right about an invisible hand. One City, Cantania seemed to have only one stop light when I was there, all the rest of the intersections were "grit you teeth and go" situations, oh yess that was the second largest city in Sicily.
Jim Meehan <email>
McLean, VA   USA   03/17/02

Extra CDW insurance
We just got back from a self-drive trip in Ireland. Loved it and would recommend it to anyone. We were worried about having to pay extra for CDW insurance, but charged the rental on our platinum MC and were completely covered. We had been told that we would be pressured by the rental agent to get their CDW, but the Hertz rental agent didn't even question us when we said we were covered through our credit card.
Fran <email>
Fairhope, AL   USA   03/16/02

Protect your rental car
I've been to Europe dozens of times, and rent a car every time. Most of the rental cars look like rental cars, which screams "Rich Foreign Tourist" to every thief around. To get around this, I stop at the nearest gas station or highway rest stop and buy a few things: a bumper sticker to cover the rental car advertising, some sun shields or a "baby on board" placard and a air freshener or doo-dad to hang from the rear view mirror. I always leave an empty water bottle and a Macdonalds bag in the car on the back seat, too. Instantly, my rental car has turned into a "Mom-mobile," ostensibly full of children, with nothing worth stealing.
Kathy N-V <email>
Boston, MA   USA   03/15/02

Driving Times
When I have to estimate driving times in Europe, I always consider kilometers to be the equivalent of miles. That means if a drive of 100 miles would take me 2-1/2 hours in the states, I'll allocate 2-1/2 hours to drive 100 kilometers. This assumes a mix of highway and local driving, and normal traffic jams. If someone on the other end of the trip is expecting me, I always add an extra hour or so for bathroom breaks, getting lost and miscellaneous diversions. Most of the time, I'm at the meeting place early (in time for a catnap!), and sometimes the extra time alotted has come in very handy indeed.
Kathy N-V <email>
Boston, MA   USA   03/15/02

get out of town, *then* get your car
Spare yourself the hassle of trying to drive out of London and save a few bucks (or quid) in the process by renting your car outside of London! I priced out weekly car rentals in the UK and found I could save US$30-50 by picking up the car at a location away from town (e.g. Canterbury instead of Victoria Station), enough to cover a one-way train ticket with a few quid leftover for petrol. This would be a great option if you are starting your trip in London but will be touring for several days outside the city. (Though I haven't looked, I wouldn't be surprised to find if this is the same for Paris, Frankfurt or other major cities.)
Alex
Arlington, VA   USA   03/09/02

European Driving Times
AAA has a free, compact, easy-to-read, nearly accurate map showing driving times (not a good map for navigation, as it doesn't show roads, just the times between points of interest).
Freckle Face
Portland, OR   USA   03/07/02

renting a car
Beware when you rent a car in europe! We rented a car through AutoEurope (which rick recommends), and we will never do it again. We booked a car for a week (7 full days november 15-22). We returned it on the 22nd before noon, but EUROPCAR ITAL (AutoEurope sources out the rental through them) insists that we returned the car on the 23rd at 12:30 p.m. This is impossible as we left rome that day at 11:15 a.m. (which means we were at the airport around 8ish). AutoEurope is going to make us pay for an extra day at $95.37 unless we can show them the receipt that was given to us when we rented the car. We faxed our itinerary to AutoEurope showing when we left and that is not good enough.

LESSON LEARNED: 1) always keep your receipts, 2) double check dates and times on anything you sign when renting your car, and 3) don't rent a car from AutoEurope!!!
petra <email>
minneapolis, mn   USA   03/07/02

Driving Times
I was frustrated because I have Rick's book, but there are no driving times in it. Neither does Lonely Planet. It would be a WELCOME ADDITION and a BIG HELP when planning a trip, as we all don't like to travel by train. I finally went to www.mapqquest.com and clicked the international link. Then I chose the UK site and from there could select any of several countries. Bottom line: Madrid to Barcelona, 383.4 miles 6 hours, 36 minutes. Barcelona to Bilbao, 376.8 miles, 6 hours, 30 minutes. Meridfa to Madrid, 211 miles, 3 hours, 41 minutes. Granada to Sevilla, 156 miles, 2 hours, 47 minutes. Barcelona to Granada, 552 miles, 9 hours, 29 minutes. Even though you have to take these times with a grain of salt (preferably around a maragarita when you finally get to your hotel), it was a big help.
Nancy <email>
Pollock Pines, CA   USA   03/06/02

[Editor's Note: Good guidebooks for driving in Europe are the Michelin guides, or you can plan your driving route online at www.viamichelin.com.]

