Whether you are planning to get away for a long weekend or an odyssey through a number of countries, a road trip requires more preparation than a flight or even a train journey. However, the time investment is well worth it.
A road trip through different Europe countries can be an incredibly rewarding experience, as it gives you the ultimate flexibility. You can go exactly where and when you want. Besides, Europe's scenic roads are amongst the continent's highlights.
The unforgettable winding road along the Costiera Amalfitana © Pasquale Fusco/Unsplash
Before planning your European road trip, it is important that you and your travel companions agree on a draft plan of what you want to see, and at what pace you want to go, and then do the research and preparation needed to make the plan work.
European road trips, especially if they involve multiple countries, are more tiring than lying on one of the continent's beach, and you need to work out the balance leisure and exploration that feels right for you and your group.
Even if your plan is to go with the flow, and see where your inspiration takes you day by day, you still need to consider and decide on a number of things.
This is how I prepare for a road trip through Europe.
Finding your bearings in Siena © Wix
Tip #1 - Are you driving your own car or renting one?
You do not need to own a car to go on a road trip through Europe. As a matter of fact, renting a car is sometimes a better option!
Before we bought a car, we used to put the money we were saving by not maintaining a car towards saving for a nice car rental for our holiday! Renting would also give you the opportunity to try out an electric car if you have never driven one, or one with lower emissions than the one you own. Car rental companies are offering more and more electric vehicles, and the EV charging stations are cropping up all over the continent, although it is better to do your research .
An electric car charging point in Paris © Wix
Even if you own a car, you may prefer not to use it for a road trip. Maybe it is an old car and you are worried it may not handle the trip, maybe it is too small for the number of people travelling, or maybe using your car may not be the most cost-effective or efficient way to travel to some of the destinations you want to visit.
For example, you may prefer to use a high speed train to get to your first destination faster, and then rent a car there for just a part of the trip. Big cities are not ideal to move around by car; traffic restrictions, one-way systems, parking difficulties and costs may make travelling by car a challenge. It may make sense to visit the big city by train and then rent a car there to see some smaller places.
When taking your own car on the road trip, put it though a check-up before you leave to make sure it can handle the trip.
Also check your insurance policy and make sure it covers you for travel outside your national borders, especially for travel between the UK and EU countries.
Tip #2 - Consider the season
A road in the Dolomites in winter © Tim Stief/Unsplash
At risk of stating the obvious, a winter road trip is very different from a summer road trip. Europe can get very cold, even the southern part. Don't forget that Italy has a mountainous spine that stretches all the way to Calabria in the toe of the country. And to get to the beaches of the south of Spain you need to cross the sierras.
A winter road trip through Europe can be an incredible experience, if you and your car are ready for it.
Is your car winter-proofed? Make sure the heating works, buy a de-icer, and check if snow chains and/or tires are required for parts of your journey. More on that later.
If it snows or the fog is very thick, you may need to re-route part of your trip, as some roads may be closed or jammed, You also need to be aware of ice. Sometimes it is invisible, but especially if it is overcast or the side of the road you are driving on is in the shade, do take extra care.
It is very important to take into account the number of hours of day light when you design your itinerary. You may not mind driving in the dark, but trying to reach your B&B on the outskirts of a secluded village with no street lights is not ideal. I have done it, more than once!
In summer, it is all very different. The extended hours of day light mean you could drive on forever. However you may find the heat overbearing and prefer to do your driving early in the morning or late in the evening.
Tip #3 - Decide how many hours per day you want to travel
The season and number of hours of day light are not the only element to consider, when deciding how many hours a day you want to travel. At the end of the day, the goal of the trip is to give you new experiences, to make you happy, so it has to be right for you.
Think about your personality. Are you happy just taking a couple of pictures and driving on, or do you prefer to explore a destination in depth? Will you use your lunch break for a bit of sightseeing en route, and then resume your drive in the late afternoon.
When you sightsee, what do you like to sightsee? A castle in the countryside may only take an hour or so, a 10km hike up a mountain and back is a different story.
Also think about any hard deadlines. Do you want to pre=book activities at one of your destinations and therefore need to be there by a specific time?
A Tuscan road, a winter sunset © Luca Micheli/Unsplash
Key message. Plan a road trip to Europe that is right for you and your fellow travellers..
