the Travel Enthusiast
- 01 Sep
Tips for roadtrips in Europe
Seville
Many people who travel to Europe for the first time are amazed at how well train transport and bus transport in some countries work, and how easy a good public transport network makes it to take a tour of the continent.
But trains and buses are only one side of the story, and there’s another way to go about vising Europe, or parts of it. I’m talking about roadtrips, of course, those long and sometimes tiring trips that are considered more than anything a rite of passage and a way to enjoy to the fullest the company of your friends (or yourself) and of seeing distant places at your own pace, without hurry or worries.
If you love driving, then take a chance and discover the old continent though the windshield – and here are some tips for roadtrips in Europe that might help you.
Renting a car
If you come from a country where automatic transmission is the norm, then keep in mind that in Europe, the most common cars are those with manual transmission. Finding a car with automatic transmission can be difficult in some countries, and also usually more expensive. So if you want to save some money on car rent, practice with manual transmission before embarking on a road trip, and then you won’t have to worry too much about the type of car that you rent.
Driving permits
You will need an international diver’s permit, as well as your own driver’s license in order to be allowed to drive in Europe. Your permit is possible one of the most important things you will need on your trip, and in order to avoid having in suspended, study carefully the driving regulations of the countries you are planning on driving through.
Keep the change
Many, many roads in Europe require you to pay a toll, and paying a toll when you only have big money can be problematic, especially if you are in the middle of nowhere, and you can’t get any change back. This is why it is useful to always have some change on you. In France, for example, there are notoriously many paying roads, and the last thing you want is to try and ask for small change from fellow drivers in a language you might not speak.
Go camping!
If you are on a tight budget, then the next best thing to sleeping in your car is to find camping sites and sleep in a tent or a small hut. It will be cheaper than any other type of accommodation, save hostel accommodation if you’re lucky, and you will sleep much more comfortably then on the backseat.
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travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)Plan your route
Europe is rather large, and while in some countries even the smallest roads have plenty of sign post so that you’d be able to find your way to your destination eventually, in other parts of the continent sign posts are rare if not entirely nonexistent. Plan your route carefully, especially if you are intending to wander off the beaten track.
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