My wife and I are going to see Europe before Kids come. We have never been there. We are flying into and out of Rome, but would like to see Northern Italy, Southern Germany, and some of Austria.
Several people have told us, to rent a car. It gives you more freedom, you can venture into small towns, stay at bed and breakfast houses, etc. Discover your journey along the way. Supposedly it is cheaper too. The idea of complete freedom is very nice and we were going to do this.
In the last couple of days several other people keep telling us that driving will be this huge headache, there is no parking, traffic, etc.
We want to see more than just some big cities. We are not city people and would love to get some of the local flavor.
Now we don’t know what to do. I understand cars, and I feel comfortable with cars. I don’t understand trains. Once I arrive at my destination, how will I get to my hotel? Taxi? How will I get to where I want to go in that city? Taxi? Those taxi bills are pilling up.
The idea of walking out of a B&B with my luggage and throwing it into the back of a car is so much more appealing than get to the train station, buing tickets, etc. But everyone keeps telling me how great those trains are…
What is the easiest and cheapest solution for clueless Americans?
As a diehard “never rent a car on vacation unless absolutely necessary” guy, who has spent some great times in Europe over the years (a lot spent in Germany, but not Italy) just remember, the DUI laws are incredibly stringent in EU countries, so if you do end up with a rental car, plan on refraining from ANY alcohol on days when driving, until parking the car for the night…
As for me, trains in Europe are a great pleasure of the civilized world, and a few random taxi rides while travelling are just a part (sometimes an enjoyable part) of the experience.
Shrug, I’ve had great trips both ways. There are tons of local trains, but of course even those don’t get everywhere and they’re not the fancy ones people keep telling you about. Trains aren’t less clogged than the roads, by the way, but if you can avoid whatever the local rush hour happens to be you should be fine with either one. Italians drive like fucking maniacs, but you can always tack that under “adventures I experienced” (they’re not that much worse than Miamians on I-95, really).
One strike against renting a car, for you, may be this: in Europe, good luck getting an automatic transmission.
Oh: do NOT try to use a car as a way to move around a big European city. Public transportation ftw, promise.
I’ve never been to Italy, but spent a few months in Germany and did quite a few weekend trips.
In Europe, trains are part of the local flavor. I’ve struck up some great conversations of the train. And the stations are often the center (or very near it) of each town or city. You can buy a meal at the station and eat while you’re on the move, too. And there’ll be lots of tram and bus connections from the station, so getting around within the cities is pretty easy. (Small towns have good transit, too.) I’d encourage anyone to try it for part of the trip, at least.
(I should admit, I’m the sort who likes figuring out how to get around; checking the transit map, finding the best route to get somewhere. If your sense of adventure and problem solving is different from mine, you’ll appreciate it less. Also, trying to puzzle out the fare details in a foreign language can be tricky. I never did figure out the local/1-zone/2-zone thing for the town I was living in. Any staffed station will probably have someone who speaks English, or a ticket machine with multiple languages (look for a Union Jack).)
I rented a car for a weekend as well. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a thrill to hit 130 on the Autobahn. And I saw some places I wouldn’t have gotten to otherwise. If you’re gonna drive, do your homework first. It’s very disciplined. Keep to the right unless you’re passing someone. Never, never pass on the right. Look farther ahead and farther behind than you do here. You’ll catch up to slow traffic faster than you’re used, and the fast cars will come up behind you in a heartbeat, and expect you to get out of their way.
I agree with most that has been said before. Since I have just had my first experience driving in Canada and the US this summer I must say that if you’re only used to driving outside the big cities, don’t drive in Europe…if, on the other hand, you regularly drive in or around big cities (New York was the only place where people drove similarly to what I’m used to) there shouldn’t be a problem. As Nava said, you will not find an automatic rental and don’t drive in big Italian cities, those guys are crazy even by our standards - not to mention the scooters and vespas.
The car I rented was a diesel Mercedes, with an automatic transmission. It had a navigation system, too, which was very useful once I figured out how to switch it to English.
It all depends on what you want to see. If you’re sticking to larger cities and don’t have too many days, then use the train. If you want to go anywhere smaller, you’ll go crazy waiting for trains. There are tons of very scenic mountain towns throughout northern Italy and Austria that you’ll never get to by train, but you have to be into that sort of thing.
From what I sometimes read of US traffic rules questions and my very limited US experience my impression is that outside the really big cities like NYC driving is less stressful and more forgiving of errors than e.g. in Germany (There are definite regional differences - when I drive on from the German on to the Swiss autobahn driving becomes less tense at once).
Also in Italy you take your life into your hands when you rely on having the right of way when you have it, while in Germany you take your life into your hands when you assume having the right of way when you don’t have it
If your tour is of larger cities (pop. > 100k), trains have much to recommend. Avoid Friday afternoon to Sunday night as there are a lot of weekend commuters on the long distance trains. Local trains are often somewhat crowded (as in, not necessarily having a seat the whole time at peak times). If you can afford it, first class is worth the expense IMO. Train journeys can readily be planned on the web sites of the national rail companies e.g. http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml - you’ll see on the itinerary if a reservation is needed or recommended for a particular train.
OTOH if you want to visit attractions in the sticks (e.g. Neuschwanstein) driving is much more practical.
If you take a rental car, be sure to take one with a GPS navigation system - they can (AFAIK) invariably be set to English. If you take a wrong turn don’t panic and change direction at the next safe opportunity rather than immediately.
BTW my experience from hiking in Germany is that outside of tourist trap towns and high season you can just walk into a small town/village in the afternoon and ask at the next small hotel/guesthouse for a room - no need really to reserve ahead or to stick to a prepared itinerary. That of course applies still more to driving as you can always drive on to the next town.
(they’re not that much worse than Miamians on I-95, really).