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European road trip (Help?)
Lankysean
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So me and my cousins are thinking about going to Europe for about 2 weeks (maybe 10-15 days) and we think it might be cool to do a road trip and hit as many cities/countries as we can. We're thinking about flying into Berlin and then running over to Paris and Bayeux to see Normandy beach then... well we're not sure. We figure the trip from Berlin to Bayeux will take about 16 hours by car, but we'll probably take a bunch of pit stops along the way and stretch that out to like a week or so. We are basically looking for fun things to do in and around Germany, France and possibly Poland since it's pretty close to Berlin. We aren't sure when we'll be going, we kinda want to shoot for spring/summer but nothing is 100% yet.
I have a few questions about Europe:
1: Can we use a rent-a-car to drive from country to country or is that not really allowed under the rental agreement? Speaking of rent-a-cars, I know in America you gotta be 25 to rent and drive a car, I assume thats the same in Europe right? 2 of my cousins are between 18-24 so they might not be able to drive. Last rent-a-car question, do we need to get a special international license? I know when I was in Ireland and Japan I didn't so long as I had my valid American License and Passport.
2: Are there any GPS systems that work all across Europe? My one cousin is awesome with maps but it's not fair for him to have to be awake the entire trip to navigate.
3: When driving from country to country are there any boarder check points like from America to Canada? Are their tolls or anything?
4: Besides England, all European countries use the Euro now right? I'd hate to drive into a country and have all my money become useless.
5: Is Amex accepted in most European countries? I know I had an issue or two using it in Japan and China but was generally fine. I only have an Amex card, but I suppose I could get a Visa card if I needed to.
6: Is English common in any of the countries I mentioned? My one cousin speaks French but not one of us speak German or Polish.
Anything else fun or interesting we should need to know would be appreciated!
I have a few questions about Europe:
1: Can we use a rent-a-car to drive from country to country or is that not really allowed under the rental agreement? Speaking of rent-a-cars, I know in America you gotta be 25 to rent and drive a car, I assume thats the same in Europe right? 2 of my cousins are between 18-24 so they might not be able to drive. Last rent-a-car question, do we need to get a special international license? I know when I was in Ireland and Japan I didn't so long as I had my valid American License and Passport.
2: Are there any GPS systems that work all across Europe? My one cousin is awesome with maps but it's not fair for him to have to be awake the entire trip to navigate.
3: When driving from country to country are there any boarder check points like from America to Canada? Are their tolls or anything?
4: Besides England, all European countries use the Euro now right? I'd hate to drive into a country and have all my money become useless.
5: Is Amex accepted in most European countries? I know I had an issue or two using it in Japan and China but was generally fine. I only have an Amex card, but I suppose I could get a Visa card if I needed to.
6: Is English common in any of the countries I mentioned? My one cousin speaks French but not one of us speak German or Polish.
Anything else fun or interesting we should need to know would be appreciated!
Lankysean on
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Keep in mind, this is from '08, I don't know if it is still like that. I can only imagine it is, if its only a little more expensive. If you're set on renting, you'll have to wait on an actual European to answer, but yeah, bus works great. They were roomy enough for me, and I'm 6'8.
Oh, and I had no real problems with Visa, I only used it in a few places, and mostly used euros I exchanged for at the airport. I have no idea on Amex.
English is pretty common just about everywhere in Europe. When in doubt, find a younger person, they are pretty much guaranteed to speak English.
I highly recommend stopping in Munich and going to the Hofberhaus (not sure if that's the spelling). I never got to go, but I've heard it is totally amazing. Also, while in Germany, drink a Radler at some point, don't ask what it is (its not blood in beer or anything like that, normal ingredients, just not something that sounds appetizing before drinking, but it is amazing). OK, actually upon looking at the wiki page on Radler, don't just ask for a Radler, they most likely won't know what you're talking about. Its half beer, half lemonade, and it is absolutely amazing. In German is would be bier and limonade. Just limo works (lee-moe). I think. My German was never very good.
Euro is used pretty much everywhere in western Europe with the exception of Switzerland, which uses the Swiss Frank.
