You will discover while traveling through Europe that you may not always have the need for the use of a car. In the cities public transit, whether it bus, metro or train will take you just about everywhere near major points of interests and your accommodation. However there is always locations out of the cities that using a car may be your best and fastest option. This may require a car rental, if just for the day or several.

Car Rentals…

There are plenty of rental companies to rent from in Europe including those you are familiar with from the US.  If you rent a car you will most likely be picking it up in one city and dropping it off in another. Many sites are closed on Sunday so this will be a problem picking up but not dropping off. Rental sites have drop boxes you can leave the keys in during closed hours of business. Check the times of operation on the web site when searching for a rental car. In some areas gas stations can be difficult to find open on Sundays, so have your car filled Saturday night if you plan to drop it off with a full tank of gas on Sunday

You will find many of the same rental car companies in Europe that we have in the US, see our Auto Directory below. Almost all the reservations, pick-up and drop-off policies and procedures are the same as renting in the U.S. Options for insurance and liability are also very much the same.

Car rentals may also be booked at OTA – Online Travel Agencies. Go to our ➾ Booking On Line page for an extended list of web sites that take rental car reservations. Many airlines and hotels also offer rental car reservations through their web sites.

Taxis…

Taxis are another option while staying in large cities. In many situations taking public transportation from the airport will be more cost efficient and quicker. Airports are usually always a distance away for the city center and even if you’re sharing a cab with someone, you’ll be in traffic with a taxi. Even though transit lines make stops at stations along their route, they run on a regular schedule and are rarely delayed because of traffic. Most taxis do have flat rates from airports to certain areas within a city but, not when going point to point. Ask what their rate is from the airport into the city before taking a cab. 

You have probably heard about taxi scams so when entering a taxi always look for a fee meter that’s turn on. If it isn’t,  ask for the rate from the driver before taking the taxi. This is especially important when going point to point. Always count your change and give one Euro for a tip.

Ride Share in Europe…

Uber is a company that connect passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and ridesharing services. Through a mobile app you can request a pick up for a ride from an individual who will use their own vehicle to transport you to your desired destination. Most drivers use upscaled vehicles like town cars to escort their riders. 

Recently this has meet with protests from the taxi industry in areas all around the world. They claim Uber’s services are not in compliance with local laws when accepting money from the public for transportation purposes. Most governments require taxis, chauffeurs, etc. to be licensed and comply with local regulations, especially on the rates they charge. There are also allegations that Uber’s are unsafe, not properly insured or regulated as taxis but, again allegations only. On the positive side there are many reviews from travelers on line that rate the service very high.

Uber is currently working with many local governments for clarification of regulations. Many governments have regulations that are not clear as to whether this type of service falls under current regulations or if they will create new standards for regulating them. This is all so new that it will most likely take some time to work itself out. However, please note, there are areas where services have been prohibited by local municipalities.

UBER Services In Europe…

Uber service areas can be to some metropolitan areas only while others have coverage that ranges across rural areas.  Click on the Uber links below and view a map of the zones within a coverage area.

Car Pooling…

You can go to several web sites and find other people who are driving by car, to same same place you are. You can travel for for less money and get to meet and share the time with other people.

1. Find a ride with a trusted driver.
2. Offer a ride to a passenger.
3. Book and pay online.
4. Plan to meet your fellow travel at a designated place, date and time.

Auto Directory…

Find car rental agencies, ride-share services, taxis and other alternative vehicle options below. In addition to the companies and services listed below you may find services provided at other web sites like airlines and other aggregate travel web sites at our Web Site Directory on our Booking Online page.

Name	Service Type	Booking Site
National Car Rental	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Sixt	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Thrifty	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Hertz	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Enterprise	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
FOX Rent A Car	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Avis	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Budget Rent A Car	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Alamo	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
lyft	RideShare	RideShare Network Transportation / Direct
Uber	RideShare	RideShare Network Transportation / Direct
BlaBlaCar	Carpool	Carpool Network Transportation / Direct
Dollar.car rental	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Europcar	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Direct
Auto Europe	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
Rentalcars.com	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
CarFlexi.com	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
CarJet	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
Holiday Autos	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
Drive Now	Car Rental	Transportation Rental / Aggregate
cabify	RideShare	RideShare Network Transportation / Direct
Free Now	Vehicle For Hire	Transportation Hire Network / Direct

Driving in Europe…

As in America roads can lead you just about anywhere you want to travel in Europe. Driving will offer you a closer look into Europe’s culture and natural beauty. Visiting smaller towns and villages away from high tourists areas will offer you a different perspective of the European landscape. It is a great way to capture a part of Europe not visible in many larger cities. 

