Tips - Traveling Europe

So you want to travel to Europe, but are not sure how to get around? Do you know the right-of-way in the country you want to visit? Do you know if you need a vignette for your car if you get a rental for a specific country? What about zoned areas?

Let me first say, Europe's public transportation system is wonderful! If you're flying into a country, and want to see a specific city such as Paris, Venice, or Rome (many others included), you can take public transportation (subways and trains) directly to the area of your hotels, and also directly where you want to go into the cities. You could spend an entire trip without needing a rental car. It is also encouraged to use public transportation, especially if you aren't quite sure how to drive there (although it's easy after some time).

If you're like me and you want drive a large span of countries, then sometimes you'll do a mix between driving and public transportation, or sometimes only drive. If you're a first time visitor, I definitely encourage you to stick closer to public transportation in the large cities (depending on the location), and if you drive, start out in the country (especially in the UK if you're not used to driving on the opposite side of the road, and have the steering wheel on the right side of the car) if you can, in order to start learning. That's what I did; however, I did have a friend from Europe who was there the first couple of times!

I am now at the point where I feel I can easily drive into the heart of Paris and London; although, if you want to make the best use of your time, don't drive in the large cities if you can help it. Sometimes you'll spend more time finding places to park, than actually exploring (but I have tips for easy parking in cities down below).

London, England (2013)

For those that want a rental:

Driving in Europe can be fun! I find it to be challenging, and it has helped me become a much better driver. But when you come back to the USA (or whichever country you came from), it will also make you see how terrible people drive back home.

Here are some checklist items for driving:

1. Can you drive a manual? These are cheaper to rent and are driven quite a bit in Europe. If not, go for an automatic, but be prepared to pay more money.
2. Do you know the right of way? What the road signs mean? Please read up on the right of way in the country you are visiting. In Europe, there is NEVER a right (or left in the UK) on a red light, unless there is actually an arrow that says you can go. Each country is different, and you'll want to know exactly how to drive there. If you hear a lot of honking behind you, you're probably doing something wrong. :) If you're unsure about road signs, read all about them. I needed to do this with Sweden to understand parking and fees, or what intersection signs meant in certain places.
3. Is the place you want to visit ZONED? Rome is an example of a zoned city. If you live there and have a permit you're fine. If your hotel is in the middle of Rome, and you have a car rental, you'll need to see if your Hotel will give you a permit. People drive into the zones without knowing it is a zone, and they rack up major fees. Sometimes it's too late before people even know it's a zoned area, and once you get in, it's hard to get out quickly.
4. Does your destination country require a vignette? Switzerland is an example of this. You actually need to get a vignette for your rental car windshield if you're driving from one country into another that requires one (lucky for those people who get your rental after you). Usually you can get them at any gas station, especially as you cross the border into that country. If you're caught driving in the country that requires them, you can get fined.
5. Do you know where you're going? Get GPS for your car. It may be extra, but it's important to know where you're going. TIP: Sometimes you'll get upgraded to nice vehicles (sometimes luxury) if you get GPS. Driving through Europe with only a road map is possible, but believe me, you want to have fun and not be stressed the entire trip. GPS is necessary in my opinion.
6. Get full coverage insurance. Yes, it is much more expensive, but what will you do if you're hit or hit something, and return your car without the insurance? You will pay an extreme amount of money.
7. Mobile Internet Hotspots? Do you have international data on your phone? If not, a lot of the car rental companies will offer you mobile Wi-Fi for a little extra. I usually rent with AVIS, and they offer this. I make sure I have it, so that I can browse the internet, look at Google maps, book hotels from anywhere I am at, and find destinations on foot while exploring.
8. Make sure you have a way to contact the car rental company, or help in an emergency. In England we had a tire blowout, and in Wales our keys disappeared. Although it wasn't the best experience, we were taken care of.
9. When traveling make sure you have at least a credit card, debit card, and some emergency currency for the country you are visiting. While in Scandinavia, certain tolls and gas stations rejected my debit card while they accepted my credit card. Sometimes my credit card was rejected, but my debit worked, and other times neither of them worked. Sometimes cash can help you get by until you can find a place that will accept your card.
10. Besides a Passport, and/or a visa if you need one (make sure to check, not all places require a visa for the time being), also double-check whether you need an International Driving Permit. You can easily get one from AAA.
11. Make sure to check out the destination airport map, locations, and how to get around. I've ran through entire airports just to make it to my connecting flight. It can be a scary thing. Know your airport well enough, or at least to know where to go and get help.

Traffic circles or roundabouts are heavily used in Europe. They are fast and they are efficient. Some of the larger ones have stoplights around the traffic circle, but some do not (The Paris Arc de Triomphe roundabout below is one of the most dangerous traffic circles, you must to yield to the right for incoming traffic, and there are no lane lines).

In the UK, if you're planning on leaving the second or third exit in a roundabout, you don't want to be in the lane furthest to the left, usually that lane is taking the first exit out of the roundabout. The same can go for roundabouts when you're driving on the right-hand side, but not always.

If you need to drive in the bigger cities, and want to find a place to park, just book a parking spot before hand. I did this in Paris, and it was so easy. Many places require that you bring in a physical printout of your confirmation number when you park, so do this before you're actually there. Sometimes hotels will have a computer and printer that you can use to print things out, but don't always count on that.

Paris, France (2017)

For public transportation, it's much easier. Make sure to look at the times, and the public transportation locations you need to be at. There are many great apps for your smart phone where you can actually book tickets, see the subway maps of the current city, schedules, and other helpful information. Always look for these types of apps when you travel.

My last trip to Paris was easier, as my hotel was right next to one of the train stations. (It might be helpful if you either book a hotel within the area you want to explore, or close to a public transportation system). Having never done this before, it was easy to buy tickets into Paris, as well as tickets back out of the city. With the electronic boards, you know which way the train is going, and can easily find the train you need. Each city (London, Rome, Stockholm, etc.) will be just like this.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have if you need help!