Tip #4 - Research routes
So much choice! © Gabriel Vasiliu/Unsplash
A road trip to Europe is about the journey, rather than one destination, And the beauty of it is that it can be tailored to your interests and those of your group. I love ancient history and architecture, my husband loves recent history and nature, and our road trips enable us to cater to all our interests.
Normally, we do a loop to see more things. So for example if we go to Berlin we may head out via the Netherlands and northern Germany and come back via Franconia or Bavaria, or even Czechia.
So start by finding the opposite end of the loop, and a couple of key destinations you absolutely want to see en route. Then, decide how many hours you want to drive per day. The rest of the trip will almost design itself.
Identify the destinations between your key stops, zooming in to discover smaller cities and villages. If any of them rings a bell from your readings or memories, research it. This is how we discovered some of our most loved destinations, such as the village of Semur-en-Auxois in Burgundy, which just happened to be between Auxerre and Berne where we were heading, or some of Germany's smaller and delightful thermal baths towns.
Semur en Auxois © Mr Xerty/Unsplash
Researching your route also helps you budgeting for your trip. Maps will tell you the cost of fuel and tolls, so you can weigh the pros and cons of say using the motorway as opposed to a national road.
Tip #5 - If you take motorways, research if and how you need to pay for them
There is no denying the fact that, if you need to cover long distances fast, you'll need to use a motorway. The good news is that European countries have an excellent motorways network. Since the abolition of national border controls between EU states in the 90's, motorways have been 'renamed' and 'rebranded.' So if you take a motorway between, say, Calais and Strasbourg, your motorway will have both a French motorway number starting with the letter 'A' for 'autoroute,', and a European motorway number stating with an 'E'. The European motorway continues past the national borders and can go all the way to Scandinavia, Eastern or southern Europe! The longest of them all, the E40, extends well beyond the EU, all the way to Kazakhstan!
Despite the rebranding of the motorways as European, there are differences between countries is in how you access the service.
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Motorways are free in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Scandinavia.
In France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, and Poland, you have to pay a toll, calculated on the basis of the distance you cover.
In Switzerland, Austria, and Eastern Europe, you will need to buy a reasonably priced vignette to stick on your car window to be allowed to use the motorways. In Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, you can normally buy tourist vignettes of different durations to suit your needs - from a few days up to a year. To travel through Switzerland, you will have to purchase a yearly vignette. This may sound like a rip-off if you only use the motorway once or twice, but if you consider the cost is comparable with what you spend going from one end of France or Italy to the opposite end once, it is actually reasonable. And it gives you the perfect excuse to revisit!
Alpine tunnels and passes deserve a dedicated section. With the exception of Switzerland, you normally pay for those. While the Brenner Pass is reasonable, the tunnels between French and Italy tend to be quite expensive. However they can also be the best way to visit some of the destinations on your trip, and they shorten drives quite significantly. Check out the websites of the Mont Blanc, Frejus tunnels, and the Brenner Pass, for info.
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Motorways around Zurich © Patrick Federi/Unsplash
Tip #6 - Include slow routes
The motoways are the fastest but not the only way to move around. I am a big fan of national and local roads. A bit like with train travel, these roads are often less busy and allow you to discover smaller cities and villages that will surprise you with their beauty.
Just as an idea, taking a route nationale or route départementale in Burgundy or Alsace will make your journey longer but will fill it with memories or delightful villages and landscapes.
On a drive from Calais to Bern in Switzerland, you could come off the A26 motorway between Reims and Troyes and go for a drive amongst the rolling hills of the Champagne region. Or if you have taken the A4 to Basel, you could come off at Selestat and explore the postcard-perfect Alsatian villages of Eguisheim, Ribeauvillé, Kayserberg, Colmar, and Riquewihr, or visit Haut Koenigsbourg castle.
The treats of a route départementale. Haut-Koenigsbourg castle © Mr Xerty/Unsplash
Tip #7 - Include at least one scenic drives
National and local routes are not just a great way to discover off-the-beaten path destinations or slow alternatives to popular highlights. In some cases these slow routes are attractions in their own right!
A drive along the hairpin bends of the Amalfi Coast, or on Germany's Romantische Straße (Romantic Road) between Wurzburg and Fussen, or the Chiantigiana in Tuscany, are high on most people's bucket lists.
