Page 29 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

TR A VEL INFORM A TION  27

Europe by Road and Ferry example, Eurolines, offers
passes that allow you to visit
While many prefer the ease of traveling by train when they want more than 50 European cities
to get somewhere fast, traveling by car gives you the chance over a 15- or 30-day period.
to stop at will and explore many areas of Europe on the way.
Car ferries and the Channel Tunnel have extended Europe’s Traveling by Ferry
boundaries into the Scottish Hebrides and down to the Aegean. Once in Europe, you may need
to go by boat to get to the
more outlying areas. Many
Driving Permits are by far the cheapest, while of the islands of Greece and
Many non-European licenses France, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland, for example, are only
can be used in Europe, but an and Great Britain are the most accessible by sea. Or, if you start
international driving permit is expensive, with Spain and your trip to Europe by flying
worth having, if only to make life Switzerland somewhere in into Great Britain, it is possible
easier when renting or leasing a between. The difference in price to continue by ferry, catamaran,
vehicle (you have to be at least can be up to 30 percent. or hydrofoil to Ireland, France,
21 years of age when renting). Unleaded gas is used almost Belgium, the Netherlands, and
Be aware that it is mandatory to exclusively in Scandinavia and Spain. Companies operating
have an international permit in Western Europe, but it is rarely regular ferries from Great Britain
parts of Eastern Europe. The available in the east. are P&O and DFDS Seaways.
permit lasts for one year. It can also be easier and
cheaper to travel by sea than by
Car Rental
Driving In Europe Car rental is a competitive air from Spain to the Balearic
Islands, from Italy to Sardinia
In Great Britain, Northern Ireland, business in Europe, so prices are and Sicily, and to Greece from
the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, generally quite affordable. The Italy. For further details, see the
Malta, and Gibraltar people drive biggest car rental companies in Travel Information section of the
on the left-hand side of the road. Europe are Europcar, Avis, Hertz, individual countries.
The rest of Europe drives on the Sixt, and Budget, all of which
right. Remember that in most of offer an excellent level of DIRECTORY
Europe, distances are measured service. Local contact details are
in kilometers (1 km equals given in the Travel Information Car Rental
0.6 miles). The exceptions are section for each country. There Auto Europe
Great Britain and Ireland, which are also US companies that
work in both metric and Imperial specialize in European car Tel 888-223 5555 (US).
measurements. Most highways rentals. These include firms such ∑ autoeurope.com
have a speed limit of around as Europcar, Kemwel, Europe Europcar
100–135 km/h (60–80 mph). The by Car, and Auto Europe. Tel 877-940 6900 (US).
fastest roads are in Germany, ∑ europcar.com
where the speed limit is 210 km/h
(130 mph) on the Autobahnen. Traveling by Bus Europe by Car
Roads are very congested during Domestic bus services provide Tel 800-223 1516 (US).
August, the vacation month, an alternative to the rail network ∑ europebycarblog.com
especially during the first and throughout Europe, and while
last week ends and on routes these are cheaper, they are also Kemwel
to the coast. generally much slower and offer Tel 877-820 0668 (US).
The cost of driving in Europe less in terms of comfort and ∑ kemwel.com
varies from country to country. amenities. The exceptions are
Italian autostrade, French Portugal, Greece, and parts of Traveling by Bus
autoroutes, Spanish autopistas, Spain, where buses have Eurolines
and Portuguese autoestrada are superseded trains, and Hungary, Tel 08717-818 178 (UK).
regularly punctuated by toll which has a bus system that is
booths, while a one-time fee as good as the rail network. In ∑ eurolines.co.uk
must be paid on entering most European countries, buses Ferry Services
Switzerland and Austria. are best used as extensions of
However, the vast majority of the railway, affording access to DFDS Seaways
roads are free in the villages and remoter regions. Tel 0871-574 7235 (UK).
Netherlands, Great Britain, and Advance bookings for these ∑ dfdsseaways.co.uk
Germany, although tolls are are rarely needed.
charged on certain bridges. International buses are P&O
Fuel prices vary enormously also a second-best to express Tel 08716-642 121 (UK).
across Europe. Gibraltar, trains, but the tour options ∑ poferries.com
Andorra, and Luxembourg are worth considering. One

026-027_EW_Europe.indd 27 14/07/16 10:12 am