I find the greatest freedom while travelling to be while I’m behind the wheel of a car. The ability to steer my trip in the direction I want and stop when I want, is something not found in public transports. But for all the perks of renting a car, it comes with a unique set of problems. Driving in Europe has been both an adventure and on many occasions a misadventure for me. But despite all this I would recommend anyone to consider driving in Europe without hesitation.
As someone who comes from Ireland driving a car on mainland Europe was always going to be a challenge. Most of the countries that still drive on the left are ex- British colonies. That does account for 34% of the world population and surprisingly 76 countries. But besides the UK and Ireland, only Malta and Cyprus drive on the left in Europe with most of the rest being in Australasia, the Caribbean or Southern Africa.
History of driving in Europe and the world
In fact the history of why it differs is a fascinating one. Historically all traffic was on the left, from the point of view of mounting a horse this made sense and the ability to unleash a sword on attackers favoured being on the left. With the advent of large wagons a shift was made to the right but was never entered into law. The Napoleonic wars saw the first major international shift, as all countries conquered changed to the right. Those that resisted stayed left.
It was only in the 20th century, and again due to a war, as Hitlers conquering German army, demanded countries under his dominance to change. The US gradually changed after gaining independence but some states still drove left until decrees in the last century. Many old colonies of European states were not required to change with their invaders and so we have our world picture.
So with all that confusion and changing is it surprising we feel the same when required to drive on the “other side”.
The history of my driving
Let me clarify, I don’t think I’m a bad driver. I had no accidents, no injuries, and no major incidents. But I have had a long succession of minor incidents, all of which have been overshadowed by the sheer beauty which have set my eyes on over many road trips.
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Top Tips for Driving in Europe
Driving in Italy 2011
I first rented a car in Italy in 2011 when staying in the Rimini area of the country. The first thirty minutes of having the car were uneventful. So uneventful that I never left the parking lot of the rental company. I was nervous as hell and couldn’t get used to the gear stick being on my right instead of my left. So rather than take to the roads I drove around the parking lot. I’m quite surprised looking back that they didn’t come out and take the car back of me. Not the best start to driving in Europe.
Familiarise yourself with the car.
But slowly the nerves subsided and I tackled the roads. The car gave me liberties I perhaps wouldn’t have had at our uneventful seaside location. The beach usually keeps me entertained for about ten minutes before my mind drifts to more cultural and historical sights. I drove north to Ravenna to be wowed by its churches and fine murals. To the south the towns of Ancona, and the hilltop fortress of Gradara were reached through lands of rolling hills.
San Marino
Buoyed by the confidence I now felt, we then travelled to San Marino. San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world, and the oldest surviving republic, dating back to the third century, It is built atop a large hill, with its summit being Monte Titano, rising to 749 metres above sea level. To drive there, there are a series of switchbacks before you are required to abandon your car in one of its many car parks and continue on foot.
The views across the countryside are naturally wonderful and as you progress through the medieval townscape, they naturally increase. They culminate in the fortress at the top, which clings to the mountain top and dominates the state. Atop those battlements you could be in a different time, as the land below shrinks from view and fades. And so began my love affair of road trips in Europe.
Driving in Poland 2012
I had travelled to Poland on many occasions but this was to be the first when I would drive. I had enjoyed my experience in Italy, despite my nervy start. We would rent from the beautiful city of Torun before driving north to Gdansk and heading out to the Baltic. It was all well planned, so what could possibly go wrong.
Expect the unexpected is a good mantra to live by.
The rental was a Skoda Octavia. It was a nice spacious car, and Skoda had recovered from the reputation they garnished in decades past. Getting the keys, I set out. Or rather I didn’t. Again I was stuck in the car park. Except this time I was stuck in the parking space. Reverse was in a position I was unfamiliar with, down to the right, over to the side, and back up. The car constantly found fifth, no matter what I did. Not the start I wanted. Eventually it clicked and after ten minutes I left my parking space. A few minutes of nervous driving around the car park and we were set.
