You’ll have noticed I love to drive when I’m in Europe. Some of the reasons: Many sights are simply easier to reach by car. You can make your own timetable. Roads are generally well maintained, and sometimes they’re exceptional in this regard. Signage and markings are pretty clear – language concerns are non-existent – and in the major countries, the unwritten rules of the road are pretty similar to ours (e.g., don’t be a jerk).
But cars are not the only way to get around, and sometimes not the best. You can easily get caught in horrific traffic jams; you easily can get lost, regardless of GPS data; narrow twisty mountain roads or city lanes are a nervy challenge; and driving in Europe in bad weather is stressful, to say the least.
The train is usually considered as the likely alternate to road travel. Once upon a time, the thing to do was to purchase a 10 day Eurail Pass, and go wherever you pleased. Indeed, I have done this, and it worked out beautifully. Even moderately sized towns are served by rail in Europe. Combined with a little local knowledge on busses and trams, plus a bit of shoe leather thrown in, I managed to see a remarkable variety of sights, big and small, without a car. Some sights included the train itself: I have a great fondness for the gentle glide of Euro trains, they’re really quiet, with just enough sway to let you know you’re moving. They also tend to specifically routed through scenic areas. One summer, I got to work on the Swiss rail system, and every now and then I could head to the baggage cart, throw open the bay doors, and watch the mountains roll by. I should note, though, that some of those trains were horror shows: packed to the gills with surly passengers who have been on the rails for 12 hours already, with another 10 to go.
The cons: it’s definitely a singles sort of thing, or something for the more adventurous. You got to be on schedule, daily, making sure everyone is ready on time – especially kids – adds to the stress factor. And, it can be surprisingly expensive. The rail pass strategy works best if you’re heading to a new sight every day: every day you don’t use the rail is lost expense. Passes have some flexibility here – some can be made to “5 rides in 7 days” or the like. Still, to make it pay off, you got to use it a lot, so you’re packing and unpacking a bunch, most likely. You can say the same about a car – the rental is being paid even if it’s in a garage – but a lost day on a car rental is a good deal cheaper than a lost day on, say, four tickets. Regardless – check it out. If you’re really into the logistics of it, scheduling a vacation by rail is loads of fun.
Cars and trains are not your only option. Perhaps you think the wheel is an overrated invention. Perhaps you live in a tree. In that case, you may want to take a boat, instead. If you watched any Downton Abbey, you’ll know what I’m talking about – those Viking River Cruises that kept that show afloat, financially, along with Debbie Turner and Conrad Prebys. (Fine, if you live in a tree, Downton may not be up your abbey). I’ve heard at least one good report on barge travel, but I see more than a few downsides. I.e., you’re on a boat. Space is tight and your options to exit are very limited. And despite what they may advertise, seeing Europe from a river is not the way to go. If you want a view, you want high ground. Hilltops, not valleys. Trains drop you off right in the center of towns; boats let you off on a wharf.
Someday I expect I’ll be forced to take a European cruise, if I’m going to see the Aegean properly. Likely it will be on one of those dopey Windjammer deals, you know, with the fake sails and middlebrow east coast clientele. I know my station, and unfortunately it’s not on a chartered vessel. I’ll be forced to visit Santorini with the teeming masses, and not some private island that still has a Minoan burial chamber jealously guarded from prying archaeologists. No, I’ll be with the pretentious hoi polloi, but hoi none-the-less. My kids may join us iff they have read Homer.
On the other end of the travel spectrum, you have planes, and I covered this before. Planes are very useful for some connections – Rome to Barcelona, for example, $100 R/T and 45 minutes by plane, $150 and 16 hours by train. You tell me.
As for a fifth mode of transportation, there are rumors of a Hyperloop being built in Romania or somewhere. The rest of Europe will be saddled with their legacy high-speed rail system for years to come, given the politics of sunk costs. Eventually, Euro travelers will come to America and wonder why they can’t have a modern mass transit system like we have. That is, if they get past the east coast, where no doubt Amtrak will still have their own protected and subsidized monopoly.
In related news, I’ll be driving my Tesla Model 3 by the time all this happens. You can’t rent these yet, obviously, and in fact, you’ll have a hard time renting any electric car. The infrastructure just isn’t there – hotels don’t have garages with charging stations. Luckily, European cars have economical turbo diesels and such, and euro cars are generally smaller and lighter to maximize power and efficiency. The Cooper Mini is a niche gimmick here in the US, but a family sedan across the pond. You’ll need all this, because gas prices there are 2-3 times as high as here.
Actually, the family sedan you’ll probably end up renting is a BMW 5-series, or the like. That’s their version of a Chevy Malibu fleet car, and you’ll wonder why the heck we settle for what we do back in the states. Germans think that, too, especially when they drive our Interstate; forget about the cars, our highways are the real problem. German highways have gentle curves and great sight lines. The blacktop is superbly maintained, as you’d expect. And you won’t find a billboard anywhere, just unspoiled countryside. You’ll be tempted to open it up on the Autobahn, push it to 100mph with the kids sleeping peacefully in the back, since that Beemer’s ride will still be smooth enough to keep an egg balanced on its end. Go ahead, 160 km/h barely qualifies you for the fast lane. You’ll be passed by Benzes adding 40 klicks onto that.
Other countries’ roads meet these Teutonic standards, to varying degrees. And before you think I’m slamming Eisenhower, our Interstate has some marvelous sections, made with evident care and an eye for the terrain. And as much as a German scoffs at the tedious arrow-straight stretches of the New Jersey Turnpike, we have to deal with distances that Euros don’t. I hate I-20, but I don’t want to add 30 minutes to my drive from Birmingham to Atlanta just for the sake of aesthetics. And who here hasn’t gotten a chuckle out of the South of the Border billboards, or kept a close eye out for a Zaxby’s sign to complete the alphabet game? No, our roads are distinctly American, and that’s OK.
Anyway, renting a car in Europe work pretty much the same as here – the usual internet tools apply. Take care to review the car you’re getting – you won’t be familiar with the make & model, so look it up on-line and see if the reviews are good, and the specs meet your needs. Plenty of cars say “5 adults, 2 large suitcases” but see what users say on that. Last trip I rented a Ford Galaxy minivan. Now, Euros take the “mini” part seriously – I doubt this was longer or wider than my Hyundai Sonata. I certainly wasn’t higher off the ground. But inside it was large enough. I had room for 4 adults, 2 kids (and since a kid seat basically takes up the space of an adult, you’re looking at 6 full spaces). Plus everyone’s luggage. Pretty darn good, and it was able to navigate some very narrow Italian streets and alleys. This time, I’m going a little bigger, with an Opel Vivaro. I like the panorama windows, and it’s just a bit bigger, without being a truck. I’ll let you know how it goes.
A few other things to note: Almost everyone in Europe still drives a stick. Unless your rental specifies otherwise, assume it’ll be a stick, too (you must specify if you want an automatic, and you’ll pay a premium). Now, I love stick shifts, and Euros use gears to slow down, saving break wear, so it makes sense for them. In a rental on a wagon...nah, it’s kinda pointless. But it’s what you’ll get.
If you go bargain hunting, know that, unless it’s clearly stated otherwise, you may even get a car without A/C (this applies for hotels, too). I once rented a Fiat Punto in Italy that didn’t even have a radio. It didn’t matter.
And lastly: there are a handful of countries that require an “international driver’s license”, you get this through AAA for, like $25. Your major Western European countries don’t need this, your US license is fine. The car rental company can tell you what you need, if you are concerned about it. I got one once, it’s a minor hassle, so I don’t do it anymore. It may come in handy if you get pulled over by the cops, but I find that unlikely. There’s no Euro highway where I’m likely to be speeding – given the situation, I’ll be more cautious than usual.
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