My stories are usually about places I visit. But behind each place, there is often another story. The story of how we got there. Today I am going to share that story. Buckle up, because this story is likely to have some bumps (maybe even a pothole or two), as I share with you what it has been like driving rental cars around Europe. Sometimes the rental car is a big part of the adventure! Reading this article should leave you feeling like a pro, as I have learned many lessons the hard way and now maybe you don’t have to.
Deciding to rent a car in Europe
For most of my life, I never had the slightest thought of renting a car. The convenience of hopping on a train, tram, or bus, and coming out smack in the center of whatever European city I was visiting, was super convenient. I loved that about Europe. But about ten years ago, I decided to rent a car. We were a group of 7, and I was on a tight budget. We got cheap plane tickets to Paris, but our destination was Switzerland. And that is where this adventure begins!
Manual vs. Automatic Transmission
The best deal on a rental car always seems to have a manual transmission, and back then, I really needed a good deal. My first car back in the 90’s was a stick shift, so I figured for the money it saved, surely I could make it work. While I couldn’t remember the last time I actually drove a stick shift, I was sure it was like learning to ride a bike. Once you knew, you knew. So off we went; everyone hopeful it would be that easy.
We landed in Paris, very tired, and went to pick up the car. I waived the insurance (I travel with a credit card with excellent coverage), signed all the paperwork, and I was handed the keys to my very first rental car in Europe! We quickly located it in the parking lot and loaded up our bags. And my education on renting cars in Europe began then and there…
Operating the stick shift:
We were ready to hit the open roads of Paris. I put the car (technically it was called a van) into reverse, but it inched forward?! Hmmmm….strange, I thought. So I tried it again. It inched forward again. My sister got out to watch so I wouldn’t hit the pole in front of the car. I put it in reverse, and again, it lurched forward. I couldn’t take any more chances going forward into the pole, so back inside the airport I went to sheepishly ask for assistance.
The rental car agent didn’t speak much English, but with the limited English he did speak, he clearly explained that there was a “lever, like a revolver” and I had to press it to change gears. He backed it up a bit, and I gave it a try, this time squeezing the lever, and sure enough, it moved backwards. For the next two weeks, whenever I shifted into reverse or first, I never knew whether or not the car would go forward or backwards. We survived unscathed, but it didn’t dawn on me until many months later that “squeezing the lever” was a safety feature for putting the car in reverse. Had I only squeezed it when I wanted to go into reverse (which was probably a key detail lost in translation) instead of every time I shifted, everything would have been fine. Instead, I have memories of telling everyone in the car, “Okay, I am not sure if we are going to go forwards or backwards, but here we go….” Let’s just say my car in the 90’s wasn’t this complicated.
Photo above: My first rental car in Europe with the 5 + 2 seating. This little hatchback “van” accommodates 7 people and luggage.
Everything is smaller in Europe
The standard mini-van: My first rental car was classified as a “van,” because two seats popped out of the floor in the trunk and made a makeshift “third row.” I don’t think this would count as a van in America. But we made it work.
Limited trunk space: We played a game of Tetris to get our carry-on luggage to fit in the crevice of a trunk that remained with the third row seats up. We just had to hold it long enough to close the back hatch.
The roads and general infrastructure: The cars and vans have to be small to fit on the small roads and to navigate the tight infrastructure across Europe. Forget personal space or needing a personal bubble, there is rarely any cushion on the streets of Europe. No space is wasted — a biker, a moped, a bus, whatever can fit, shares the limited space. Sometimes I am driving on a “road” that I swear looks like a bike path yet accommodates two-way traffic. I learned that I need far less space than I once thought possible. To be honest, this translates to everything in Europe.
Photo above: This tiny truck in Bern, Switzerland is the perfect size for navigating European streets!