Driving around the many peninsulas and inland bodies of water from one location to another will add additional miles and time to your trips but, it is the best way to see Europe close up.

The road infrastructure in most European countries is comparable to that is the states. You will find freeways and tolls for expressways, bridges & tunnels in some countries. Coastline roads can be narrow and mountain roads very windy that can be slow but, very scenic.

Many streets and roads in European cities are centuries old. The oldest sections cities have morphed over the years into a complex of vary narrow streets, that can be hard to negotiate. High tourism brings many pedestrians and these areas may prohibit any vehicles. Traffic can be heavy and parking is a problem and costly. Large cities are no different from American cities with their heavy rush hour traffic that can bring the freeways and widest boulevards to a halt. The use of a car may not be your best option within metropolitan areas, as most destinations can easily be reach by the use of public transportation such as, subways, buses, light rail and even biking or walking.

Some rural destinations will lack regular train or bus service that can make a day trip out and back a bit more challenging. While there will be services they may not run frequently and if you miss that last train or bus back, you’ll be stuck in a town overnight. This is when you may want to consider renting a car giving you the flexibility to stop where you want to stop and leave when you want to leave. The rural landscapes of Europe can be just as enchanting as it’s cities. Quint old and medieval villages are plentiful and rich with their own history. The national and local parks that offer breathtaking natural scenery make it a great place to picnic. 
Be prepared to pay tolls on major highways in some countries. If you do not want to drive, you may also find day tours available from major cities listed in our tours page.
You may find automatic transmission cars limited as the majority of rental cars are manual. 

what documents do you need when driving in europe?…

• Your current valid operator’s license with photo card ID
• International Driving Permit (when necessary)
• Vehicle registration document (V5c) 
• Rental car agreement
• Proof of Auto insurance
• Passports
• Travel insurance documents
• You will need a visa for the countries that required one upon your arrival.

Some countries require a vignette sticker in the window of a vehicle or the vehicle is monitored on roads electronically with video cameras. This is a form of road tax assessed for the use of motorways, expressways or all roads. There can be different rates for the size of vehicles and in some countries motorcycles are excluded from vignettes.

What side of the road are you on??

Whether you rent, buy or borrow a vehicle to drive, make sure it complies with the countries regulations within the country you plan to drive in. Failure to be in compliance with the laws could lead to an ugly fine. Make sure you inform your rental car provider which countries you plan to drive in and whether those countries require vignette registration.

European Road Signage…

You will find driving in Europe rather east. In 1968 most countries agreed to standardized traffic regulations and road signage. Almost all road signs have been coordinated to be similar in appearance.

Europe has an intercontinental highway system similar the US interstate highway system. These highways are almost always expressways that create unhindered traffic flow. They have wide lanes, on and off ramps to enter or exit from, railroad intersections that cross at a different level, they by passes heavy congested areas, curves and gradients designed to handle speeds 80- 100km.These highways are identified with a numbering system for A class and B class roads. Roads that are A class start with an “E” as it prefix followed by two digit numbers (example Highway E43). B class roads are labeled the same,  except with three digit numbers (example E249). Odd numbered highways run north-south with the lowest number, E1 farthest west. Even numbered highways run East-West with the lowest numbered highway E5, being farthest north.

Other highways are supervised, nationally or locally and can be numbered with a starting prefix’s such as  A, M, R flowed by digits or just a numeric number. Some of these highways can be narrower roads with intersections or roundabouts and will run through the middle of cities or villages. They may also be numbered with the European highway id. Highway 6 in Germany is also European highway E50.

Toll Roads…

Some countries in Europe do have toll roads so always keep extra change when driving. Share your intended route with your rental car company when picking up your vehicle. They will be able to tell you if you will encounter any tolls and how many. They will also tell you whether toll passes need to be purchased prior to driving.

Scenic Driving Routes in Europe…

The routes listed below are known for their incredible scenery. They will pass by some of Europe’s breathtaking natural beauty.
There are also routes throughout Europe that will take you to significant locations of cultural significance. While these may not be as scenic as those listed below, they do address cultural themes that played an important role in European history. Please go to our Cultural Routes page to view a list.

