Renting a car and driving abroad
Don’t rent this!
RENTING A CAR SETS YOU FREE
Will your trip involve renting a car? Many of our friends have always selected packaged tours because they were afraid of driving in Europe. They have heard stories from others, who sitting in their luxury coaches on their packaged tours that European drivers were crazy, rude, or angry Are your seat belts fastened and secure? OK let’s examine this beast.
Let’s set aside some misconceptions about how bad European drivers are. Car insurance for a European driver is very expensive and not every Tomaso, Ricardo, and Enrico can get a license, so they tend to be excellent drivers. Notice I said they “tend to be excellent drivers”. That does not mean they drive slowly. Nor does it mean they are passive drivers. It means they are fast and aggressive and very, very, very decisive.
A driving license is a valued privilege not a right, so no one wants to risk having their license taken away by the police. Again, do they drive fast? Yes, but you are not European so obey the posted speed limits --- but keep up with the traffic in the non-passing lane. Cameras are everywhere and two months after you get home the car rental agency will send you a fine that must be paid. If you speed --- count on a ticket coming in the mail. The car rental agency has your credit card on file. The fine will take your breath away.
Again, how do they drive? Like a bat out of Hell. If you’re driving the autostrada, the autobahn or any major highway only be in the passing lane when you are passing, not when you’re on the phone or having coffee. I may be hitting this issue too passionately, but it is important --- DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT STAY IN THE PASSING LANES EXCEPT TO PASS.
In summation it is fun, easy and safe to drive in Europe and essential if you want to get out of the cities.
TIP! Once again, the internet comes to your rescue. Research driving in the countries you plan to visit by watching multiple instructional videos several times. Learn how to be “European aggressive”. When you come to a traffic circle don’t dawdle, don’t wait until someone lets you in --- that won’t happen in your lifetime, and get out of the circle with the same confidence. Learn road signs and markers BEFORE you leave home. Why get there and wonder what that double yellow line next to the curb means. There are many videos about driving in Europe that will make your time behind the wheel enjoyable. Please, please consult those videos. Preparation is everything.
Train travel in Europe is easy, safe, and fast. But, and there is always a but, because train travel is like a packaged tour that goes from A to B when you want to go to C, D, and E it has severe limitations. A car puts you in control and enables you to get off the beaten path.
Most car rentals in Europe come with manual transmissions. If you want an automatic you must specify that you need an automatic. It will be more expensive, but it is still a bargain. I get the automatic only in the UK, Ireland, and Los Angles.
TIP! To pick up your car rental you will need a passport, driver’s license, and insurance card. But I suggest you go to your AAA office and get an international driver’s license. I have never needed one, but it is best to have it if you are stopped by the police.
TIP! PARKING SPACE IS ALWAYS AT A PREMIUM. I ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THAT OUR APARTMENT, OR COTTAGE ALWAYS HAS PARKING PROVIDED. TO MY REGRET I FORGOT THAT ONE TIME ON OUR LAST TRIP.
This story will take some time. The first time I rented a car in Italy I reserved a very small Ford that was just big enough, and cheap enough, to get us where we were going. It came fully equipped with a radio.
As I walked into the agency with the confidence of any young American dressed out in mint-green L.L. Bean and boldly presented my confirmation papers to the agent. Deed often reminds me that when I present myself for the first time I come across as borderline foolish, but I’m off topic --- back to the car rental agency.
The agent looked at me and in his office-English said, “One moment please” and quickly went into the backroom. A few minutes later, I was introduced to his supervisor, who kindly offered me an upgrade to a big new black Mercedes-Benz sedan under the same terms as my Ford. I thought I had misunderstood and asked him to repeat that again. He did. And it was the same offer. I jumped at it. “Where do I sign. In a moment we were driving down the Via del Corso in a large new M-B singing our way out of Rome.
At the end of the day, as we settled into our room in some obscures Italian hill town, I cursed the agent, his supervisor, and their ancestors.
Italians with large families drive small Fiats for a reason. The moral of this story is don’t get conned into gas guzzling big car. Big cars, no. Small cars, yes. Also, don’t rent sport cars.
Many European streets are not really streets at all, but narrow winding cobblestoned pathways built in the 8th century so that a peasant and his donkey could get to the market. Those same streets were last repaired in the 14th century. Review the picture of the cobbled stone road above or google San Gimignano, Italy, ---------, France, --------, Portugal, --------, England. Those are two-way streets you’re looking at. Those narrow streets are charming and lined with wonderful shops and restaurants every few yards but hardly big car friendly. And not too friendly for small cars.
Armed with a better understanding of European roads go to your local car dealer’s showroom and try on for size something like the Honda CRV, or the Toyoda Rav4. And check the luggage compartment. That compartment is your reality.
TIP! Before you take possession of your rental take pictures of the car with the car agent in the pictures.
If your travel plans are for the summer months please remember that the roads are crowded, and in smaller villages they are really crowded not only with cars but pedestrians. Yes, pedestrians who are walking in all the directions of the compass make it essential to navigate the narrow winding streets slowly --- as in a crawl.
Don’t be frightened away. It’s normal, and amazingly safe.
After clearing customs proceed by shuttle to the car rental park to pick up a small car (Honda CRV size, automatic transmission, equipped with GPS).
Again, there are excellent videos on the internet showing how to enter and exit international airports. They along with the GPS, and my co-pilot make it quick and easy to get on our journey. I watch and study those videos time after time.
It is expected you will be tired and stressed when you first get into your rental car. Take your time. Go slowly, check the instruments, arrange the seating, and adjust the mirrors. Please note the position of the rear-view mirror, then check the position of the directional and light stalks, and the gear selector --- and windshield wipers. Once you are relaxed and familiar with the configuration of the car you are ready to go. If there are more than 3 people traveling with you ask one, but only one, to be your co-pilot.
It is recommended that your first day be a short drive. This should be well planned in advance. The first day the drive is never to a city but always to a small pleasant village were we stay 1-2 nights to acclimate ourselves to our surroundings and low-key it.
If we begin the trip in a city we never pick up a car until we are ready to leave the city for the country part of our adventure.
Meeting New Helpers:
I can’t say this to a younger person for it all seems so incredulous because young people doubt the veracity of what I tell them about the “good old days”. They cannot believe that on a car trip I would pull into numerous gas stations asking for directions, or that Deed had a map of Belgium on her lap, saying, “Why are we in the Netherlands”? When I approached an intersection I consistently barked out, “Quick, which way do I turn!” She responded. “*^%(##)&”. So, I went to the gas station.
During our early trips we could not book an accommodation online. And why was that asked the young whipper-snapper? Because there was no “online”. If we wanted to book we had to go to a travel agency and book through an agent who had never been anywhere except to Disney Land or on a cruise to Bermuda. Mostly we simply arrived at a place and walked up and down the streets until we found a hotel. Or we wrote a letter and dropped it in the mailbox and waited 4 weeks for a return --- “Sorry we have no vacancies for your date.”
Now you have helpers:
Google Maps
Michelin Route Planner
National, Regional Direction Planners
U.S. Embassies and Consulates
Accommodation sites like VRBO
GPS, QR codes
Cell phone/devices
Language/currency converters
TIP! But first, always go to the local pub for the best help.