Im gonna spend a couple of months in Europe next year, I have basically everything planned out except for one thing

I’m gonna spend a couple of months in Europe next year, I have basically everything planned out except for one thing …

Should I get a rental car or use a Eurail pass for most of my travels?
I’ll be all over western EU

I’m a burger. Have never driven in another country.

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  1. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    To give you a monetary idea …
    I’m budgeting $15,000 for two months by the way. I’m not a very luxurious traveler but I would like to spend maybe 3/4 of my time in hotels, alone and the other 1/4 in hostels. I eat pretty cheap but like a nice dinner here and there. Won’t do much shopping except for odds and ends in thrift stores and stuff ..

    I just want to hear your guys’ experience with car rentals in Western Europe vs the train

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      The train pass is probably more economic than the rental car.
      Pass: hundreds of euros
      Car: potentially thousands of euros (car rental, fuel, parking, etc.)

      Fuel is more expensive in Europe than it is in Burgerland. Also, I can't remember the last time I saw free parking. If you're serious about renting a car, don't expect any American or Japanese makes. Don't even expect well-known European makes (Volkswagen, BMW, etc.); you're probably gonna end up with a Renault or a Fiat.

      Also, try looking into just buying train tickets individually, and compare it to what an all-purpose Eurail/Interrail pass would cost. See if it meshes well with your itinerary & budget. I've rode nearly 300km for under 20 euros, and I've even rode over 500km for as little as 7 euros. Of course, prices will vary by country, but I think it's still worth looking into.

      $15,000 for two months (or $7,500 per month) is definitely doable. I actually did a trip to Europe myself recently, and what I spent was pretty close to that, and that included quite a lot of luxuries.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        >Also, try looking into just buying train tickets individually, and compare it to what an all-purpose Eurail/Interrail pass would cost. See if it meshes well with your itinerary & budget.
        Don't forget about the bullshit reservation fees to use the pass in many countries these days, and if you're spending time in Spain don't even bother with the pass since you'll have to stand in line for an hour to use it each time

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        how long did you spend in Europe?

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >$15k for two months
      >not a very luxurious traveler
      top lel
      Rail will be much cheaper overall. It's already cheaper for one passenger to travel by train than by car if you count fuel costs alone, but you're also stacking rental on top. Gas is much more expensive here than in Burgerland and the only free parking you'll find is in front of supermarkets (often time limited too). It'll also heavily limit your hotel choices since you need a parking space and I really do hope you know how to drive a manual shift because automatics are the premium option.

      • 10 months ago
        Anonymous

        Doesn't this leave large amounts and areas unexplored though, train to Eiffel tower, train to Coliseum?

        • 10 months ago
          Anonymous

          >train to Eiffel tower, train to Coliseum?
          We call it metro or tube to get there. La sagrada familia in barcelona has a metro station too and a cheap 2-3 day tourist ticket for the whole net. And try to find a parking lot at that places.

          https://i.imgur.com/0CgMK49.jpg

          I’m gonna spend a couple of months in Europe next year, I have basically everything planned out except for one thing …

          Should I get a rental car or use a Eurail pass for most of my travels?
          I’ll be all over western EU

          I’m a burger. Have never driven in another country.

          Would use public transport, You can switch to car or plane any time. Also there are overland busses ride shares ferries night trains etc.

  2. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    If you want to visit mostly urban areas, go by train, but if you want to see the countryside, small villages do some sightseeing, get a car.
    I am german and traveled a lot by car and always enjoyed it. You just have to stick to the rules, keep distance to other vehicles and driving is quite comfy everywhere.
    However, as a burger you should expect way less huge parking lots but parking in general isn't a problem.
    If you then visit larger urban areas/cities, park outside of the city and use public transportation.

  3. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Do you really want to spend your vacation trying to find a parking spot in tiny ass Euro streets? Ride trains as much as possible. If you decide you want to spend a few days in the middle of some mountains, rent a car for just those days. Return it when you get back to town.

    Trains in Europe will take you within minutes of walking distance basically anywhere you'd want to go. Take advantage of that fact.

  4. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    If youre a burger then I would highly advise against driving a car in Europe. Europe has super narrow streets and tight parking spots, not to mention driving 100km in every direction means there will be different driving laws. Also driving in cities is super stressful and difficult, ask any taxi driver why theyre so depressed.

  5. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Rail passes are useless in countries like Italy and France where you also need a reserved seat

    • 10 months ago
      Anonymous

      this. I still remember how we were so proud to get "first-class" rail tickets only to be kicked out of our seats cause some millennial roastie and her beta boy managed to get seat numbers on their 1st-class tickets

  6. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    I've toured with a band in Western Europe multiple times and driving isn't nearly as bad as these anons are making it out to be. The things I didn't like were high gas prices, high tolls, and low speed limits (outside of Germany) but otherwise I find the driving culture in Europe to be much more civilized than in the US. Also, in some countries, like Germany, you have to have a special sticker on your car indicating the emissions status, which feels like a scam but I'd rather pay for that than get a fine.

    Trains can be nice because they're usually centrally located, but then you're just stuck in city centers and have to rely on public transportation to do anything. I think the freedom that comes from having a car is fantastic if you're willing to pay the extra costs.

  7. 10 months ago
    Anonymous

    Do you have a EU passport or do you plan on hopping in and out of Schengen?

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