 AUSTRIA

Grossglockner High Alpine Road – Highway 107, from Winklern to Krössenbach
Hahntennjoch / Vorarlberg –  Highway L266, Imst to Gutschau
Zillertal High Alpine Road –  Highway 169, Matrhofen to Dornauberg

 BELGIUM

Battle of the Bulge Route –  Highway E421 to, N647, N632, N633, N68 & N62, Henry-Chapelle Cemetery in Ruyff to Historisches Museum in La Gleize 
Belgium Beer Routes

 BULGARIA

Shipka Pass –  Highway 5 , Veliko Tamovo to Shipka

 CROATIA

Adriatic & Istria Route – Highway 66, Rijeka to Pula
Jadranska Magistralam – Highway E65, Rijeka to Dubrovnik

FRANCE

Col de la Bonnette / Alpes-Maritimes – Highway M97 & M2205, Jausiers to Tinée
Col Du Turini –  Highway D70 & D2556, Sospel to La Bollene 
Dordogne Road – Highway D704, D706, Sarlat-la-Canéda to San-Lyon-sur-Vézère
French Backroad / Alpes-Côte d’Azur – Highway D102, D29 & D106, La Coste to Gordes
Great Wines Road – Highway
Les Corniches – 3 routes, Basse, Moyenne or Grabde Corniche, Nice to Monaco
Loire Valley – Highway D751, Blois to Amboise
Route de Gentelly / Alpes-Maritimes –  Highway D2,  Vence to past Gréoliéres
Route Napoleon / Alpes-Maritimes –  Highway D485, Grasse to Digne

 GERMANY

Alleenstraße ” German Avenue – Multiple routes from Lake Constance to Sellin on the Baltic Sea. 
Alpenstrasse –  Highway B308, B310, B17, B23, Lindau to Berchtesgaden 
Burgenstraße “Castle Road” – Mannheim to Prague
The Goethe Route – Starting in Frankfurt it includes 8 historical cites of Germany ending in Dresden
Fachwerkstraße “German Timer-Frame Route” – From Stade on Elbe River several routes to Meersburg on Lake Constance
Industriekultur ” Industrial Heritage Trail” – Various concentrated stops in the Ruhr area.
Märxhebstraße “German Fairy Tale Route” – Hanau to Bremen
Romanesque Road – Figure eight route with Magdeburg at its center.
The Romantic Road –  Highway 17, 2, E43 & 25, Würzburg to Füssen
Schwarzwaldhochstraße / Black Forest – Highway 500, Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt  
Uhrenstraße ” German Clock Route” Circular route that runs through the Black Forest and Baar region.
Weinstraße “German Wine Route”- Schweiggen-Rechtenbach to Bockenheim

 GREECE

Peloponnese Circle Drive – Multiple Highway Options, Athens to Delphi, Olpymia, Itylo, Monemvassia, Sparti, Nauplion, Epidaurus & Mycenae
Inland Meteora Greece –  Highway E90 & A2, Ioannina to Kalabaka

 ICELAND

Ring Road – From Reykjavik counterclockwise on Highway 1

 IRELAND

Ring of Kerry –  Highway N71, N70 & N72,  Kilarney to Kenmare to Watreville to Killorgin

 ITALY

Amalfi Coast – Highway SS145 & SS163, Castellammare di Stabia to Sorrento to Salerno
Dolomite Route –  Highway SS45bis & SP235, Lake Garda to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Highway Sp369, SP 358, Otranto to Leuca
Highway SP 65 Pianoro to Florence
Stelvoi Pass / South Tyrol –  Highway SS38, Spondigna to Bormio
Via Chiantigiana / Tuscany-  Highway SR222, Chiocchio to Cedda
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi –  Highway SS583, Lecco to Bellagio

 NORWAY

Atlantic Road –  Highway 64 Molde to Kritiansund
The Troll’s Road – Highway 63, Lake Langvatnet near Grotli to Sogge bru near Brønnsletten

PORTUGAL

Algarve Coast Route – Highway 253-1 to 261 Tavira to Cabo de Vicente
Estoril Coast –  Highway 6 to Estoril, Highway 247 to Sintra

ROMANIA

Golden Bisritsa Valley Route –  Highway 18, Carlibaba to Ciocanesti
Transfăgărășan – Highway 7C Câțisoara to Mustățesti

 RUSSIA

The Golden Ring –  Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov Veliky, Pereslavl-Zaleessky, Sergiyev-Posad
Road of Life –  St. Petersburg to Lake Lagoda

 SPAIN

Order of Alicántra Lands Route –  Cáceres to Albuquerque
Al-Idrisi Route –  Highway N340, A44, Algeciras to Malaga then Granada
Camino de Santiago – Highway A6 & E1, Leon to Santiago de Compostela
Caliphate Route –  Northern Route N432, Southern Route  A45 & A329, Cordoba to Granada.
Cinco Villas –  Highway A126 & A127, Zaragoza to Sos del Rey Catòlico
Cuenca Route of Castles – Eleven castles in Central Spain
Mudejar Route in Aragón – Tarazona to Teruel
Northern Spain Route –  Highway N260, Ripoll to Castejón de Sos
Picos de Europa –  Highway N621, Santander to 
The White Villages Route –  Highway A373, A372, A397 Arcos De La Frontera, Zahara, Ronda, Ubrique, Casares and other villages