Torun
Torun’s city centre was marvellous, having survived both wars without damage. It’s one of Poland’s oldest cities, and is still much surrounded by its original walls. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But for every positive walking its streets, it threw up as many negatives when driving. A mass scale roadwork project was underway and with road closures and diversions it threw my navigation into turmoil. I’ll be honest reading Polish road signs wouldn’t be a skill I’ll list. This was never more obvious than when I was turning onto a motorway around the city.
Traffic lights green. Check.
Right hand side of road. Check.
Road sign saying something. Checked but didn’t understand.
So I pulled onto the three lane motorway, which in my vicinity was empty. Up ahead it wasn’t. Those three lanes were full of traffic all moving. Except they were moving in MY direction. And fast. I’ve never done a u-turn as swift and to this day I don’t know why a motorway would be reversed. Lets call that one a lucky escape.
and onto North Poland
So we travelled north to Gdansk, before hitting the Baltic. The cars gear box kept annoying the hell out of me. It was only surpassed by the hotel we were staying in forgetting our reservation and putting us in the smallest, dingiest, crappest room I’ve ever seen. I may have been a cupboard. Ferry rides and sunsets on the Baltic made things a little better.
As we returned to Gdansk and to leave back the car, I found second and fourth gear near impossible to find and the penny finally dropped; it wasn’t me, the gearbox was going in the car. This was corroborated by the rental company when I returned it. Before I did though I had one final drama, I couldn’t open the cap on the fuel tank. Luckily the rental company weren’t far away and they came to my rescue, much to my embarrassment.
Driving in Spain 2013
We stayed for a week in Malaga in 2013, which would be my next driving in Europe adventure, and while the city provided ample amounts of sea, sun, good food, and history I can’t resist the urge to explore further. So we rented a car and took the bus out of the city to collect, only to realise I forgot my passport.
Always remember to bring your passport, driving licence and relevant documents when renting cars.
So three bus rides later we had our motor. After my usual nervous start and slow acclimatization to the differences, we spent the day exploring some of the Costa Del Sol and Marbella. It was enough time to know these places were not for me.
The Sierra’s of Andalucia
The subsequent day we pointed north into the Sierras. This was more me. The road stretched into the cactus covered hills. Anytime we paused the sound of crickets filled the air. It’s one of my lasting memories of the landscape. Neither can I forget the hazardous hiking path at El Caminito Del Rey ( which has now been modernised, needless to say I didn’t attempt the old wooden one), nor the brilliant green lakes outside the whitewash town of Ardales, at Embalse Del Conde de Guadlahorce. Rondas gorge top location was next and its magnificent bridge before we descended from our mountain location via about a thousand hairpin turns. I began to embrace the notion of driving in Europe.
Driving in Sicily 2014
When I told some people that I planned to rent a car In Palermo and drive across Sicily, I was asked many questions.
Are you mad?
Haven’t you heard how the drivers are there?
Don’t you know they are among the worst in Europe and even more volatile than in Rome?
Online I found no solace, just more sources to back up the claims. So I stopped checking online and listening to my friends.
Palermo
After two days in Palermo, we picked up our car from its downtown location. Which happened to be beside the busiest street in the city, and that’s exactly where the GPS sent me. There simply didn’t seem to be an alternative. So into the roaring fire I went.
So lets set the picture on this. There are two wide “lanes” of traffic going each way. Which suggests two rows of cars in each direction. Nope. Lanes counted for nothing here. If there was any space a car drove into it. No matter where it was. So it looked as if there were eight rows of traffic across the road. It was bumper to bumper, and if you wanted to get anywhere you had better drive very progressively.
It was here I learned the technique of accelerate, brake and honk, all in one movement. If you are going to drive in Palermo then you sure as hell better drive how they do. Incidentally it was on this road that I finally became fully comfortable with driving in Europe on the right. I never felt nervous stepping into a rental car again. So I thank those many insane drivers of Palermo for that.
A sweet journey
Finally leaving the manic streets of Palermo behind we sailed south towards Agrigento, our first stop on our island tour. We stopped for coffee at what will always be my favourite service station, because it was here I was introduced to Cannoli. Its got very little to do with driving, but driving is always better with something sweet and good coffee.