Vacation is over, but the cost may not be
Surprise! You got a speeding ticket! (or some other ticket…)
Overall, that first trip went well enough overall that we repeated most of it the next year. I had figured out the whole stick shift situation and thought the worst was behind me. While this second time around there was still a bit of a learning curve on my part, I was surprised when a little radar box flashed in my face as I was peacefully driving high up into the alps one evening. It really wasn’t that clear what the speed limit was in this spot. I ruminated for days over my speed and what the cost might be. Fast forward to a month or more later, I received a $35 administrative fee from the car rental agency on my credit card (for them to pass along my information), soon followed by a fine of 40CHF in the mail from Switzerland. I was clocked going 1KM over the speed limit. To be sure we are all on the same page here, this is not even 1 mile over the speed limit! Yet they tracked me down 7,000 miles away to make me pay it. As annoying as it was, at least it was only 1km over! I was able to pay it over the phone using a credit card.
Remarkably, that has been the only speeding ticket that I know about. But there have been other times I am pretty sure I saw a flash, or that I may have been caught speeding and the thought ruined my day. Another time in Italy, where it seemed all the cars in the left lane were going 140km+ (the upper number is better kept a secret), I decided to go with the flow for hours. I kept seeing a sign overhead in Italian that looked like it might have something to do with speed, but the other cars didn’t seem to slow down. I later read online that it tracks license plates from point to point to calculate speed and issue tickets. I had panic attacks for months afterwards that I would be receiving thousands of dollars in fines (I didn’t receive any thankfully), as unlike other cars that came on and off the road, I was driving from northern Italy to Rome.
I really feel like every time I rent a car in Europe, I am risking a hefty ticket. And every time I think I might’ve drove slightly too fast past a speed camera, I get anxious. It seems like they place the speed traps in strategic places; places one is most likely to speed (like when the speed suddenly drops down out of nowhere for one minute and bam, there is a camera, and then the speed increases back to normal). I am always terrified a ticket is ebbing its way to my mailbox. It hangs over me like a dark cloud. At least back home, I know when I am caught speeding and how much it is going to cost me. And there is a chance I will only get a warning.
Photo above: The warning sign that there is a speed camera ahead in France. The round sign with the 70 is the typical European Speed Limit sign.
Photo above: An Italian sign warning they are monitoring the speed. If you are going over 70km, you might get a ticket.
Photo above: Overhead speed cameras often found on major roads in Europe. Brake lights go on right before here.
Photo above: A road-side speed camera, found all over the place in Europe.
Surprise! You got billed for rental car damages!
It really is a miracle I have not scratched or dented, or totaled, a car in Europe (yet). But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been charged for damages. Two years ago, after things reopened from the Covid shutdown era, prices for everything seemed to surge. Including rental cars. To get a reasonable price, on a manual transmission van, we had to pick it up in Versailles, outside of Paris. They brought me a high-mileage banged up vehicle with a large dent in the side. I was emailed a copy of a digital report with the damage and told not to worry. I babied that dented up vehicle anyways, for the next two weeks. I certainly didn’t want to add to the damage. And then came the return…
I returned it to the Paris airport (CDG), in a hurry, as we had a flight to catch and traffic was terrible that morning. I had filled the tank in advance and handed off the key to the attendant. He made his way around the car, to the dent, and made some funny sounds before pointing it out to me. I made a chuckle or two, rolled my eyes, and told him I got the car that way; he should check the report (the report documented 39 incidents of damage, of which none had been fixed)! But, he said there was no record and I could not get the internet to pull the report up on my cell phone. I refused to sign anything accepting damage and he told me I could email the report when I got home. However, before I even landed back in America, Avis France had charged me thousands of dollars in damages. I had primary rental car insurance on my credit card, but the damages weren’t mine so I couldn’t claim them.
I spent weeks making international calls to Avis France and the specific rental locations, complaints on social media, and emails with the report showing the damage asking for help. I am not sure what a “Karen” is, but I may have been a Karen. If they answered the phone, they would hang up on me. If they said they would research it, they never did. I finally filed a complaint with my credit card company and sent them the report showing the damages. After a month or two, they reversed the charge in my favor. But Avis France never contacted me, apologized, nor to my knowledge, fixed anything.
I rented a car last month from Alamo France in Strasbourg that had damages. They also said all the damage was recorded electronically and they didn’t even give me a copy. I was nervous given my past experience. They told me to take my own photos of the damages, which I did. Thankfully, I had no problems returning the car to Paris Airport (CDG) this time around. But the thought this could be another nightmare certainly was in the back of my mind, the whole trip.
This reminds me of one more rental car story. A few years ago, we did a road-trip in Greece and rented cars from Athens airport. The car I was given was all banged up. We walked around the car, marking each spot that had damage on a sheet of paper. I kept pointing out more and more problems, and the man assured me not to worry. Finally, the agent took his pen, and circled the whole car and handed it back to me telling me “the whole car is damaged, now you don’t need to worry anymore!” So while I have been lucky so far not to get any dents or dings, clearly others have been less lucky!
Could I buy some peace of mind?
Sometimes I wonder if I should just take the expensive insurance offered at the car rental counter, just for peace of mind. Expedia offers their discounted insurance when booking the car, but that isn’t any different or better than the free insurance through my credit card. But maybe the really expensive one at the rental car would be different.
I am just not convinced that being able to drop the car off in any condition, without financial concern or the headache of having to deal with claims, is going to make me care less about scraping walls or banging into other cars. Every car rental, I feel like I am always starting fresh navigating the tight streets and parking spaces, and it is this adjustment that stresses me out. So for me, it seems a reality that I am going to have some stress related to having a rental car in Europe. However, when I drop it off without any incident, it feels a bit rewarding and like I have accomplished something big! So sometimes it maybe balances out. And perhaps I earn a little peace of mind, after each new experience.
Photo above: A full-size car (not van) that we rented from Alamo in Strasbourg last month. It’s a lot easier to find a car for five people, than six or more.
Parking is the hardest part of driving in Europe
Remember, everything is smaller in Europe
I mentioned that everything in Europe is smaller. There is nowhere, where this is more apparent to me, than when trying to park. Somehow I manage to slide my rental car through narrow cobblestone alleys, around the tightest of corners (when others have clearly failed), and coast through claustrophobic traffic. I manage. Until I have to park. This is when my blood pressure begins its rise, my heart ticks up a few ten notches, and I break out into a nervous sweat. This is the primary stressor for me when renting a car in Europe.
Parking garages
The worst is the parking garage. My heart jumps at the narrow entrance, intruding down into a black hole of the unknown. Once I go for it, there will be no turning around. I am committing to whatever nightmare waits me down there. It often starts with a narrow lane that has a steep and colorful curb, showing off all the paint jobs it has ruined over the years. I begin my very slow descent, sometimes with a trail of impatient cars behind me, and pass a warning about a really low ceiling (is my car going to fit, I wonder?!). So far only one rental van was too tall. I then usually take a ticket and drive at an angle taking a short turn, trying not to add my own scrape to the wall, or overly annoy the cars behind me. And then I hope that I can fit somewhere, into one spot, without incident. It doesn’t matter how many times I pull it off successfully, every time I feel panic. I know it only takes one wrong move or brain fart, and there will be a scrape or bang.
Needless to say, I prefer parking lots. Something about being able to size up what I am dealing with, out in the open, reduces some of the parking stress. But that isn’t always an option. In recent years, I search the internet for the best place to park large vehicles and this has helped me avoid some of the worst parking garages. But just last month I parked a block or two away from the Louvre, deep underground, and I swore I was never driving in Europe again! And it cost a 30 EUR parking fee for the privilege!
Special parking spaces and rules
Street parking can also be a great option. In fact, it can even be free, and most spots are free of cost in the evenings, weekends, and holidays. But it too can be tricky. Some parking zones are only for residents or require a parking clock to be placed in the window (which isn’t usually in the rental car). I usually take a photo of my car’s license plate, so I can pay for street parking at the meters, using the plate number. Sometimes there is even a QR code that I scan at the parking meter, and use to pay for parking from anywhere in the city. This works great for topping off the meter with more time if a meal runs long.
However, I recently was in a city where the entire city had a 3 hour parking limit so even though I had moved my car around and used different meters, it would no longer allow me to add anymore time for the day within the city. My only option was to relocate to the parking garage. And you all know how much I liked that!
What are bumpers for?
Which reminds me of a time I was visiting Greece about 20 years ago, couch surfing with my brother. Our host took us to some key sights outside of Athens with his little car, and when we needed to park, he wedged his way into the tiniest spot, pushing the cars in front and back to make room. “That’s what the bumper is for!” he told us. This always crosses my mind when parking on the streets.
Photo above: The parking garage near Petite France in Strasbourg.
Getting (and needing) an international driver's license
Speaking of Greece, I used to ponder whether or not I needed to get an international driver’s permit (IDP) for renting a car in Europe. It’s not very convenient for me to do so, so it is not something I will do unless I think I will need it. They are only good for one year. And the nearest AAA office that sells them where I live is a 2-hour drive (one way). Usually, as long as my driver’s license is in English, I don’t need the international driver’s permit supplement. However, there was one time I needed one so keep reading!
The day before embarking on a trip to Greece back in 2019, which included a road-trip around the Peloponnese peninsula, Google whispered to me that Greece was one of the few countries requiring the international driver’s license or permit (IDP)!?? I was slightly doubtful because I had never been required to have one anywhere else, but further research confirmed I could be denied the car and then our whole trip would be ruined. So I took off from work and made a sudden day-trip to the AAA to get one. Boy was I glad I got it. When I went to pick up the rental car at the Athens airport, the employee had this odd look on his face as he asked me for my international driver’s permit (IDP). He seemed to dread the question. It was like he wasn’t sure if the deal was actually going to go down. When I pulled it out and presented it proudly, the conversation picked up and the process could continue. It appears it is still required to rent a car in Greece, so be sure to have one when you visit if you plan to rent a car. We met a family on the tram in Athens who shared they were stuck in Athens because they failed to get the permit.
Going to great lengths to get an affordable rental car
Agreeing to rent a car with a manual transmission is not the only way to save money on rental cars. Nope, it seems the more inconveniences I am willing to accept, the more money I can save. Lately, I have had to go searching for the right vehicle to find the right price. I already shared earlier that I once got a far better price picking up a rental car in Versailles (just outside Paris) rather than getting it directly at the airport. But last summer, I was forced to get even more creative. I found a manual “minibus” in Saarbrucken, Germany, for $1,000+ less than renting the cheapest (tiniest) van option from the Paris area. I had never heard of the town before. But I searched prices for vans at every town along the route of the road-trip I was planning. We would be driving from Paris, France to Wurzburg, Germany, and then go south down the Romantic Road. And Saarbrucken had the best deal, by far. As inconvenient as this must sound, it actually worked out pretty good. We took a high speed train from Paris to Saarbrucken, significantly reducing our travel time both ways. And this was the biggest most luxurious van we have ever rented, which everyone enjoyed. And the price, well it was perfect!
Photo above: The minibus we rented from Hertz in Saarbrucken Germany.
The fine print on the rental car contract
Taking the car into another country
Last month, I was caught off guard when I learned that I would have to pay an extra fee if I wanted to take my rental out of France. Usually, most European countries are included in the base fare. I declined to pay the additional fee and parked at the Swiss border and walked into the country instead. This was one of the few times I walked to a different country.
Limited or unlimited mileage
Other things to make note of is the included mileage. Usually, when I rent from the airport, the vehicle comes with unlimited mileage. But, in cases where I am picking the car up away from the airport to save money, it often comes with a limited mileage allowance. I know this up front and use Google Maps to plot out the miles of my road-trip to make sure I am going to stay within the limit (or know in advance how much extra I might pay to be sure I will be saving money with this rental choice). On a trip into Spain a couple of years ago, we decided to park our van in Girona and take a train to Barcelona to save some miles (and also not have to park in the city). The miles saved paid for the efficient ride into the heart of the city. We were able to keep our road trip right under the included allotment.
Toll roads galore! (and how to avoid them)
Google is great at getting me around Europe. It gives me options with toll roads and without toll roads. Obviously the toll roads are quicker and thus enticing. So I have found myself on many toll roads over the years, including a very expensive highway tunnel through the Alps from Italy into France (this is the most expensive toll road I have been on so far). The tolls really add up over a two week trip and make the required 40 CHF motorway vignette in Switzerland a good deal (you can buy this at the border).
Paying the toll
Over the past ten years, it seems like the toll booths themselves have been improved to take credit cards with tap, without any problem. This is the most convenient way to get through. However, there have been a few times that I have come across a toll booth that had a malfunctioning card reader or only took cash (this is when I know I am off the beaten path). So I try to always have some Euros on me, just in case. And a back up credit card; you never know when one gets a fraud trigger and leaves you stranded at the toll booth blocking traffic.
Choosing the correct lane and paying at the toll booth
I have learned I need to be sure to drive through the correct lane. The toll booths usually have a symbol above the lane with the type of payment accepted in that lane. I always look for one that shows cards. Sometimes toll roads are a flat fee, and the fee will be posted as you approach the toll booth. But in other cases, the toll varies based on the distance you travel and so you take a card (don’t lose it!) and when you exit, it reads the card and tells you the fare. These fares usually range somewhere between a few Euros to under 20 Euros. In any case, if you don’t want to deal with tolls or toll booths, you can always choose a more scenic route without tolls. I try to do this sometimes, but then Google asks Gary if he wants to take the quicker route it just found and he says yes, and suddenly we are at a toll booth after all.
Exits before and after the booth
If you are paying attention, there will be a sign warning you before there is a toll booth so you can exit beforehand. In France, for example, the tolls are marked as “Peage.” Sometimes the toll booth can cause a bit of traffic. I recall one time going through a busy toll booth with about 20 lanes that reduced down to two lanes on the other side. I had to get really aggressive and push my rental car into the traffic. It was such a mess, but it was also kind of funny as I would never see something like that work back home. Aggressive driving is an asset sometimes.
Photo above: Showing a French toll booth, and the lanes with various labels.
And roundabouts, too!
Since I mentioned toll booths, I must surely also mention roundabouts. I mean, when I fly into Paris, and I look out the plane’s window as it gets close to the city, I can’t help but notice all the roundabouts below. They are everywhere.
In Paris, I drove into the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe. I couldn’t really tell how many lanes there were, but I am sure there were at least ten lanes circling this roundabout. When I didn’t know where to exit or how to get over, I just kept going around the circle until I was ready and able to get out. Usually roundabouts are single laned, or up to two or three lanes at most. I have never really figured out the multiple lanes, so I try to stick to the outer lane until I come to my exit. So far, that has always worked out for me. No one has honked at me yet, and Europeans are not shy about honking.
There is one roundabout in the Alsace region of France that has a Statue of Liberty inside it. The 12-meter replica was placed there in commemoration of Bartholdi, the famed sculpture of the original statue, who was from this area in France. So sometimes it makes sense to drive around the roundabout a couple extra times, to get a good view of something.
In recent years, my little hometown has gotten a few roundabouts and I felt like an immediate pro, while the rest of town learned how to navigate them. They really are pretty efficient for moving traffic and now that I got the hang of them, I prefer them to sitting at a stop light for sure.
Photo above: A simple country-side roundabout with a single lane.
Photo above: The many laned roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
This thing is a diesel? Getting gas in Europe
So sooner or later, we always need gas. I have had one or two rental cars that were diesel, to my surprise! I have learned to ask what type of fuel the car takes when I pick it up. Usually you can also see this when you pop the tank and see the sticker inside telling you. But just in case, I have found it is best to ask.
Gas prices may seem cheap, but they are not. Gas is sold by the liter, not the gallon, and is usually more expensive than gas in America. However, European vehicles are more gas efficient, so all-in-all the expenses for gas seem reasonable.
