Anybody ever rent a car in europe?

[Old Michael]

)...We took the family to Europe several years ago and used a British Air Pass. This allowed us to fly into London from San Francisco. Then we were able to fly to Moscow and then back to London. From there we flew to Frankfurt and then picked up a car and did a huge loop around the continent. ( we took the car into Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and most of the other central European countries. We dropped off the car in Paris and flew home...

Rented a Chevette in Lodi once. Drove it to Stockton,....and then thumbed back.

Didn't buy the insurance.

.....So, there's that.

 

[Dr. Rich]

)...We took the family to Europe several years ago and used a British Air Pass. This allowed us to fly into London from San Francisco. Then we were able to fly to Moscow and then back to London. From there we flew to Frankfurt and then picked up a car and did a huge loop around the continent. ( we took the car into Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and most of the other central European countries. We dropped off the car in Paris and flew home...

Rented a Chevette in Lodi once. Drove it to Stockton,....and then thumbed back.

Didn't buy the insurance.

.....So, there's that.

You know that isn't true... You have no credit, no credit card, a red flag driving history and no one in their right mind would rent a car (even a Chevette) to an Irish Canadian!

 

[beemerdons]

)...We took the family to Europe several years ago and used a British Air Pass. This allowed us to fly into London from San Francisco. Then we were able to fly to Moscow and then back to London. From there we flew to Frankfurt and then picked up a car and did a huge loop around the continent. ( we took the car into Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and most of the other central European countries. We dropped off the car in Paris and flew home...

Rented a Chevette in Lodi once. Drove it to Stockton,....and then thumbed back.

Didn't buy the insurance.

.....So, there's that.

Say Old Michael, when you thumbed back to Lodi, you didn't happen to get picked up by a grey bearded older gentleman from Sacramento, who offered you some candy and a shiny new red bicycle, did you? Goes by the name of Mike and usually runs with a pack of lesbians! jes' sayin'

 

[cruppelt]

I go back to Germany as often as I can since I was born and raised in the Munich area, and all my family's still there as well. Two good options for car rental reservations are travelocity through Yahoo (I went through them yet again for my upcoming trip in May), or also through Costco if you're a member. Both ways are hundreds of dollars cheaper for a two week rental compared to booking directly.

On insurance check what credit cards you have; some but not all Platinum cards have dececent coverage, the best cards are usually the ones that are tied to an Airline (I usually use my Alaska Airlines Mastercard), Amex as previously stated is great as well.

As other folks also stated already, gas is premium in central Europe, nevertheless I need to get my Autobahn fix every so often, so personally need too rent a car every time I go.

Train really is a great alternative for two people, I just checked a couple of weeks ago about going to Frankfurt from Munich by train vs. car to visit some family up there; the train ride (ICE fast train) was only 3 hours and would have been cheaper for two tickets than the gas needed, by car it takes close to 5 hours, closer to 4 if you haul major ***, which you can't anymore on long stretches since there are more and more speed limits posted. Unfortunately for me the five train tickets I would have needed for me and my family are still more money than the gas needed, so I'll take the car after all...

Have fun on your trip!

 

[beemerdons]

)...We took the family to Europe several years ago and used a British Air Pass. This allowed us to fly into London from San Francisco. Then we were able to fly to Moscow and then back to London. From there we flew to Frankfurt and then picked up a car and did a huge loop around the continent. ( we took the car into Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and most of the other central European countries. We dropped off the car in Paris and flew home...

Rented a Chevette in Lodi once. Drove it to Stockton,....and then thumbed back.

Didn't buy the insurance.

.....So, there's that.

You know that isn't true... You have no credit, no credit card, a red flag driving history and no one in their right mind would rent a car (even a Chevette) to an Irish Canadian from Manitoba!

I fixed it for you Dr. Itch, you failed to mention that OM was originally from Manitoba. They won't even rent Yugo's to "those people"! jes' sayin'

 

[beemerdons]

https://downloads.raileurope.com/brochure/2011_us/eot_2011.pdf Greg, Here is everything you need to know about Eurail passes and possible trip itineraries. Join their mailing list for any updates!

Caution: Watch out for Italian pickpockets in the Main Rome Train Station! Move your wallet to your front pocket or wear a money belt. They all look like our johnny80s!

 

[phroenips]

You can also fly "open-jaw," that is, fly into one city, drive a rental or take the train wherever you want, then fly out of another city. It's generally not any more expensive than a regular round-trip flight.

and Don mentioned pickpockets...he outta know since he's an expert picker himself! Seriously though, if you see commotion in a train station for example, pockets are being picked. Old lady falls down the escalator? Step back. Rick Steves has some good info on this stuff, and you can generally find his books and DVDs at the library.

