Driving in Europe

Car rental and driving in Europe is much like it is in North America. With the exception of the British Isles every country on the European continent drives on the right (same as US) side. Traffic signs, patterns and driving in general are pretty universal. Most cars are smaller which makes driving and parking in older downtown areas a bit easier. If you have a valid license in the US you are able to rent a car and drive in Europe. (More on renting a car in an upcoming blog). I first learned how to drive in Germany in the mid 1960s and still rent a car on occasion when visiting and if I have to travel over an extended period of time. I know train travel is popular but it’s also not cheap. If 2 of you are planning to do some touring, travel by car gives you a bit more flexibility and is often cheaper than a few train tickets. Driving also gives you the option of staying at hotels that you might like along the way and doesnt force you to limit yourself to downtown hotels near the train station or use taxis or public transportion to get around. A recent week long car rental was just over 300 Euros including insurance. A round trip train ticket to and from Munich to Hannover for 2 would cost more. I just want you to keep the option of car rental on the table. Gas is high but even at around $9 a gallon, the cars are smaller with 4 cylinder turbo charged efficient engines and mostly manual shift (automatic is available). Distances are also not that great. Central Europe would fit into Texas. Germany is about the size of Washington and Oregon combined. I’ll cover train travel in an upcoming blog and give you some web sites to consider schedules and prices along with rental cars