Buy EU Drivers Licence.I find the greatest freedom while travelling to be while I’m behind the wheel of a car. The ability to steer my trip in the direction I want and stop when I want, is something not found in public transports. But for all the perks of renting a car, it comes with a unique set of problems. Driving in Europe has been both an adventure and on many occasions a misadventure for me. But despite all this I would recommend anyone to consider driving in Europe without hesitation.
History of driving in Europe and the world
In fact the history of why it differs is a fascinating one. Historically all traffic was on the left, from the point of view of mounting a horse this made sense and the ability to unleash a sword on attackers favoured being on the left. With the advent of large wagons a shift was made to the right but was never entered into law. The Napoleonic wars saw the first major international shift, as all countries conquered changed to the right. Those that resisted stayed left.
It was only in the 20th century, and again due to a war, as Hitlers conquering German army, demanded countries under his dominance to change. Buy EU Drivers Licence.The US gradually changed after gaining independence but some states still drove left until decrees in the last century. Many old colonies of European states were not required to change with their invaders and so we have our world picture.
Driving in Italy 2011
I first rented a car in Italy in 2011 when staying in the Rimini area of the country. The first thirty minutes of having the car were uneventful. So uneventful that I never left the parking lot of the rental company.Buy EU Drivers Licence I was nervous as hell and couldn’t get used to the gear stick being on my right instead of my left. So rather than take to the roads I drove around the parking lot. I’m quite surprised looking back that they didn’t come out and take the car back of me. Not the best start to driving in Europe.Buy EU Drivers Licence
San Marino
Buoyed by the confidence I now felt, we then travelled to San Marino.Buy EU Drivers Licence San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world, and the oldest surviving republic, dating back to the third century, It is built atop a large hill, with its summit being Monte Titano, rising to 749 metres above sea level. To drive there, there are a series of switchbacks before you are required to abandon your car in one of its many car parks and continue on foot.Buy EU Drivers Licence
Driving in Poland 2012
I had travelled to Poland on many occasions but this was to be the first when I would drive. I had enjoyed my experience in Italy, despite my nervy start. We would rent from the beautiful city of Torun before driving north to Gdansk and heading out to the Baltic. Buy EU Drivers Licence It was all well planned, so what could possibly go wrong.
Driving in Spain 2013
We stayed for a week in Malaga in 2013, which would be my next driving in Europe adventure, and while the city provided ample amounts of sea, sun, good food, and history I can’t resist the urge to explore further. So we rented a car and took the bus out of the city to collect, only to realise I forgot my passport.
Always remember to bring your passport, driving licence and relevant documents when renting cars.
So three bus rides later we had our motor. After my usual nervous start and slow acclimatization to the differences, we spent the day exploring some of the Costa Del Sol and Marbella. It was enough time to know these places were not for me.
Driving in Lisbon 2015
Despite my new-found confidence behind the wheel, 2015 was a year for city breaks, and I only spent one day behind the wheel on a left hand drive. But a worthwhile day nonetheless. Driving a Fiat 500 from my by now favourite rental company, Rentalcars.com, we visited Sintra, which is a micro-climate area near Lisbon. The escape of kings and queens of Lisbon for many centuries now, it is also the perfect escape for visitors of the magnificent city.