 

[beemerdons]

You can also fly "open-jaw," that is, fly into one city, drive a rental or take the train wherever you want, then fly out of another city. It's generally not any more expensive than a regular round-trip flight.

and Don mentioned pickpockets...he outta know since he's an expert picker himself! Seriously though, if you see commotion in a train station for example, pockets are being picked. Old lady falls down the escalator? Step back. Rick Steves has some good info on this stuff, and you can generally find his books and DVDs at the library.

phroenips has made two great points! Three actually, we Irish are some of the best pickpockets in the World; only bested by the ****'s!

1) https://www.ricksteves.com/ Rick Steves is an EXCELLENT travel resource. He kind of reminds me of that dork on our FJR Forum, FJRBluesman; but he really does have the inside information on getting the best out of touring Europe, by either car, rail or plane.

2) +1, Gunny on the "open-jaw" flights. I did not know that it was not any more expensive to fly into one city and then out of another until my BMW Buddy Uri Schumm and I flew to Spain to ride motorcycles back in 2006. I always thought that this process would cost you more money, but phroenips is right on: It has been proven to me that it is not any more expensive than a regular round-trip flight. Uri and I took a flight to Madrid and then a train to Malaga to pick up our BMW Rental bikes. Two weeks of riding Andalucia, Portugal and Gibraltar and then turned in our Beemers. Then a high speed first class express coach from Malaga to Barcelona followed by our flight home to Phoenix. You should have seen this "bus"; it was plush, with a pretty Spanish stewardess serving us port and tapas the whole way along the route beside the Mediterranean Sea. I have never been on a "bus" as fancy as that in my life!

 

[fljab]

I'm late getting into this; I've rented in Europe many times, usually Germany as I like the Garmisch/Partenkirchen area well; I was stationed there once upon a time so it's like going home.

Rentals are easy esp. if you shop here. But, as a few have said, you might look at a combo rental car/public transport. All major airports have a train station in them so it shouldn't be a big deal to train into an appropriate airport, pick up your car, then drop off and train it again.

Wife & I are looking at our next trip and will probably do it in Jan'12 for the cheap rates and this time will be public transport all the way.

Another thing about public is that you get to actually meet/mingle with the citizens! Usually good, sometimes not but still a better experience IMO, plus, after you get to understand it, it's NO STRESS like trying to figure out how to get from the Mitterer Ring to Widenmayerstrasse during rush hour...

 

[beemerdons]

I'm late getting into this; I've rented in Europe many times, usually Germany as I like the Garmisch/Partenkirchen area well; I was stationed there once upon a time so it's like going home.

Rentals are easy esp. if you shop here. But, as a few have said, you might look at a combo rental car/public transport. All major airports have a train station in them so it shouldn't be a big deal to train into an appropriate airport, pick up your car, then drop off and train it again.

Wife & I are looking at our next trip and will probably do it in Jan'12 for the cheap rates and this time will be public transport all the way.

Another thing about public is that you get to actually meet/mingle with the citizens! Usually good, sometimes not but still a better experience IMO, plus, after you get to understand it, it's NO STRESS like trying to figure out how to get from the Mitterer Ring to Widenmayerstrasse during rush hour...

+1, Gunny! Oh Man fljab, when were you stationed at in Germany and where were you at? From the Mitterer Ring to Widenmayerstrasse is downtown Munchen; and I know Munich, Bayerische like the back of my hand! I was in Augsburg, Germany stationed at Reiss Kaserne for all of 1969 and 1970.

I was the Company Sergeant of the 5/32nd Artillery Battalion, we were an Honest John Rocket Unit. My wife Judy and I went down to Garmisch/Partenkirchen area every time I could get a three day pass and stayed at the General Patton Hotel; went downhill skiing on the Zugspitze Mountain!

https://www.grafenwoehr.army.mil/ I spent at least a third of my two years at the Grafenwoehr Training Fields doing live fires alongside of our NATO allies. I had a great time en Deutschland, good friendships were made and many good times are remembered!

 

[PhilJet09]

I've rented in Switzerland (we never stay long enough in other countries to do this) many times with no problems. Corporate Amex card for insurance.

 

[Aasland]

It is a very likely that I will go to Norway this summer, and need to rent a car while I am there. Has anyony done this? Any problems with insurance, licences ect?