Gassing up is a similar process to what I am used to back home. Usually the pump has a card reader, or if not, I can go inside and pay. Gas stations often have bathrooms, a store, souvenirs, and sometimes even a cafe or restaurant inside. I always need to gas it up one last time before I return the rental car, and usually there is a gas station at or near the airport. But when I am unsure, I just check Google maps or set my GPS to the nearest gas station. In most cases, gas pumps are automated and the station doesn’t have to be open for me to get gas (which is good because early flights wait for no one, not even gas stations to open).
Crossing the border, oh wait, we already did
I used to get nervous when crossing the border between countries. I wasn’t nervous about not being let in, to clarify, but I was nervous about having the passports ready and interacting with someone in another language. Or maybe worried they would out me as a fraud (do I really know how to drive a stick?).
However, nowadays, once you are in mainland Europe, borders seem seamless. Sometimes we don’t even know if we have crossed into the other country until we see the license plates or road signs in the new language. When driving from the EU into Switzerland (not EU), there are border agents and there is a line of stopped cars. But these cars are not showing their passports; they are buying the motorway vignette which covers the tolls for all the roads in Switzerland. If you don’t need one, you can follow the line of cars driving straight through the border. And if you walk, there is no one manning the crossing.
Ten years, and still going strong
I never imagined I would still be renting cars in Europe. There have been several stressful times that made me feel like I never wanted to drive there again. Mostly these times were related to parking or worries about speeding tickets. But, somehow I keep driving over there. We have made some amazing road-trips to see places only accessible with a car. I wouldn’t want to have missed out on those.
However, as it has gotten harder to find a full-size van that can fit my now adult-sized children (they grow up so fast) for a reasonable price. We have ventured onto trains and buses on recent trips, or added a leg by train here or there.
We spent a week in Athens last year and didn’t rent a car at all (well, accept to get back to the airport). We stayed in the city the whole week. And my kids said they really liked that better than driving around. And last Christmas, we did a loop through Southern Spain (Madrid, Seville, Granada, and Cordoba) and we took the train or bus between all locations. We didn’t have to worry about parking when booking our accommodations. We could stay smack in the center of Old Town and walk everywhere, or hop a tram or taxi if we needed a lift. It was nice, and we have begun to realize we might not always need a rental car. When we did the Loire Valley in France, the Romantic Road in Germany, or the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, a car was necessary. And those road-trips, outside major cities, were much less stressful to navigate. But it is renting a car to go places where a car is not necessary (and becomes a burden), that ends up being the more stressful car-renting experiences for me.
Photo above: Senanque Abbey in southern France
Photo above: The Ochres of Luberon, Roussillon, in France.
Photo above: Corinth, Peloponnese peninsula in Greece.
Photo above: Road-trip in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Photo above: Road-trip through the Loire Valley in France
Photo above: Rocamadour, France!
Maybe we should just take the train
The first time our whole family traveled to Europe, I told Gary we didn’t need a rental car. I backpacked Europe in my twenties just fine hopping across countries using public transportation. And I had lived in Europe several times without a car. It had never crossed my mind that I would be better off with a car. I told Gary how it is so much more convenient to take fast trains and pop out in the middle of the action, wherever it is we are going. He insisted he was only going if we rented a car. So we rented a car. It was a small consolation to be traveling.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was working on the details for our upcoming summer trip to Spain, Gary asked me why we can’t just take the train? He told me how much more convenient it is. He pointed out how well it worked when we did the Southern Spain loop last Christmas, and that we didn’t have to worry about parking. Everyone has space, the kids can surf the Internet, and someone comes around with coffee and snacks, he said. And the train goes so fast, almost half as fast as the airplane. I probably just looked at him a bit bewildered. After all these years, here he was insisting we take the train!
I think the whole family is happy about it, though. I told my oldest daughter who decided to come last minute on this trip, that now the rental car I had reserved would no longer work for our group size. She told me, “Mom, rental cars just stress you out anyways.” Later that day, I told my youngest daughter that we might not rent a car after all, and she said, “Mom, rental cars just stress you out anyways.” Yes, they can. And guess what, I am so excited now that I know I won’t have to deal with the rental car this trip! If you have read this full post, you understand why I am shouting “Yay!” But, with a love-hate relationship for rental cars, I might just miss it.
