TIPS
for DRIVING IN EUROPE
1.
If your rental is under 21 days - car rental
is generally more cost effective than leasing.
2.
Car rental prices vary from country to country - so a slight adjustment
of your starting point can save you heaps eg. a 1.4 L Megane picked
up in Spain would cost you Australian $60 per day but just go
across the border to France and you will pay Australian $45 per
day for that same car !
3.
If you are under 25 - avoid paying the young driver surcharge
which can be an Australian $25 per day by doing a car lease.
4.
If you want a minibus, an automatic vehicle
or need a vehicle for more than 28 days - look at car leasing
which is the tax free program which is sanctioned by the French
government to encourage tourism. Leasing includes absolutely everything
with no additional driver fees, airport fees and even the comprehensive
insurance does not have an excess. Cars can be leased for up to
175 days with prices starting from Australian $24 a day per car.
Have a look at
Car
Leasing in Europe. We are the only operator that offers leasing
with all three companies that offers leasing.
5.
Do all that is possible to get a diesel
vehicle as diesel can cost up to a third less than petrol in some
countries. Note that with a rental car - you most often will receive
a petrol driven car. With leasing you can order a diesel car.
6.
If you are taking a rental car - the insurance which is included,
does come with an excess of approximately Australian $1,000 and
whilst you could take out excess reduction waivers at the car
counter - do check your travel insurance policy as quite a few
of them offer "Rental vehicle insurance excess cover"
- which means you don't have to take out those waivers as your
travel
insurance will cover this. Travel
Insurance Quote for a quick quote.
7.
If on a budget, consider taking a Motorhome instead of a car.
This would be your accommodation and transport in one and you
can save so much by cooking your own food and making your own
sandwich lunches. See www.motorhomesworldwide.com
for comprehensive info. Motorhomes are offered in 32 countries.
8.
Car hire & Motorhomes are often priced on a seasonal basis
whereby the pick up date determines the rate for the entire rental
so if you want a car on 30 September - it may be worthwhile to
wait one day and start on 01October when the rates drop.
9.
If you do a fly/drive package - you often get the car or airfare
at a reduced rate. Have a look at www.europeshoppe.com.au
10.
Lastly - most companies in Europe charge an airport fee - in some
places like Italy, this can as high as 14% of your TOTAL hire
cost, so consider taking a taxi to a downtown location and avoiding
the fee. Incidentally, airport drop off's do not incur the airport
fee.
11.
Want to travel to Eastern Europe eg. Poland,
Hungary, Czech Republic and your car hire company won't allow
it? Start in Germany or Austria and you can or alternatively,
lease a car. They allow it with full insurance and no excess.
REMEMBER
TO PACK...
Calculator - don't
get ripped off with foreign exchange conversions.
Duct tape - great
as fluff remover; to seal a box if you want to send excess
baggage home; wrap around a travel bag if the zip breaks or as
extra security
Lip balm - lips
can dry out especially if you are not used to being outdoors quite
so much
Muesli bars - will
keep you going until the next meal
Notebook and pen... handy especially for language barriers - draw
a picture - a bit like foreign pictionary! When you don't know
foreign numbers... at least you can understand written prices
& to make notes of when and where you took that photo and
to write down details of new friends.
Pedometer - see
how many km's you cover in a day
Pocket knife - handy
for cutting up an impromptu picnic lunch
Plastic plate or frisbee
- useful for your lunch, cutting your cheese,
salami, tomato etc and for playing with afterwards...fun on the
beach
Pre printed address labels
- instead of taking your address book -
just peel and stick labels on your postcards
Plastic poncho with hood
- looks dorky but at least your hands will
be free for taking photos etc whereas an umbrella can be a hindrance
- especially in crowded places.
Spare spectacles
- easy to replace sunglasses but would you
be lost without a spare pair of prescription lenses?
Safety pins - a
hundred uses
Travel clock - in
case you need to get up early to catch a train, plane or make
an early start to avoid the crowds
Torch with fresh batteries
- lots of uses
Travel scrabble / cards
- impromptu entertainment - great for breaking
the ice in a youth hostel!
Tissues ... if
not for you, for the kid next to you with the runny nose or sticky
fingers
umbrella can
be a hindrance - especially in crowded places.
Various sized Glad bags for fruit
(squashed banana in your backpack is NOT
fun), for leftovers, damp clothes, messy things.
Wet
wipes - instant hygiene
and ideal for after lunch clean up.
Got any more travel tips? Let us know and
we'll pass them on to your fellow
travellers. A windcheater, cap and calculator for the best tip
received.
Got
any more travel tips?
Let us know and we'll pass them on to your fellow
travellers. A windcheater, cap and calculator
for the best tip received
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