You can read how we got on there in A Day Trip to Sintra which if you do, you will know that this is the only place where I cannot recommend driving in Europe. We did get to Praia de Adraga, a remote beach on the Atlantic Coast, so it wasn’t all a negative. GPS played some tricks on me on the return trip too. Since when is a car rental agency a service station?Buy EU Drivers Licence
Driving in Hungary 2017/18
Needless to say I kept a sharp eye on mt keys from this point on. Two trips to Hungary within two years saw a number of road trips, and surprisingly no real incident. We did get an upgrade on our rental last time, to an SUV. The east of the country was our playground, and we travelled much of the Great Plain, a steppe running through the heart of the region. The long stretches of flat land were beautiful, a far cry from the glacially sculpted hills and mountains of Ireland. Its prize is certainly Hortobagy, with a culture and heritage reminiscent of the cowboys of the wild west (minus the guns). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I shared my reverence for their way of life in my blog Exploring the Hungarian Puszta.Buy EU Drivers Licence
Driving in Holland 2018
It has always been a bucket list item of mine to see the Dutch tulip fields in full bloom. April of 2018 would be the time when I would cross that off. We took a route through several towns built on canals, and on into the Lisse area of the country. The tulip fields blew my mind, rarely in my life have I seen such brilliant colours in nature. The windmill town of Zaanse Schans, was the other principal focus of our drives, its riverside setting among the most attractive in The Netherlands.
France
We rented our car from Basel Airport and took it to France. But not before a word of warning from the rental agent. So Basel airport is in France. But we couldn’t take the car back to the French part without incurring a penalty. We had to drive back to Basel in Switzerland in order to drive back to France to get to the airport. Confused? You can bet I was too.
And that was only the start of it. On the way back to the airport I approached Basel only to be met by …. a huge tunnel. My nemesis. As soon we entered the GPS showed the white glad and surrendered. Hermie became a haemorrhoid for me.
Suddenly I was fearing Swiss engineering.
Particularly when the turn for the airport passed me by and GPS still said it was 2km away. The tunnels must have stretched for 10km with bad traffic. I was getting late for my rental return and I was in the wrong country. Then I remembered that roads have colourful things on the side with writing and directions on them. Commonly known as signs. This one was particularly useful. ✈️ Apparently it shows you where the airport is.
Driving in Greece 2019
A 1000 kilometre road trip through Northern Greece, was an undisputed highlight of the year. Despite the many mountains, my car, a Skoda Citigo, proved to be more than its name suggested. It wasn’t the best on dirt tracks but I perhaps shouldn’t have given it at that test.
Cars with 1 litre engines are not 4*4’s.
The trip took in the shimmering Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods of old; then Meteora, those series of monasteries that sit atop rock columns; and finally the area around the Vikos Gorge, one of the world deepest. The scenery was incredible and the roads mountainous to put it lightly. Yet for all the sheer drops and cut back it was a delight.
Police Problems
Driving in Greece is a challenge though. Speed limits are in place, but there are no limits it seems. 70 kmph zone? Everyone fizzes by at 140. Tunnels limited to 80. Double that in reality. As this was my first time driving on the mainland I took it handy. And yet on the way back from Vikos at a police checkpoint I got pulled over.
The first thing that was in my head was, I don’t know any Greek.
The second; what could I have done wrong.
As I opened my window, I was met but a string of Greek. I fumbled an apology and asked if he spoke English. He asked for my licence so I flicked it out of my Segrid wallet. He looked surprised then asked me to open the boot. My boot only had my camera gear which prompted the officer into a conversation about where I had been and some recommendations about good places to go. He then called his buddy over and asked me to put my licence back in my wallet and take it back out again. They marvelled at the way the Segrid wallet worked, and he told his mate he wanted one. I still don’t know why I was pulled over but I wish all police altercations were this easy. Like that time in Latvia when I ran away from one instead of paying a bribe
Conclusion
My Advice to anyone considering Driving in Europe
Much like anything practice makes perfect. So I’m hoping one day to get there. While all my stories have their errors and a somewhat humorous side looking back, I tried to draw a lesson from them all.
Choose a rental company that you trust and stick with them https://euonlinedrivinglicenceregistration.com. I use https://euonlinedrivinglicenceregistration.com for driving in Europe, I’m not saying they are necessarily the best but they serve me well. Following that link will serve me well too. Take full insurance in advance of travelling, because you can never be too prepared. And have fun seeing that wide world out there. That’s essential.
Choose a rental company you can trust and always take full insurance