TIA

Greg

I grew up in Norway. If you get a car in Oslo and drive south, you're missing the best parts of Europe (unless you prefer big dirty cities over mountains and fjords). I would suggest you leave Oslo and go north and see Geiranger, Trollstigen, and Ålesund. Heck, go all the way to Nordkapp, then go south. When you run out of time go back to Oslo. Then, on a second trip, start in Amsterdam and go south ;-)

Mass transit in Norway and Europe in general is very good ... near population centers. Get out of the cities and you'll want/need a car.

Read the rental car insurance policy on your credit cards very carefully. Some only cover the deductible and are only valid as secondary insurance to your 'normal' auto insurance.

 

[fljab]

+1, Gunny! Oh Man fljab, when were you stationed at in Germany and where were you at? From the Mitterer Ring to Widenmayerstrasse is downtown Munchen; and I know Munich, Bayerische like the back of my hand! I was in Augsburg, Germany stationed at Reiss Kaserne for all of 1969 and 1970.

I was the Company Sergeant of the 5/32nd Artillery Battalion, we were an Honest John Rocket Unit. My wife Judy and I went down to Garmisch/Partenkirchen area every time I could get a three day pass and stayed at the General Patton Hotel; went downhill skiing on the Zugspitze Mountain!

https://www.grafenwoehr.army.mil/ I spent at least a third of my two years at the Grafenwoehr Training Fields doing live fires alongside of our NATO allies. I had a great time en Deutschland, good friendships were made and many good times are remembered!

You were there before and longer than I was for sure. I did duty at NATO school Oberammergau; just up the road from Garmisch/Partenkirchen. My wife and I talk of when we both get retired that we'll sell out and rent someplace thataway for until we get tired of it.

I still have a couple of Dept. of the Army civilian contacts that work @ Natoschool. I love it there; I'm retired Navy CPO and usually stay on the Garmisch Army base @ the Edelweiss cabins. Cheaper than the resort and transpo is at the bus stop right outside the gate. Oh, yeah, the General Patton is gone now; torn down some time back.

I was riding submarines and frigates "back in the day", so the Nato duty was a great change. I was last in Munchen (which I pronounce "Munchkin"!) for Oktoberfest '09; I can't drink them big liter jugs of beer from the faderland like the old days, but man I try!

I know one thing tho, if I went to live even for a summer, I'd sure have to have a sport bike/FJR or whatever! Last time there were bikes all over and dang I was jealous driving my rented Ford minivan...

 

[BikerGeek99]

Greg, all I can say is I still find it incredibly disturbing that you were allowed to reproduce.

I thought there were rules against that.



Sounds like a trip of a lifetime. Be sure to share pictures with us, and get us some of dat dere yer-a-pee-in food ****, mm-kay?

 

[gregory]

Greg, all I can say is I still find it incredibly disturbing that you were allowed to reproduce.

I thought there were rules against that.



There were some mention of "rules" but it was too dark to read them at the time!

Sounds like a trip of a lifetime. Be sure to share pictures with us, and get us some of dat dere yer-a-pee-in food ****, mm-kay?

 

[zenwhipper]

It is a very likely that I will go to Norway this summer, and need to rent a car while I am there. Has anyony done this? Any problems with insurance, licences ect?

TIA

Greg

Travel guru Rick Steve's has some good information.

https://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/carrental.htm

Scott

 

[FJR Flyer]

Rented in Ireland for our honeymoon and in France. Check with your credit card. Most have some sort of liability coverage, but they don't cover every country. Call them to get specific info for where you're going.

+1 on taking the train. Was in Paris and was going to drive to Bordeaux. Didn't feel great so we took the TGV and picked up the car at the train station. Best move of the whole trip.

 

[gregory]

Thanks everybody!

Hugh amount of information to sift through. Not quite sure how this trip will pan out, but rest assurd, there will be a non ride report that follows (and yes Andy, there will be food ****!) :yahoo:

 

[beemerdons]

Thanks everybody!

...(and yes Andy, there will be food ****!) :yahoo:

Screw Andy! You are going to be in Copenhagen with those hot Danish girls, post up your personal pictures of real Denmark ****! jes' sayin'

 

[BikerGeek99]

Thanks everybody!

Hugh amount of information to sift through. Not quite sure how this trip will pan out, but rest assurd, there will be a non ride report that follows (and yes Andy, there will be food ****!) :yahoo:

I expect nothing but the best from you.

Screw Andy! You are going to be in Copenhagen with those hot Danish girls, post up your personal pictures of real Denmark ****! jes' sayin'

DUDE! He's gonna be there with his daughter, fer cyinoutloud! :huh: