Travelling by car is definitely a great way to travel. The greatest benefit is freedom. Freedom to not plan a route, freedom to be able to stay overnight anywhere and freedom to discover places. So if you’re thinking about traveling by car through Europe you have to like driving. You need to be able to drive for many hours without burdening you. But not everything will be good when traveling by car. So here are a few tips and answers to typical questions about a trip through Europe by car.
Check your car
First let’s start with the things to consider before driving, such as checking the car. Nobody should ever leave home before doing a review of the car, whether it is new or whether you have thousands and thousands of miles. Cars are a mass of iron and a thousand things could make a sound, some important and some not, but be sure it’s nothing important if you don’t want to stop halfway through the trip.
Then during the trip itself the review should be continuous. Check the oil level and water, tire pressure every few miles (1000 for example) and especially the lights since in most European countries it is mandatory to always have lights working. Also do not forget vest, triangles and replacement lamps!
You drive well, but what if something comes up?
Traveling by car carries many more risks than plane or train. In fact it is the means with the worst transport accidents. It doesn’t depend only on you but on the hundreds of thousands of other cars, the state of the road, weather and therefore nobody is completely safe. But one can be prepared for any mishap.
For this I advise making sure you have breakdown cover from the AA which will be able to help you in most of Europe.
Do not travel alone
For a long drive, it is not advisable traveling alone. Find friends or travel with your partner, your child or even carpool with other travellers. They will be your greatest allies, lest you suffer the effects of long hours on the car.
Plan the route, but enjoys improvisation
The freedom the car gives you when traveling is infinite but that does not mean you shouldn’t have a plan of certain routes. It is recommended that the first day you make the largest possible number of miles towards your final destination, keeping in mind that it is not advisable to go over 1,000 miles a day. Once at your destination, you can give way to improvisation, moving freely between smaller distances. You will also need to keep in mind the return trip.
If I travel by car through Europe Where can I stay?
This may perhaps be the biggest drawback to traveling by car, especially if you’re planning your route to visit some cities, but as for everything, there are always alternatives. My first advice would be to avoid large cities such as London, Paris or Rome. These destinations are absurd to go by car because they are overcrowded.
The tip is to forget about accommodation in the city centre unless there is some free parking far away and you can leave the car without a problem. But my advice is to find hotels near the road or camp. The first option is good if you were only staying one night but if you plan to stay more than one night in a city my recommendation would be the option of camping. It is a relatively inexpensive accommodation option to rent a bungalow and feel completely at home.