GPS then gave me good reason to not always place my faith in it, as it took us off the main road, before bringing us on to increasingly smaller ones. I went with it as it often does this in Ireland. Even when it took us onto a narrow road with grass growing up the middle I presumed it was a shortcut. Again common in Ireland. When we saw a tractor in the middle of the road up ahead, suddenly the doubt crept in. As we got closer we realised the tractor had probably been there about ten years and the grass had grown into it and through it. I got to practice my reversing skills.
Realmonte
Back on route the GPS seemed unaware of its blip and took us back to the main road. We arrived in Realmonte near Agrigento without incident. The rest of the trip was a treat, the white cliffs at Realmonte still rank as my favourite sunset, the Valley of the Tepmles was astounding, and our route east took us through the scenic towns of Enna and Ragusa. We were based in Taormina for a week, but that’s a story for another day.
Don’t always rely on GPS, sometimes it even loses its head.
Driving in Lisbon 2015
Despite my new-found confidence behind the wheel, 2015 was a year for city breaks, and I only spent one day behind the wheel on a left hand drive. But a worthwhile day nonetheless. Driving a Fiat 500 from my by now favourite rental company, Rentalcars.com, we visited Sintra, which is a micro-climate area near Lisbon. The escape of kings and queens of Lisbon for many centuries now, it is also the perfect escape for visitors of the magnificent city.
You can read how we got on there in A Day Trip to Sintra which if you do, you will know that this is the only place where I cannot recommend driving in Europe. We did get to Praia de Adraga, a remote beach on the Atlantic Coast, so it wasn’t all a negative. GPS played some tricks on me on the return trip too. Since when is a car rental agency a service station?
Sometimes a car is not always the best option- do your research.
Driving in Iceland 2016
For anyone who has driven in Europe, Iceland has to rank as one of the top places for a road trip. With thundering waterfalls, vast lava fields, gushing geysers, snow-capped volcanoes and remote glaciers, what more can you realistically ask for. It’s incredible landscape is ever-changing, even after every downfall of rain, as new waterfalls appeared from the top of roadside mountains. Its beautiful and rather distracting. Luckily the roads aren’t busy, and there are many many opportuinities to pull in and gawp.
We spent five days travelling from Reykjavik and across the south coast but realistically could spend many more. We took in the Golden Circle, the waterfalls of Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, and the south coast as far as Vik, and many thermal, geological and geographical wonders. Our rental was a Ford Mondeo, which cannot be faulted and an estate is a perfect car for Iceland in the summer months, if you don’t plan on veering too far off route one. It was our greatest experience driving in Europe. So for once a perfect rental without any problems…
All fine in Iceland
….That is until the morning of our flight home. We were staying near the airport, in a less than perfect B&B, and had packed all for our early flight. Awaking drowsily around 3:30am, we grabbed all our stuff to take to the car, only for the question to arise, where are the keys?
We turned the room upside down, but nothing!
Maybe I left them in the car? No!
Lost them in the car park? Didn’t think so but I retraced my steps everywhere. Not a trace!
We emptied our suitcases, turned everything we had inside out, but no sign.
So I had to face up the truth. They were gone. Forever!
So was €250, the charge for losing your keys. Iceland is expensive enough, without any extra charges.
Facing the truth
With our flight time fast approaching I bit the bullet and called the rental company. They were understanding but explained the policy. I accepted and they said they would send someone out to pick us up. Arriving I met him in the car park, explained the situation and we hurried into the bedroom. After a quick look around, he went straight to the bed, threw the mattresses on the floor, and lo and behold there were the keys sitting on the beds base. It wasn’t the first time he had seen this happen. A few high fives later, he left with the new title of “****ing legend”, and we were on our way to the airport, heavy with shame, but always better than light of pocket. Morale of the story is, don’t throw your keys on the bed as I probably did.
Don’t lose your car keys the morning of the flight
Driving in Hungary 2017/18
Needless to say I kept a sharp eye on mt keys from this point on. Two trips to Hungary within two years saw a number of road trips, and surprisingly no real incident. We did get an upgrade on our rental last time, to an SUV. The east of the country was our playground, and we travelled much of the Great Plain, a steppe running through the heart of the region. The long stretches of flat land were beautiful, a far cry from the glacially sculpted hills and mountains of Ireland. Its prize is certainly Hortobagy, with a culture and heritage reminiscent of the cowboys of the wild west (minus the guns). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I shared my reverence for their way of life in my blog Exploring the Hungarian Puszta.
Northern Hungary
To the north of the country lie the more hillied wine lands of Tokaj and Eger. This is where Hungary’s world-famous wines are produced and at the centre of the regions lie the respective town and city. Our trips into these areas uncovered some incredible sights, from the vine-covered slopes, to wonders created by man and nature in the Matra Mountains, or a clever fusion of the two. Hungary wouldn’t be a country which would spring to mind for a voyage of discovery, but marriage introduced me to its delights.
Car’s introduce you to places you never knew existed
Driving in Santorini 2017
2017 also saw the year of our wedding. We wedded in Ireland with our honeymoon in Santorini, after a few days in Athens. With a line up of wonderful hotels, excellent activities, and mouth-watering restaurants, we had it all planned to perfection. The towns of Fira and Oia lived up to our imagination, and the caldera and views were truly captivating.
Yes, all we planned was perfect, except for our car rental, which we didn’t really focus on till late and wasn’t really a priority. The island is easy to get around by bus, and with some of its roads, perhaps a bus is the best recommendation. On reflection every car on the island seemed to have a dent somewhere. But I’m a sucker for a rental, and when an email arrived in my inbox from a well-known budget airplane operating out of Ireland (who I won’t name and shame), the price was too good to be true. We took a car for four days, a Ford Fiesta being perfect for the island.
Anything but perfect
Inevitability it was too good to be true, and was far from what we expected. The car, an ancient Honda Civic got us around, just, but the last thing you would say it had was a healthy purr, there was a lingering smell of fumes, the key was held together by tape, and the expected Ford Fiesta was an ancient Honda Civic.
.The cheapest option is not always the best.
Driving in Holland 2018
It has always been a bucket list item of mine to see the Dutch tulip fields in full bloom. April of 2018 would be the time when I would cross that off. We took a route through several towns built on canals, and on into the Lisse area of the country. The tulip fields blew my mind, rarely in my life have I seen such brilliant colours in nature. The windmill town of Zaanse Schans, was the other principal focus of our drives, its riverside setting among the most attractive in The Netherlands.
Having promised myself to never rent from the previous company again, and even complaining on my return (futilely), I still did it. I fell for the same half price email again. Naturally I was reminded later of the expression “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”
Playing the fool
Sadly it did live up to expectations. The car a Ford Focus was covered in dents, there was no snag list which was alarming, it had the prerequisite smell of fumes, and despite me requesting a manual I was given an automatic. This may not seem like a biggie, but it would be my first time to drive an automatic. Because of the lack of a clutch I suffered from severe left leg confusion and on a few times it found its way on to the brake, causing me to jam on, when I only wanted to change gears.
Choose a transmission that you are comfortable with when driving in Europe.
2019
2019 has come and gone and more new countries are under my driving belt. And all went smoothly of course. The end. Wait, Hell no it didn’t it never does with car rental!
Driving in Hungary & Romania 2019
A day trip to Romania and my first ever physical border crossing would provide something of a challenge. Taking a rental often occurs an extra cost which we paid on returning. It’s also good to be up front about it to the rental agency. They will provide usual information on where you are travelling to as well.
As soon as I started the engine and turned on GPS I made my first mistake. Somehow our arrival time was going to be an hour later than I had projected. I was confused until I figured out Romania lay in another time zone. Bummer. I was already an hour late.
Learn your time zones before crossing borders
Oradea, Romania
The roads left a lot to be desired through rural eastern Hungary but we made it to Oradea without getting lost in a pothole. It was on this trip the Google Maps earned the nickname Hermie. Hermie again proved a problem as I missed the same turn three time in Oradea, due to confusing directions.
Oradea was an architectural delight, full of secession buildings. You can read more on that Romanian day trip here.
The journey home was where it got interesting. The journey over only had border patrol on the Romanian side and I assumed the same for the return journey. So having passed over my papers to the first personnel I met, I took off past the others that were standing around and into Hungary. A lot of arm waving, shouting and thankfully no shooting convinced me to reverse back to some bemused Hungarian officials.
Take it slowly on border crossings. Don’t risk going down in a blaze of bullets.
Driving in Switzerland 2019
Ah Switzerland. A paradise of magnificent mountains, pristine lakes and gorgeous chalets. Where nothing is ever late due to Swiss timing. Where nothing is to be a fearing because of Swiss engineering. And nowhere is as blatant as on its roads in the form of the elongated tunnels that cut through mountains and around cities. They really are a marvel…that is, till you are a tourist who relies on GPS to get around. Damn you again Hermie. Offline maps or online maps, the result was the same, no maps in the tunnels.
We had rented a car through RentalCars.com (this link is an affiliate one, so bear me in mind when you are renting next) and the local provider was Thrifty. In advance we picked a Ford Fiesta, partially because I was warned that the speed limits are low in Switzerland, and speeding is heavily punished, so I thought a Fiesta might curtail me. They offered me a choice of a Citroen C3 or a Hyundai i20. Thinking to myself that those Citroens are no slouches, I therefore went with the Hyundai. Except when we got outside our luggage wasn’t getting in its boot. So reluctantly I took the Citroen.
We packed all our stuff in, and I sat behind the wheel, put my foot on the clutch…except I didn’t, as the car was an automatic. Oh how I hate automatics. I returned to the desk, again, and third time was the charm, with a manual Mazda 2, and finally we were on our way to Bern.
While hunting the Giessbach Falls we entered a 4 lane tunnel that was about 3 km long. Hermie (legend) suggested we take a right hand turn halfway through the tunnel. Into a brick wall! I didn’t and with that Hermie lost the plot, repeatedly encouraging me to do a u-turn in a motorway like tunnel. It was at that point we no longer sought it’s opinion and we found our own way to the falls.
France
We rented our car from Basel Airport and took it to France. But not before a word of warning from the rental agent. So Basel airport is in France. But we couldn’t take the car back to the French part without incurring a penalty. We had to drive back to Basel in Switzerland in order to drive back to France to get to the airport. Confused? You can bet I was too.
And that was only the start of it. On the way back to the airport I approached Basel only to be met by …. a huge tunnel. My nemesis. As soon we entered the GPS showed the white glad and surrendered. Hermie became a haemorrhoid for me.
Suddenly I was fearing Swiss engineering.
Particularly when the turn for the airport passed me by and GPS still said it was 2km away. The tunnels must have stretched for 10km with bad traffic. I was getting late for my rental return and I was in the wrong country. Then I remembered that roads have colourful things on the side with writing and directions on them. Commonly known as signs. This one was particularly useful. ✈️ Apparently it shows you where the airport is. And it did.
Sometimes you have to get back to basics and follow the signs.
Driving in Greece 2019
A 1000 kilometre road trip through Northern Greece, was an undisputed highlight of the year. Despite the many mountains, my car, a Skoda Citigo, proved to be more than its name suggested. It wasn’t the best on dirt tracks but I perhaps shouldn’t have given it at that test.
Cars with 1 litre engines are not 4*4’s.
The trip took in the shimmering Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods of old; then Meteora, those series of monasteries that sit atop rock columns; and finally the area around the Vikos Gorge, one of the world deepest. The scenery was incredible and the roads mountainous to put it lightly. Yet for all the sheer drops and cut back it was a delight.
Police Problems
Driving in Greece is a challenge though. Speed limits are in place, but there are no limits it seems. 70 kmph zone? Everyone fizzes by at 140. Tunnels limited to 80. Double that in reality. As this was my first time driving on the mainland I took it handy. And yet on the way back from Vikos at a police checkpoint I got pulled over.
The first thing that was in my head was, I don’t know any Greek.
The second; what could I have done wrong.
As I opened my window, I was met but a string of Greek. I fumbled an apology and asked if he spoke English. He asked for my licence so I flicked it out of my Segrid wallet. He looked surprised then asked me to open the boot. My boot only had my camera gear which prompted the officer into a conversation about where I had been and some recommendations about good places to go. He then called his buddy over and asked me to put my licence back in my wallet and take it back out again. They marvelled at the way the Segrid wallet worked, and he told his mate he wanted one. I still don’t know why I was pulled over but I wish all police altercations were this easy. Like that time in Latvia when I ran away from one instead of paying a bribe.
Play it cool when pulled over by the local police.
Thessaloniki
The final stop on my trip was Thessaloniki. Driving here was a real challenge. It’s loud, noisy, chaotic, insert adjective here. I had decided to go to an underground car park, but when I got to the entrance, a car was coming at me up the ramp and a woman started shouting at me on the footpath. I got out of there fast. Circling around again I couldn’t find another entrance so settled on a place with valet parking. My possessions were fine but I still felt I was robbed when leaving.
Then came the real challenge. Finding the hotel. All was ok until the road I needed to take was closed for roadworks. And everything around it was one way leading me away. And further away. Then there was the roundabouts. I got chastised if I didn’t drive progressively on them. I got chastised if I didn’t let cars pull in front of me. Finally I found a circular route taking me to the hotel. In the end a 5 minute trip took 30.
It’s probably best to avoid driving in Greek and Italian cities if you can.
My Advice to anyone considering Driving in Europe
Much like anything practice makes perfect. So I’m hoping one day to get there. While all my stories have their errors and a somewhat humorous side looking back, I tried to draw a lesson from them all.
Choose a rental company that you trust and stick with them (advice which I now follow). I use Rentalcars.com for driving in Europe, I’m not saying they are necessarily the best but they serve me well. Following that link will serve me well too. Take full insurance in advance of travelling, because you can never be too prepared. And have fun seeing that wide world out there. That’s essential.
Choose a rental company you can trust and always take full insurance
I hope you enjoyed reading and I would love some pins, shares, or comments if you did.
40 responses
Love this article. That’s quite an achievement driving in all those different countries. I was quite used to driving on the right hand side of the road whilst living in UAE and then after spending a year in NZ on the left when back in France on the right and in a manual car, crickey! Very stressful. I kept stalling the car at roundabouts.
I’m happy you enjoyed it. It’s a passion project I’ve been planning to write some time, and was certainly a joy to put it together. I think there is a huge amount of difference between different countries, it’s all a bit stressful. Roundabouts are one of the most daunting things, and visitors in Ireland always cite it as their biggest concern. Funnily enough when I get back into my own car it always feels odd to switch back. I blame Napoleon. Thanks for reading.
Great post John. I recall my first attempt at driving on the left. London on our honeymoon in 1977. No sleep, long flight, hop in a car (Austin Mini 850 at Heathrow and drive into London near Westminster. Going the wrong way, I followed the example of a cab and did a U-turn in the middle of an 8 lane motorway. Very easy in a Mini. Finally parked the car and a local came up with a map. I walked the route, then drove it and parked the car for 5 days. Since then I have driven on the left in England, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand (4 times) and Australia (2 times). You are right. Stick is a problem with the opposite hand. Automatic is so much better. My biggest failing is signalling withe the windshield wipers. As to Iceland, I also had a problem leaving. No inspection when I picked up the car, but an undercart mirror inspection on leaving. Many long moments until the attendant had an A-Ha Found It!!! moment. Turns out this company almost always finds damage on the rentals in Iceland. Can you imagine? You have seen and driven on the roads there, right?. Now, I am OK on the train, bus, subway, etc. It gives me a great chance to relax and see the sites. Do not like the tour buses though. Cheers. Allan
Thanks Allan. Wow you should write your own blog on this subject. You had plenty of your own incidents. Had no issues in Iceland myself but perhaps because I used my reliable company. I’ve heard of so many disreputable companies but I’ve never had a first hand experience thankfully. Ryanair Car hire was just plain bad. But not dodgy.
I’m with you on the tour buses, I find them awful. But I’ll keep renting cars for the foreseeable future.
Thanks as ever for reading. John
I drive a manual all the time at home and over the years haven’t had many issues with driving on the left while in Ireland, the UK or other “lefties.” On my last visit to Ireland, I did a lot of driving without much difficulty, including the roundabouts, but I did keep turning on the wipers instead of the signal. 🙂
Road trips are the best way to explore imho; so much fun. 🙂
Couldn’t agree more.
I mostly got around without much problems too, but there’s no entertainment in writing that. Nothing was ever bad enough to make me consider not hiring again. Never had that problem with the wipers though. Thanks for reading.
Driving around Europe is something I would love to do – my partner loves driving and I am a happy passenger so hopefully in summer 2020 we can get this all scheduled. There is just so much to see and do in Europe isn’t there – it’s so beautiful!? You photos in this post are EPIC too! x
I could spend months on end driving Europe if finances, work and all those others things didn’t get in the way. Thanks a mill for reading.
I enjoyed this post and will follow your advice. Recently I visited my sister in Djibouti and they drive like you described Sicily. I was only a passenger and it was funny to see my usually ladylike sister drive with one hand on the horn and one out the window. I can relate to your having to learn to drive automatic. Yes, hit that clutch and throw it into…what gear? I prefer standard transmissions but they’re becoming extinct here in the US. And GPS–all I can say is that it’s getting better.
GPS isn’t the worst but has its moments. Google maps serves me mostly well. I had a few challenges along the way. But needless to say I still think it’s the best way to see a country. Love hearing everyone’s own difficulties with driving. Thanks so much for reading.
A great post John. We rent cars in a lot of places but I’m too scared to try Europe. We may do it one day though as I love the freedom it gives.
Sorry struggling to keep up with comments. Thank you. Europe isn’t too bad, just try away from the hot blooded Mediterranean’s. They can be a erratic. Or try in Ireland. We are very calm😉
This is a brilliant post, John! You are a fantastic storyteller! I loved the history about left and right hand side of the roads you included. A huge WOW, to your Sicily experiences! I would love to visit there.
We always rent cars. Zagreb threw us for a loop 🤣. Navigation kept telling us to drive down streets that were pedestrian only. Besides the fact, we couldn’t understand what “she” was telling us. The road signs were zero help. We always name our navigation “person”, haha!! When we were in Norway, our navigation didn’t work, so we survived with an old school map! But, there was major flooding and road closures, so we depended on nice people at service stations to point us in the right direction.
What we haven’t done…is drive on the left side of the road. I’m pretty nervous about it! I’ve watched instructional videos on the roundabouts (for left side of road driving). Whew, it might be pretty nerve wracking.
Again, this post is such a great read! Nice job!
Thank you Julie. I’ve enjoyed hearing how I’m not alone with driving issues. Zagreb sounds like my Polish experience. It can be nerve racking that’s sure.
I’ve also had issues with navigation not working as you had in Norway. Downloading maps to your phone to work offline has helped me with this. That’s an edit I can add to my post.
We look forward to welcoming you to Ireland to drive on the left. Trust me the roundabouts aren’t that bad.
Thanks so much for reading.
Your post just confirmed why I don’t drive in Europe…well Italy at least. The USA and UK are fine but we’ve found that trains and planes will get us to most of the places we want to see and after that it’s Shanks’ Pony! If I lived closer to Europe I’d probably consider driving because as you say it allows you a lot of freedom. But 2021 is Iceland so I’ll definitely have to be driving there. Thanks for your entertaining post once again.
You are very welcome. It wasn’t my intention to deter people from driving, nothing that happened would ever put me off it. It’s a challenge at times though.
Iceland is definitely one for the car, but the roads are relatively quiet and the possibilities are endless with a car.
Thanks for reading and I’m so happy you enjoyed the post.
Love this post, John! The stories about Poland and Sicily, especially, were very funny, also scary! I kept poking Bee with my elbow to read her parts. Interesting about the history of driving on the right or left. I’d be worried I’d forget and go to the wrong side; though I suppose the driver’s seat is on the opposite side so you can’t really forget. I’m both encouraged and discouraged to road trip in Europe after reading about your experiences. No way am I attempting to drive in Sicily, for sure. GREAT read, enjoyed the heck out of it 👏😊
Thank you. Let’s call this my passion piece so far, I’ve planned it for ages, and it took some time to write. It’s hard to translate what I imagine is funny into written words. I sincerely hoped it would and I’m happy to see you found it so.