And there are so many more. The Gardesana all along Lake Garda, the Statale along Lake Maggiore, the Grande Strada Dolomiti, the Schwarzwaldhochstraße (Black Forest High Road). the Gorges du Verdon, drives along the Swiss lakes, the backstreets of Burgundy, from Bilbao to Toulouse, along the Danube through Germany, Austria and Hungary. The truth is this list can go on forever.
Especially because when the Alpine snow retreats in summer, more scenic routes become available. The Simplon, Saint Bernard, Furka, Susten, and Saint Gotthard passes will reward you with incredible scenery.
My key message here is simply to make the most of your trip, and to seize every opportunity to enjoy the magic of Europe.
Driving along the Garda Lake © Elisabetta Falco/Unsplash
Tip #8 - If travelling in winter, research tyre chains rules
Every European country seems to have their own rules about winter tyres and snow chains. In some countries they are mandatory after a specific date set by the authorities, or in specific whether conditions, or specific areas of the country.
In France, you need winter tyres (or chains) in the alpine region.
In Switzerland, they are only recommended, unless road signs say otherwise.
In Italy, you need chains or winter tyres from a specific date in autumn to a specific date in spring on the motorways and in mountainous areas.
In Germany, winter tyres are not required unless the weather turns snowy, icy or sloshy. So technically you can around in your summer tyres, but if the temperature drops you cannot drive.
Rules may change, so do check the rules in the countries you are visiting before you go.
If you rent a car, tell them upfront what countries you are travelling too so they equip with the right type of tyres and chains to ensure you comply with local rules.
Winter drive © Wix
Tip #9 - Make sure your accommodation offers parking
This is one of the most important things to bear in mind when planning a road trip, and one of the reasons why I tend to avoid capital cities with a car - although before learning this lesson, we did venture inside Berlin, Prague, Torino, and Munich. Not all hotels offer parking, especially in city centres.
Some simply do not offer it, and advise you to make a plan for your car and find a parking spot in a nearby street. Depending on the city and how busy it is when you arrive, it may be ok, but if your hotel is, say in the centre of Rome, and you need to navigate peak hour traffic, one way systems etc., I personally would not do it.
Some will point you to a parking lot a few minutes away that they have a deal with.
Country accommodation with free parking © Meg von Haartmann
Hotels in remote locations, outside cities, or in smaller town and villages are more likely to offer free parking.
Do check when you book to avoid surprises.
Tip #10 - Visit places hard to visit by train and public transport
Europe has a fantastic public transport network, including an increasing number of night trains. Consider that when planning a road trip.
If you are renting a car for the road trip, and you want to visit a city well served by high speed train, maybe you can combine road and rail. For example, when we went to the Black Forest for the first time, we travelled to Strasbourg by train first, explored the city, and and then rented a car there for our 3 days in the Black Forest.
There is no train to stunning Lake Braies© Matthias Schroder/Unsplash
If you are going with your own car, save yourself the hassle of parking in Europe's largest cities, and explore areas that do not have great train connections, especially if you are travelling outside high season.
As a general idea, countryside tourist destinations, outside the largest centres, tend to have limited public transpor.t I find a car very useful in Burgundy, Tuscany, the delightful castles of Emilia Romagna, the Verdon in France and parts of Provence in France to name a few!
Some times, a road trip shows you a different side of an area. To give you another example, both Switzerland and Sudtirol in Italy have great public transport netwoks and are leaders in sustainable tourism. However, the train connections between Switzerland and Italy go through the Simplon Pass or Lugano. To cross into Switzerland Val Müstair) from Südtirol you need to get through the never ending hairpin bends of the Stelvio Pass, which happens to be considered one of the most incredible mountain drives on earth!
A stretch of the Stelvio Pass road © Joseph Vary/Unsplash
Are you ready to plan a European road trip as unique as you are?
As you see from the post, a road trip through Europe does require a degree of planning, but most of it is really common sense stuff.
And the reward is a journey as unique as you are, visiting dream locations hard to reach by public transport, and making the most of every journey!
And once you begin to discover Europe by road, it is hard to stop. My next road trip is starting in 2 weeks!
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