Don't rent a car in Europe because it's expensive, slow and a pain-in-the-ass compared to public transport. Yeah, I get it "you don't mind long drives". I grew up road-tripping as a kid and once drove from Toronto to Ottawa for lunch so I know the feeling. However, you need to approach the trip differently when you take increased fuel costs/tolls/parking and the availability of public transport.
As a general rule, driving is not a very good way to get from point A to point B in most of the itineraries that we see on
travel; in France, most people will think you're insane if you say "I'm going to rent a car in Paris to go to Nice for a weekend". That's at least nine hours behind the wheel, 77 EUR in tolls and about 80 EUR in fuel instead of a direct TGV in six hours (there's a train today for 70 EUR and you can find them for as low as 20 EUR). You also don't need to rent or park the TGV upon arrival ;).
All that said, buying a car in France was one of the best decisions that I made while living in Grenoble. Road trips to/in San Sebastian/Pamplona/Bordeaux, the Algarve, Barcelona, Corsica, Lake Como, Cassis/Les Calanques/Gorge du Verdun, Belgium/Luxembourg and Slovenia/Croatia were unforgettable and having a car was an amazing way to get off the (super-well-)beaten-trail. So I would highly recommend renting a car in Europe when the trip calls for it.
Anyway, here are some things that I think people should think about while deciding to rent or not in Europe. Keep in mind that most of my driving experience was in France and Northern Italy. In countries without tolls the costs will obviously go down.
Fuel * Right now in France you're looking at about 1.40 EUR per litre (2.20 CAD per litre, or 6 USD per gallon). At that price, it would have cost me 120 CAD to fill up my car! * Highways will have the most expensive fuel, followed by brand-name gas stations. I bought almost all my fuel at the big grocery stores (Carrefour, Casino, Leclerc and the like).
Tolls * The French highway system is great, I miss the hell out of it every time I get back on a 400-series highway in Ontario * But you pay for it. Over the two years I had my car, I spent almost as much on tolls as I did on diesel. * One really rough example is Grenoble to Turin. It's under three hours but you'll rack up 16 EUR to get to the Italian border + 45 EUR for the Fréjus Tunnel + 14 EUR to get the rest of the way to Turin. Flixbus would cost 15-20 EUR. * Italy takes this a step further with ZTLs. Did you miss this sign? Now you've got a fine coming! * Some countries require you to have a sticker in order to use their highways. In Switzerland this is 40 CHF whether you use the highway for a day or a year. * Note: you can use ViaMichelin to get an idea of tolls and fuel costs
Parking * If you're used to parking in wide-open lots for free then this is the stuff of nightmares. If you're parallel parking on-street in a French city then there's a very good chance that you'll be making bumper contact with the cars in front and behind you. * unless you're in the countryside you'll probably be paying (maybe out the nose) for parking. I paid 50 EUR to park for two nights in Barcelona. * Theft of belongings is a huge problem. An unscientific poll of my friends shows like 90% of them having had a window smashed and something stolen at least once
Sometimes a rental is a great idea, sometimes it's an unbelievably poor one. The important thing to do is to actually evaluate your options and figure out what works best for you.
- Ask yourself if you really need it? You may only need a rental for a few days in the middle of the trip, especially if doing so can help you avoid one-way drop-off fees. You certainly don't need the car because you want to be flexible during your week in Venice-Rome-Florence!
- Use ViaMichelin (website or app) to get an idea of tolls. Occasionally choosing one highway over another can save you a fair amount.
- Use online aggregates to find the best deal
- Keep the parking situation in mind when you're planning something. AirBnB's are notorious for saying "free parking" when really they mean "you can park somewhere in the neighbourhood" that may-or-may-not be free.
- Learn how to drive a manual. Even if you reserve an automatic, it's not a 100% guarantee that they'll have one when you get to the desk.
What have your experiences with rental cars been like? Have you rented a car and wished you didn't need to find parking in Amsterdam and Brussels? Or have you tried to visit a chain of far-flung villages before wishing you'd taken a rental?
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