SWITZERLAND

Albula Pass –  Albulastrasse Road, La Punt-Chamues-ch to Albula
Furka Pass / Central Swiss Alps – Highway 19, Gletsch to Hospental
Klausen Pass / Central Swiss –  Highway 17, Glarus to Bürglen
San Bernardino Pass / Central Swiss Alps –  Hoghway 13, Mesocco to Splügen
Susten Pass –  Highway 11, Wassen to Innertkirchen

UNITED KINGDOM

England

The Cotswolds Romantic Road – from Cheltenham drive to Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bilbury, Burford, the Slaughters, Northleach, Painswick, Moreton-in-Marsh and other villages.
The Military Road A3055 – Isle of Wight, Chale to Freshwater Bay.   

Northern Ireland

Causeway Coast Route / Antrim County – Highway A2, Larne to Portrush

Scotland

Loch Ness Route –  Highway A82, Inverness to Fort William
Old Military Road / Scottish Highlands –  Highway A939, Grantown-on -Spey to Braemar
Scotland’s Malt Whiskey Trail

Navigable Road Statistics…

World ranked in comparison to 224 total countries, appear after their name below. Only statistics available are shown.

Rank	Country	Total	Paved	Unpaved	Expressways
#156	ALBANIA	3,945 km
#320	ANDORRA	320 km
#39	AUSTRIA	137,039 km	137,039 km		2,232 km
#57	BELARUS	86,600 km
#41	BELGIUM	118,414 km	118,414 km		1,747 km
#109	BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA	22,926 km	19,426 km		3,500 km
#117	BULGARIA	19,512 km	19,235 km	277 km	458 km
#101	CROATIA	26,958 km			1,416 km
#114	CYPRUS	19,901 km	8,631 km	4,270 km
#82	CZECHIA	55,744 km	55,744 km
#67	DENMARK	74,558 km	4,558 km		1,205 km
#79	ESTONIA	58,412 km	10,427 km	47,985 km	115 km
#186	FAROE ISLANDS (Denmark)	960 km	500 km	460 km
#16	FINLAND	454,000 km	50,000 km	28,000 km	700 km
#7	FRNCE	1,053,215 km
#12	GERMANY	625,000 km	625,000 km		12,996 km
#220	GIBRALTAR (UK)	29 km	29 km
#42	GREECE	117,000 km
#204	GUERNSEY (UK)	260 km
#27	HUNGARY	203,601 km	77,087 km	126,514 km	1,582 km
#129	ICELAND	12,898 km	5,647km	7,251 km
#48	IRELAND	99,830 km	99,830 km		2,717 km
#196	ISLE of MAN (UK)	500 km
#15	ITALY	487,700 km	487,700 km		6,700 km
#192	JERSEY (UK)	576 km
#172	KOSOVO	2,012 km	1,921 km	91 km	78 km
#70	LATVIA	70,244 km	15,158 km	55,086 km
#191	LIECHTENSTEIN	630 km
#60	LITHUANIA	84,166 km	72,297 km	11,869 km	312 km
#165	LUXEMBOURG	2,875 km
#169	MALTA	2,254 km	1,973 km	281 km
#136	MOLDOVA	9,352 km	8,835 km	517 km
	MONACO	n/a
#139	MONTENEGRO	7,762 km	7,141 km	621 km
#37	NETHERLANDS	139,124 km			3,654 km
#127	NORTH MACEDONIA	14,182 km	9,633 km	4,549 km	209 km
#52	NORWAY	94,902 km			455 km
#17	POLAND	420,000 km	291,000 km	129,000 km	1,492 km
#61	PORTUGAL	82,900 km	71,294 km	11,606 km	2,613 km
#59	ROMANIA	84,185 km	49,873 km	337 km	34,312 km
#5	RUSSIA	1,283,387 km	927,721 km	355,666 km	39,143 km
#203	SAN MARINO	292 km	292 km
#86	SERBIA	44,248 km	28,000 km	16,248 km
#81	SLOVAKIA	56,926 km
#91	SLOVENIA	38,985 km	38,985 km		769 km
#11	SPAIN	683,175 km	683,175 km		16,205 km
#13	SWEDEN	573,134 km	140,100 km	433,034 km	2,050 km
#68	SWITZERLAND	71,557 km	71,557 km		1,458 km
#73	TURKEY	67,333 km	24,082 km	2,159 km	43,251 km
#32	UKRAINE	169,694 km	166,095 km	3,599 km	17 km
#19	UNITED KINGDOM	394,428 km	394,428 km		3,519 km