I believe that once you are inside Europe, you can travel more or less freely between countries. I don't think I had my passport checked when I went between Italy and Germany.
I second the train. You can take a night train between destinations and won't have to worry about paying for a hotel or hostel for that night.
GPS systems that cover the entirety of Europe are commonplace.
Whether AMEX works depends mostly on the stores themselves. Because they take an astronomical fee compared to other card companies, I know of many stores that refuse it. VISA will work everywhere that is not a village of 5 people in the Polish farmland.
A lot of countries don't use the Euro, most relevantly Poland does not. Check here for a map of that too: Euro, non Euro countries.
I imagine in Munich they would know what a Radler was, but I read that there are quite a few differences according to the area. I hate that, but I guess that happens everywhere.
I was just so surprised when I sat down to lunch, while I was over there, and my exchange student sets a beer glass next to me, pours it half full, and then topped it off with lemonade. Thoroughly surprised that they just drink beer with a meal. Totally cool with me, though.
Anyways, Munich sounds like a good stop but I don't drink so that Radler thing is out. Also out off my list is Poland, Kinda wanted to stick to the Euro for the trip. I'm also going to pick up a Visa card before I go, just as a back up.
Keep the idea's a coming!
Probably the, uh, more developed the country, the more likely they are to require a 25yo driver.
Bus and train rides will be fine, but I imagine you won't have a problem when renting a car from a bigger company like Avis with crossing borders as long as you inform them about your plans in advance.
If you google roadtrip europe you should get lots of info.
In Germany I would suggest Cologne for just being a really nice city with a ton of history and cultural stuff to do and the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world, as well as a big party scene.
Maybe a nice idea would be driving through Germany from south to north, getting some of the diversity in landscapes, then passing into Denmark and maybe further into the Scandinavian countries via ferry or taking the bridge between Denmark and Sweden.
You will have to exchange money that way, since Denmark and Sweden don't have the Euro, but any bank will do this for you on the spot and major credit cards will also be accepted in most places.
Also in Scandinavia you will have even less trouble communicating with the natives, as most of them speak decent English(far better than most people here in Germany).
Also drinking, although getting wasted in a foreign country is never a good idea. Getting a table to yourself on a train and enjoying a light buzz is fun times, though.
He's only going for 10-15days, that's a backpack.
Munich: Another good city, I've been several times. The Hofbrahaus is a big tourist site because it's one of the oldest festhauses in the city....and it's where Hitler made his first move for power. But you wont see that factoid on the English menu.
Paris: take the highspeed rail rather than driving, mainly because in my opinion Paris drivers are lunatics. The subway is cheap and reliable, taking you almost anywhere in the city. Go early in the morning to the Louvre and youll walk right in. You can cover a lot on foot, so a car really isn't necessary. Same for the other cities, so I agree to just use rail and bus to get around. Also, gas is $6+ a gallon. Stay in the Latin quarter, it's nice.
If you're looking for Europe travel advice, I've heard Rick Steves does some good travel books focused on a budget, and some walking tours on podcast format. I'd say get a Visa because I've yet to see AmEx at any places I've gone to. Even then, always carry some cash because not everywhere takes cards. Most folks speak English, just learn how to ask in the appropriate language so you aren't coming off as rude. They're cool after that. Hostels will help you save money compared to hotels and can really improve the experience of traveling because of the people you meet. hostelworld.com is what I use to book all my stays and I've had nothing but good experiences.
If doing a significant amount of travel by bus or rail originating in Germany, it might be a good idea to purchase a Bahncard before you start buying tickets. 55 Euros will get you a card that takes 25 percent off all train and bus tickets. Have one person get the card and be the "ticket guy" to maximize savings. Then cancel the card before you depart the continent or it'll renew in a year. I'm not sure if they let tourists sign up because I believe you have to give a mailing address, but still worth looking into.
Don't know on the drivers license thing, I'm US Military and we have a special agreement with countries here. The international license thing may be a good idea, though.
You can definetly rent a car and travel wherever you want with it. Pan-european plans exist, and they cost a lot, but it's doable. Most renting companies require that you have your driving licensse for at least a year before you can get a car, but other than that.....
Any decent GPS that you can buy will cover europe.
