What You Should Know About Renting a Car in Europe - Wolters World
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Date: 2022-02-04
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Comments and reviews: 10
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Hey Wolter, being European, this video sound kinda out dated to me. I mean more and more cars do have cruise control by now and yes we do have 5 lane freeways for decades, you just did not go there. When we take place behind the wheel, we take place behind the wheel and that's it. There will be traffic all the time 24/7 and at rush-hour you'll find a lot of cars on the streets. You simply do not have the time to fool around on your mobile phone, and if/when the Police will see you handling your mobile phone (cell phone) you'll get a serious ticket of 340, -
Europe has lighter and smaller cars for fuel economy and road-tax purposes, (Road-Tax is based on the weight of the car/truck: The heavier the car/truck is, the more Road-Tax you'll have to pay, every year again) not because our lanes are smaller, after all even Semi-trucks and full size buses will go there as well, and if those large vehicles can drive in down town any town in Europe than a American full sized Pick up truck can go there as well. Occasionally you may find very narrow alleys your huge USA truck won't fit in to, but in such a narrow alley you should not want to go in in the first place.
One more thing about speed:
The maximum speed in general is the minimum speed as well. So for example: if 130 Km/h is the maximum speed, you will go 130 Km/h and absolutely no less than 130 Km/h. Unless you choose to stick permanently behind the semi trucks which will do 80 Km/h. Slow traffic is always on the right lane. One (everybody) drives in the right lane, unless you incidentally will have to take over a slow vehicle; then and only then you may briefly pass this slow vehicle, to go to the right lane again as soon as you successfully have overtakes the slow vehicle. In Europe One drives on the Right lane!
I'd say come back to Europe and this time go for the 2021 experience and go see more than just the places and towns you've been to yet. (take our freeways to experience our 5 lane freeways but stick to the written and unwritten freeway laws
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Hey Wolter, being European, this video sound kinda out dated to me. I mean more and more cars do have cruise control by now and yes we do have 5 lane freeways for decades, you just did not go there. When we take place behind the wheel, we take place behind the wheel and that's it. There will be traffic all the time 24/7 and at rush-hour you'll find a lot of cars on the streets. You simply do not have the time to fool around on your mobile phone, and if/when the Police will see you handling your mobile phone (cell phone) you'll get a serious ticket of 340, -
Europe has lighter and smaller cars for fuel economy and road-tax purposes, (Road-Tax is based on the weight of the car/truck: The heavier the car/truck is, the more Road-Tax you'll have to pay, every year again) not because our lanes are smaller, after all even Semi-trucks and full size buses will go there as well, and if those large vehicles can drive in down town any town in Europe than a American full sized Pick up truck can go there as well. Occasionally you may find very narrow alleys your huge USA truck won't fit in to, but in such a narrow alley you should not want to go in in the first place.
One more thing about speed:
The maximum speed in general is the minimum speed as well. So for example: if 130 Km/h is the maximum speed, you will go 130 Km/h and absolutely no less than 130 Km/h. Unless you choose to stick permanently behind the semi trucks which will do 80 Km/h. Slow traffic is always on the right lane. One (everybody) drives in the right lane, unless you incidentally will have to take over a slow vehicle; then and only then you may briefly pass this slow vehicle, to go to the right lane again as soon as you successfully have overtakes the slow vehicle. In Europe One drives on the Right lane!
I'd say come back to Europe and this time go for the 2021 experience and go see more than just the places and towns you've been to yet. (take our freeways to experience our 5 lane freeways but stick to the written and unwritten freeway laws
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Hans
I recently rented a car in my own country, the Netherlands, because I don't'have a car, nor do I want to purchase one. If I really need a car (with the current lockdown rules this is more likely to happen) I rent one, I don't buy one.
I compared renting a car in the Netherlands with Belarus.
If you rent a car in the Netherlands the tank is full of gasoline. You can start driving. If you want to return the car you must add gasoline to it, until the tank is full. You will pay for it. This means that you only pay for the gasoline you used for driving. If you are low at gasoline you must buy new gasoline at your costs. According to this system you never pay for gasoline that you are not using.
If you rent a car in Belarus (maybe not at all companies) you also pay for the full tank. Then you start driving. If you return the car, that's it. You don't pay for refilling the tank. This means that you must also pay for the gasoline that you are not using. If the tank contains 80 liters of gasoline. You drive, and after that there is about 50 liters left. You will pay for 80 liters, not for 30 liters. This is less fair to me, but when I am in Belarus I could live with that.
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I recently rented a car in my own country, the Netherlands, because I don't'have a car, nor do I want to purchase one. If I really need a car (with the current lockdown rules this is more likely to happen) I rent one, I don't buy one.
I compared renting a car in the Netherlands with Belarus.
If you rent a car in the Netherlands the tank is full of gasoline. You can start driving. If you want to return the car you must add gasoline to it, until the tank is full. You will pay for it. This means that you only pay for the gasoline you used for driving. If you are low at gasoline you must buy new gasoline at your costs. According to this system you never pay for gasoline that you are not using.
If you rent a car in Belarus (maybe not at all companies) you also pay for the full tank. Then you start driving. If you return the car, that's it. You don't pay for refilling the tank. This means that you must also pay for the gasoline that you are not using. If the tank contains 80 liters of gasoline. You drive, and after that there is about 50 liters left. You will pay for 80 liters, not for 30 liters. This is less fair to me, but when I am in Belarus I could live with that.
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Luca
A few remarks from a Belgian guy:
- There are automatic cars, more and more these days.
- Roads narrower yes but mate the one you show on your video is even narrow for us and must not be generalized
- There are some big cars with loads of space too, you just have to pay for it I guess
- I live in Belgium, which has a LOT of traffic and yet I use cruise control daily
- Yeah finding gas is really easy in most countries, don't now what you're talking about
- In general, you encompass all of Europe as if it was one big entity, it is not. driving in western Europe is way different than driving in Eastern Europe, and it also varies country to country.
- Parking is not that hard if you can properly maneuver.
-Basically, in most western countries on the highway, if you're doing 120km/h or less, on the right unless you wanna take over. 2nd and especially 3rd lane is for people going faster (even if that's technically illegal, but most of the time, the limitation is mostly the minimum speed in practice)
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A few remarks from a Belgian guy:
- There are automatic cars, more and more these days.
- Roads narrower yes but mate the one you show on your video is even narrow for us and must not be generalized
- There are some big cars with loads of space too, you just have to pay for it I guess
- I live in Belgium, which has a LOT of traffic and yet I use cruise control daily
- Yeah finding gas is really easy in most countries, don't now what you're talking about
- In general, you encompass all of Europe as if it was one big entity, it is not. driving in western Europe is way different than driving in Eastern Europe, and it also varies country to country.
- Parking is not that hard if you can properly maneuver.
-Basically, in most western countries on the highway, if you're doing 120km/h or less, on the right unless you wanna take over. 2nd and especially 3rd lane is for people going faster (even if that's technically illegal, but most of the time, the limitation is mostly the minimum speed in practice)
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Yuri
in 2021, Google Maps is best in Europe and costs virtually nothing, but you need data for phone. We used it all over Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus. In-car GPS typically costs more and usually inferior to Google Maps or at best about equal. You need a local SIM or some other way to have calls and data on mobile/cell phone but in 2021 almost everyone has that. Tip: bring a battery re-charger pack because Google Maps uses a lot of power when it is navigating. Often car has a USB connection, be sure to bring all phone cables.
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in 2021, Google Maps is best in Europe and costs virtually nothing, but you need data for phone. We used it all over Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus. In-car GPS typically costs more and usually inferior to Google Maps or at best about equal. You need a local SIM or some other way to have calls and data on mobile/cell phone but in 2021 almost everyone has that. Tip: bring a battery re-charger pack because Google Maps uses a lot of power when it is navigating. Often car has a USB connection, be sure to bring all phone cables.
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Johannes
Keep in mind that insurance offered by Expedia and Travelocity when booking a car rental through them is generally not accepted in Europe (my experience.
I find it very unusual that Expedia and Travelocity offers this when you book, takes your money, when they know it is not accepted. Happened to me with different car rental agencies in both Ireland and Austria. The car rental agency said they had notified Expedia and Travelocity multiple times that they do not accept their insurance.
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Keep in mind that insurance offered by Expedia and Travelocity when booking a car rental through them is generally not accepted in Europe (my experience.
I find it very unusual that Expedia and Travelocity offers this when you book, takes your money, when they know it is not accepted. Happened to me with different car rental agencies in both Ireland and Austria. The car rental agency said they had notified Expedia and Travelocity multiple times that they do not accept their insurance.
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Bruce
Check the condition of the car carefully! Minor scratches are no big deal in the USA, but in Europe they will charge you! I had to pay over $300 for a small wheel scuff that I didn't cause. Also, your smart phone works perfectly for GPS in Europe. And stay in the slow lane except to pass. You'll really make a European mad if you pass them in the slow lane.
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Check the condition of the car carefully! Minor scratches are no big deal in the USA, but in Europe they will charge you! I had to pay over $300 for a small wheel scuff that I didn't cause. Also, your smart phone works perfectly for GPS in Europe. And stay in the slow lane except to pass. You'll really make a European mad if you pass them in the slow lane.
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John
GPS tip when driving in UK, get the Postcode of your destination. Every place has a postcode, Stonehenge included: -) SP4 7DE, just google the street or name of the hotel plus postcode. This will make things so much easier than asking the GPS to locate a landmark or hotel where there might be more than 1 of that chain in the same Town or City.
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GPS tip when driving in UK, get the Postcode of your destination. Every place has a postcode, Stonehenge included: -) SP4 7DE, just google the street or name of the hotel plus postcode. This will make things so much easier than asking the GPS to locate a landmark or hotel where there might be more than 1 of that chain in the same Town or City.
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KB
There are lots of areas, especially in the countryside, where there's no cell signal and you can't use your Google Map. Use Here we go map with downloaded local maps. It worked well for me in Italy. Unlike the US, you don't have the freedom to hog the left lane. Use it to pass then move back to the right lane.
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There are lots of areas, especially in the countryside, where there's no cell signal and you can't use your Google Map. Use Here we go map with downloaded local maps. It worked well for me in Italy. Unlike the US, you don't have the freedom to hog the left lane. Use it to pass then move back to the right lane.
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Natasa
In Croatia, you may pay your parking by your mobile phone. There is an information on a sign where you send an sms with your car plates number and receive the confirmatin. 10 minutes before your parking is expired, you receive a reminder, so you may buy additional hour by sending the same message.
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In Croatia, you may pay your parking by your mobile phone. There is an information on a sign where you send an sms with your car plates number and receive the confirmatin. 10 minutes before your parking is expired, you receive a reminder, so you may buy additional hour by sending the same message.
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Tobey
Were from the UK and my parents find it hard to drive on the mainland because not only is it Kilometers and a different language but ALSO its the wrong side at the same time, for you its one or the other!
(Because its right side and Km in Europe and left side and miles in the uk)
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Were from the UK and my parents find it hard to drive on the mainland because not only is it Kilometers and a different language but ALSO its the wrong side at the same time, for you its one or the other!
(Because its right side and Km in Europe and left side and miles in the uk)
reply
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