You mentioned driving on the wrong side of the road, the only times I’ve done that is when the roads are really quiet. But you quickly correct yourself. You don’t have that worry in continental Europe though. Avoid Sicily and Rome though.
Thank you as ever for reading and supporting, and I’m delighted you enjoyed it
Fascinating read! Thanks so much for sharing these experiences, John. My husband drove in Europe, including Autobahn, I’ve never did. Driving in Europe sounds like an adventure in itself! Being from US, we both do find it slightly unnerving with the UK and Ireland left side driving, even if being just passengers 🙂 It feels wrong 🙂 The history info on the reasons was truly amazing!!!
Thank you. I imagine Europe isn’t a huge departure for you. Of course there isn’t the grid system so navigation isn’t easy. You didn’t try driving in Ireland? Shame. You will have to fix that next year.
This post reminds me of the ‘adventures’ we have had adjusting to driving on the right side of the road. Drove into oncoming traffic in Finland. That was scary. Yep, Going to remember not to drive in Palermo.
Driving into oncoming traffic is never good. Trust me I know. Renting a car really is an adventure in every sense. But you rented in Italy before didn’t you, Palermo is more or less the same. Except the drivers are twice as nuts
Great post! I honest tried to avoid driving when we are away, but after driving know santorini, we finally rented cars during our last trip in Italy and Spain. Hubby drives and he’s a pretty great driver, he thought it was easy. I was freaked out half the time. The true test will be when we head out on a short road trip in Australia later this year and he’ll have to drive on the other side of the road. That will be an adventure!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
Thanks Kathy. The test does arise getting used to the other side of the road. Or when there are signs that mean absolutely nothing to you. At least you won’t have that issue in Australia. But driving opens up so many possibilities, it’s great.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Fabulous post – we drove through Europe for a year in a motor home on the wrong side of the road! As you can imagine the first couple of weeks were very stressful – especially down the roads that only seem big enough for one car!! Great storytelling and quite a few adventures there John – thanks for sharing 🤗
Glad you enjoyed my little stories, at least all my adventures had happy endings. I know exactly how you feel for those few weeks in Europe. But with time it all becomes the norm. I can imagine driving back home was frightened after all that time too. Thanks for taking the time to read.
A very enjoyable read, John! We didn’t know the history of left-versus-right side driving – very interesting, indeed. Your pictures are amazing and quite the argument for the freedom offered by driving around!
Manuel & Roberto
We (and really my husband since I don’t drive out of the country) have found that having a GPS is invaluable. The steep roads of the Azores were tricky, but nothing was like the narrow roads of Ireland! We couldn’t believe that some of the back roads were two-way.
We love driving all over Europe! From Germany we’ve driven down to the Balkans twice, around Poland and even to England! It’s the best way to explore Europe! #FeetDoTravel
You’ve certainly had some exciting experiences driving around Europe! I love the story of the lost keys in Iceland. So funny! We got to drive on the Autobahn in Germany last summer — loved speeding along!
So many useful tips! Although I´ve been to Andalusia many times, El Caminito Del Rey is still on the top of my travel bucket list! Sicily is one of the places I plan on visiting soon, so was really useful to read about driving there! #FeetDoTravel
I’ve always wondered why some countries drive on the left and others on the right but not enough to research it. Thanks for clearing up that little conundrum for me.
We love a road trip and are in the midst of planning one through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia in May. Note to self – check under the mattress when we misplace our keys. LOL! Funny now, not so funny at the time.
Some fantastic stories here! I don’t drive (home or abroad) but can understand the convenience in some places. Palermo sounds crazy but probably a good place to adjust to driving.
Glad you enjoyed the stories. Palermo was madness and I did stress out about it before hand, but a great learning experience. Thanks for reading.
What a roadtrip adventures you had over the years! Lots of lessons learned but in the end it’s the journey that counts.
I haven’t driven on the left side but that would be interesting if ever we will roadtrip in Europe.
The Iceland one was hilarious but I can imagine the panic that ensued😁🤦🏻♂️
We always learn from our mishaps and thanks for sharing them. We had our fair share of misadventures as well.