TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

Whether or not you should rent a car in Europe depends on where you are going and how long you will be there. Europe has a good rail system, so once you narrow down the places you want to go, look on the Rail Europe website to see what trains are near your route. You can also take buses to get to places that the trains won’t go.

If you want to see places in rural Europe, renting a car is not a bad idea. You can take back roads, go off the beaten path, and see things you wouldn’t otherwise see. It’s a great idea for people who don’t want to be “normal tourists”.

If you rent a car in Europe, you’d better make sure you know how to drive a stick shift. Most rental cars in Europe are manuals, not automatics. Also, make sure you get some kind of auto insurance to make sure you’re covered in case of an accident.

Check with the country beforehand to find out if your US driver’s license is valid. Alternatively, find out if they’ll honor an International Driving Permit and then go to AAA and get one.

Finally, make sure you know a few emergency phrases in the country you’ll be traveling in, in case you have an accident or the car breaks down.