There are no tolls nor booths between european countries, but that does not mean there are no controls, so while there's a 80% chance you won't see a custom officer, they do random patrols, specially during official vacation days.
Euro is used and accepted everywhere. If you have a Mastercard, you can use any local ATM to get euros.
Amex is accepted pretty much everywhere in major cities. Smaller cities, depends on the place, but most small business should accept it.
english is spoken everywhere but you might have troubles if you really go in backwardland.
I'd recommend getting Lonely Planet books for every major city you plan to tour.
If you are planning on driving from Berlin to Bayeux, the route you'll probably take will bring you by reasonably close to Amsterdam and Brussels. Amsterdam is an incredible and well worth a few days, even if you're not into weed or whatever, it still has some incredible galleries and museums.
Brussels is a bit...meh. Worth maybe a day.
Bayeux is nice, and there's plenty of D-day memorials and museums about. I'd also recommend the Bayeux tapestry which details the invasion of England by William the Conqueror in 1066.
If you're staying in cities, an American express card will probably be fine, but it's not readily accepted in independent shops and hostels so much.
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
LOL i'll keep that in mind, I was actually going to look up some European driving rules and such. Example, most countries drive on the right side of the road right? I can drive on the left, I do it in the Caribbean and Ireland but if I have to switch back and forth every time i go into a new country I'm gonna get confused and kill us all.
Agreed. I went for five months and I brought less than 50lbs total (including my laptop) and carried it on my back. For barely two weeks you need far less than you realize. I took the train when I went from the Netherlands to Germany to Austria to the Czech Republic and when I go back I'll do it again. I was able to sleep on the train, read, eat, meet people and not worry about anything. I got a pass of some kind that let me pretty much travel in a specific area for x number of times so I didn't need to buy individual tickets or things like that.
My passport was also checked at every border we crossed. Though I technically never entered the Czech Republic. On the train we were checked leaving Germany and I got an exit stamp, then I went to the bathroom. On the way out there were more guys and I told them they had just stamped me and they said ok and let me go on. Apparently that was my entry stamp for the Czech Republic. So I have a stamp leaving the Czech Republic, but not entering into it.
Here's the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrburgring and the opening day calendar http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/angebote/driving-experiences/tourist-rides-nordschleife/opening-times-nordschleife.html and a word of caution. Do not drive the Ring and try to set a fast times, that is something for pro drivers and people tired of living!
Also when driving in Europe be prepared for fast cars in the over taking lane and by this I mean really fast cars. Some free way stretches in Germany have no speed restrictions and when traffic is light this can mean people passing you while going 150 mph+. Overall people in Germany are really friendly on the road but they will drive fast.
In general about big cities in Europe. Parking in the city centers can be a nightmare and also expensive. Park at a train station in the edge of the cities and use the public transport systems. You will find public transport in the EU is really great and in some city centers they will even have bicycles you can use for free.
Yeah, there are quite a few regional differences throughout Germany. Berlin is different than Hamburg is different than Munich, just as New York is different than Chicago.
Thats good advice, I was thinking about Munich and Frankfurt and other "big name" cities. Good advice from everyone, thanks again!
You could just rent a car on the days that you are outside the metropoles. Both Berlin and Paris really aren't designed to be seen by car, it will just be a nuisance to find places to park. I'd rely on the metro instead. But if you want to visit Normandy, public transport can become a real hassle.
I've never been in Frankfurt, but Stuttgart, roughly on the way from Berlin to Paris too, was a city I quite enjoyed.
Remember that Switserland is not part of EU, Schengen, or the Euro, if you wish to visit the Alps.
And roundabouts.
And bicycles. Especially in the northern part of Europe many people use bikes as transportation and not just sports. This means bikes all over the place and people on them are expecting those in cars to respect their right of way and all that.
There are a lot of road customs that may not be familiar, and a lot of colloquial ones that you may not find in a book. For example, at a junction in England, flashing your headlights means 'go ahead, I'm letting you through'. In Greece, it means 'I'm coming through, get the fuck out of my way.' In their respective countries, these are second nature, but put a native of one in the other and you either get an awkward moment or a nasty crash.
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