Italy Driving
I have been to Italy (Rome mostly) nearly a dozen times in the last 5 years. What I have seen is this: The further south you go, the more chaotic things get. Milan and Turino are very "Germanic." The parts of Turin I've been in have been like driving in any US city. Rome is also traffic light aware and follows the signals. They have creative lane positioning sometimes, but when the light is red, they stop. I can recommend driving in Rome, but only if you already know the city fairly well.

The big issue in Rome especially is parking. The big parking garage is under the Parco Borghese, otherwise finding a parking space is tough. Parking in Turin was not so bad; lots of street parking in the area I was at (near the secondary train station).

Freeway (autostrada) driving was similar to driving anywhere in Europe. We stayed to the right and I had a very trustworthy navigator (and was alternately the trustworthy navigator). I've driven in Germany, France, Austria, Lichtenstein and Italy. While I really loved driving in Germany, Italy was OK, too.
Alan Z <email>
CA   USA   03/04/02

Driving in Europe
My husband, my brother and I drove through Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia. We picked up our new BMW, purchased through the European delivery program from any BMW dealer, and loved it! All I heard from people was "Watch out for those fast drivers". If you pay attention and keep to the right, you encounter few problems. We found that the Germans, Austrians and Slovenians are good drivers. Another story in Italy. Just keep in mind that they don't follow any rules and you will be ok. And DON'T DRIVE IN A BIG CITY if you can help it, and study road maps. Our main complaint was the gas prices and road signs. Keep in mind you will be stressed out driving and trying to find exits and following highway signs.
Alie Allison <email>
Los Angeles, CA   USA   03/01/02

Driving Away
I am planning on buying a Saab 9-5 in Europe and drive it for 2 weeks before shipping it to California. It will have all the features and options and will be American certified. Love Saabs and they are fun to drive.

  USA   02/27/02

DRIVING IN ITALY
TO STOP OR NOT STOP Planning another trip to Italy this Spring, including several car rental segments. Will not forget to look in rear view mirror and pump brakes, prior to stopping at rural STOP signs. Folks don't stop if there isn't anyone coming (sounds reasonable, but...what can I say, I've been trained to stop!). After the little lady hit us - really just a tap - profusely apologetic and wiping our undamaged fender with her apron, we smiled at each other, laughed and went on our way...waving goodbye.

Another funny/ignorant story is when we "kept changing from one numbered highway to another" on the same road. Only later did we realize we had thought the speed limit signs were the road number signs. Thank goodness it didn't really matter...feeling somewhat lost at times was such a pleasure in the Tuscany countryside.
Giggles <email>
Bremerton, WA   USA   02/26/02

driving in Greece
We loved the convenience of a car as we toured the Peloponese, but avoid the horrific traffic of Athens. Also, be certain that your USA travel agent has double confirmed that your vehicle will be ready for you. We were delayed about 2 hours because they hadn't received any paperwork altho we had our confirmation in our hands. We also were not told about addition "drop-off" fees if you return the car to a city other than pick-up zone. We thought this was included in our rental contract. This cost us $125.00 American to drop the car 40 miles away. Fuel was plentiful and the Greek people extremely helpful in making the trip a success.
Bill & Truff <email>
Renton, wa   USA   02/26/02

Collision Damage Waiver for lower costs
There are insurance companies that will sell you a CDW policy for much less. We used Travelguard, at www.travelguard.com. It was $6/day. No, I don't work for them or have any affiliation with them, but it cost less than half of what the car rental agencies charge.
Paul and Irene Hughes
  USA   02/25/02

Ireland driving wish-list
Next month we'll take our first foreign driving trip (Ireland). I would love to know what items you WISH you had taken with you on your driving trips in Europe.
Fran & Tom <email>
Fairhope, AL   USA   02/22/02

Stresssss!
Even though driving through France during our last trip opened up all kinds of possibilities for adventure, we really missed the "down time" on the trains: writing postcards, reading, visiting with other passengers. Next trip we've decided not to drive, but to hire a private tour operator or driver if we really want to get to the outskirts.
Donna <email>
CA   USA   02/19/02

Europe by Car/National/Citer car rental
A warning about Europe by Car/National/Citer. Our third trip to France last spring we rented a new car from Europe by Car for 25 days. We paid $830 including all insurance. The NOT new car broke down less than five hours after we had collected it. Citer is still harassing us for repairs charges and an extra day's rental which we paid up front. They are now threatening legal action. Alex Roy, President of Europe by Car, pretends that he cares but has done nothing to resolve this problem. It is only a $100 but if Europe by Car/National/Citer can get an illegal $100 out of tourists they could have a great income stream. We have asked Visa legal department to step in.
Marie Wyatt and Don Leighton <email>
Portland, OR   USA   02/18/02

Paying to drive on Europes freeways.
We rented our car in Munich and proceeded to drive through Germany, Austria, Italy and France. The rental agent asked which countries we would be driving in but simply noted my response adding no information at all. Here is what we found out the hard way:

Driving on the freeway (Autobahn, Autostrada, Motorway etc..) is free in Germany. Italy has toll booth, you receive a pass to get on and pay to get off (the monetary amount is based upon distance). France also has toll booths, however, you can bypass some depending on where you get on and off. Now comes the real kicker, Austria requires a pass (a sticker in your window), to use their freeways. You can purchase them by the day, week, month or year. We found this out at a rest stop on our way to Vienna. We came out of the snack bar to find the police blocking our car and writing us a ticket. Thankfully the kind policeman disposed of the ticket and walked inside the gas station with me to purchase a 5 day pass. The moral of this story is this, ask the rental agent if there are any unique tolls for driving on the freeways of Europe before you leave with your rental car.
Dave & Ronda Landress <email>
Bonney Lake, WA   USA   02/14/02

Driving Campervan - Europe
My wife, 15 year-old daughter and I spent 4 weeks driving and camping in a rented VW Campervan through Germany, Switzerland, and France. First recommendation - don't rent a camper-type vehicle from AutoEurope's Frankfurt facility. We reserved and prepaid for our entire rental 3 months in advance and set up a 10:00 AM pickup time. Sleeping late, we arrived at 13:00, and waited four hours! We were told that because we were late, another van had to be arranged - huh? I thought that's what a prepaid reservation was for.

Driving Europe was a delight. I used Microsoft's Autoroute map & routing software (unavailable in the US!) and brought a very small laptop. Next time, I will bring Autoroute and a GPS and use moving map navigation. Never be lost, even walking!

Our rule was to never drive into cities larger than 40,000 population. Just too stressful. I still have nightmares about trying to escape Wurzburg.

To do Paris, Rick's site recommended parking the van at Charles de Gaulle airport for 3 days. This worked very well, was inexpensive and secure. We took the Air France bus in to Paris, and the RER back to the airport - no problems.

The biggest lesson - estimate your driving time, then double it and maybe you'll be close. Having fun is time-consuming!
Lee <email>
Arvada, CO   USA   02/09/02

Driving in France
After four non-auto trips to Europe, I finally rented a car last spring in France. I picked it up in Paris (managed a decent deal through Alamo via Smarter Living) and drove around Normandy and Brittany for four days. No problems — nothing worse than what I've encountered in Portland and Southern California. I stayed off of the motorways for the most part, and had great fun exploring the "blue highways," which I wouldn't have been able to do with the sketchy off-season public transport in those parts of France. French drivers seemed, well, confident and lead-footed, but not obnoxious.
Michele in PNW
Vancouver, WA   USA   02/03/02

I lived in Germany for four years and never saw snow tires as we know them in the US. What they do have is three choices: 1) Summer Tires; 2) Winter Tires; 3) Chains. The Winter tires are equivalent to the US All Season Radials whereas the summer tires have tread which is much less agressive (some may say 'slicks'). So I believe that the problem was that the rental company people thought they were giving you what you wanted.
Mike
  USA   01/22/02

car rental
We have been to Europe three times and rented a car each time. This time Europe by Car nearly ruined our trip. I spoke with the manager as we rented to explain we needed snow tires, because we were going to the mountains to ski. He assured me our car would be equipped for winter. "Oh we europeans know all about winter driving. This car is well equipped," said the manager in Frankfurt. It had all-season tires, but was useless, slipping on flat surfaces in less than an inch of snow and even dangerous in the mountains. They told me I could have bought chains and been reimbursed when I returned the car - but that was way too little, too late.
Tom Carter <email>
Cheverly, MD   USA   01/14/02

Driving vs. Public Transportation
Only drive in Europe (especially Italy where traffic lights and other traffic laws are treated as mere "suggestions") if you're heading somewhere remote. The risk benefit ratio definitely tips in favor of their wonderful public transportation.
Briar Rose <email>
Portland, OR   USA   01/10/02

Driving in France
Personally, I found driving in Europe — even France — much tamer! At least there you know that the high speed passers will be on your left. Your best bet is to drive either on the autoroutes or on the less-frequented "D" roads and avoid as much as possible the "N" roads, which are more crowded and therefore more prone to idiots passing where they shouldn't. Some of my best experiences anywhere have been exploring French back roads!
Mary from Oregon
  USA   01/06/02

Driving in France
I'll never drive in Europe again, unless I have to. Traffic on the French Riveria was awful, and this is the off season. I can't imagine what summer must be like. Driving added an unnecessary stress factor. Stick with the trains if you can. The only reason I will ever use a car in Europe again is to see something that simply cannot be reasonably accessed in any other way.
Freckle Face
Portland, OR   USA   01/06/02